Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Part 1's burpee sprints pre-fatigue the lungs and legs before Part 2 even begins. The descending ladder totals 75 power cleans and 75 box jump overs — significant volume that compounds hip and leg fatigue. At 95/65, the cleans are light individually, but cycling them under accumulated fatigue forces breakups. The 12-minute time cap adds pace pressure, pushing athletes into uncomfortable output after an already taxing primer.

Benchmark Times for Burpee McCleanface

• Elite: <4:58
• Advanced: 6:06-7:36
• Intermediate: 9:24-10:57
• Beginner: >0:42.5

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (8/10): Bar-facing burpees, power cleans, and box jump overs are all inherently explosive movements. The entire workout rewards powerful hip extension and fast stretch-shortening cycles, making power the dominant physical quality.
• Stamina (7/10): 75 total power cleans and 75 box jump overs demand significant muscular endurance. The descending rep scheme maintains cumulative fatigue, especially in the posterior chain and legs across both workout segments.
• Speed (7/10): Part 1 directly rewards fast cycling of burpees in 20-second windows. Part 2's time cap incentivizes quick transitions and efficient bar cycling on power cleans to beat the 12-minute cutoff.
• Endurance (5/10): Part 1 uses 20-second sprint intervals with recovery, limiting aerobic demand. Part 2's descending rep scheme under a 12-minute cap creates moderate cardiovascular stress without sustained aerobic output.
• Strength (4/10): Power cleans at 95/65 lb are moderate loads requiring functional strength output. Not maximal, but heavy enough to slow cycling as fatigue accumulates, especially in later sets of Part 2.
• Flexibility (3/10): Power cleans require adequate hip and shoulder mobility. Box jump overs demand basic hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion. Overall mobility demands are moderate but not extreme for either movement.

Movements

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

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce power cleans to 65/45 lbs as the minimum Rx, or 55/35 lbs for athletes newer to barbell cycling. Focus on consistent mechanics over load. Movement subs: Replace bar-facing burpees with regular burpees or reduce to step-up-and-over burpees if there are shoulder or wrist limitations. Box jump overs can be scaled to step-overs on a lower box (20/12 inch) or to lateral line hops if jumping is an issue. Volume: Consider scaling the rep scheme to 15-12-9-6 if an athlete is unlikely to finish within the 12-minute cap or is prone to technique breakdown under fatigue.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the power clean weight if you cannot perform at least 10 unbroken reps at Rx load when fresh — cycling heavy cleans under fatigue will quickly compromise the lumbar spine. Scale to step-overs on the box if landing mechanics break down when fatigued, as poor box jump landings are a common injury risk. Scale the rep scheme if you averaged under 6 bar-facing burpees per set in Part 1 — high fatigue from Part 1 will compound quickly in Part 2. The goal for Part 2 is completion in 8-11 minutes. If you're consistently hitting the time cap with poor reps remaining, reduce volume before reducing weight. Technique and intensity together are the priority — never sacrifice movement quality for the sake of Rx loading.

Intended Stimulus

This is a two-part sprint and sustain workout. Part 1 is pure short-burst power — 20 seconds of all-out effort repeated 4 times with full recovery. Think 100% output every set. Part 2 shifts to hard sustained effort in the 7-12 minute range, combining moderate barbell cycling with explosive jumping. The primary challenge is conditioning and pacing — learning to manage intensity across a descending rep scheme while your heart rate is already elevated from Part 1. Expect burning lungs, heavy legs on the box, and a real test of mental grit in those later sets.

Coach Insight

Part 1: Treat every 20-second window as a true sprint — no holding back. Aim for 8-12+ reps per set depending on your fitness level. Stay tight to the bar and minimize air time on the burpee. Use a consistent rhythm: down fast, chest to floor, explosive jump. Rest fully — you have nearly 100 seconds of recovery, use it. Part 2: The opening set of 21 is the trap. Start conservatively on power cleans — plan to break the 21s into 3 sets (9-7-5 or 8-7-6), the 18s into 2-3 sets, then push to go bigger on 12s and 9s. Touch-and-go reps are ideal if the weight allows — keep hips loaded, don't muscle it up. On box jump overs, use a consistent step-down or jump-down rhythm to protect your legs. Transitions between movements should be immediate — no standing around. Common mistakes: going unbroken on early cleans and dying in the middle rounds, letting the box jumps become slow and sloppy, and resting too long between movements instead of between sets.

Benchmark Notes

Part 2 is the scored portion (12-min cap). Total is 75 power cleans + 75 box jump overs = 150 reps. Primary limiters are the power clean load under fatigue (grip, posterior chain) and the aerobic demand of box jump overs; transitions and set breaks compound quickly on large sets. L1 beginners are still grinding through the 21s at the cap (~30 reps), still dealing with clean technique and jump coordination. L4 athletes get through the 21s and most of the 18s but run out of clock (~112 reps). L5 (median CrossFitter) finishes but is right against the cap — likely doing the 21s in 2-3 sets, the 18s in 2 sets, and singles/doubles on smaller sets with modest box jump pace (~11:35). L7 athletes move the bar efficiently in larger chunks and hold near-unbroken box jumps through the 15s, finishing around 8:30. L10 elite athletes push near-unbroken cleans on the 21 and 18, step-over or efficient box jumps throughout, finishing sub-4:30. Female targets reflect the meaningful performance gap on the 65 lb power clean (lighter but still demanding under volume fatigue) and comparable box jump output, yielding slightly faster finish times and slightly higher capped reps than males at equivalent levels.

Modality Profile

Bar-Facing Burpee is Gymnastics (bodyweight movement). Power Clean is Weightlifting (barbell external load). Box Jump-Over is Gymnastics (bodyweight movement). Total: 2 Gymnastics movements, 1 Weightlifting movement = G: 33%, W: 67%, M: 0%