Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines three high-skill movements in continuous AMRAP format with no built-in rest. Handstand push-ups require significant shoulder strength and skill, pistols demand unilateral leg strength and balance, and pull-ups add grip fatigue. The 10-minute continuous format prevents recovery between rounds, creating cumulative fatigue across multiple demanding movement patterns. Most average CrossFitters will need to scale at least one movement.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-skill bodyweight movements performed repeatedly will heavily tax upper body pushing, pulling, and single-leg muscular endurance over multiple rounds.
• Endurance (7/10): Ten minutes of continuous bodyweight movements with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand and tests aerobic capacity throughout the workout.
• Flexibility (6/10): Handstand push-ups require shoulder mobility, pistols demand ankle and hip flexibility, creating moderate to high mobility requirements throughout.
• Speed (5/10): AMRAP format rewards efficient transitions and consistent pacing, but technical movements limit pure speed cycling between exercises.
• Strength (4/10): Handstand push-ups and pistols require significant relative strength, while pull-ups demand upper body strength, but not maximal loading.
• Power (2/10): Movements are primarily strength-endurance based rather than explosive, with minimal power output demands in this grinding format.

Movements

• Pistol Squat
• Handstand Push-Up
• Pull-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout is '1/2 MARY' - a 10-minute AMRAP with 5 handstand push-ups, 10 alternating pistols, and 15 pull-ups per round. I'll analyze this by breaking down each movement and applying fatigue multipliers. Movement Analysis (fresh state): - 5 Handstand Push-Ups: 8-12 sec each in complex WODs = 40-60 sec - 10 Alternating Pistols: 2-3 sec each = 20-30 sec - 15 Pull-Ups: 1-2 sec each = 15-30 sec - Transitions between movements: 3-6 sec each = 6-12 sec total - Fresh round time: 81-132 sec (1:21-2:12) Fatigue and Set Breaking: - Round 1-2: Fresh pace, minimal breaking - Round 3-4: HSPU break into 3+2, pistols may pause for balance, pull-ups break into 8+4+3 - Round 5+: Significant breaking on all movements, 1.3-1.5x multiplier Projected Round Times: - Round 1: 90-120 sec - Round 2: 100-130 sec - Round 3: 120-150 sec - Round 4: 140-180 sec - Round 5: 160-200 sec This gives elite athletes (L10) approximately 6.5-7 rounds in 10 minutes, while beginners (L1) might complete 2-3 rounds due to the high skill requirements of handstand push-ups and pistols. The closest anchor is Cindy (20-min AMRAP: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats) where L10 achieves 25-30 rounds, L5 gets 15-18 rounds, and L1 manages 6-8 rounds. However, this workout is significantly more challenging due to: 1. Handstand push-ups vs regular push-ups (3x harder) 2. Pistols vs air squats (2x harder) 3. Half the time duration (10 min vs 20 min) Adjusting Cindy's benchmarks for these factors: Cindy L10 rate of 1.25-1.5 rounds/min becomes 0.65-0.75 rounds/min for this workout due to movement difficulty. This projects L10 at 6.5-7.5 rounds, L5 at 4.5-5.5 rounds, and L1 at 2-3 rounds. Final targets: L10: 6.8 rounds, L5: 4.8 rounds, L1: 2.5 rounds

Modality Profile

All three movements (Handstand Push-Up, Pistol Squat, Pull-Up) are bodyweight gymnastics movements with no external load or cyclical cardio components.