Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This maintains Fran's brutal continuous couplet format with 21-15-9 reps creating significant fatigue accumulation. While the KB load is lighter than barbell Fran (32kg/24kg vs 95/65), the goblet position is awkward and taxes grip and shoulders differently. The pull-ups follow immediately with no recovery, hitting already-fatigued shoulders and grip. The combination of continuous high-intensity work, movement interference, and total volume (45 reps each) makes this challenging for the average athlete, requiring frequent breaks despite the lighter load.

Benchmark Times for Fran's Kettlebell Cousin

• Elite: <3:00
• Advanced: 3:38-4:23
• Intermediate: 5:08-6:00
• Beginner: >12:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Forty-five reps each of compound movements creates severe muscular endurance demand. Grip fatigue from KB and pull-ups, plus leg/shoulder stamina from thrusters, make this a stamina-dominant test.
• Speed (8/10): Classic sprint format demands fast cycling and minimal transition time. The 21-15-9 descending ladder encourages aggressive pacing. Goal is maximum speed with manageable breaks between movements.
• Endurance (7/10): High-intensity sprint lasting 3-8 minutes creates significant cardiovascular demand. Heart rate stays elevated throughout, though short duration limits pure aerobic testing compared to longer efforts.
• Strength (5/10): Moderate KB load (32kg/24kg) in goblet position requires meaningful strength, not maximal. Pull-ups demand good relative strength. More than bodyweight-only but not heavy lifting territory.
• Flexibility (5/10): Goblet thrusters require full-depth squat with upright torso and good thoracic extension. Pull-ups need overhead shoulder mobility. More mobility demands than basic movements but not extreme ranges.
• Power (5/10): Thrusters have explosive drive from bottom position, especially early rounds. However, accumulating fatigue dampens power output. Mix of power and grinding strength endurance as workout progresses.

Movements

• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Reduce KB to 24/16 kg or 20/12 kg to maintain movement quality. Substitute banded pull-ups, jumping pull-ups, or ring rows (maintain pulling pattern). Consider 15-12-9 rep scheme if conditioning is limiting factor. Advanced athletes can increase to 40/32 kg for extra challenge.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 12+ unbroken goblet thrusters at prescribed weight or 5+ strict pull-ups. Priority is maintaining sprint intensity - finishing in 3-8 minutes is more important than Rx weight. If taking longer than 10 minutes, reduce load or reps. Scale pull-ups if sets drop below 3-5 reps. The goal is sustained high output, not grinding through singles.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic sprint lasting 3-8 minutes. Tests grip endurance, leg stamina, and pulling capacity under metabolic fatigue. The goblet position creates unique upper back and core demand compared to barbell Fran.

Coach Insight

Goblet thrusters will tax your grip more than barbell - plan breaks accordingly. Consider 12-9, 10-5, 6-3 on thrusters. Keep KB tight to chest, elbows high. Full squat depth mandatory. Pull-ups will feel harder after gripping KB - kip efficiently and use hook grip when possible. Rest KB on ground between sets, shake out forearms. Aim for fast transitions but prioritize grip management over pure speed. The round of 15 is the grinder - don't go too hard on 21s.

Benchmark Notes

Pull-ups are the primary limiter for most athletes in this workout, with grip fatigue compounding from KB hold to bar. The 32kg goblet thruster is heavy enough to force breaks for intermediate athletes. L1 (14:00) reflects scaled modifications with many small sets. L5 (6:30) is a solid intermediate time with pull-ups broken into 5-7 rep sets and thrusters in 1-2 sets per round. L10 (2:45) assumes near-unbroken or very large sets with elite pull-up capacity and minimal transitions.

Modality Profile

Two unique movements: Pull-Up (Gymnastics - bodyweight movement) and Kettlebell Goblet Thruster (Weightlifting - external load movement). Equal distribution results in 50% Gymnastics and 50% Weightlifting.