Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While 50/35lb dumbbells are moderate weight, the 21-15-9 rep scheme creates manageable volume with natural breaking points. The movements complement each other well - power cleans prime the shoulders for thrusters, and the plank reach-through provides active recovery. Most average CrossFitters can complete this as prescribed in 8-12 minutes with strategic pacing, though the descending reps prevent excessive fatigue accumulation.

Benchmark Times for 35:00 - 50:00

• Elite: <4:00
• Advanced: 4:40-5:20
• Intermediate: 6:00-7:00
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High rep counts (45 total per movement) with dumbbells will heavily tax upper body and core muscular endurance throughout the workout.
• Endurance (7/10): The 21-15-9 format with minimal rest between movements creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially with the compound nature of all three exercises.
• Power (7/10): Power cleans are inherently explosive, and thrusters require significant power output, especially when fatigued from the descending rep scheme.
• Flexibility (6/10): Power cleans require good hip and shoulder mobility, thrusters need overhead flexibility, and plank reach-throughs demand thoracic spine mobility.
• Speed (6/10): The 21-15-9 format encourages fast cycling between movements with minimal rest, requiring quick transitions and sustained pace throughout.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate dumbbell loads (50/35) require decent strength for power cleans and thrusters, but not maximal strength demands.

Movements

• Thruster
• Dumbbell Power Clean
• Plank Pull-Through

Benchmark Notes

This is a 21-15-9 format workout with three dumbbell movements at 50/35 lbs. I'll analyze this by comparing to the Fran anchor (21-15-9 Thruster 95/65 + Pull-Up) and adjusting for the different movements and loading. Movement Analysis: - DB Power Clean (50/35): Lighter than typical barbell cleans, ~2-2.5 sec per rep fresh - DB Thruster (50/35): Significantly lighter than Fran thrusters (95/65), ~2 sec per rep fresh - DB Reach Through in Plank (50/35): Unique movement combining plank hold with DB pass-through, ~3-4 sec per rep Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1 (21 reps each): - Power cleans: 21 × 2.5 sec = 53 sec - Thrusters: 21 × 2 sec = 42 sec - Reach throughs: 21 × 3.5 sec = 74 sec - Transitions: 10 sec - Total: ~180 sec Round 2 (15 reps each, 1.2x fatigue): - Power cleans: 15 × 3 sec = 45 sec - Thrusters: 15 × 2.4 sec = 36 sec - Reach throughs: 15 × 4.2 sec = 63 sec - Transitions: 8 sec - Total: ~152 sec Round 3 (9 reps each, 1.4x fatigue): - Power cleans: 9 × 3.5 sec = 32 sec - Thrusters: 9 × 2.8 sec = 25 sec - Reach throughs: 9 × 4.9 sec = 44 sec - Transitions: 6 sec - Total: ~107 sec Total estimated time: 180 + 152 + 107 = 439 sec (~7:20) Comparing to Fran anchor (L10: 120-140 sec, L5: 320-360 sec, L1: 540-660 sec): This workout should be significantly slower than Fran due to: 1. The plank reach-through movement being much slower and more taxing 2. Three movements vs two in Fran 3. More total transition time Adjusting Fran times by ~2x factor for the added complexity and slower movements: - L10: 240-280 sec (4:00-4:40) - L5: 360-420 sec (6:00-7:00) - L1: 600-720 sec (10:00-12:00) Final targets: L10: 240 sec, L5: 420 sec, L1: 720 sec

Modality Profile

3 movements total: Dumbbell Power Clean (W), Thruster (W), Dumbbell Reach Through In Plank (G). Two weightlifting movements with external load, one gymnastics bodyweight movement in plank position.