Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Massive total volume with a vest: 104 strict pull-ups, 338 step-ups, and 273 burpees across 13 rounds. Strict pulling under load is highly taxing, and the repetitive burpee-step-up combo drives heart rate and local muscular fatigue. Expect 50–90 minutes for most, requiring disciplined pacing, strong grip endurance, and resilient shoulder/triceps stamina.

Benchmark Times for Maxton

• Elite: <50:00
• Advanced: 55:00-60:00
• Intermediate: 65:00-70:00
• Beginner: >90:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (10/10): Extremely high reps under a vest tax local muscular endurance of lats, biceps, triceps, calves, and hips. Athletes must repeatedly perform small-to-moderate sets with short rest across 700+ total reps.
• Endurance (9/10): Sustained, long-duration triplet without built-in rest drives steady aerobic output. Heart rate stays elevated for an hour or more, demanding efficient breathing and pacing to keep moving without redlining early.
• Speed (4/10): Fast transitions help, but the long duration prevents true sprint pacing. Athletes benefit more from consistent cadence than from short bursts of high-speed cycling.
• Power (3/10): Little need for explosive output. While burpees have a small jump, the goal is smooth, repeatable movement rather than maximal height or speed on any single rep.
• Strength (2/10): No heavy external loading or max efforts. The vest adds resistance, but demands are submaximal, prioritizing repeatable bodyweight strength over peak force production.
• Flexibility (1/10): Basic ranges of motion: shoulder extension/flexion for pull-ups, hip/knee flexion for step-ups, and standard burpee positions. No extreme mobility or end-range strength requirements.

Movements

• Burpee
• Strict Pull-Up
• Box Step-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: No vest • 13 rounds: 5 banded strict pull-ups or ring rows / 20 box step-ups (20/16 in) / 15 burpees • 9 rounds with vest: 6 strict pull-ups / 20 step-ups / 15 burpees

Scaling Explanation

These options reduce pulling difficulty, box height, and/or total volume while preserving the long, steady triplet stimulus and strict pulling intent.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding, steady-state effort. You should move continuously with short, controlled breaks, keeping heart rate high but manageable. Strict pull-ups are the limiter—break early and often to avoid failure. Step-ups and burpees are steady metronome work: smooth cadence, minimal transitions, and no big spikes that force long rests.

Coach Insight

Pace the first 3–4 rounds conservatively, then lock a sustainable cadence. Break pull-ups before you need to—small, repeatable sets win here. Biggest tip: Keep transitions under 5 seconds. Start the next rep before you want to. Avoid blow-ups on burpees. If breathing spikes, slow the descent, not the transitions.

Benchmark Notes

These time targets range from finishing near the 90-minute cap (L1) to sub-50 minutes for elite (L9). If you’re around L5, aim to hold steady, minimal-rest sets on pull-ups, brisk but sustainable step-ups, and consistent burpee pacing without long breaks.

Modality Profile

All three movements are gymnastics (bodyweight) patterns, even though a weight vest adds difficulty. There’s no monostructural machine work and no traditional external lifting implements. The workout is dominated by pulling, burpees, and step-ups performed repetitively at sustainable paces.

Similar Workouts to Maxton

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

• Painstorm XXIV (90% similar) - For time: 100 m Run 50 Burpees 200 m Run 100 Push-Ups 300 m Run 150 Lunges 400 m Run 200 Air Squats ...
• Killer Elite (89% similar) - For time: 7 rounds of: 400 meter Run 24 Pull-Ups 24 Dips 34 Crunches 9 Burpees...
• Highway to Hell (88% similar) - For Time 5 mile Assault Air Bike (in 2 minute max intervals) After each 2-minute interval if the 5-m...
• Small (88% similar) - 3 Rounds For Time 1,000 meter Row 50 Burpees 50 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 800 meter Run ...
• Hammy (88% similar) - For time: 1,200 meter Run 80 Box Step-Overs 40 Hand-Release Push-Ups 800 meter Run 40 Burpees to Tar...
• Jared (88% similar) - For time: 4 rounds of: 800 meter Run 40 Pull-Ups 70 Push-Ups...
• Manuel (88% similar) - 5 Rounds for Reps in 50 minutes 3 minutes of Max Rope Climbs 2 minutes of Max Air Squats 2 minutes o...
• Murph (88% similar) - 1 mile Run 100 Pull-Ups 200 Push-Ups 300 Air Squats 1 mile Run...

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