Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This workout combines moderate volume (10 rounds) with light loading (100 lbs total per round) and fundamental movements. The 200m row provides built-in recovery between high-skill double unders and light devil presses. While double unders are skill-dependent and fatigue accumulates over 10 rounds, the light weight and reasonable 24-minute time cap allow most average CrossFitters to complete as prescribed without excessive scaling. The primary limiting factor is double under consistency under fatigue, not strength or conditioning.

Benchmark Times for Double Trouble

• Elite: <14:45
• Advanced: 17:15-19:45
• Intermediate: 22:00-24:00
• Beginner: >0:4.5

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): 300 total double unders and 40 devil press reps demand significant muscular endurance. The repeated rowing and pressing movements accumulate fatigue, requiring sustained muscular output across all 10 rounds.
• Endurance (7/10): The 200m row repeated 10 times creates sustained cardiovascular demand. Combined with double unders and devil press, this maintains elevated heart rate throughout the 24-minute window, testing aerobic capacity.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and rapid double under cycling are essential. The for-time format incentivizes fast pacing and efficient movement transitions to beat the 24-minute cap.
• Power (6/10): Double unders demand explosive calf and wrist power for rapid cycling. Devil press requires explosive hip extension and shoulder drive. However, sustained fatigue limits peak power output as rounds progress.
• Strength (4/10): Devil press at 50 lbs per hand is moderate load, not maximal effort. The workout emphasizes muscular endurance over pure strength production, though some strength is required to maintain form under fatigue.
• Flexibility (3/10): Devil press requires shoulder mobility and hip flexibility, but demands are moderate. Rowing and double unders require basic range of motion without extreme mobility requirements.

Movements

• Devil Press
• Row
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce devil press to 2x35 lbs or 2x40 lbs for athletes who struggle with overhead stability or cannot maintain a flat back through the hip hinge. For newer athletes, 2x25–30 lbs is appropriate. Movement substitutions: Replace devil press with a dumbbell squat clean-to-press (no burpee) to reduce ground-to-overhead complexity. Replace double unders with 60 single unders or 15 double under attempts. Replace the row with a 200m run or 250m bike erg if rowers are limited. Volume: Reduce to 7 or 8 rounds, or drop double unders to 20 per round. For beginners, consider 6 rounds with reduced loading to allow for quality movement under fatigue.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the devil press weight if you cannot perform at least 4–6 unbroken reps fresh with a neutral spine and strong lockout overhead — heavy dumbbells with a fatigued back under time pressure is a recipe for injury. Scale double unders if missed reps are consistently breaking your rhythm for more than 20–30 seconds per round; tripping repeatedly will spike heart rate unnecessarily and eat into your time cap. The goal is to finish all 10 rounds within the 24-minute cap while maintaining movement quality — athletes who must dump rounds 8-10 due to load or skill breakdown should scale. Technique and consistent pacing take priority over hitting Rx numbers. A well-paced performance at 2x40 lbs is more valuable than a blown-up effort at Rx that results in sloppy reps or no-reps.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-to-long grind lasting 18–24 minutes, demanding a hard sustained effort across all 10 rounds. The combination of cyclical cardio (row), skill-based jump rope, and heavy loaded movement creates a full-body conditioning challenge. The primary challenge is mental and muscular endurance — the devil press at 2x50 lbs will accumulate serious fatigue in the hips, shoulders, and grip, making the row and double unders increasingly harder as rounds progress. Expect this to feel like a slow burn that demands discipline and pacing from round one.

Coach Insight

Treat this like a 10-round race against the clock, not a sprint. Your row pace should be controlled — aim for a consistent 200m split around 45–55 seconds rather than going out hot and dying. Double unders should be unbroken or at most two sets; shake out your hands and find a rhythm before picking up the rope. The devil press is where time is lost — 2x50 lbs demands respect. Hinge hard at the bottom, keep the dumbbells close to your body on the clean, and lock out overhead with a strong core. Do NOT rush the press — a missed rep or tweaked shoulder kills your round time. Consider doing all 4 reps unbroken on early rounds, then switching to 2-2 splits by round 6 or 7 if grip and shoulder fatigue sets in. Transitions between movements should be brisk — keep your rope and dumbbells within arm's reach of your rower. The biggest mistake athletes make is rowing too hard in rounds 1-3 and arriving at the devil press already gassed. Row smart, move well, finish strong.

Benchmark Notes

The 2x50 lb devil press is the dominant limiter — it is heavy, technical, and compounds brutally over 10 rounds alongside 2000m total rowing. Double unders are a secondary bottleneck for athletes who trip repeatedly. L5 athletes grind through 9 rounds before the cap; L6 finishers can hold ~80-85s rounds with brief rests on the devil press, landing near 23 minutes.

Modality Profile

Row is Monostructural (cyclical cardio), Double-Under is Gymnastics (bodyweight jump rope skill), Devil Press is Weightlifting (dumbbell external load movement). Three unique movements across three modalities = 33/33/34 split.