Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 185/135lb deadlifts are moderate but compound with handstand push-ups to create significant shoulder and posterior chain fatigue. HSPUs are a skill movement that many average athletes struggle with, especially under fatigue. The descending rep scheme (15-12-9-6-3) provides slight psychological relief but totals 45 reps of each movement. Vertical jumps tax the legs between demanding movements, creating a triple-threat of grip, pressing, and leg fatigue with no true recovery built in.

Benchmark Times for Benjamin Suarez

• Elite: <4:30
• Advanced: 5:15-6:15
• Intermediate: 7:30-9:15
• Beginner: >23:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (6/10): Total reps across three movements accumulate to 45 reps each, requiring sustained muscular output especially in the posterior chain and shoulders across multiple sets.
• Strength (6/10): Deadlifts at 185/135 lb represent a moderate-to-heavy load demanding real strength, while handstand push-ups require significant pressing strength relative to bodyweight.
• Power (6/10): Vertical jumps are explicitly explosive, and deadlifts at this load benefit from powerful hip extension. Power is a consistent theme across all three movements.
• Flexibility (5/10): Handstand push-ups require shoulder mobility and wrist flexibility, deadlifts demand hamstring and hip mobility, creating moderate overall range of motion requirements.
• Speed (5/10): For Time format incentivizes fast transitions and cycling, but the heavy deadlifts and demanding handstand push-ups naturally limit how aggressively athletes can sprint through sets.
• Endurance (4/10): The descending rep scheme (15-12-9-6-3) keeps total volume moderate, creating a short-to-medium duration cardiovascular demand rather than a prolonged aerobic challenge.

Movements

• Deadlift
• Handstand Push-Up
• Jump Squat

Scaling Options

Deadlift weight: reduce to 135/95 lb for intermediate athletes or 95/65 lb for beginners — target a load you can move for 10+ reps unbroken when fresh. HSPU substitutions in order of difficulty: pike push-ups with feet elevated on a box, pike push-ups on the floor, or dumbbell strict press (35/20 lb). For athletes working toward HSPUs, use an abmat or two to reduce range of motion. Vertical jumps can be scaled to box step-ups (20/24 inch) for athletes with knee concerns, or reduced to a target jump height that ensures full hip extension. Volume modification: reduce to a 12-9-6-3 rep scheme for athletes newer to CrossFit or those with limited HSPU capacity. Avoid reducing below this — the descending scheme is core to the workout's stimulus.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the deadlift if you cannot perform at least 10 reps unbroken at Rx weight with a neutral spine — grip failure and back rounding under fatigue are real injury risks here. Scale HSPUs if you cannot perform 3 strict reps or 5 kipping reps unbroken when fresh; the volume across all rounds totals 45 reps Rx, which is significant. Prioritize movement quality over load every time — a clean pike push-up delivers more training value than a dangerous HSPU attempt. The goal is to finish in 8-15 minutes with consistent effort across all rounds. If you're still working past 18 minutes, reduce volume or load. Athletes should feel like they gave a hard sprint effort, not a survival grind.

Intended Stimulus

Fast to moderate sprint effort lasting 8-15 minutes. This descending rep scheme creates a psychological and physical relief valve — the work gets lighter as fatigue builds, rewarding athletes who push hard early. Expect short burst power demands from the vertical jumps, grip and posterior chain loading from the deadlifts, and upper body pressing endurance from the handstand push-ups. The primary challenge is managing three very different movement patterns under accumulated fatigue, with skill being the limiting factor for most athletes on HSPUs.

Coach Insight

Attack the opening round of 15 with controlled aggression — don't sprint out of the gate and blow up on HSPUs. Deadlifts at 185/135 should feel moderate; use a hook grip and reset each rep with a flat back rather than touch-and-go if your form starts to round. On HSPUs, break early and often — sets of 5-4-3-3 in the round of 15 beats failing at rep 12. Vertical jumps are your active recovery between the two heavier movements; use them to shake out your arms and reset your breathing. Transitions should be sharp — no standing around. By the round of 9, you should be pushing hard. The round of 6 and 3 are a sprint — leave nothing in the tank. Common mistakes: going unbroken on deadlifts and frying your grip before HSPUs, kipping sloppily on HSPUs when fatigued (increases neck/shoulder injury risk), and treating vertical jumps as an afterthought rather than a full hip extension movement.

Benchmark Notes

15-12-9-6-3 deadlifts at 185/135 lb, handstand push-ups and vertical jumps: 45 of each. Handstand push-ups set the pace. L5 (9:15-11:30) breaks them into sets of 3-5 and the deadlifts into two sets early on. L10 (under 4:30) keeps everything unbroken.

Modality Profile

Two movements: Handstand Push-Up (Gymnastics - bodyweight) and Deadlift (Weightlifting - barbell with external load). 1 Gymnastics + 1 Weightlifting = 50/50 split.

Similar Workouts to Benjamin Suarez

If you enjoy Benjamin Suarez, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

• Frianebeth (91% similar) - For Time 21 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 21 Pull-Ups 15 Squat Cleans (135/95 lb) 15 Ring Dips 9 Deadlifts (2...
• Dennis Cross (91% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time 7 Clean-and-Jerks (135/95 lb) 5 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 7 Box Jumps (24/20 in)...
• Walter Hynes (91% similar) - For Time 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Cleans (50% of 1 Rep Max) Handstand Push-Ups...
• Thomas Kuveikis (90% similar) - EMOM for 12 minutes 2 Clean-and-Jerks (155/105 lb) 3 Bar Facing Burpees...
• Elizabeth (90% similar) - 21-15-9 Reps For Time Cleans (135/95 lb) Ring Dips...
• Dream Crusher (90% similar) - For Time 6 Thrusters (135/95 lb) 9 Power Snatches (135/95 lb) 12 Power Cleans (135/95 lb) 15 Pull-Up...
• Michael Mullan (90% similar) - For Time 120 Double-Unders 12 Clean-and-Jerks (155/105 lb) 120 Sit-Ups 12 Power Snatches (135/95 lb)...
• Vincent Morello (90% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 5 Dumbbell Snatches (2x55/35 lb) 10 Burpees 5 Snatches (155/105 lb) 10 Burpees...

These WODs similar to Benjamin Suarez share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.