Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This EMOM provides built-in recovery with approximately 40-50 seconds of rest per minute for the average athlete. While pull-ups and push-ups create cumulative grip and shoulder fatigue, the dumbbell snatches are light-moderate and the total volume (150 pull-ups, 300 push-ups, 300 snatches over 30 minutes) is manageable when distributed. Most CrossFitters complete as prescribed, though some may need to break sets or scale weights slightly.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Cumulative volume of 150 pull-ups, 300 push-ups, and 300 dumbbell snatches tests muscular endurance. EMOM structure forces sustained output without full recovery between rounds.
• Endurance (7/10): 30-minute EMOM format sustains cardiovascular demand throughout. Athletes must maintain aerobic capacity across 30 rounds while managing fatigue and breathing patterns consistently.
• Speed (6/10): EMOM format demands consistent pacing and quick transitions between movements. Athletes must cycle efficiently within each minute to complete reps with rest remaining.
• Power (4/10): Dumbbell snatches require explosive hip extension and arm drive. Pull-ups and push-ups can be performed explosively but aren't mandatory. Mixed power and strength stimulus.
• Strength (3/10): Dumbbell snatches provide moderate load, but pull-ups and push-ups rely on relative bodyweight strength. Not a maximal strength stimulus; emphasis on muscular endurance.
• Flexibility (3/10): Pull-ups and dumbbell snatches require moderate shoulder mobility and overhead range. Push-ups demand basic chest and shoulder flexibility. Minimal extreme ROM demands.

Movements

• Push-Up
• Dumbbell Snatch
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Dumbbell weight: Rx is typically 50/35 lbs — scale to 35/25 lbs or 25/15 lbs for newer athletes. Pull-up substitutions: banded pull-ups, ring rows, or jumping pull-ups with slow lower. Push-up substitutions: knee push-ups or hands-elevated push-ups on a box. Volume modifications: reduce to 3 pull-ups, 8 push-ups, and 8 snatches per minute, or shorten the EMOM to 20 minutes if stamina is a limiting factor. Athletes newer to EMOMs can also run this as an every-2-minute format (EMOM 30 = 15 rounds) to build a larger rest buffer while maintaining workout volume.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot complete 5 strict or kipping pull-ups unbroken when fresh, struggle to do 15+ push-ups unbroken, or cannot perform a technically sound dumbbell snatch for 10 reps. The moment your rest window drops below 10 seconds, the workout has flipped from aerobic endurance to a race for survival — that's the sign you need to reduce reps or weight immediately. Prioritize technique over Rx loads on every round: a sloppy snatch or a collapsed push-up trains bad habits and invites injury. The target experience is consistent, repeatable effort across all 30 minutes — if you're breaking down by round 15, scale back and own the full 30 minutes with quality movement.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long-duration aerobic grind targeting muscular endurance and sustained conditioning over 30 minutes. The time domain is long and steady — think 'long steady engine' — with each minute demanding short bursts of effort followed by active recovery. The primary challenge is pacing and mental durability: keeping movement quality sharp as fatigue accumulates across 30 rounds. Expect the push-ups and pull-ups to compound quickly if you go out too hot early on.

Coach Insight

Your goal each minute is to finish the 25 total reps in 35-45 seconds, leaving 15-25 seconds of rest before the next minute starts. Start conservative — if you're flying through minute 1 with 30+ seconds of rest, that's fine, but protect that buffer. For pull-ups, use a controlled kip if needed and consider breaking into 3-2 early rather than grinding out 5 unbroken by minute 15. Push-ups should stay tight — lock in a rigid plank, full chest-to-deck, and full lockout at top; if hips sag, drop to your knees immediately rather than letting form collapse. For the dumbbell snatches, drive through the hips, keep the DB close to the body, and punch aggressively at the top. Alternate arms each rep and stay deliberate with the hand switch — this is where athletes lose time unnecessarily. Common mistakes: starting too fast and losing rest windows by minute 10, letting push-ups become sloppy half-reps, and death-gripping the dumbbell causing forearm fatigue. Pick a weight you could snatch 20+ times unbroken when fresh.

Benchmark Notes

Pull-up grip and cumulative push-up fatigue are the primary limiters over 30 minutes; DB snatches (unspecified weight) are secondary. L5 (~24/30 rounds) represents a solid intermediate who sustains the pace for roughly 24 minutes before the push-up/pull-up combination degrades past the 60-second window.

Modality Profile

Pull-Up and Push-Up are bodyweight gymnastics movements (2/3 = 67%). Dumbbell Snatch is a weightlifting movement with external load (1/3 = 33%). No monostructural cardio movements present.