Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Moderate volume but high skill. The ring muscle-ups are the limiter for most athletes, demanding pulling and pressing strength plus coordination. Barbell loads are moderate and cycled from the hang, while 150 total air squats elevate heart rate and leg stamina. Expect advanced athletes to finish near 8–12 minutes; intermediates 12–18 with smart pacing.

Benchmark Times for Nasty Girls

• Elite: <7:00
• Advanced: 10:00-12:00
• Intermediate: 14:00-15:00
• Beginner: >20:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Large squat volume plus repeated pulling/pressing on rings taxes local muscular endurance in legs, grip, and shoulders across three rounds.
• Speed (7/10): Quick cycling on squats and cleans with short transitions drives better times, but speed is capped by muscle-up proficiency.
• Power (6/10): Explosive hip drive for muscle-ups and fast turnover on hang power cleans reward powerful movement and crisp technique.
• Strength (5/10): Hang power cleans at 135/95 are moderate. Muscle-ups require strong pulling and pressing strength relative to bodyweight.
• Endurance (4/10): No monostructural work, but 150 air squats and repeated sets keep the heart rate high. Cardio matters, yet breathing is secondary to skill and local muscle fatigue.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires standard squat depth and shoulder extension for the dip on muscle-ups, but no extreme mobility ranges beyond typical CrossFit standards.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 7 Jumping Ring Muscle-Ups (high rings) • 7 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups + 7 Ring Dips • 10 Hang Power Cleans at 115/75 or 95/65 lb

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the pulling-to-pressing pattern and barbell cycling speed while matching the intended difficulty and round pacing without excessive stalls on the rings.

Intended Stimulus

This should feel like a fast, gritty triplet with short rests. Keep air squats smooth and unbroken, then attack controlled sets of muscle-ups. Hang cleans should be cycled in 1–2 quick sets. Breathing is elevated but manageable; the limiter is ring skill and grip. Aim for consistent round times with strong finishes.

Coach Insight

Open at a sustainable pace on squats, then hit confident, planned sets on the rings. Quick chalk, then move immediately to the bar. The one tip: protect your grip—break before failing muscle-ups and keep cleans in tight, efficient sets. Avoid redlining early, sloppy kip mechanics, and over-pulling the cleans. Missed reps cost more than brief rest.

Benchmark Notes

Times are set from beginner (may bump against a 20-minute cap) to elite (sub-7 for men, ~8 for women). If you’re consistently over 16 minutes, scale muscle-ups or reduce barbell load. Efficient transitions and unbroken sets on cleans significantly improve scores.

Modality Profile

Two of three movements are gymnastics: air squats and ring muscle-ups. The barbell component is a smaller portion of total time and reps, though cleans are impactful. No monostructural elements are present, so the split leans toward gymnastics with a substantial weightlifting component.

Similar Workouts to Nasty Girls

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

• Marco (91% similar) - For time: 3 rounds of: 21 Pull-Ups 15 Handstand Push-Ups 9 Thrusters (135/95 lb)...
• Extended Elizabeth (91% similar) - For Time 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of: Power Cleans (135/95 lb) Ring Dips...
• G.I. Gran (91% similar) - 21-15-9 Reps for Time Clean-and-Jerks (60/45 kg) Burpee Pull-Ups...
• Regionals 15.3 (91% similar) - AMRAP in 14 minutes: 7 Muscle-Ups 50 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb; 10/9 ft) 100 Double-Unders...
• The 540 (90% similar) - For Time 50 Plate Overhead Lunges (45/25 lb) 40 Pull-Ups 30 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 20 Burpees 10 Squat...
• Movember Cowboys (90% similar) - For time: 3 rounds: 10 Handstand Push-Ups 20 Hang Squat Cleans (115/80 lb) 3 Rope Climbs (15 ft)...
• Open 13.1 (90% similar) - AMRAP in 17 minutes: 40 Burpees 30 Snatches (75/45 lb) 30 Burpees 30 Snatches (135/75 lb) 20 Burpees...
• Top Gun (90% similar) - For Time 20 Thrusters (135/95 lb) 20 Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (135/95 lb) 20 Push Jerks (135/95 lb) ...

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