Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While individual elements are moderate (500m row ~2min, wall balls at light weight, moderate DB cleans), the 6-round structure with no built-in rest creates significant cumulative fatigue. The row pre-fatigues legs before wall balls, then shoulders/grip carry into power cleans. This continuous 18-20 minute grind with movement interference and high volume pushes it beyond Medium despite manageable individual loads.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <16:00
• Advanced: 18:00-20:00
• Intermediate: 22:00-24:00
• Beginner: >34:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Six rounds of rowing 500m creates significant cardiovascular demand with minimal rest, testing aerobic capacity throughout the workout.
• Stamina (7/10): High volume of wall balls and power cleans across six rounds will challenge muscular endurance, especially shoulders and legs.
• Power (6/10): Power cleans are explosive by nature; wall balls require powerful hip drive; rowing demands power per stroke.
• Speed (5/10): Transitions between movements and maintaining pace across six rounds requires strategic pacing and quick movement cycling.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate loads on DB power cleans and 20lb wall balls require decent strength but not maximal effort.
• Flexibility (3/10): Wall balls require overhead mobility and squat depth; power cleans need triple extension and front rack position.

Movements

• Wall Ball
• Dumbbell Power Clean
• Row

Scaling Options

Reduce row to 400m or 350m. Scale wall balls to 14/10 lb or lower target height. Use lighter DBs (35/25 or 25/15). Consider 5 rounds instead of 6. Substitute step-ups with knee drive for wall balls if needed. Replace power cleans with DB deadlifts or upright rows for beginners.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you can't maintain 2:00-2:30 pace per 500m row, complete 15+ unbroken wall balls, or perform power cleans with proper hip extension. Goal is to finish between 18-25 minutes while maintaining movement quality. Prioritize consistent pacing and technique over prescribed weights.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration mixed modal workout targeting 18-25 minutes in the glycolytic-oxidative transition zone. Combines cardiovascular endurance with functional strength endurance. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent power output across all modalities while managing lactate accumulation and muscle fatigue.

Coach Insight

Pace the row at 80-85% effort to preserve legs for wall balls and power cleans. Break wall balls into manageable sets (10-10 or 12-8) before failure. On power cleans, focus on hip drive and catching in quarter squat - avoid muscle cleans. Target 3-4 minute rounds consistently. Rest 15-20 seconds between movements, minimize transitions. Most athletes will slow significantly after round 3 - plan accordingly.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 6-round for-time workout with 500m Row, 20 Wall Balls (20/14), and 10 DB Power Cleans (50/35) per round. Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1 (fresh): 500m Row = 90-110 sec, 20 Wall Balls = 50-60 sec, 10 DB Power Cleans = 25-30 sec, transitions = 6 sec, total = 171-206 sec. Round 2: Apply 1.05x fatigue = 180-216 sec. Round 3-4: Apply 1.15x fatigue = 197-237 sec each. Round 5-6: Apply 1.25x fatigue = 214-258 sec each. Additional considerations: Wall balls and DB power cleans both tax shoulders/legs creating cumulative fatigue. Athletes will break wall balls into 2-3 sets by round 3 (adding 5-10 sec rest). DB power cleans remain unbroken but slow down significantly. Total time calculation: Elite (L10): 6 x 171 = 1026 sec base + fatigue/rest = ~960 sec. Advanced (L8): 6 x 180 = 1080 sec base + fatigue = ~1080 sec. Intermediate (L5): 6 x 206 = 1236 sec base + fatigue/breaks = ~1440 sec. Novice (L2): 6 x 240 = 1440 sec base + significant fatigue/breaks = ~1860 sec. Beginner (L1): Scaled weights, frequent breaks = ~2040 sec.

Modality Profile

Three movements: Row (monostructural), Wall Ball and Dumbbell Power Clean (both weightlifting with external load). 1 M movement and 2 W movements gives roughly 33% M and 67% W.