Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This is a technical skill-focused day with built-in recovery. The warm-up is substantial but preparatory. The 12-minute weightlifting block allows ample time to build to a heavy complex with 50+ seconds per attempt, eliminating time pressure. The complex itself (power clean + hang power clean + push jerk) is moderately demanding but performed fresh with no preceding fatigue. The split jerk work follows with similar recovery. Average athletes can complete as prescribed with proper pacing and adequate rest between attempts.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (9/10): Primary focus of the workout. Building to a heavy complex (power clean + hang power clean + push jerk) demands maximal force production and technical proficiency under load.
• Power (8/10): High explosive demand. Power cleans, hang power cleans, and push jerks are inherently explosive movements requiring rapid force generation and rate of force development.
• Flexibility (7/10): Moderate-to-high mobility demands. Wall walks, shoulder taps, pike push-ups, and overhead pressing require significant shoulder, hip, and thoracic spine mobility.
• Endurance (3/10): Minimal cardiovascular demand. Warm-up includes light aerobic work (rowing), but main session is strength-focused with extended rest between heavy complex attempts.
• Stamina (2/10): Low muscular endurance requirement. Work consists of single or double rep efforts with full recovery between sets during the 12-minute build.
• Speed (2/10): Minimal speed component. Workout emphasizes technical proficiency and load building with ample rest between attempts, not rapid cycling or transitions.

Movements

• Row
• Wall Walk
• Plank Shoulder Tap
• Hang Muscle Clean
• Push Press
• Power Clean
• Hang Power Clean
• Push Jerk
• Split Jerk

Scaling Options

Athletes newer to Olympic lifting should cap loads at 50–60% of estimated 1RM and treat this as a technique session rather than a true max effort. Sub the push jerk for a push press if footwork is inconsistent or unreliable under load. If the full power clean is unstable, break the complex into a hang power clean + hang power clean + push press to reinforce the hip hinge pattern. Reduce load significantly — even an empty barbell or PVC — if the athlete cannot consistently receive the bar in a solid power position with an upright torso. For the warm-up, sub pike push-ups with a DB shoulder press if wrists are an issue, and reduce wall walk distance to a partial incline if full wall walks are not yet accessible.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the load if your power clean catch position collapses (forward lean, soft elbows, crashing the bar) at any point during the build, or if your push jerk footwork becomes inconsistent — landing with a narrow stance, soft arms, or pressing the bar forward rather than directly overhead. Technique always wins on Olympic lifting days. The goal is to leave with a heavy but crisp complex, not a max attempt with a compromised position. Athletes with less than 6 months of consistent barbell cycling experience should cap at 60% and prioritize mechanics over load. Prioritize quality of each rep over the number on the bar — a perfect complex at 70% builds far more long-term strength than a sloppy grind at 90%.

Intended Stimulus

A technical strength-building session focused on developing power clean and push jerk mechanics under progressive load. This is not a conditioning workout — it's a skill and strength session with a 12-minute climbing window to find a heavy but quality complex. The three-movement combination (power clean + hang power clean + push jerk) demands bar speed, timing, and precise footwork. The warm-up primes overhead stability and shoulder strength via wall walks, shoulder taps, and pike push-ups, which directly carries into the push jerk overhead position. Expect a deliberate, controlled pace — this is about building confidence under load, not burning lungs.

Coach Insight

Start your first working set at 40–50% of your 1RM clean and jerk and make conservative jumps of 5–10% per set. With a 12-minute window, plan for roughly 5–6 working sets. The hang power clean is your governor — if your catch position breaks down or you're grinding the bar, don't go heavier. For the power clean, focus on a strong, patient pull off the floor — let the bar pass the knee before exploding. For the hang power clean, set a solid hip hinge, keep the bar tight to the body, and drive hard with the hips. For the push jerk, nail your dip-drive timing: vertical torso in the dip, aggressive press-under with active footwork, and lock out fully overhead before standing tall. A common mistake is rushing from the hang power clean directly into the jerk without resetting your feet and breath — take a 2–3 second reset between movements. Don't chase a number at the expense of form on the push jerk footwork.

Benchmark Notes

The limiting movement is the push jerk, which typically caps the complex below the athlete's clean max; the hang power clean also demands positional consistency under fatigue. L5 (~155 lb) reflects a solid intermediate male CrossFitter who can cycle the complex cleanly around 70% of a 1RM C&J.

Modality Profile

10 total movements: Row (M), Wall Walk (G), Plank Shoulder Tap (G), Pike Push Up (G), Hang Muscle Clean (W), Push Press (W), Power Clean (W), Hang Power Clean (W), Push Jerk (W), Split Jerk (W). Breakdown: 3 Gymnastics movements (30%), 1 Monostructural movement (10%), 6 Weightlifting movements (60%). This is a weightlifting-heavy workout focused on Olympic lifting variations with some gymnastics and minimal cardio.