Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines high-skill gymnastics movements (bar muscle-ups, handstand push-ups) with moderate loads across 6 rounds with significant running volume. The bar muscle-ups will become the limiting factor early, forcing long breaks and extending total time. The continuous nature with minimal built-in rest, combined with grip/shoulder fatigue accumulation from muscle-ups affecting subsequent HSPUs, creates a brutal combination that most average CrossFitters cannot complete as prescribed.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <15:00
• Advanced: 17:00-19:00
• Intermediate: 21:00-23:00
• Beginner: >33:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Six rounds with 800m total running per round creates significant cardiovascular demand, testing aerobic capacity throughout the workout.
• Stamina (7/10): High-skill gymnastics movements combined with heavy dumbbell work across 6 rounds will heavily tax upper body muscular endurance.
• Power (7/10): Power snatches are explosive by nature, devil press requires hip drive, and bar muscle ups demand kipping power generation.
• Strength (6/10): 50/35lb dumbbells for power snatches and devil press, plus bodyweight strength for bar muscle ups and handstand push-ups.
• Flexibility (6/10): Bar muscle ups require shoulder mobility, handstand push-ups need overhead flexibility, and power snatches demand full-body range of motion.
• Speed (5/10): Moderate pacing required to maintain movement quality across 6 rounds while managing fatigue from high-skill movements.

Movements

• Run
• Bar Muscle-Up
• Dumbbell Power Snatch
• Handstand Push-Up
• Devil Press

Scaling Options

Reduce DB weight to 35/25 lbs or 25/15 lbs. Substitute bar muscle-ups with chest-to-bar pull-ups or regular pull-ups. Replace handstand push-ups with pike push-ups or seated DB press. Reduce runs to 200m or substitute 30 cal bike/row. Consider reducing to 4-5 rounds. Beginners can use 20/15 lb DBs and substitute all gymnastics with basic movements.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 3+ bar muscle-ups or 5+ handstand push-ups when fresh. The DB weight should allow 10+ unbroken snatches in round 1. If completing fewer than 2 rounds in 25 minutes, reduce volume or substitute movements. Maintain high intensity over perfect movement - this workout rewards consistency and pacing over max effort attempts.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic workout targeting 18-25 minutes. Tests muscular endurance across upper body pulling, pressing, and posterior chain while maintaining aerobic capacity through running intervals. Primary challenge is skill retention under fatigue as complex movements like bar muscle-ups and handstand push-ups deteriorate quickly.

Coach Insight

Pace the runs at 80-85% effort to preserve energy for gymnastics movements. Break bar muscle-ups early - consider singles or doubles from round 2 onward. Use strict handstand push-ups if possible to save shoulders for later rounds. On devil press, prioritize smooth transitions over speed - the combination of DB snatch into devil press will tax grip and shoulders significantly. Rest 30-45 seconds between movements within each round.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 6-round couplet workout with significant cardio and gymnastics demands. Round 1-2 breakdown: 400m run (75-90 sec), 5 bar muscle-ups (15-25 sec), 10 alt DB power snatch (20-30 sec), 400m run (80-95 sec due to fatigue), 6 HSPU (12-24 sec), 12 devil press (36-60 sec). Total per round: 238-324 sec. Transitions add 6-12 sec per round. Fatigue multipliers: Rounds 1-2 (1.0x), 3-4 (1.15x), 5-6 (1.3x). Bar muscle-ups become increasingly difficult with shoulder fatigue from devil press. HSPU severely impacted by overhead fatigue. Running pace degrades 10-15% by final rounds. Elite athletes maintain efficient movement patterns and minimize rest, completing in ~15 minutes. Recreational athletes face significant set breaking on gymnastics movements and longer transitions, extending to 33+ minutes.

Modality Profile

5 movements: Run (M), Bar Muscle-Up (G), Dumbbell Power Snatch (W), Handstand Push-Up (G), Devil Press (W). 2 Gymnastics, 1 Monostructural, 2 Weightlifting = 40/20/40 split.