Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Butterfly pull-ups require significant skill and shoulder endurance. The EMOM format forces athletes to perform 5 unbroken reps every minute for 10 minutes with minimal rest. Most average CrossFitters will struggle with the butterfly technique under fatigue, and the unbroken requirement means failure on one rep ruins the entire set. The combination of skill demand, forced pace, and cumulative shoulder fatigue makes this challenging for the average athlete.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Butterfly pull-ups demand significant upper body muscular endurance, especially maintaining unbroken sets as fatigue accumulates over ten minutes.
• Power (7/10): The butterfly kip is an explosive hip-driven movement requiring significant power generation to maintain rhythm and efficiency.
• Flexibility (6/10): Butterfly pull-ups require good shoulder mobility and thoracic extension to execute the kipping motion efficiently and safely.
• Speed (5/10): EMOM format demands consistent pacing and quick transitions, but built-in rest between minutes moderates the speed requirement.
• Endurance (4/10): Ten minutes of work with built-in rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but the short duration limits pure aerobic stress.
• Strength (4/10): Requires solid relative strength for pull-ups, but bodyweight nature and moderate volume keeps this from being maximal strength focused.

Movements

• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Substitute with 3-4 strict pull-ups, 5-7 kipping pull-ups, or 8-10 ring rows. Reduce to 3 reps if butterfly technique isn't solid. Advanced athletes can increase to 7-8 reps or add a weighted vest.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you can't perform 8+ consecutive butterfly pull-ups when fresh or if technique breaks down significantly. Priority is maintaining unbroken sets with good form rather than struggling through broken reps. Goal is to complete all 10 rounds with consistent movement quality.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity skill and strength endurance workout targeting the phosphagen and glycolytic systems over 10 minutes. Primary challenge is maintaining unbroken butterfly pull-up technique under accumulating fatigue while managing grip strength and lat endurance.

Coach Insight

Focus on rhythm and timing over speed - butterfly pull-ups are about efficiency, not power. Keep a consistent hollow body position and use the lat pull to initiate each rep. Rest 15-20 seconds each minute to maintain unbroken sets. If grip starts failing around minute 6-7, consider chalk reapplication. Common mistake is rushing the kip and losing the rhythm - stay patient with the timing.

Benchmark Notes

This EMOM requires 5 unbroken butterfly pull-ups every minute for 10 minutes, totaling 50 reps if completed. The key constraint is maintaining unbroken sets under fatigue. Using Cindy (20-min AMRAP with pull-ups) as an anchor where L5 completes 15-18 rounds (75-90 pull-ups), this 10-minute format with forced rest should allow similar athletes to complete 7-8 rounds. However, the 'unbroken' requirement creates a significant skill cliff - once an athlete breaks a set, they fail that round entirely. Lower levels will hit failure around rounds 3-6 due to grip fatigue and kipping efficiency breakdown, while elite athletes can maintain butterfly rhythm throughout. The compressed upper levels (8-10 rounds) reflect that even advanced athletes may miss 1-2 rounds due to the unforgiving unbroken standard.

Modality Profile

Pull-ups are a bodyweight gymnastics movement, making this workout 100% gymnastics with no monostructural or weightlifting components.