Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines moderate loads with significant volume (100 barbell reps) plus the added stress of 4 burpees EMOM. The barbell movements target similar muscle groups (shoulders/legs), creating cumulative fatigue. The EMOM burpees prevent full recovery and force a sustained pace. Most athletes will take 15-20 minutes, making this a challenging combination of strength-endurance and forced work intervals.

Benchmark Times for Air Force

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:00-10:00
• Intermediate: 11:00-12:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of compound movements with same load taxes muscular endurance heavily. Shoulders, legs, and core face continuous work across 100 total reps plus burpees.
• Endurance (7/10): The combination of barbell cycling and burpee EMOMs creates sustained cardiovascular demand. No full rest periods and constant work challenge the aerobic system significantly.
• Flexibility (7/10): Overhead squats and thrusters require significant mobility in shoulders, hips, and ankles. Front rack position adds additional mobility demands.
• Power (6/10): Push jerks and thrusters are explosive movements. Burpees add power element. However, fatigue will limit maximum power output.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between movements and efficient barbell cycling are crucial. EMOM burpees force consistent pace and quick turnarounds.
• Strength (5/10): Moderate loads (95/65) require strength endurance but aren't maximal. Complex movements like thrusters and overhead squats demand good strength foundation.

Movements

• Thruster
• Sumo Deadlift High-Pull
• Jerk
• Overhead Squat
• Front Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight: Scale to 75/55 or 65/45 to maintain power output. Movement subs: Push press instead of push jerk, back squats instead of overhead squats. For SDHP, focus on hip drive more than pull height. Volume: Can reduce to 15 reps each movement or eliminate one movement. Burpees: Reduce to 2-3 per minute or do them every 90 seconds.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot cycle 5+ reps unbroken of any movement when fresh, or if overhead position is compromised. Prioritize maintaining power output and proper movement patterns over Rx weight. Target time is 12-18 minutes - scale load/volume if projected beyond 20 minutes. Athletes should be able to maintain consistent work rate throughout - significant drops in pace indicate need for scaling.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-18 minutes) with oxidative component from burpee EMOMs. Primary challenge is maintaining barbell cycling efficiency while managing fatigue. Tests both strength-endurance and mental toughness through compound movements with same load.

Coach Insight

Break barbell work into manageable sets (5-7 reps) from the start - don't go unbroken early. Use quick-reset technique on thrusters and SDHP. Keep burpees crisp but efficient - they should be a 'rest' from barbell. Order of movements progresses from most to least technical as fatigue builds. Watch technique on overhead squats - they come after significant shoulder fatigue. Consider 4-4-4-4-4 rep scheme on all movements to maintain consistency.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is most similar to DT (5 rounds of barbell cycling) but with 4 additional movements and burpee EMOMs. Breaking it down: 1. Base movement time estimates: - Thrusters (20): 2.5s × 20 = 50s - SDHP (20): 2.5s × 20 = 50s - Push Jerk (20): 2s × 20 = 40s - OHS (20): 3s × 20 = 60s - Front Squat (20): 2.5s × 20 = 50s 2. Burpee EMOMs: 4 burpees every minute (3.5s each) = 14s per minute 3. Transitions between movements: 5-10s × 4 = 30s 4. Fatigue multipliers: - First two movements: 1.0x - Middle movements: 1.2x - Final movements: 1.3x 5. Set breaks: - Thrusters: 2-3 sets - SDHP: 2-3 sets - Push Jerk: 2-3 sets - OHS: 3-4 sets - Front Squat: 2-3 sets Comparing to DT (L10: 360-420s), this workout has: - Similar loading (95/65) - 100 total reps vs DT's 135 - But more technical movements (OHS) - Plus EMOM burpees Projected times: L10 (Elite): 8:00 (480s) L5 (Intermediate): 12:00 (720s) L1 (Beginner): 18:00 (1080s) Female times adjusted +20% due to loading being relatively heavier for most women.

Modality Profile

Of the 6 movements: Burpee (G), Thruster (W), Sumo Deadlift High-Pull (W), Jerk (W), Overhead Squat (W), Front Squat (W). 5 movements are weightlifting and 1 is gymnastics, rounded to nearest 10%.

Similar Workouts to Air Force

If you enjoy Air Force, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

• Carlos Lillo (84% similar) - 40-30-20-10 Reps for Time Kettlebell Swings (32/24 kg) Goblet Squats (32/24 kg) Toes-to-Bars...
• Bell Snatcher (84% similar) - For Time 12-10-8-6-4-2 Reps of: Kettlebell Snatches (each arm, alternating) After every round, perf...
• Thiccc (84% similar) - Every 3 Minutes on the Minute for 30 minutes 6 Dumbbell Thrusters (2x50/35 lb) 6 Dumbbell Hang Clean...
• Sneaky Anna (84% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 4 Double Kettlebell Half Snatches (2x16/12 kg) 4 Burpees 4 Double Kettlebell Dea...
• Gerry (84% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 18 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 18 American Kettlebell Swings (55/35 lb) 7 Power C...
• Girouard (84% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time (in a team of 4) Round 1: 25 Deadlifts (100/70 lb) 15 Thrusters (70/50 lb) 5 Push ...
• One Arm Bandit (84% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 10 Dumbbell Snatches, Left (50/35 lb) 10 Dumbbell Overhead Lunges, Left (50/35 lb)...
• Ronald Bucca (84% similar) - For Time 21 Pull-Ups 21 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 15 Snatches (95/65 lb) 15 Pull-Ups 15 Thrusters (95/65 ...

These WODs similar to Air Force share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.