Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout stacks 150 total barbell squats across three demanding variations with burpees sandwiched between. The 50 back squats at 135/95 will pre-fatigue the legs before 40 burpees, then overhead squats demand significant shoulder stability and technique under that accumulated fatigue — a brutal combination. Front squats finish an already-destroyed athlete. Estimated 20-35 minutes for average athletes, with overhead squats being the critical breaking point where form collapses.

Benchmark Times for Frank Palombo

• Elite: <7:00
• Advanced: 8:00-9:15
• Intermediate: 10:45-12:45
• Beginner: >29:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High total rep count across five movements hammers muscular endurance, especially in the legs and posterior chain. Descending squat reps with burpees in between create cumulative fatigue that tests sustained muscular output.
• Flexibility (7/10): Overhead squats require significant shoulder, thoracic, and ankle mobility. Front squats demand wrist and thoracic flexibility. This workout has above-average mobility requirements compared to most GPP workouts.
• Endurance (6/10): The combination of 60 burpees and 90 total barbell squats creates sustained cardiovascular demand. For-time format pushes athletes to maintain elevated heart rate throughout, creating moderate-to-high aerobic stress.
• Strength (6/10): 135/95 lb loads across back, overhead, and front squats represent moderate-to-significant loading. Overhead squats especially demand positional strength, though the rep volume prevents true maximal strength expression.
• Speed (5/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling, but the moderate loads and high volume require pacing strategy rather than all-out sprinting. Burpee transitions between squat sets reward quick movement.
• Power (3/10): Burpees provide some explosive hip extension demand, but the primary stimulus is muscular endurance rather than power. High rep counts and fatigue reduce the ability to express true explosive output.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Front Squat
• Overhead Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight: Scale to 95/65 lb for athletes who can perform all three squat variations with solid mechanics, or 75/55 lb for newer athletes. The overhead squat is the limiting movement — choose a weight you can perform 5-7 unbroken reps with good position when fresh. Movement substitutions: Replace overhead squats with goblet squats or dumbbell front squats if shoulder mobility or overhead stability is a limiting factor. Replace back squats with goblet squats or box squats if loading the spine is a concern. Burpees can be scaled to step-up burpees (no jump) or burpees to a target to reduce intensity. Volume: Scale to 40-30-20 / 30-20-10 / 20-15-10 rep schemes depending on fitness level. Newer athletes should consider 30 back squats, 20 burpees, 15 overhead squats, 10 burpees, 5 front squats.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the weight if you cannot perform at least 10 unbroken overhead squats at the prescribed load when fresh — the OHS is the technical ceiling of this workout and breaking down overhead under fatigue is a significant injury risk. Scale volume if your estimated finish time exceeds 30 minutes, as the stimulus becomes more about survival than sustained effort. Prioritize technique over load every time in this workout — the combination of fatigue and three squat variations in one session creates real risk for lumbar and knee breakdown. Athletes with limited overhead mobility should substitute the OHS without hesitation. The goal is to finish feeling like you left it all on the floor, not feeling broken — aim for 15-25 minutes at your appropriate scaling level.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate to long time domain effort targeting 15-25 minutes of sustained work. This is a hard, grinding effort — not a sprint, but not a slow grind either. The descending rep scheme creates a psychological and physical ladder that rewards smart pacing early and aggressive finishing late. Primary challenge is a combination of leg strength endurance and mental toughness, as the barbell never leaves the floor area and the burpees serve as active recovery that ironically never feels like recovery. Expect significant quad and posterior chain fatigue accumulating across all three squat variations.

Coach Insight

The 50 back squats are the make-or-break moment of this workout — go out too hot and you'll be crawling through the overhead squats. Aim for sets of 10-15 early, then drop to 8s and 5s as fatigue builds. Do NOT go unbroken on the back squats unless you're an elite athlete — the overhead squats at the same weight will punish that decision hard. For the burpees, find a steady, sustainable pace — a slow jog rhythm beats stopping and starting. Use the burpees as a mental reset, not a race. The overhead squats demand the most technical discipline when you're most fatigued — prioritize an active shoulder press into the bar, wide grip, and locked-out elbows before you descend. The front squats at the end are only 10 reps, so leave something in the tank to finish strong. Common mistakes: going unbroken on back squats and dying on OHS, rushing burpees and spiking heart rate unnecessarily, and losing overhead position on OHS when tired. Keep the bar on the floor between movements — no need to rerack unless using a rack for back squats.

Benchmark Notes

50 back squats, 40 burpees, 30 overhead squats, 20 burpees and 10 front squats at 135/95 lb, all from one bar. L5 (12:45-15 min) breaks the back squats into sets of 10 and the overhead squats into sets of 5. L10 (under 7 min) goes mostly unbroken.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Burpee (G), Back Squat (W), Overhead Squat (W), Front Squat (W). That's 1 Gymnastics and 3 Weightlifting movements. 1/4 = 25% G, 3/4 = 75% W, 0% M.

Similar Workouts to Frank Palombo

If you enjoy Frank Palombo, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

• Quarterfinals 22.1 (90% similar) - For time: 50 Dumbbell Walking Lunges (2x50/35 lb) 30 Handstand Push-Ups 40 Dumbbell Front Rack Walki...
• Timothy Haskell (90% similar) - 4 Rounds for Time 18 Overhead Squats (115/85 lb) 18 Toes-to-Bars...
• Christian Regenhard (90% similar) - For Time 10 Strict Presses (115/85 lb) 15 Overhead Squats (115/85 lb) 20 Push Presses (115/85 lb) 25...
• Thomas Kelly (90% similar) - For Time 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Overhead Squats (135/95 lb) 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps of: Bar...
• Mosher (90% similar) - 4 Rounds for Time 14 Sandbag Front Squats (70/50 lb) 25 foot Front Rack Lunges (70/50 lb) 14 Shoulde...
• Daniel Suhr (89% similar) - 2 Rounds for Time 21 Burpee Ring Dips 16 Overhead Squats (115/75 lb, from the ground)...
• Hector Tirado Jr. (89% similar) - For Time 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Overhead Squats (135/95 lb) 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps of: Che...
• Thomas Gardner (89% similar) - For Time 30 Back Squats (185/135 lb) 100 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 30 Shoulder-to-Overheads (185/13...

These WODs similar to Frank Palombo share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.