Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

Ninety total machine calories with very low movement complexity but a high-intensity, sub-12-minute time domain. Work density is modest (no external load), while the 21-15-9 scheme slightly tempers difficulty via descending sets. The result is a fast, uncomfortable sprint for the lungs and legs without technical barriers, yielding a solid medium overall challenge for most athletes.

Benchmark Times for Double Trouble

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 5:30-6:00
• Intermediate: 6:45-7:30
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (8/10): Quick cadence and fast transitions determine success. The short time domain rewards high turnover and smart surges without extended rest between efforts.
• Endurance (6/10): Primarily aerobic with sustained breathing and heart rate demand across two monostructural modalities. Duration is short-to-moderate, so it challenges cardio without requiring long-range endurance like 5K runs or extended rowing pieces.
• Power (5/10): Strong drive per stroke/rev boosts calories per minute. Athletes benefit from powerful bursts, especially on the opening 21s, while balancing that output to avoid redlining too early.
• Stamina (4/10): Repeated leg and hip-drive efforts tax local muscular endurance in quads, glutes, and posterior chain. Descending sets reduce total sustained volume, limiting prolonged fatigue compared to longer chipper-style workouts.
• Strength (1/10): No external loading or maximal force demands. Output is limited by conditioning capacity and leg fatigue rather than absolute strength or heavy lifting ability.
• Flexibility (1/10): Basic positions on both machines with minimal range-of-motion requirements. Proper posture and hip hinge awareness matter, but no advanced mobility is required.

Movements

• Air Bike
• Row

Scaling Options

Scale to: 15-12-9 calories each machine • 21-15-9 on one machine only (row or bike) • Keep 21-15-9 but cap each station at 60/45/30 seconds to preserve intensity

Scaling Explanation

These options maintain a fast, breathy stimulus by reducing volume, simplifying to a single modality, or limiting work time so athletes keep the intended sprint feel.

Intended Stimulus

Fast and intense machine sprint. The first round should feel aggressive but controlled, with breathing steadily rising. The middle round is the crux—hold a hard pace without slipping. Finish with a near-max push on the 9s. Minimal transition time, smooth strokes and pedal cadence, and a finish-line kick are key.

Coach Insight

Open 21s fast-but-not-max. Aim for a hard sustainable pace you can hold within 10% through the 15s, then empty the tank on the 9s. Most important: transitions. Move immediately and start the first few calories at a strong cadence to reestablish pace. Avoid spiking too hot on the bike, sloppy rowing strokes, and long chalk-water breaks.

Benchmark Notes

WORKOUT ANALYSIS: This is a 21-15-9 calorie couplet alternating between Assault Air Bike and Row for time. Total work: 45 calories on each machine (90 calories total). **ANCHOR REFERENCE:** The closest benchmark anchor is **Fran** (21-15-9 Thruster 95/65 + Pull-Up), which provides: - L10: 120-140 sec (2:00-2:20) - L5: 320-360 sec (5:20-6:00) - L1: 540-660 sec (9:00-11:00) However, this workout is significantly different from Fran in several ways: 1. Pure monostructural cardio vs. mixed weightlifting/gymnastics 2. Two different machines requiring position changes 3. Assault bike and rower are both high-output cardio but with different muscle recruitment 4. No technical skill barrier, but sustained high power output required **MOVEMENT-BY-MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN:** Assault Air Bike calories (per round): - Elite pace: ~1.5-2 sec/cal when fresh - Intermediate pace: ~2.5-3 sec/cal - Recreational pace: ~3.5-4.5 sec/cal Row calories (per round): - Elite pace: ~2-2.5 sec/cal when fresh - Intermediate pace: ~3-3.5 sec/cal - Recreational pace: ~4.5-5.5 sec/cal **ROUND 1 (21 cals each):** - Bike: Elite 32-35 sec | Int 53-63 sec | Rec 74-95 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 5 sec | Rec 8 sec - Row: Elite 42-48 sec | Int 63-74 sec | Rec 95-116 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 5 sec | Rec 8 sec - Round 1 total: Elite ~80-89 sec | Int ~126-147 sec | Rec ~185-227 sec **ROUND 2 (15 cals each):** Fatigue multiplier: 1.15x for elite, 1.2x for intermediate, 1.25x for recreational - Bike: Elite 26-30 sec | Int 45-54 sec | Rec 66-84 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 6 sec | Rec 10 sec - Row: Elite 35-41 sec | Int 54-64 sec | Rec 84-105 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 6 sec | Rec 10 sec - Round 2 total: Elite ~67-80 sec | Int ~111-130 sec | Rec ~170-209 sec **ROUND 3 (9 cals each):** Fatigue multiplier: 1.3x for elite, 1.35x for intermediate, 1.4x for recreational - Bike: Elite 17-21 sec | Int 31-37 sec | Rec 45-57 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 6 sec | Rec 10 sec - Row: Elite 23-28 sec | Int 37-44 sec | Rec 57-72 sec - Transition: Elite 3 sec | Int 6 sec | Rec 10 sec - Round 3 total: Elite ~46-58 sec | Int ~80-93 sec | Rec ~122-149 sec **PROVISIONAL TOTALS:** - Elite (L10): 193-227 sec (3:13-3:47) - Intermediate (L5): 317-370 sec (5:17-6:10) - Recreational (L1): 477-585 sec (7:57-9:45) **COACHING REALITY CHECK:** This workout is deceptively brutal. While there's no technical skill barrier, maintaining high power output across two different cardio machines creates unique challenges: 1. **Machine transitions**: Moving from bike to rower requires complete position change and different muscle engagement. Athletes will need 3-8 seconds to settle in and find rhythm on each new machine. 2. **Pacing strategy**: Elite athletes will go hard from the start, knowing 90 total calories is manageable. Intermediate athletes may start too hot on the bike and suffer on the row. Recreational athletes will need to pace more conservatively. 3. **Muscle recruitment differences**: Assault bike is more quad/hip dominant with upper body pull, while rowing emphasizes posterior chain and lat engagement. This actually helps prevent complete muscular failure but demands cardiovascular capacity. 4. **No rest opportunities**: Unlike Fran where you can pause between movements, cardio machines provide no natural break points. Athletes must maintain output continuously. 5. **Comparison to pure cardio benchmarks**: A 2K row for elite athletes is 360-390 sec. This workout at ~300 sec for L10 makes sense because it's shorter total distance but split across two modalities with transitions. Adjusting from provisional calculations and comparing to cardio-heavy benchmarks: - L10 should be around 5:00 (300 sec) - elite athletes crushing short cardio - L5 should be around 7:30 (450 sec) - average CrossFitter maintaining steady pace - L1 should be around 12:00 (720 sec) - beginners pacing conservatively **FINAL BENCHMARKS (Male):** - L10: 300 sec (5:00) - L5: 450 sec (7:30) - L1: 720 sec (12:00) These align with the understanding that this is a pure engine test with minimal skill barrier, faster than Fran due to no barbell cycling or pull-up technique requirements, but still demanding due to sustained high output across two machines.

Modality Profile

This workout is purely monostructural: all work occurs on the Assault Bike and the rower. There is no gymnastics or external loading. Intensity and pacing stem from machine output, stroke rate, and cadence rather than technical skill or barbell cycling.

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