Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines two high-skill gymnastics movements (HSPU and pistols) with minimal rest and time pressure. The 1-minute caps create intensity while the 30-second rests prevent full recovery. Most average CrossFitters will struggle with handstand push-ups under fatigue, and alternating pistols require significant unilateral strength and balance. The combination of skill demands, time constraints, and accumulated shoulder/leg fatigue makes this challenging for the typical athlete.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Handstand push-ups and pistols will heavily tax upper body and single-leg muscular endurance over multiple rounds.
• Flexibility (8/10): Handstand position requires excellent shoulder mobility, while pistols demand exceptional ankle, hip, and hamstring flexibility.
• Strength (7/10): Handstand push-ups require significant pressing strength, while pistols demand considerable single-leg strength and stability.
• Speed (5/10): One-minute caps create urgency for handstand push-ups, requiring efficient transitions and movement cycling within time constraints.
• Endurance (4/10): Five one-minute intervals with 30-second rest provides moderate cardiovascular demand but allows recovery between efforts.
• Power (3/10): Some explosive component in pressing movements, but primarily strength-endurance focused rather than pure power output.

Movements

• Shoulder Press
• Pistol Squat
• Handstand Push-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 5 rounds with two distinct phases per round: 1-minute handstand push-up max followed by banded shoulder press AMRAP in remaining time, then 1-minute alternating pistol AMRAP. Total workout time is 12.5 minutes (5 rounds × 2.5 minutes per round). Since this is scored as 'Reps', I'm calculating total repetitions across all movements. Movement breakdown per round: - Handstand Push-Ups (1 minute max): Elite athletes can sustain 15-20 reps/minute when fresh, but this degrades significantly. Round 1: 18 reps, Round 2: 15 reps, Round 3: 12 reps, Round 4: 10 reps, Round 5: 8 reps. Total HSPU: 63 reps for elite. - Banded Shoulder Press (remaining time): After HSPU fatigue, shoulders are compromised. Assuming 30-40 seconds remaining per round with lighter resistance. Round 1: 25 reps, Round 2: 22 reps, Round 3: 20 reps, Round 4: 18 reps, Round 5: 15 reps. Total BSP: 100 reps for elite. - Alternating Pistols (1 minute AMRAP): Fresh legs but accumulated fatigue. Round 1: 20 reps, Round 2: 18 reps, Round 3: 16 reps, Round 4: 14 reps, Round 5: 12 reps. Total pistols: 80 reps for elite. Elite total (L9-L10): 243 reps. This aligns with high-skill gymnastics workouts requiring significant strength endurance. No direct anchor match, but comparing to Annie (bodyweight gymnastics) and Cindy (bodyweight AMRAP), the rep ranges and fatigue patterns are consistent. Scaling down: L5 (median) performs roughly 65-70% of elite volume due to lower skill in HSPU and pistols. L1 (beginner) may need significant modifications and achieves 35-40% of elite volume. Final targets: L10: ~245 reps, L5: ~165 reps, L1: ~85 reps

Modality Profile

2 of 3 movements are gymnastics (Handstand Push-Up, Pistol Squat) and 1 is weightlifting (Shoulder Press). This gives approximately 67% gymnastics and 33% weightlifting.