Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Ring muscle-ups are a high-skill movement that most average CrossFitters cannot perform consistently. The 30-second AMRAP format with minimal rest creates intense fatigue accumulation, making subsequent rounds exponentially harder. The handstand hold between rounds provides inadequate recovery while adding shoulder/core fatigue. This combination of advanced skill requirement, forced pace, and insufficient rest makes it accessible only to experienced athletes with solid muscle-up proficiency.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Muscle-ups require sustained upper body pulling and pushing stamina across multiple rounds, with grip fatigue accumulating significantly throughout.
• Strength (7/10): Muscle-ups demand high relative strength for the transition and dip phases, while handstand holds require significant shoulder strength.
• Flexibility (6/10): Muscle-ups require shoulder mobility for the transition, and handstand holds demand good shoulder and thoracic spine flexibility.
• Power (6/10): The explosive kipping motion and transition phase of muscle-ups requires significant power output, especially when fatigued.
• Endurance (4/10): Six rounds of 30-second AMRAPs with short rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but brief intervals limit pure aerobic stress.
• Speed (3/10): Short work intervals with rest periods reduce speed demands; focus is on maximizing reps within each 30-second window.

Movements

• Ring Muscle-Up
• Handstand Hold

Benchmark Notes

This workout is scored as total muscle-ups across 6 rounds of 30-second AMRAPs with 10-second rests between rounds. I'll analyze this as a high-skill gymnastics movement with significant fatigue accumulation. Movement Analysis: - Ring Muscle-Up: 8-10 seconds per rep in fresh state (includes setup, kip, transition, recovery) - Handstand Hold: Static hold, doesn't contribute to score but affects fatigue Round-by-Round Breakdown: Round 1 (Fresh): Elite athletes might achieve 3-4 MU in 30 seconds Round 2: Slight fatigue, 2-3 MU Round 3-4: Moderate fatigue, grip and shoulder endurance declining, 2 MU per round Round 5-6: Significant fatigue, 1-2 MU per round Fatigue Considerations: - Ring muscle-ups are extremely demanding on grip, shoulders, and core - The handstand holds between rounds add shoulder fatigue without contributing to score - Only 10-second rest is insufficient recovery for this movement intensity - Progressive breakdown is severe due to technical demands Elite Performance (L9-L10): 12-15 total muscle-ups - Consistent 2-3 per round early, maintaining 1-2 in later rounds - Superior technique allows efficiency even when fatigued Advanced (L7-L8): 8-11 total muscle-ups - Good early rounds but significant drop-off - May fail attempts in later rounds Intermediate (L5-L6): 5-7 total muscle-ups - Inconsistent throughout, technique breaks down quickly - Likely singles in most rounds Novice (L1-L4): 1-4 total muscle-ups - May only achieve muscle-ups in first 1-2 rounds - Significant failed attempts This workout has no direct anchor match, but the muscle-up component relates to Amanda (9-7-5 ring muscle-up + squat snatch). However, Amanda's muscle-ups are spread across longer time domains with different fatigue patterns. The 30-second AMRAP format creates unique intensity demands. Final targets: L10: 15 MU, L5: 6 MU, L1: 1 MU

Modality Profile

Both Ring Muscle-Up and Handstand Hold are bodyweight gymnastics movements with no external load or cyclical cardio components