Workout Description
15-12-9 Reps for Time
Deadlifts (155/105 lb)
21 foot Handstand Walk
Handstand Push-Ups
Why This Workout Is Hard
Light-heavy deadlifts paired with high-skill handstand walking and handstand push-ups create a strength-skill sprint that taxes shoulders and midline. Density is moderate due to lighter barbell and small rep sets, but complexity is high with two advanced gymnastics skills. Most athletes finish in 6–10 minutes, making it a quick but demanding effort.
Benchmark Times for Dizzy Diane
- Elite: <5:00
- Advanced: 6:00-7:00
- Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
- Beginner: >13:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (6/10): Repeated shoulder pressing and inversion plus barbell sets require sustained upper-body and midline endurance.
- Speed (6/10): Quick cycling on the bar and sharp transitions between stations reward athletes who can keep moving without long rests.
- Strength (5/10): Deadlifts at 155/105 demand solid pulling strength, and strict/stable pressing strength for HSPU is significant.
- Flexibility (5/10): Shoulder overhead mobility and wrist extension for inversions, plus hamstring range for pulling from the floor.
- Power (4/10): Explosiveness helps with strong barbell reps and confident kick-ups, but it’s more strength-skill than power-driven.
- Endurance (3/10): Short time domain with no monostructural element; breathing matters but won’t be the limiter for most athletes.
Scaling Options
Scale to: Deadlift 115/75 lb • 21-ft bear crawl or 3×7-ft HS walk attempts • Hand-release push-up or pike HSPU
Scaling Explanation
These options keep the shoulder stamina and midline demand while adjusting load and skill so you can move continuously and finish near the intended time domain.
Intended Stimulus
Fast, shoulder-heavy sprint with minimal staring at the floor. The deadlift should be done in 1–2 quick sets each round. Handstand walking should be steady and confident, and HSPU should be small, quick sets to avoid failure. You should be breathing hard but primarily limited by shoulder stamina and skill under fatigue.
Coach Insight
Pace the first round—go 10-5 on deadlifts and quick 3–5 rep sets on HSPU. Smooth, confident HS walk lines.
The one tip: Stop HSPU before failure. Quick, planned breaks beat long, grinding rests.
Common mistakes: Opening with unbroken HSPU, failing HS walk standards, and slow, sloppy transitions. Keep the bar close and minimize setup time.
Benchmark Notes
These times represent expected finish ranges from beginner to elite. Faster times mean smoother handstand skills, unbroken deadlifts, and quick transitions. If you’re well under your level, increase difficulty next time; if you’re over, scale skills or load so you can move consistently and finish near the cap.
Modality Profile
Two of the three movements are gymnastics (handstand walk and handstand push-up), which dominate time and skill demand. The deadlift is the sole weightlifting element but is performed in meaningful volume. There is no monostructural component, keeping the workout focused on strength-skill and shoulder stamina.
Similar Workouts to Dizzy Diane
If you enjoy Dizzy Diane, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:
- Roaming Diane (91% similar) - 21-15-9 Reps for Time
Deadlifts (225/155 lb)
Handstand Walk (in meters)...
- Elizabeth (90% similar) - 21-15-9 Reps For Time
Squat Cleans (135/95 lb)
Ring Dips...
- Nasty Girls (89% similar) - For time:
3 rounds of:
50 Air Squats
7 Ring Muscle-Ups
10 Hang Power Cleans (135/95 lb)...
- Heavy Fran (89% similar) - 15-12-9 Reps For Time
Thrusters (135/95 lb)
Weighted Pull-Ups (45/30 lb)...
- Amanda (89% similar) - 9-7-5 Reps For Time
Muscle-Ups
Squat Snatches (135/95 lb)...
- Freestyle Diane (89% similar) - For Time
45 reps each of:
Deadlifts (225/155 lb)
Handstand Push-Ups
Partition as needed to complete...
- Marco (88% similar) - For time:
3 rounds of:
21 Pull-Ups
15 Handstand Push-Ups
9 Thrusters (135/95 lb)...
- Open 14.3 (88% similar) - AMRAP in 8 minutes:
10 Deadlifts (135/95 lb)
15 Box Jumps (24/20 in)
15 Deadlifts (185/135 lb)
15 Bo...
These WODs similar to Dizzy Diane share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.