Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While both movements target pushing muscles, the EMOM format provides significant rest (40-45 seconds per minute) allowing good recovery. The bench press at 65% 1RM is moderate and sustainable, while hand release push-ups add volume without excessive fatigue. The alternating pattern prevents severe accumulation, making this challenging but manageable for average CrossFitters over 20 minutes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Accumulated volume of pushing movements tests local muscular endurance in chest, shoulders, and triceps over the 20-minute duration.
• Strength (5/10): Bench press at 65% 1RM provides moderate strength stimulus, while hand release push-ups add bodyweight resistance work.
• Endurance (4/10): Twenty minutes of alternating pushing movements creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but one-minute rest intervals prevent significant aerobic challenge.
• Flexibility (3/10): Full range bench press and hand release push-ups require basic shoulder mobility and chest flexibility.
• Speed (3/10): EMOM format allows recovery between sets, emphasizing quality over speed, though transitions must be timely.
• Power (2/10): Mostly grinding strength-endurance work with minimal explosive demands in either movement pattern.

Movements

• Bench Press
• Hand-Release Push-Up

Scaling Options

Bench Press: Reduce to 55% 1RM if unable to complete all sets unbroken with good form. Can substitute dumbbell bench press or floor press if barbell setup is challenging. Hand Release Push-Ups: Scale to regular push-ups, incline push-ups, or box push-ups based on capacity. For volume, reduce to 3-4 bench press reps and 5-6 push-ups if needed. Consider 12-15 minute time domain for beginners.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 8-10 unbroken bench press reps at prescribed weight when fresh, or if unable to complete 10+ standard push-ups unbroken. Maintaining proper pressing mechanics and full range of motion should be prioritized over prescribed load/volume. Athletes should finish each minute with 15-20 seconds rest. If consistently taking entire minute or form degrading significantly, adjust load/volume down.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate intensity strength-endurance workout targeting upper body push capacity. 20-minute time domain emphasizes oxidative energy system with phosphagen system recovery between sets. Primary challenge is maintaining quality pressing mechanics under accumulated fatigue while managing local muscular endurance.

Coach Insight

Bench press weight should feel moderate - you should be able to complete 8-10 reps unbroken when fresh. Focus on controlled eccentric (lowering) phase of bench press to maintain shoulder stability. For hand release push-ups, emphasize full extension of arms when chest leaves ground, maintaining rigid plank position throughout. Common mistake is rushing reps early - pace yourself as shoulder fatigue will accumulate. Rest 20-25 seconds between movements to maintain quality.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 20-minute EMOM with alternating movements: Odd minutes (10 rounds): - 5 Bench Press @ 65% 1RM - Fresh state: ~2 sec per rep - Total: 50 bench press reps Even minutes (10 rounds): - 8 Hand Release Push-Ups - Fresh state: ~1.5 sec per rep - Total: 80 hand release push-ups Key considerations: 1. Both movements target similar muscle groups (chest/triceps) 2. 60-second rest between same movement allows decent recovery 3. Cumulative fatigue will still build over 20 minutes Fatigue progression: - Minutes 1-6: Minimal fatigue (1.0x) - Minutes 7-12: Moderate fatigue (1.1x) - Minutes 13-18: Significant fatigue (1.2x) - Minutes 19-20: Heavy fatigue (1.3x) This workout is most similar to Cindy in structure (20-min EMOM vs AMRAP). Using Cindy's anchor points but adjusting down since: - Lower total volume per round - More built-in rest (EMOM format) - Less complex movements Expected performance levels: L10 (Elite): 270-280 total reps (complete all reps with good form) L5 (Intermediate): 180-200 total reps (may miss some reps in later rounds) L1 (Beginner): 120-130 total reps (significant missed reps) Final benchmarks are approximately 65-70% of Cindy's rep targets due to format differences.

Modality Profile

The workout contains two movements: Hand-Release Push-Up (Gymnastics) and Bench Press (Weightlifting). With two movements split across two modalities, this results in a 50/50 split between G and W, with no M component.

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