Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This AMRAP combines three technically demanding barbell movements (power clean, power snatch, overhead squat) at a moderate load (135/95lb) before a 50m bear crawl. The snatch and OHS require significant skill and shoulder stability under fatigue. The bear crawl taxes the shoulders just before returning to the barbell, creating compounding shoulder/grip fatigue. The 10-minute AMRAP format allows no rest, and the OHS under accumulated fatigue is a significant limiting factor for most average athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Flexibility (8/10): Overhead squats demand significant thoracic, shoulder, and hip mobility. Power snatches require hamstring flexibility and lat engagement. This workout has among the highest mobility demands in CrossFit.
• Power (8/10): Power cleans and power snatches are quintessentially explosive movements requiring rapid hip extension and bar acceleration. The workout is dominated by ballistic barbell cycling across multiple rounds.
• Stamina (7/10): Repeated barbell cycling across three technical movements plus bear crawls accumulates significant muscular fatigue in the posterior chain, shoulders, and core over multiple rounds.
• Endurance (6/10): A 10-minute AMRAP with continuous barbell cycling and bear crawls creates a sustained cardiovascular demand, requiring athletes to manage breathing and heart rate throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient barbell cycling. Bear crawl pacing and quick turnarounds between movements are critical for maximizing round count in 10 minutes.
• Strength (5/10): Moderate barbell loads at 135/95 lb for power cleans, snatches, and overhead squats require meaningful strength, though low rep counts prevent true maximal strength expression.

Movements

• Power Snatch
• Bear Crawl
• Overhead Squat
• Power Clean

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce to 95/65 lb for athletes who are proficient but not Rx-ready, or 75/55 lb for developing athletes. The snatch and overhead squat are the limiting factors — scale weight so you can perform all three movements unbroken with solid mechanics. Movement substitutions: Replace power snatches with hang power snatches to reduce the technical demand. Replace overhead squats with front squats if shoulder mobility or overhead stability is a limiting factor. For the bear crawl, reduce to 25 meters if space is limited or the athlete is significantly slowed by the full distance. Volume: Keep reps at 3 per movement — the low rep count is intentional to allow fast cycling. Do not reduce reps unless the athlete is in a beginner phase. Time: Keep the 10-minute AMRAP as written; the time domain is appropriate for all levels when weight and movements are properly scaled.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 3 unbroken power snatches or overhead squats at the prescribed weight with confident, safe mechanics — especially as fatigue builds after round 3 or 4. The overhead squat in particular requires adequate shoulder mobility and core stability; if your torso collapses or your arms drift forward under load, drop the weight or substitute front squats. Prioritize technique over load in this workout — a failed snatch or a collapsed overhead squat under fatigue is a significant injury risk. The goal is to complete 6 or more rounds in 10 minutes while maintaining movement quality throughout. If you're grinding through 3-4 rounds with shaky mechanics, the weight is too heavy. Intensity is only valuable here when built on a foundation of sound movement.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-duration sprint effort targeting 6-10 minutes of near-continuous work. The combination of three barbell movements — power clean, power snatch, and overhead squat — demands short burst power and technical precision, while the bear crawl adds a full-body conditioning tax that forces your heart rate to stay elevated between barbell sets. The primary challenge here is skill and coordination under fatigue: you must maintain sound mechanics on three technically demanding movements as your lungs and shoulders accumulate fatigue. Expect this to feel like a fast-paced technical grind — not a pure sprint, but never comfortable.

Coach Insight

The key to this workout is treating the barbell as your rest and the bear crawl as your reset. Move efficiently on the cleans and snatches — these are only 3 reps, so they should be unbroken every round. The overhead squat is where athletes slow down: lock in your overhead position before descending and keep your chest tall. On the bear crawl, resist the urge to rush — a controlled, rhythmic crawl keeps your breathing more manageable than a frantic scramble. Transition from the OHS to the bear crawl quickly; don't stand around catching your breath. Common mistakes include losing the overhead position in the squat due to shoulder fatigue from the snatch, rushing the snatch setup after the clean (reset your grip and stance), and letting the bear crawl become sloppy — hips should stay low and parallel to the ground, not piked up. Aim for consistent round times and avoid going out too hot in the first 2-3 rounds.

Benchmark Notes

Each round is 3 power cleans, 3 power snatches and 3 overhead squats at 135/95 lb, then a 50 m bear crawl. The bear crawl takes elite athletes about 35 seconds, so they top out near 9 rounds. L5 (4.25-5 rounds) is about 2:10 a round, with the snatches and overhead squats done in quick singles.

Modality Profile

4 movements: Power Clean (W), Power Snatch (W), Overhead Squat (W), Bear Crawl (G/M hybrid - treated as Monostructural since it's a locomotion pattern). W: 3/4 = 75% rounds to 50% adjusted for balance; Bear Crawl as monostructural locomotion = 25%. Final: G: 25 (Bear Crawl as bodyweight), M: 0, W: 75 rounds to W:75, G:25. Actually: Power Clean=W, Power Snatch=W, Overhead Squat=W (barbell), Bear Crawl=G (bodyweight locomotion). 3W + 1G = W:75%, G:25%, M:0%

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