Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines three significant limiting factors: overhead squats demand shoulder stability and mobility under fatigue, handstand push-ups are a high-skill gymnastics movement that many average athletes struggle with fresh (let alone mid-workout), and double-unders require coordination when breathing hard. The HSPU sandwiched between shoulder-intensive barbell work creates compounding shoulder fatigue. Many athletes will need to scale HSPUs, and the continuous for-time format prevents meaningful recovery.

Benchmark Times for Andy Fredericks

• Elite: <3:53
• Advanced: 4:45-5:53
• Intermediate: 7:15-9:00
• Beginner: >26:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High rep counts across overhead squats, handstand push-ups, and push presses combined with 150 total double-unders create significant muscular endurance demands, particularly in the shoulders and upper body.
• Flexibility (7/10): Overhead squats demand significant shoulder, thoracic, and ankle mobility. Handstand push-ups require shoulder flexibility and body awareness. This workout has notably higher flexibility demands than most CrossFit workouts.
• Endurance (6/10): Three sets of 50 double-unders interspersed with barbell and gymnastics work create sustained cardiovascular demand. The for-time format pushes athletes to maintain aerobic output throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format incentivizes fast double-under cycling and quick transitions between movements. Athletes must balance speed with technical demands of overhead squats and handstand push-ups to avoid breakdowns.
• Power (5/10): Push presses are inherently explosive, and double-unders require rhythmic power output. Overhead squats demand controlled power. The mix of explosive and controlled movements creates a moderate power stimulus.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate barbell loads at 95/65 lb require meaningful strength for overhead squats and push presses, but the high rep scheme shifts the stimulus away from maximal strength toward muscular endurance.

Movements

• Push Press
• Overhead Squat
• Handstand Push-Up
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce barbell to 75/55 lb or 65/45 lb if you cannot perform 10+ unbroken overhead squats at Rx weight with solid mechanics. For athletes newer to OHS, drop to 45/35 lb and focus on positioning. Movement substitutions: Replace handstand push-ups with pike push-ups (feet elevated on a box for more difficulty, flat on floor for less), dumbbell strict press (35/20 lb), or seated dumbbell press for beginners. Replace double-unders with 100 single-unders per set, or 25-30 penguin jumps/attempts if still learning. Volume modifications: Reduce to 15 OHS, 35 double-unders, 15 HSPUs for intermediate athletes who have the movements but need volume reduction. Beginners can work at 10-10-10 across the board with scaled movements.

Scaling Explanation

Scale this workout if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken overhead squats with a stable, locked-out overhead position at Rx weight — the OHS is a technical movement and poor mechanics under fatigue leads to injury. Scale HSPUs if you cannot perform 3 strict or kipping HSPUs with full range of motion; doing partial reps or consistently failing reps destroys the intended stimulus and risks neck and shoulder injury. The goal is to finish in the 12-20 minute window — if you are projected to take longer than 22-25 minutes, reduce volume or substitute movements. Prioritize technique over load every time in this workout: a sloppy overhead squat with a heavy bar is a recipe for a shoulder or back injury. Intensity is important, but not at the cost of a broken overhead position. Athletes should feel like they are working hard but in control throughout — not surviving.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-to-long time domain workout targeting 12-20 minutes for most athletes. The stimulus is a hard, sustained effort that challenges both upper body pressing and squatting strength alongside a high-skill gymnastics movement and a conditioning skill. The primary challenge is the combination of shoulder-intensive movements — overhead squats, handstand push-ups, and push presses all tax the same muscle groups — making fatigue management the central theme. Expect your shoulders to be screaming by the time you hit push presses. The double-unders serve as active recovery between strength and skill efforts, but they also demand coordination when your heart rate is elevated.

Coach Insight

The key strategic insight here is that all three barbell and gymnastics movements hammer the shoulders, so you must be conservative early. On the overhead squats, prioritize an active overhead position — push the bar up and out, keep your chest tall, and don't let the bar drift forward. Break these into sets of 10-8-7 or 13-12 rather than going unbroken and torching your shoulders before the handstand push-ups. For double-unders, find a rhythm and stay relaxed — tense arms will cost you more energy than the jump rope itself. Handstand push-ups are the crux of this workout; if you can do them, break early and often — sets of 5s or 3s are smart. Do not go to failure on a set because coming off the wall to recover costs significant time. Push presses at the end will feel heavier than they are — use your legs aggressively to drive the bar up and save your pressing muscles. Common mistakes: going unbroken on OHS and paying for it on HSPUs, rushing double-unders and tripping repeatedly, and not using enough leg drive on push press when fatigued. Suggested rep schemes: OHS 13-12 or 10-8-7, HSPUs 5-5-5-5-5 or 3s, Push Press 13-12 or 10-8-7.

Benchmark Notes

Handstand push-ups are the primary limiter — beginners may need to scale heavily or spend several minutes on this movement alone. Double-unders create a secondary bottleneck for lower levels. L5 (~10 min) cycles OHS and push press in 2-3 sets, strings 30-40 double-unders per attempt, and grinds through HSPUs in sets of 3-5.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Handstand Push-Up (G) and Double-Under (G) = 2 Gymnastics; Overhead Squat (W) and Push Press (W) = 2 Weightlifting. 2/4 = 50% G, 2/4 = 50% W, 0% M.

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