Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The continuous 12-minute format with no built-in rest creates significant cardiovascular and muscular fatigue accumulation. The 9 burpee over bar severely impacts the subsequent 7 hang power cleans, even at moderate weight (likely 95/65 for average athletes). All three movements heavily tax the legs with minimal recovery between rounds. While the movements are fundamental and rep scheme is manageable per round, the combination of sustained intensity, movement interference, and accumulated volume (4-6 rounds = 36-54 burpees total) makes this challenging for the average CrossFitter. Not Very Hard because it lacks high-skill movements or maximal loading.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High total volume across multiple rounds with 27 reps per round means 130-180+ total reps, taxing upper body, lower body, and grip endurance significantly.
• Power (8/10): Dominant power demand: box jump overs are explosive, burpees include jumping component, hang power cleans require explosive hip extension and acceleration under the bar.
• Endurance (7/10): Twelve minutes of continuous work with highly cardiovascular movements (box jumps and burpees) creates significant aerobic demand, though not at marathon-level intensity.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format rewards efficient cycling and quick transitions, though hang power cleans naturally limit maximum speed; pacing strategy important for 12-minute duration.
• Strength (4/10): Hang power cleans require moderate loads in this AMRAP context, while box jumps and burpees are bodyweight; not maximal strength but meaningful resistance.
• Flexibility (4/10): Hang power cleans demand good pulling position and front rack mobility; burpees require full floor-to-standing range; box jumps need hip flexion capacity.

Movements

• Box Jump-Over
• Burpee Over Bar
• Hang Power Clean

Scaling Options

Box height: reduce to 20/16 or use step-ups with weight. Burpee over bar: sub regular burpees or lateral bar-facing burpees. Hang power clean: scale to 75/55 lbs or 65/45 lbs - must allow unbroken sets early. Consider reducing reps to 9-7-5 for newer athletes. Bar muscle-ups? Wrong workout - if equipment is limited, sub dumbbell hang power cleans.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain consistent movement for 12 minutes. Box jumps should not cause fear or rebounding issues - step-ups are perfectly acceptable. Clean weight should allow 7 unbroken reps when fresh; scale to 50-60% of 1RM. Target 3+ full rounds minimum. Prioritize sustaining intensity over heavy load - this is a conditioning piece, not a strength test. Scale if rest periods exceed 20-30 seconds.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration glycolytic workout lasting 12 minutes. Targets sustainable high-intensity output with ascending heart rate. Primary challenge is conditioning and leg stamina - maintaining pace as burpees and box jumps accumulate fatigue. Expect 3-6 rounds depending on fitness level.

Coach Insight

Pace burpee over bar conservatively - they will spike your heart rate quickly. Step down from box jump overs every rep to preserve legs and Achilles. Hang power cleans should be moderate weight allowing touch-and-go or quick singles when fresh (around 60-70% 1RM). Keep transitions tight - no rest between movements. Break into manageable sets if needed: 6-5 box jumps, 5-4 burpees, 3-2-2 cleans. Most athletes slow significantly after round 3 when legs get heavy.

Benchmark Notes

Primary limiter is the 9 burpee over bar combined with leg fatigue from box jump overs. L1 (4 rounds) assumes scaled movements and ~3:00/round with breaking sets and recovery time. L5 (6.5 rounds) reflects a steady ~1:50/round pace with strategic breaks on cleans and maintaining unbroken box jumps/burpees in early rounds. L10 (10.3 rounds) requires elite engine capacity and technical proficiency to sustain ~1:10/round with minimal transitions, likely unbroken box jumps throughout, quick singles or small sets on cleans, and efficient burpee rhythm despite fatigue.

Modality Profile

Box Jump-Over is a gymnastics movement (bodyweight coordination skill). Burpee Over Bar is a gymnastics movement (bodyweight). Hang Power Clean is a weightlifting movement (barbell). 1 gymnastics movement out of 3 total = 33%. 2 weightlifting movements out of 3 total = 67%.