Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While pistols are a high-skill movement that many average CrossFitters struggle with, the EMOM format provides 50+ seconds of rest between sets, making the skill demand manageable. However, the combination of unilateral strength requirements, balance challenges, and 12 minutes of continuous work creates significant cumulative fatigue. The air squats become increasingly difficult as hip flexors and quads fatigue from pistols, making this challenging for most athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume air squats combined with pistols will heavily tax leg muscular endurance, especially as fatigue accumulates over twelve minutes.
• Flexibility (7/10): Pistols demand excellent ankle, hip, and hamstring mobility, plus balance and coordination for the single-leg position.
• Strength (6/10): Pistols require significant unilateral leg strength and stability, while air squats test relative strength endurance under fatigue.
• Endurance (4/10): Twelve minutes of continuous work with minimal rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, though the EMOM structure provides some recovery between sets.
• Speed (3/10): EMOM format requires efficient transitions and consistent pacing, but movements themselves are not performed at high velocity.
• Power (2/10): Minimal explosive demand as both movements are controlled bodyweight exercises focused on strength and endurance rather than speed.

Movements

• Pistol Squat
• Air Squat

Benchmark Notes

This is a 12-minute EMOM with 4 pistols (alternating legs) every minute, followed by max air squats for the remaining time. Since it's scored as 'Reps', we're tracking total air squats completed across all 12 rounds. Movement breakdown: - Pistols: 4 per minute (2 each leg), approximately 2-3 seconds per rep = 8-12 seconds - Air squats: Remaining 48-52 seconds per minute for max reps Air squat capacity per minute: - Fresh state: 1-1.5 sec per rep = 32-48 reps possible - With pistol fatigue and transitions: 25-40 reps realistic per minute - Progressive fatigue over 12 minutes reduces output Fatigue progression: - Minutes 1-3: 35-40 air squats per minute (legs fresh) - Minutes 4-6: 32-37 air squats per minute (moderate fatigue) - Minutes 7-9: 28-33 air squats per minute (significant leg fatigue) - Minutes 10-12: 22-28 air squats per minute (heavy fatigue, pistols becoming difficult) Total air squat estimates: - Elite (L9-L10): 360-400 total reps (averaging 30-33 per minute) - Advanced (L7-L8): 300-360 total reps (averaging 25-30 per minute) - Intermediate (L5-L6): 240-300 total reps (averaging 20-25 per minute) - Novice (L2-L3): 150-210 total reps (averaging 12-17 per minute, may struggle with pistols) - Beginner (L1): 120 total reps (averaging 10 per minute, likely doing assisted pistols) No direct anchor match, but this follows similar patterns to high-volume bodyweight work like Angie's air squat portion, scaled for the 12-minute timeframe and pistol interference. Final targets: L10: 400+ reps, L5: 240 reps, L1: 120 reps

Modality Profile

Both Pistol and Air Squat are bodyweight gymnastics movements, resulting in 100% Gymnastics modality