Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Bodyweight overhead squats are extremely technically demanding and require significant mobility and strength. Transitioning immediately to bodyweight shoulder-to-overhead doubles the overhead fatigue, then 20 bodyweight deadlifts compounds posterior chain exhaustion. The combination of high skill (OHS), heavy relative loading (bodyweight across all movements), and continuous fatigue accumulation with no recovery built in makes this exceptionally challenging for the average athlete.

Benchmark Times for Charles Mendez

• Elite: <2:15
• Advanced: 2:45-3:20
• Intermediate: 4:00-5:00
• Beginner: >14:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (8/10): Bodyweight overhead squats, shoulder-to-overheads, and deadlifts at bodyweight represent significant loading for most athletes, demanding near-maximal strength output especially in the overhead squat.
• Flexibility (8/10): Overhead squats at bodyweight require exceptional ankle, hip, thoracic, and shoulder mobility. This is one of the most demanding movements for flexibility in CrossFit, making this a high flexibility workout.
• Power (6/10): Shoulder-to-overhead demands explosive hip and shoulder drive, while overhead squats require controlled power. The combination creates moderate-to-high power demands across the workout.
• Stamina (5/10): Moderate total volume of 35 reps across three movements creates cumulative muscular fatigue, especially in the posterior chain and shoulders, but rep counts are not high enough for extreme stamina demands.
• Endurance (3/10): Short rep scheme with heavy bodyweight loading limits cardiovascular demand. The workout is brief enough that aerobic capacity is a minor factor compared to strength and technique requirements.
• Speed (3/10): For Time format incentivizes moving quickly, but heavy bodyweight loading and technical movements like overhead squats require deliberate pacing and careful execution over raw speed cycling.

Movements

• Overhead Squat
• Shoulder-to-Overhead
• Deadlift

Scaling Options

Weight: Scale to 75% of bodyweight if you cannot perform at least 3 strict overhead squats with full depth and locked-out overhead position at bodyweight. Further scale to 50% BW for newer athletes. Movement substitutions: Replace overhead squats with goblet squats or front squats if overhead mobility is a limiting factor. Sub shoulder-to-overhead with a dumbbell push press at a manageable load. Deadlifts can remain at bodyweight for most athletes but reduce to 75% BW if form breaks down. Volume modifications: Scale to 3 OHS / 6 S2OH / 12 Deadlifts if the athlete is newer or the loading is near their 1RM. Avoid reducing below this rep scheme or the stimulus is lost entirely.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform at least 3 unbroken overhead squats with full depth, active shoulders, and a stable torso at the prescribed load — this is a safety non-negotiable. Also scale if bodyweight deadlifts represent more than 85% of your 1RM, as fatigue will compromise your mechanics quickly across 20 reps. Prioritize technique over intensity on the OHS and deadlifts every time — a failed rep or injury ends the workout entirely. The goal is to finish in under 12 minutes with consistent movement quality throughout. If you're grinding singles on the OHS from rep one, the weight is too heavy. Intensity is earned through good movement, not forced through bad positions.

Intended Stimulus

This is a short, high-intensity sprint lasting 5-12 minutes for most athletes. The ascending rep scheme (5-10-20) is deceptively brutal — the workout starts with the most technically demanding movement and finishes with the highest volume. The primary challenge is a combination of strength and skill, as bodyweight loading on all three movements is no joke. Expect your legs and posterior chain to be screaming by the deadlifts, and your overhead stability to be tested from the very first rep. This is a full-body strength-endurance effort with a short burst power demand.

Coach Insight

Strategy is everything here. The overhead squats are the most technical movement and come first when you're freshest — treat them with respect. Hit all 5 unbroken if possible, but do NOT sacrifice depth or spinal position to rush. Transition quickly to shoulder-to-overhead; choose your variation wisely (push press is most efficient at bodyweight). Break the 10 reps into 6-4 or 7-3 if needed rather than grinding ugly reps. The 20 deadlifts are where athletes blow up — resist the urge to go unbroken. A 10-5-5 or 8-7-5 split with short resets will be faster than a failed set of 15. Keep your hips loaded, brace hard, and don't let your lower back round under fatigue. Common mistakes: rushing the OHS setup and losing the bar forward, using a press instead of a more powerful push press or jerk on S2OH, and pulling with a rounded back on deadlifts when tired. Transitions between movements should be immediate — the rest comes within sets, not between them.

Benchmark Notes

5 overhead squats, 10 shoulder-to-overheads and 20 deadlifts, all at bodyweight on one bar. Bodyweight is near an average athlete's overhead-squat max, so those go as singles with misses. L5 (5-6:30) grinds the overheads; L10 (under 2:15) moves through all 35 reps in quick sets.

Modality Profile

All three movements — Overhead Squat, Shoulder-to-Overhead, and Deadlift — are barbell weightlifting movements involving external load. No gymnastics or monostructural movements are present, making this 100% Weightlifting.

Similar Workouts to Charles Mendez

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

• Dennis Mojica (88% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 1 Bear Complex (185/135 lb) 7 Bar Facing Burpees...
• John Ginley (87% similar) - 2 Rounds for Time 10 Push Presses (135/95 lb) 10 Back Squats (135/95 lb) 10 Cleans (135/95 lb) 10 Ov...
• Daniel Harlin (85% similar) - 4 Rounds for Time 3 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb) 6 Front Squats (185/135 lb) 12 Deadlifts (185/135 lb) ...
• Regionals 11.2 (85% similar) - For Load: Thruster Ladder Men: 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 215, 225, 235, 245, 255, 265, 275, 285,...
• Robert Fotti (85% similar) - AMRAP in 7 minutes 1 Squat Clean (185/135 lb) 2 Clean-and-Jerks (185/135 lb) 3 Bar Over Burpees...
• Vincent Princiotta (85% similar) - For Time 30 Squat Clean to Shoulder-to-Overheads (185/135 lb)...
• Samuel Alexander (85% similar) - For Time (with a Partner) 27 Power Snatches (70/50 kg) 5 Overhead Squats (100/70 kg) 11 Squat Snatch...
• Kevin Smith (84% similar) - For Time 30 Snatches (155/105 lb)...

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