Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

A brutal, Kalsu-style grind: 100 back squats at bodyweight with 5 burpees every minute throttles pacing and forces many small sets. The barbell load is heavy for high volume, while the persistent burpee tax spikes heart rate and limits recovery. Expect significant leg and systemic fatigue, long duration, and high mental stress.

Benchmark Times for Birchall

• Elite: <31:00
• Advanced: 33:00-35:00
• Intermediate: 37:00-40:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Very high total lower-body volume under load coupled with minute-by-minute burpees taxes muscular endurance heavily.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained heart rate and breathing from burpees every minute with limited recovery creates steady aerobic demand over a long time frame.
• Strength (6/10): Bodyweight back squats demand significant absolute strength to maintain quality reps as fatigue mounts.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires standard squat mobility: hips below parallel, solid rack and shoulder position, and ankle dorsiflexion. No extreme ranges.
• Power (3/10): Movements are largely grinding; minimal need for explosive output compared to Olympic lifts or sprints.
• Speed (2/10): Burpees and heavy squats prevent sprint cycling; pace is controlled, with deliberate reps and managed transitions.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 75% bodyweight back squat + 5 burpees EMOM • 50% bodyweight back squat + 4 burpees EMOM • 100 air squats + 3 burpees EMOM

Scaling Explanation

Reducing barbell load or burpee count preserves the intended relentless pacing and squat volume while matching each athlete’s current strength and conditioning capacity.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding test that blends strength endurance and aerobic tolerance. You should feel constant pressure from the burpees and be forced into small, repeatable squat sets with brief rests. Breathing should be controlled but elevated, legs should burn, and mental discipline matters more than big sets.

Coach Insight

Open with very small, consistent squat sets (e.g., 3–5 reps), then step right into burpees. Avoid failure at all costs. The one tip: break early and often. Keep every minute predictable. Common mistakes: starting with big squat sets, sloppy depth under fatigue, and pausing too long before burpees. Keep transitions tight.

Benchmark Notes

Times reflect a wide ability range. Newer athletes may push toward a 60-minute cap, while advanced athletes manage disciplined small sets and steady burpees to finish closer to 31–35 minutes. Use these levels to guide loading and burpee volume when scaling.

Modality Profile

Most of the session time accrues in gymnastics via the recurring burpees. The loaded component is a single barbell movement—the back squat—which, while slower per rep, comprises fewer total reps than burpees. There’s no monostructural element.

Similar Workouts to Birchall

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

• The Crippler (90% similar) - For Time 30 Back Squats (225/155 lb) 1 mile Run...
• Brian Serdynski (90% similar) - For Time 400 meter Run 50 Air Squats 350 meter Run 40 Sit-Ups 250 meter Run 30 Push-Ups 150 meter Ru...
• Coe (90% similar) - 10 Rounds For Time 10 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 10 Ring Push-Ups...
• Painstorm XLII (89% similar) - Buy-in (not on the clock): 0.5 mile Weighted Run @ 1/2 bodyweight (use a vest/implement safely) The...
• Sisson (89% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 1 Rope Climb (15 ft) 5 Burpees 200 meter Run Wear a weight vest (20/14 lb)...
• Ollis (89% similar) - AMRAP in 22 minutes 200 meter Run 22 Deadlifts (185/125 lb) 22 Pull-Ups 22 Burpees 22 Russian Kettle...
• Moore (89% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 1 Rope Climb (15 ft) 400 meter Run Max Reps Handstand Push-Ups...
• Panic Breathing (88% similar) - For Time (with a Partner) 500-400-300-200-100 meter Row (each) Partner Holds Kettlebells in Rack (2x...

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