Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines high-skill bar muscle-ups with significant volume and fatigue accumulation. The 90 burpee box jump overs and 90 farmer's step-ups create substantial leg and cardiovascular fatigue before attempting 35 bar muscle-ups - a movement most average CrossFitters struggle with when fresh. The 17-25 minute time domain means sustained high intensity with minimal recovery. The combination of volume, skill demands under fatigue, and continuous work makes this challenging for the average athlete.

Benchmark Times for Box Office Muscle

• Elite: <13:00
• Advanced: 14:00-15:00
• Intermediate: 16:00-17:00
• Beginner: >25:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High volume descending ladder format with 90 burpee box jumps, 90 step-ups, and 35 muscle-ups creates extreme muscular endurance demands across multiple muscle groups.
• Endurance (8/10): A 17-25 minute workout with continuous movement creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially with the high volume of burpee box jumps maintaining elevated heart rate throughout.
• Power (7/10): Burpee box jump overs require explosive hip extension and jumping power, while muscle-ups demand explosive pulling power from the transition phase.
• Strength (6/10): Dumbbell farmer's step-ups with 50/35lb loads and bar muscle-ups require significant strength, particularly upper body pulling and core strength for the muscle-ups.
• Speed (6/10): The 'sustain' pace and descending rep scheme encourages steady cycling with minimal rest, requiring efficient transitions and consistent movement speed to hit target times.
• Flexibility (4/10): Bar muscle-ups demand shoulder and thoracic mobility, while box jumps and step-ups require adequate ankle and hip mobility for safe movement execution.

Movements

• Burpee Box Jump-Over
• Bar Muscle-Up

Scaling Options

BBJO: Reduce to 16" box or regular burpees. Step-ups: Use 35/25 lb DBs or bodyweight to 16" box. BMU: Substitute with 2:1 chest-to-bar pull-ups, jumping BMU, or banded BMU. Consider reducing overall volume to 24-18-12-6 reps with 7-6-5-4 BMU if needed.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 3+ unbroken bar muscle-ups or complete 10 burpee box jumps in under 90 seconds. Priority is maintaining the intended 17-25 minute time domain with consistent movement quality. Athletes should feel challenged but not completely depleted - aim for 'comfortably hard' throughout.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration glycolytic workout targeting 17-25 minutes. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent pace across three distinct movement patterns while managing fatigue accumulation. Tests muscular endurance, coordination, and mental resilience through descending rep scheme that demands sustained effort rather than sprint intensity.

Coach Insight

Pace the first round of 30 reps conservatively - aim for sets of 5-6 on BBJO and step-ups. Break bar muscle-ups early and often (singles or doubles max). Transition quickly between movements but rest strategically. Focus on consistent box jump rhythm and controlled step-up tempo. Save aggressive pushing for final 6-rep round. Most athletes fail by going too hard on the 30s and 24s.

Benchmark Notes

This workout combines three high-intensity movements in a descending ladder format. Breaking down by movement: BBJO 20" (90 total reps): Elite athletes can maintain 6-8 seconds per rep including transitions, totaling 540-720 seconds. DB Farmer's Step Ups 50s/35s (90 total reps): Heavy loading requires 4-6 seconds per rep for elite, totaling 360-540 seconds. Bar Muscle-Ups (35 total reps): Elite can average 4-5 seconds per rep including brief rests, totaling 140-175 seconds. The descending rep scheme creates significant fatigue accumulation. Round 1 (30-30-9): Athletes start fresh but high volume creates early fatigue. Round 2 (24-24-8): 10-15% slower due to accumulated fatigue. Rounds 3-5: Progressive degradation of 15-25% as grip, shoulders, and legs compound fatigue. Transition times between movements: 3-5 seconds for elite, 8-12 seconds for recreational athletes. Total estimated times: Elite (L10): 13-17 minutes, Advanced (L5): 17-22 minutes, Recreational (L1): 25-30 minutes. This aligns closely with the provided target scores of 17-25 minutes for general population and sub-17 for firebreathers. The workout's combination of explosive movements, heavy carries, and high-skill gymnastics creates a demanding test across multiple energy systems. Final targets: L10: 13:00, L5: 17:00, L1: 25:00.

Modality Profile

3 movements total: Burpee Box Jump-Over (G), Dumbbell Farmer's Step Up (W), Bar Muscle-Up (G). 2 gymnastics movements (67%) and 1 weightlifting movement (33%).