Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Short time domain, escalating loading, and high-skill gymnastics make this a very hard test. Strict handstand push-ups demand significant pressing stamina and positioning. Barbell loads climb to 225/155 lb under fatigue, challenging power and technique. Double-unders and wall walks add skill and shoulder fatigue, while checkpoint time caps force aggressive pacing and minimal errors.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Strict handstand push-ups, repeated wall walks, and cumulative shoulder fatigue require sustained pressing stamina. Sets degrade quickly without smart partitioning and tight positioning under fatigue.
• Power (7/10): The snatch is an explosive lift; moving heavy bars efficiently under fatigue requires powerful hip extension and crisp bar speed.
• Strength (7/10): Heavy snatches up to 225/155 lb test absolute and relative strength under fatigue. Clearing the later bars requires significant overhead strength and midline stability.
• Speed (6/10): Time caps force quick transitions and fast double-under cycling. However, heavy barbells and strict gymnastics limit pure sprinting and demand controlled tempo.
• Flexibility (5/10): Wall walks and handstand push-ups require overhead mobility and shoulder flexion. Receiving snatches demands adequate thoracic and hip mobility for stable positions.
• Endurance (4/10): Short overall time but sustained jump-rope work and minimal rest raise the aerobic demand. You’ll breathe hard while managing transitions, yet it never becomes steady-state cardio due to skill and loading spikes.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Reduced wall walk range (shoulder taps or line standard) • Double-under volume down or single-unders (2:1) • Strict HSPU to kipping HSPU or pike push-ups • Snatch loads to challenging-but-cyclable weights at each stage

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the workout’s stimulus—skill under fatigue, strict pressing demand, and escalating barbell challenge—while keeping movement quality, speed, and checkpoints appropriate for your capacity.

Intended Stimulus

Fast but controlled start, then a grind as the loads and strict pressing ramp up. The first 6 minutes should feel urgent yet smooth. If you advance, expect shoulders to burn while you manage short, efficient sets. The heavy snatches are the separator—crisp singles with minimal no-reps. Transitions must be tight throughout.

Coach Insight

Pace the first 6 minutes to avoid redlining before strict HSPU—smooth wall walks, unbroken or near-unbroken double-unders, quick singles on snatches if needed. One tip: Protect your shoulders—keep HSPU sets small and fast from the start; avoid early failure. Common mistakes: rushing wall-walk standards, greedy HSPU sets to failure, and missing heavy snatches due to poor setup. Breathe, brace, then lift.

Benchmark Notes

Most athletes won’t finish within 12 minutes. Clearing 137 reps gets you past the first checkpoint; 216 reps clears the second. Elite athletes reach the final bar and some finish at 292 reps. Use these tiers to gauge how far you progress and where your bottleneck appears.

Modality Profile

Gymnastics dominates via wall walks and strict handstand push-ups, driving shoulder fatigue and skill. Monostructural double-unders appear repeatedly and add volume and heart rate. Weightlifting contributes through progressively heavier snatches, which, while fewer in reps, heavily influence pacing and outcome due to technical and strength demands.

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These WODs similar to Open 23.3 share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.