Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This is a classic benchmark workout (Helen) with moderate volume and manageable loads. The 1.5/1 pood kettlebell (53/35 lbs) allows most athletes to complete swings unbroken or in large sets. While the running creates some leg fatigue before pull-ups, the overall combination is well-balanced. Most average CrossFitters can complete this as prescribed in 12-18 minutes with strategic pacing, making it a solid medium-intensity challenge.

Benchmark Times for Helen (31:00 - 48:00)

• Elite: <9:00
• Advanced: 10:00-11:30
• Intermediate: 12:30-13:30
• Beginner: >19:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High rep kettlebell swings and pull-ups across three rounds will heavily tax grip strength and upper body muscular endurance.
• Endurance (7/10): Three rounds with 400m runs creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic output throughout the workout with minimal rest.
• Power (6/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently explosive hip extension movements, creating significant power demands throughout each round.
• Speed (6/10): For time format encourages fast transitions and quick movement cycling, especially maintaining pace through fatigue.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate kettlebell load and bodyweight pull-ups require decent strength but not maximal force production capabilities.
• Flexibility (3/10): Kettlebell swings demand hip hinge mobility and pull-ups require shoulder flexibility, but nothing extreme.

Movements

• Kettlebell Swing
• Run
• Pull-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout is exactly Helen, one of the classic CrossFit benchmark workouts. Using the Helen anchor as ground truth: L10: 450-510 sec (7:30-8:30) for males, L5: 630-690 sec (10:30-11:30), L1: 900-1080 sec (15:00-18:00). Movement breakdown per round: 400m run takes 75-120 sec depending on fitness level, 21 KB swings at 53/35 take 32-42 sec (1.5-2 sec per rep), 12 pull-ups take 12-24 sec (1-2 sec per rep). Fresh round total: 119-186 sec. With 3 rounds, fatigue multipliers apply: Round 1 at 1.0x, Round 2 at 1.1x, Round 3 at 1.2-1.3x. Transitions between movements add 3-10 sec per transition (9 total transitions). Elite athletes maintain pace better and have minimal transitions, while recreational athletes experience significant slowdown in later rounds and longer transitions. The anchor values perfectly match this analysis, so I'm using Helen benchmarks directly. Final targets - L10: 450-510 sec, L5: 630-690 sec, L1: 900-1080 sec.

Modality Profile

Three movements across all modalities: Pull-Up (Gymnastics), Run (Monostructural), Kettlebell Swing (Weightlifting). Equal distribution with slight rounding adjustment.