Workout Description
For Time
25 Burpees
25 Power Cleans (135/95 lb)
25 Burpees
7 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) at the top of each minute
Why This Workout Is Hard
This is a fast, interruption-based sprint with an EMOM tax. The 25 power cleans at 135/95 add meaningful load, the burpees drive heart rate, and the wall balls fracture rhythm every minute. Movement complexity averages moderate-to-advanced, and most capable athletes finish in the 8–12 minute range. No special volume or scheme modifiers apply, yielding an overall Hard challenge.
Benchmark Times for Bottle Rocket
- Elite: <7:30
- Advanced: 8:30-9:30
- Intermediate: 10:30-11:30
- Beginner: >17:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (7/10): Dozens of bodyweight reps plus frequent sets of wall balls, alongside barbell singles or small sets, require muscular endurance—especially in legs, hips, and shoulders under fatigue.
- Endurance (6/10): Burpees and recurring wall balls drive sustained breathing and heart rate. The EMOM cadence keeps you working with minimal rest, demanding aerobic efficiency without being a long-duration grind.
- Power (6/10): Explosive hip extension in both the clean and wall ball is critical. Power output must be repeated reliably with short interruptions from the EMOM.
- Strength (5/10): The 135/95 lb power clean is moderate-to-heavy for many. It tests repeated submaximal strength rather than pure one-rep max capability.
- Speed (5/10): Fast transitions and crisp singles on the barbell help, but the EMOM structure intentionally breaks up pure sprinting and enforces brief stops each minute.
- Flexibility (2/10): Standard ROM demands: squat depth for wall balls and neutral spine in the clean. No extreme mobility requirements beyond sound positions.
Movements
- Burpee
- Power Clean
- Wall Ball
Scaling Options
Scale to: 95/65 lb power clean (or 115/75) • 20 burpees each set instead of 25 • 5 wall balls EMOM (20/14) or 7 reps with a lighter 14/10 ball
Scaling Explanation
These options preserve the disruption of the EMOM and the triplet feel while adjusting load and volume to keep intensity high and finish near the intended time domain.
Intended Stimulus
Fast and intense with controlled urgency. Hit 7 unbroken wall balls on the minute and immediately return to work. Burpees should be steady but quick, avoiding redline. Power cleans are efficient singles or small sets with minimal rest. Aim to finish before the 12-minute mark while keeping movement quality sharp.
Coach Insight
Pace the burpees just below your redline so you don’t blow up before the cleans. Plan cleans as fast singles from the start, minimizing setup time.
The one tip: Finish each wall-ball set unbroken in 10–15 seconds and get right back to work.
Avoid starting too hot, resting after the EMOM, or letting barbell setup creep longer each rep.
Benchmark Notes
This workout combines 50 total burpees, 25 power cleans at 135/95 lb, and wall ball shots performed at the top of every minute (EMOM constraint). The EMOM structure creates forced rest periods and pacing complexity.
**ANCHOR REFERENCE**: This workout shares elements with Grace (30 C&J 135/95) and Karen (150 wall balls), but the burpee volume and EMOM constraint make it unique. I'll build from movement fundamentals and cross-check against these anchors.
**MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN**:
1. **First 25 Burpees** (fresh state):
- Elite: 3 sec/rep = 75 sec
- Intermediate: 3.5 sec/rep = 88 sec
- Novice: 4.5 sec/rep = 113 sec
2. **25 Power Cleans at 135/95 lb**:
- This is 5 reps fewer than Grace (30 reps), but without the jerk component
- Elite can do sets of 8-10-7 with minimal rest: 2.5 sec/rep × 25 = 63 sec + 10 sec transitions = 73 sec
- Intermediate breaks into 7-6-6-6 sets: 3 sec/rep × 25 = 75 sec + 25 sec rest = 100 sec
- Novice breaks into 5-5-5-5-5 sets: 4 sec/rep × 25 = 100 sec + 50 sec rest = 150 sec
- Grace anchor (30 C&J): L10 90-120 sec, L5 240-300 sec, L1 480-600 sec. Our 25 power cleans should be ~20% faster (no jerk, 5 fewer reps)
3. **Second 25 Burpees** (fatigued from cleans):
- Apply 1.3x fatigue multiplier from grip/shoulder fatigue
- Elite: 3 sec × 1.3 = 3.9 sec/rep = 98 sec
- Intermediate: 3.5 sec × 1.3 = 4.6 sec/rep = 115 sec
- Novice: 4.5 sec × 1.4 = 6.3 sec/rep = 158 sec
4. **Wall Ball Shots (EMOM constraint)**:
- Must perform 7 wall balls at the top of each minute
- Elite: 7 reps × 2.5 sec = 18 sec per minute
- Intermediate: 7 reps × 3 sec = 21 sec per minute
- Novice: 7 reps × 3.5 sec = 25 sec per minute
- **Critical calculation**: How many minutes does the workout take?
- Elite: 75 + 73 + 98 = 246 sec = 4.1 min → need 5 EMOM rounds = 35 wall balls total
- Intermediate: 88 + 100 + 115 = 303 sec = 5.05 min → need 6 EMOM rounds = 42 wall balls
- Novice: 113 + 150 + 158 = 421 sec = 7.0 min → need 8 EMOM rounds = 56 wall balls
- The EMOM forces pacing: if you finish burpees/cleans at 4:30, you still wait until 5:00 to do the next set of wall balls
**TOTAL TIME CALCULATION**:
- **L10 (Elite Male)**: 246 sec base + (5 minutes × 60 sec) = 246 sec, but EMOM forces completion at end of minute 5 = 300 sec. However, elite athletes will finish burpees+cleans quickly and use remaining time efficiently. Realistic: 420-450 sec (7:00-7:30)
- **L5 (Intermediate Male)**: 303 sec base work + EMOM overhead = 6 full minutes + spillover = 660-720 sec (11:00-12:00)
- **L1 (Novice Male)**: 421 sec base + EMOM + frequent breaks = 960-1080 sec (16:00-18:00)
Wait - I need to reconsider the EMOM structure. The wall balls happen "at the top of each minute" throughout the workout, not after. This means:
**REVISED INTERPRETATION**: Every minute on the minute, perform 7 wall balls, then continue with the programmed work (burpees and cleans).
- Minute 1: 7 wall balls (18 sec) + start burpees (42 sec work) = 60 sec
- Minute 2: 7 wall balls (18 sec) + burpees (42 sec work) = 60 sec
- Continue pattern...
This creates a much longer, grindier workout.
**RECALCULATION WITH EMOM STRUCTURE**:
- Each minute: 7 wall balls take 18-25 sec, leaving 35-42 sec for other work
- 50 burpees at 3-4 sec each = 150-200 sec of work time = needs 4-6 minutes
- 25 power cleans = 75-150 sec of work time = needs 2-4 minutes
- Total minutes needed: 8-12 minutes for intermediate athletes
- Elite: ~7-8 minutes = 420-480 sec
- Intermediate: ~11-12 minutes = 660-720 sec
- Novice: ~17-18 minutes = 1020-1080 sec
**FINAL BENCHMARKS** (comparing to Karen 150 WB: L10 420-480, L5 600-720, L1 900-1020):
- L10: 450 sec (7:30) - elite can maintain pace with EMOM constraint
- L5: 690 sec (11:30) - median athlete grinds through
- L1: 1020 sec (17:00) - novice with frequent breaks
**FINAL RECAP**:
- **Male L10**: 450 sec (7:30)
- **Male L5**: 690 sec (11:30)
- **Male L1**: 1020 sec (17:00)
Modality Profile
Most time is spent on weightlifting: power cleans and frequent wall balls. Burpees contribute the gymnastics component. There’s no monostructural element like running or rowing. The EMOM layer increases total weighted work while limiting continuous sprinting, shifting emphasis toward loaded movements.
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