Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 21-15-9 rep scheme creates sustained high intensity with no built-in rest. Thrusters at 135/95 are moderately heavy and highly metabolic, immediately followed by burpees which further tax the same muscle groups. Pull-ups become significantly harder after the shoulder fatigue from thrusters. This combination creates a cascade of fatigue that makes each round increasingly challenging, typically taking 8-12 minutes of continuous work.

Benchmark Times for Francis Esposito

• Elite: <4:00
• Advanced: 4:30-5:00
• Intermediate: 5:45-6:30
• Beginner: >11:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Combined effects of thrusters and pull-ups tax both upper and lower body muscular endurance. Total volume challenges local muscle stamina significantly.
• Power (8/10): Thrusters are inherently explosive movements. Fast burpees and kipping pull-ups also require significant power output.
• Endurance (7/10): High-intensity couplet with burpees creates significant cardiovascular demand. The descending rep scheme allows for sustained effort without complete exhaustion.
• Flexibility (7/10): Thrusters demand significant mobility in ankles, hips, and shoulders. Full-depth burpees and pull-ups require good range of motion.
• Speed (7/10): Descending rep scheme encourages fast transitions and quick movement cycling, especially in later, shorter rounds.
• Strength (6/10): 135/95lb thrusters represent moderate-heavy loads for most athletes, requiring substantial strength to maintain form through fatigue.

Movements

• Thruster
• Burpee
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Thruster weight: 95/65 lb or 75/55 lb based on capacity. Sub ring rows or jumping pull-ups for strict pull-ups. Step-back burpees instead of jumping. For volume, reduce to 15-12-9 or 12-9-6 rep scheme. Advanced scaling: keep Rx weight but reduce reps to 15-12-9. Beginners: dumbbell thrusters (35/25 lb) and elevated ring rows.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 7+ unbroken thrusters at prescribed weight, or if strict pull-ups are not consistent. Target time domain is 8-12 minutes - scale load/volume if estimated time exceeds 15 minutes. Prioritize maintaining power output and proper movement patterns over Rx weights. Athletes should be able to complete at least 3-4 reps unbroken on all movements when fresh. Focus on intensity over volume - better to reduce reps and maintain high power output than grind through Rx slowly.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic workout targeting 8-12 minutes. Primary energy system is anaerobic glycolysis with significant cardiovascular demand. The combination of heavy thrusters and gymnastics creates a full-body power endurance challenge. Mental toughness is tested through sustained output across three movements.

Coach Insight

Break thrusters strategically from the start - consider 12-9, 8-7, 5-4 sets. Quick but controlled transitions between movements. For burpees, minimize ground time and stay close to pull-up bar. On pull-ups, maintain efficient kip and break before form deteriorates. Round of 15 is typically where athletes struggle most - plan breaks accordingly. Focus on consistent breathing patterns during thrusters to manage fatigue.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is a direct variant of Fran (21-15-9 of thrusters and pull-ups) with burpees added and a heavier thruster weight (135/95 vs 95/65). Starting with the Fran anchor (L10: 120-140s, L5: 320-360s, L1: 540-660s), we need to adjust for: 1. Heavier thruster weight (+40 lbs): Add ~25% time to thruster portions 2. Addition of burpees: 45 total reps at 3-4s each = 135-180s fresh state 3. Additional transition time between three movements vs two Breakdown for elite (L10) male: - Round of 21: ~100s (thrusters: 35s, burpees: 35s, pull-ups: 30s) - Round of 15: ~80s (thrusters: 30s, burpees: 25s, pull-ups: 25s) - Round of 9: ~60s (thrusters: 20s, burpees: 20s, pull-ups: 20s) - Transitions: ~20s total Total elite time: ~240-260s (4:00-4:20) For female athletes, the relative loading is similar (95 vs 65 in Fran), so we maintain similar time differentials as the Fran anchor, typically 15-20% slower across levels. Recap: Male - L10: 4:00-4:20, L5: 6:30-7:00, L1: 11:00-12:00 Female - L10: 4:30-5:00, L5: 7:30-8:00, L1: 13:00-14:00

Modality Profile

Thruster (W), Burpee (G), Pull-Up (G). Two gymnastics movements (Burpee, Pull-Up) and one weightlifting movement (Thruster). Since there are three total movements with two being gymnastics, rounded to nearest 10%.