Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

A classic high-output couplet with 200 total reps under a tight 10-minute cap. The barbell is moderate-heavy for volume (225/155 lb) and the burpees keep the heart rate spiked. Success requires fast cycling, smart singles or small sets, and relentless pace with minimal rest. Many intermediate athletes time-cap.

Benchmark Times for Open 22.2

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 6:30-7:00
• Intermediate: 7:30-8:00
• Beginner: >10:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (8/10): Fast cycling and transitions rule. Winning strategies use immediate bar approach, quick singles or small touch-and-go sets, and unbroken burpee rhythm with minimal setup or hesitation.
• Stamina (8/10): One hundred deadlifts and 100 bar-facing burpees require sustained muscular output. The ability to hold quick singles on the bar and steady burpee cadence determines success late in the descending ladder.
• Power (6/10): Explosive hip extension off the floor and quick, poppy burpee jump over the bar reward powerful movement while fatigued. Power output supports faster cycle times and better barbell speed.
• Strength (6/10): Deadlifts at 225/155 lb are moderate-heavy for volume. Not a max-effort lift, but relative strength is required to maintain form and cycle reps quickly under fatigue without breakdown.
• Endurance (5/10): Ten-minute sprint-ladder drives a high heart rate and continuous breathing demand, but duration is short. Cardio capacity matters, yet power and barbell stamina share the spotlight more than long aerobic pacing.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard hinge and burpee ranges of motion. No extreme positions, but adequate hip and hamstring mobility help maintain neutral spine and efficient burpee transitions throughout the workout.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Deadlift 185/125 lb (or ~50–60% 1RM) • Lateral burpees over bar or step-over (no two-foot jump) • Shorter ladder (1-2-…-8-…-1)

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the couplet’s fast pace, hinge demand, and breathing challenge while matching strength and skill so you can keep moving and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

Fast and relentless. You should feel on the edge of redline, but never fully blow up. Quick singles or small sets on the deadlift with immediate bar re-approach, and steady, no-stop burpees. The workout should reward consistent pacing through the 10 and descending ladder, finishing with a hard push in the final minutes.

Coach Insight

Pace the ascent conservatively; hold your exact cadence through 10. Quick singles on the deadlift with zero wandering beats blown-up touch-and-go. The one tip: Never step away from the bar. Finish a rep, let it settle, and grab it again immediately. Avoid wide setups, soft lockouts, and sloppy burpee standards. Small rests snowball here.

Benchmark Notes

Times are set from time-cap finishers to elite sprints. If you’re around 8 minutes, you’re solidly intermediate. Sub-7 is advanced, and sub-6 is elite. Use these to pick a load that lets you move continuously and avoid hitting the time cap.

Modality Profile

This is a pure couplet of gymnastics and weightlifting. The bar-facing burpees (gymnastics) occupy slightly more time and breathing load than the deadlifts (weightlifting). There is no monostructural element; the conditioning comes from sustained burpee pace paired with fast barbell cycling.

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If you enjoy Open 22.2, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

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These WODs similar to Open 22.2 share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.