Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

The 1k row provides a moderate aerobic base that fatigues the legs and lungs but allows brief recovery during transition. The AMRAP couplet uses light-moderate weights with fundamental movements that complement each other well - wall balls tax the legs/lungs while kettlebell swings hit posterior chain and grip lightly. The 12-minute cap prevents excessive volume accumulation. Most average CrossFitters can maintain steady pace throughout without major scaling needs.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): The 1k row followed by continuous AMRAP creates significant cardiovascular demand, testing aerobic capacity throughout the 12-minute time cap.
• Stamina (7/10): High-rep wall balls and kettlebell swings in AMRAP format will challenge muscular endurance, especially in shoulders, legs, and posterior chain.
• Power (6/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently explosive hip extension movements, while wall balls require power to drive the ball to target height.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format rewards quick transitions and efficient movement cycling to maximize rounds completed within the time constraint.
• Flexibility (5/10): Wall balls demand good overhead mobility and squat depth, while kettlebell swings require hip hinge flexibility and thoracic extension.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate loads with 20/14 lb wall ball and 53/35 lb kettlebell require decent strength but not maximal force production.

Movements

• Wall Ball
• Kettlebell Swing
• Row

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of a 1000m row followed by an AMRAP of 21 wall balls (20/14) and 15 kettlebell swings (53/35) in the remaining time. I'll break this down step by step: 1000m Row Analysis: - Elite athletes: 195-210 seconds (3:15-3:30) - Average athletes: 240-270 seconds (4:00-4:30) - Novice athletes: 300-330 seconds (5:00-5:30) AMRAP Analysis (remaining time): Each round consists of 21 wall balls + 15 KBS = 36 total reps - Wall balls (20/14): 2.5-3 sec per rep fresh, degrading to 3-4 sec with fatigue - KBS (53/35): 1.5-2 sec per rep fresh, degrading to 2-2.5 sec with fatigue - Round 1: ~90-100 seconds (21×2.5 + 15×1.5 + transitions) - Round 2: ~95-110 seconds (fatigue factor 1.1x) - Round 3+: ~100-120 seconds (fatigue factor 1.2-1.3x) Time Remaining for AMRAP: - Elite (3:30 row): 8:30 remaining = ~5.5-6.5 rounds - Average (4:15 row): 7:45 remaining = ~4.5-5.5 rounds - Novice (5:15 row): 6:45 remaining = ~3.5-4.5 rounds Cross-referencing with Cindy (AMRAP 20: 5 pull-up + 10 push-up + 15 air squat): - Cindy L10: 25-30 rounds, L5: 15-18 rounds, L1: 6-8 rounds - This workout is significantly harder due to heavier loading and shorter time domain - Scaling down proportionally: Cindy rates ÷ 3.5 for time difference and movement difficulty Final benchmarks account for the row taking 25-45% of total time, leaving limited AMRAP opportunity. Elite athletes complete 6.5-7 rounds, average athletes 4.5-5 rounds, novices 2.5-3.5 rounds. Recap - Male targets: L10: 6.8+ rounds, L5: 4.8 rounds, L1: 2.5 rounds

Modality Profile

Row is monostructural cardio (M), while Wall Ball and Kettlebell Swing are both external load movements (W). With 1 M movement and 2 W movements out of 3 total, this gives 33% M and 67% W.