Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Highly technical gymnastics chipper with advanced ring skills and significant upper-body volume. Ring muscle-ups, controlled lowers from inverted hang, and ring handstand push-ups demand strength, stability, and coordination. Expect long sets of strict control, big shoulder stamina, and grip fatigue. Most intermediate athletes will need extensive scaling. Competitive athletes finish 14–22 minutes; many will approach a 30-minute cap.

Benchmark Times for Meadows

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 16:00-18:00
• Intermediate: 20:00-22:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High local muscular endurance in shoulders, triceps, lats, and midline. Eccentric lowers and ring HSPU accumulate fatigue quickly. Success depends on breaking sets early, consistent rep quality, and minimizing failed attempts.
• Flexibility (6/10): Rings demand active shoulder flexion, external rotation, and thoracic mobility. Inverted hangs and deep ring HSPU require comfortable overhead positions with stability through full range. Limited mobility amplifies energy cost and increases no-rep risk.
• Strength (5/10): Bodyweight strength is required for ring muscle-ups and ring handstand push-ups. While not a max-strength test, athletes need strong pulling and pressing relative to bodyweight to perform consistent, high-quality reps under fatigue.
• Endurance (4/10): No monostructural work, but heart rate stays elevated through continuous gymnastics. The chipper format creates steady-state breathing with sporadic spikes from big sets. Aerobic demand is secondary to skill and local muscular endurance.
• Speed (4/10): Speed is constrained by stabilization and technical precision. Quick transitions help, but rushing increases failed attempts. Efficient cycling comes from tight shapes, short sets, and crisp transitions rather than pure sprint pacing.
• Power (4/10): Kipping power and dynamic turnover help on muscle-ups, but the workout rewards control more than explosiveness. The eccentric lowers and ring HSPU are slower, reducing the overall emphasis on peak power output.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 12–15 Ring Muscle-Ups or Jumping RMU/Transitions + Dips • 20 Controlled Negatives from Tuck Inverted Hang or 25 Strict Toes-to-Rings Lowers • 20–30 Box/Feet-Elevated Pike HSPU or Parallette HSPU • 35 Ring Rows (elevate feet as able) • 40 Push-Ups (hands on rings or floor)

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the stimulus—advanced ring pulling/pressing, controlled eccentrics, and shoulder stability—while matching skill and strength so athletes move continuously with high-quality reps.

Intended Stimulus

A controlled, high-skill grind. Breathing should feel steady but your shoulders, triceps, and lats will accumulate heavy fatigue. Break early, keep reps crisp, and avoid misses. Grip and stability get taxed, especially during muscle-ups and eccentric lowers. Aim for deliberate sets with short rests to maintain quality and momentum through the chipper.

Coach Insight

Pace by strict rep caps: 3–5 on MU, 3–6 on ring HSPU, smooth singles on lowers. Rest 10–20 seconds, not minutes. The one tip: protect quality—failed MU or HSPU attempts cost more than short breaks. Avoid death sets early, soft midline on ring rows/push-ups, and sloppy transitions that waste grip and lead to no-reps.

Benchmark Notes

Times scale by proficiency with ring skills. Newer Rx athletes may grind near the 30:00 cap. Solid ring athletes aim 18–22 minutes. Specialists who can cycle ring MU and ring HSPU efficiently may finish 14–16 minutes. Use these to set a realistic target or time cap.

Modality Profile

This is 100% gymnastics on rings with no monostructural or external loading. Every rep requires body control, stability, and strict positioning under fatigue. Time is driven by skill execution and set strategy rather than barbell cycling or cardio pacing.

Similar Workouts to Meadows

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

• Maggie (91% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time 20 Handstand Push-Ups 40 Pull-Ups 60 Pistols (Alternating Legs)...
• Garrett (91% similar) - 3 Rounds For Time 75 Air Squats 25 Ring Handstand Push-Ups 25 L-Pull-Ups...
• Robbie (89% similar) - AMRAP in 25 minutes 8 Freestanding Handstand Push-Ups 1 L-Sit Rope Climb (15 foot)...
• James Prosser (89% similar) - For Time 100 Muscle-Ups...
• Mary XXX (87% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 10 Handstand Push-Ups 20 Pistols (alternating legs) 30 Pull-Ups 15 Handstand Pus...
• War Frank (86% similar) - 3 Rounds For Time 25 Muscle-Ups 100 Air Squats 35 GHD Sit-Ups...
• Special Mary (86% similar) - For Time 5 Strict Handstand Push-Ups 10 Pistols 15 Strict Pull-Ups 10 Strict Handstand Push-Ups 20 P...
• Zimmerman (85% similar) - AMRAP in 25 minutes 11 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 2 Deadlifts (315/205 lb) 10 Handstand Push-Ups...

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