Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 135/95 squat snatch is moderately heavy for most athletes, but the continuous 12-minute AMRAP format with no built-in rest creates significant fatigue accumulation. The toes-to-bar will compromise grip strength, directly affecting the technical squat snatch under increasing fatigue. While individual elements are manageable, the combination of moderate loading, technical skill demands, and unrelenting pace pushes this into Hard territory for average CrossFitters.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <0:10
• Advanced: 0:09-0:08
• Intermediate: 0:07-0:06
• Beginner: >0:02

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-volume toes to bar and sit-ups will tax core stamina heavily, while repeated squat snatches challenge posterior chain muscular endurance.
• Flexibility (8/10): Toes to bar demands exceptional shoulder and thoracic mobility, while squat snatch requires ankle, hip, thoracic, and overhead flexibility throughout full range.
• Endurance (7/10): Twelve minutes of continuous work with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially as grip and core fatigue accumulates across rounds.
• Power (7/10): Squat snatch is highly explosive from floor to overhead, requiring significant power generation despite moderate load and fatigue accumulation.
• Strength (6/10): The 135/95lb squat snatch requires moderate strength, particularly in the receiving position and overhead lockout under accumulated fatigue.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format rewards fast transitions and efficient movement cycling, though heavy breathing from snatches will limit overall pace sustainability.

Movements

• Squat Snatch
• Sit-Up
• Toes-to-Bar

Scaling Options

Toes to bar: sub knee raises or lying leg raises. Squat snatch: reduce to 95/65 lbs or power snatch + overhead squat. Sit-ups: reduce to 6-8 reps or sub dead bugs. Time: extend to 15 minutes for newer athletes to maintain movement quality.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you can't perform 5+ consecutive toes to bar or lack squat snatch technique. Goal is 4+ rounds with consistent movement patterns. Prioritize proper snatch mechanics over speed - bad reps under fatigue can cause injury. Scale weight if you can't cycle 3 snatches within 45 seconds when fresh.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity glycolytic workout targeting 4-6 rounds in 12 minutes. Challenges midline stability, upper body pulling strength, and technical barbell cycling under fatigue. Primary focus on maintaining movement quality while managing lactate accumulation.

Coach Insight

Target 90-second rounds with smooth transitions. Break toes to bar early (2-2 or 3-1) to preserve grip. Perform sit-ups unbroken and quickly. For squat snatch, focus on hip drive and catching low - consider singles from minute 8 onward. Rest 10-15 seconds between movements to maintain power output. Most athletes struggle with grip fatigue affecting snatch technique.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 12-minute AMRAP with 17 total reps per round. Round breakdown: 4 Toes-to-Bar (1.5-2.5 sec each = 6-10 sec), 10 Sit-Ups (1 sec each = 10 sec), 3 Squat Snatch at 135/95 (3.5-5 sec each = 10.5-15 sec), plus transitions (5-8 sec). Fresh round time: 31.5-43 sec. With fatigue multipliers: Round 1-2 at base time, Round 3-4 at 1.1x (35-47 sec), Round 5-6 at 1.25x (39-54 sec), Round 7-8 at 1.4x (44-60 sec), Round 9+ at 1.7x (54-73 sec). Elite athletes (L9-L10) complete 10-12+ rounds maintaining technique and minimal rest. Advanced (L7-L8) get 8-10 rounds with some breakdown on snatches. Intermediate (L5-L6) achieve 6-7 rounds with set breaking on T2B and snatches. Novice (L2-L4) complete 3-5 rounds with significant rest periods and potential scaling needs. Beginners (L1) may only complete 2-3 rounds with heavy modifications.

Modality Profile

Toes-to-Bar and Sit-Up are gymnastics movements (bodyweight), while Squat Snatch is weightlifting (barbell). With 2 out of 3 movements being gymnastics, the breakdown is approximately 67% G, 33% W.