Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines two high-skill movements (alternating pistols and HSPU) with continuous work and no built-in rest. The descending ladder creates unbroken sets that accumulate significant fatigue. Most average CrossFitters will struggle with pistol consistency and HSPU volume under fatigue, requiring scaling. The movement combination hits different muscle groups but the skill demands and continuous nature make this challenging for the typical athlete.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <3:30
• Advanced: 4:00-4:30
• Intermediate: 5:00-5:40
• Beginner: >9:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Flexibility (8/10): Pistols demand exceptional ankle, hip, and hamstring mobility while HSPUs require good shoulder and thoracic spine flexibility.
• Stamina (7/10): High-skill bodyweight movements under fatigue create significant muscular endurance demands, especially in shoulders and legs throughout the workout.
• Strength (6/10): Pistols and handstand push-ups require substantial relative strength, particularly unilateral leg strength and overhead pressing power.
• Speed (5/10): Descending ladder format encourages steady pacing with potential for increased speed as reps decrease in later rounds.
• Endurance (4/10): The descending rep scheme creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but the relatively low total volume limits pure aerobic challenge.
• Power (3/10): Some explosive elements in the bike and HSPU lockout, but movements are more strength-endurance focused than purely explosive.

Movements

• Calorie Bike
• Alternating Pistol
• Handstand Push-Up

Scaling Options

Reduce bike calories to 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1. Sub assisted pistols with box or TRX, or reverse lunges. Replace HSPUs with pike push-ups on box, knee push-ups, or wall walks. Consider 6-5-4-3-2-1 rep scheme for beginners.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 3+ unassisted pistols per leg or 5+ strict HSPUs. Goal is to maintain movement quality throughout while finishing in 8-15 minutes. Prioritize proper pistol depth and HSPU range of motion over speed - these movements require significant strength and coordination.

Intended Stimulus

Short, high-intensity glycolytic sprint lasting 6-12 minutes. Tests coordination under fatigue as skill-based movements (pistols, HSPU) are challenged by metabolic stress from the bike. Primary challenge is maintaining movement quality while managing lactate accumulation.

Coach Insight

Pace the bike at 80-85% effort - save energy for the skill movements. Break pistols early into singles or small sets to avoid failure. For HSPUs, consider breaking into 5-5, 4-4-1, 3-3-2 pattern in early rounds. Focus on controlled descent and drive through heels. Quick transitions between movements are critical - set up equipment efficiently beforehand.

Benchmark Notes

This is a descending ladder workout (10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) totaling 55 reps of each movement. Breaking down by round: Calorie Bike baseline is ~3-4 sec per calorie when fresh. Alternating Pistols take 2-3 sec per rep fresh. HSPU take 3-5 sec per rep fresh but significantly increase with fatigue. Round 1 (10 reps each): Bike 30-40 sec, Pistols 20-30 sec, HSPU 30-50 sec, transitions 10 sec = 90-130 sec. Round 2-3: 1.1x fatigue = 100-145 sec each. Round 4-6: 1.2x fatigue, HSPU breaking into smaller sets = 115-165 sec each. Rounds 7-10: 1.3-1.5x fatigue, frequent HSPU breaks, grip fatigue = 125-200 sec each. Total estimated range: 3.5-11 minutes (210-660 seconds). Elite athletes can maintain rhythm and larger HSPU sets. Recreational athletes will break HSPU early and often, significantly extending time.

Modality Profile

Two out of three movements are gymnastics (Alternating Pistol and Handstand Push-Up are bodyweight movements), while one is monostructural (Calorie Bike is cyclical cardio). This creates a 2:1 ratio favoring gymnastics.