Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

For the average CrossFit athlete, Back Nine is Extremely Hard because Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb meet a roughly 2:41 work domain. The movements interfere through repeated grip, trunk, leg, or overhead fatigue, and there is little built-in recovery, so local fatigue compounds across movements. The Rx combination is realistically limited to elite athletes.

Benchmark Times for Back Nine

• Elite: <2:47
• Advanced: 3:24-3:56
• Intermediate: 4:29-5:00
• Beginner: >8:08

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (10/10): External loading and force demands score 1.0 for strength. The prescription reaches about 665 lb before sex-specific scaling. Force production must remain technically sound as the workout's other demands accumulate.
• Speed (8/10): The 2:41 scoring window and 3 movements score 0.8 for speed; success rewards high-skill or heavily loaded cycling, decisive transitions, and appropriately aggressive pacing.
• Power (5/10): Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb drive a 0.5 power score through controlled force rather than maximal explosiveness.
• Stamina (2/10): The repeated work around Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb scores 0.2 for stamina; athletes must preserve local muscular output as sets, rounds, and transitions accumulate fatigue.
• Endurance (1/10): Back Nine scores 0.1 for endurance because its 2:41 domain creates cardiovascular demand through sustained output. Breathing supports repeatable work, but pure aerobic capacity is not the only limiter.
• Flexibility (1/10): The prescribed positions create a 0.1 flexibility demand: efficient range of motion matters, but mobility is supportive rather than the sole test.

Movements

• Yoke Carry
• Front Squat
• Deadlift

Scaling Options

Reduce Yoke Carry to a load that permits crisp small sets without failed reps.

Scaling Explanation

Choose options that keep the athlete working in the short, high-output domain without prolonged failure. Preserve the primary challenge of Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb, not the exact Rx load or skill at the expense of intensity.

Intended Stimulus

Back Nine is intended as a short, high-output test centered on Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb. Athletes should sustain the fastest repeatable output that preserves the prescribed standards, letting breathing and local fatigue build without turning early aggression into failed reps or long stops.

Coach Insight

Start at a pace you can repeat through the middle of the workout, and break Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb before technique or cadence collapses. Keep transitions deliberate and short; save the final acceleration for the last round or station.

Benchmark Notes

L5 is anchored near 5:00 for an average Rx athlete, allowing realistic set breaks and transitions around Yoke Carry at up to 665 lb and Deadlift at up to 475 lb. L10 targets 2:24 with deliberate pacing, near-unbroken skill work, and minimal transition loss.

Modality Profile

Counting each unique movement once, W includes Yoke Carry, Front Squat, and Deadlift. That produces G 0%, M 0%, and W 100%.

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