Workout Description
4 rounds: 4 min ON 3 min REST:
10 KB clean and jerks @32 (alternate hand each rep)
660 m run
ME KB jerks @32 (alternate hand at most once)
Men use 1 KB @32kg, women 1 KB @24 kg.
The C&Js are meant to be from the ground every rep, which is slower and harder than the hang version.
The time is tight in this workout: go unbroken on C&Js and the jerks and save time with quick transitions. Scale the running distance to something you can complete under 3 minutes. Scale C&Js to complete them under 45 s. Overall, you should have at least 15 s of jerks.
The score is the total number of jerks executed across the 4 rounds.
Why This Workout Is Hard
The 32kg/24kg clean and jerks from the ground combined with a time-pressured 660m run creates significant challenge for the average CrossFitter. While 3-minute rest periods provide recovery, the tight 4-minute work window demands unbroken C&Js and fast running pace, leaving minimal time for max-effort jerks. Cumulative shoulder and grip fatigue across 4 rounds, plus the technical demand of ground-to-overhead movements under time pressure, elevates this beyond Medium difficulty despite the built-in rest.
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Speed (8/10): The tight 4-minute window demands fast movement cycling, unbroken sets, and minimal transitions to maximize jerk time. This creates a sprint-like intensity within each interval.
- Stamina (7/10): Significant shoulder and grip stamina required across 10 ground C&Js plus max-effort jerks per round, repeated four times. The KB work creates cumulative muscular fatigue despite rest intervals.
- Power (7/10): Clean and jerk is an inherently explosive movement requiring powerful hip extension, clean pull, and jerk drive. The ground-to-overhead nature emphasizes power production on every repetition.
- Endurance (6/10): The 660m run in each round provides solid cardiovascular demand, but the 3-minute rest periods between rounds limit pure aerobic stress compared to continuous endurance work.
- Strength (6/10): A 32kg KB for men and 24kg for women represents moderate-heavy loading, especially for clean and jerks from the ground. Requires considerable strength but not maximal effort.
- Flexibility (4/10): KB clean and jerk demands good shoulder mobility for overhead position, hip flexibility for clean catch, and thoracic extension. Moderate mobility requirements throughout the complex.
Movements
- Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
- Run
- Kettlebell Jerk
Scaling Options
Reduce weight to 24/16 kg or 20/12 kg to maintain unbroken sets. Scale run to 400-500m if you can't sustain sub-3 minute pace. Reduce C&Js to 8 or 6 reps if 10 takes longer than 45 seconds at your weight. Advanced athletes can increase to 48/32 kg if completing 25+ jerks per round. Consider hang clean & jerks instead of full ground-to-overhead if positional strength from floor is limiting.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if you cannot complete 10 unbroken KB C&Js at the prescribed weight in training, or if your 660m run pace exceeds 3 minutes. The priority is maintaining high intensity in the work windows and achieving at least 15 seconds (8-12 reps) of jerks per round. If you're getting less than 30 seconds for jerks, the run is too long or C&Js too slow. The workout should feel like a hard sprint each round, but repeatable across all 4 efforts. Quality reps under fatigue matter more than going Rx and missing the stimulus.
Intended Stimulus
Moderate-interval repeatable effort in the 4-6 minute time domain per round. Primarily glycolytic with oxidative recovery between rounds. Tests grip endurance, shoulder stamina, and ability to maintain power output across multiple efforts with full recovery. The challenge is balancing speed on the buy-in work to maximize scoring time on jerks while managing accumulated fatigue across 4 rounds.
Coach Insight
Go unbroken on all 10 C&Js - they're your ticket to jerk time. Use a smooth, rhythmic cadence alternating hands (5 per side). Keep transitions tight: drop the bell, go. Run at 80-85% effort - fast enough to leave 60+ seconds for jerks, but controlled enough to not torch your legs. On jerks, commit to one hand for max reps before switching (or don't switch at all). Your first round sets the pace - don't go hero mode. Expect each round to yield 15-25 jerks depending on fitness. Grip will be the limiting factor in later rounds, not shoulders. Chalk between rounds.
Benchmark Notes
The primary limiter is time management under a tight 4-minute cap per round. Athletes must complete 10 C&Js from the ground (slower than hang), run 660m, and maximize jerks. L1 athletes scaling the run to ~2:50 and C&Js to ~40s get minimal jerk time (~5s, 1 rep/round = 4 total). L5 intermediates go unbroken on C&Js in 38s, run in 2:48, transition efficiently in 12s total, leaving 22s for jerks at ~4.5s/rep = 7/round (28 total). L10 elites crush C&Js in 28s, run in 2:20, transition in 8s for 64s of jerk time at 3s/rep = 24/round (96 total). Grip endurance on heavy single KB and quick hand transitions are key.
Modality Profile
Three unique movements: Run (Monostructural), Kettlebell Clean and Jerk (Weightlifting), Kettlebell Jerk (Weightlifting). Breakdown: 1 M movement (33%) and 2 W movements (67%).
