Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This workout resembles a slightly extended Helen. The 400m runs provide natural recovery between barbell and burpee efforts. Overhead squats at 95/65 lb are technically demanding but at only 10 reps, most average CrossFitters can manage them under fatigue. Burpees add cardiovascular stress but are low-skill. Four rounds will take 18-25 minutes — challenging but completable as prescribed for most athletes.

Benchmark Times for Peter Brennan

• Elite: <8:15
• Advanced: 9:15-10:25
• Intermediate: 11:45-13:15
• Beginner: >24:15

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Four rounds of 400m runs combined with burpees create significant cardiovascular demand. The repeated aerobic effort across all rounds taxes the heart and lungs substantially throughout the workout.
• Stamina (7/10): Repeated rounds of overhead squats and burpees accumulate meaningful muscular endurance demands. The combination of lower body, upper body, and full-body movements challenges sustained muscular output across all four rounds.
• Flexibility (7/10): Overhead squats demand significant shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, ankle dorsiflexion, and hip flexibility. This is one of the most mobility-demanding barbell movements, making flexibility a notable requirement here.
• Speed (6/10): Timed format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling of movements. Minimizing rest between the run, overhead squats, and burpees is critical to a competitive finish time.
• Strength (4/10): Overhead squats at 95/65 lb require moderate strength and stability, but the load is not maximal. The primary challenge is sustaining the movement under fatigue rather than producing peak force.
• Power (4/10): Burpees involve a jump component and overhead squats require some bar control, but neither movement is primarily explosive. Power is a secondary demand behind endurance and stamina in this workout.

Movements

• Overhead Squat
• Burpee
• Run

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce overhead squat to 75/55 lb or 65/45 lb for athletes still developing overhead stability. For athletes with significant shoulder or mobility limitations, substitute goblet squats (moderate KB) or front squats at reduced load. Run: Shorten to 300m or substitute 500m row or 1-minute bike if running is limited. Burpees: Reduce to 7 per round or substitute no-jump burpees (step back, step up) for athletes with knee or shoulder issues. Volume: Reduce to 3 rounds for newer athletes or those with limited conditioning base. Rep reduction: Scale overhead squats to 7 per round if the load is appropriate but volume is the limiting factor.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the overhead squat weight if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken reps with solid mechanics — active shoulders, locked elbows, upright torso — at the prescribed load when fresh. Technique always wins over load in this movement, especially under fatigue. Scale the run distance or total rounds if your estimated finish time exceeds 30 minutes, as the stimulus becomes more about survival than conditioning. The goal is to keep moving with purpose through all four rounds, not to stop and recover repeatedly. Prioritize intensity and movement quality over hitting Rx numbers — a scaled version done with consistent effort and good mechanics delivers far more benefit than a sloppy Rx performance. Target finish time of 18-28 minutes for most athletes.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate time domain workout targeting 18-28 minutes of sustained effort. This is a hard, grinding conditioning piece that demands a strong aerobic engine while testing overhead stability and midline control under fatigue. The primary challenge is managing the skill demand of the overhead squat when your lungs are on fire from the run and burpees. Expect a steady, uncomfortable pace throughout — not a sprint, but never truly comfortable. The adaptation here is building mental toughness and the ability to maintain technical movement under cardiovascular stress.

Coach Insight

Pace the first run conservatively — going out too hot will destroy your overhead squat mechanics in round one and snowball from there. Aim for a consistent, controlled run pace you can repeat all four rounds. On the overhead squats, prioritize a locked-out, active overhead position with a wide grip before you even think about depth. Break them early if needed — sets of 5-5 or 6-4 are smarter than grinding to failure and losing position. For burpees, find a sustainable rhythm: step up instead of jumping if needed, and keep moving without stopping. The biggest mistake athletes make is treating this like a sprint in round one and then dying in rounds three and four. Transitions between movements should be brisk but controlled. Watch for the overhead squat breaking down — forward lean, soft elbows, or knees caving are signs you need to drop the bar and reset rather than grind through ugly reps.

Benchmark Notes

Four rounds of a 400 m run, 10 overhead squats at 95/65 lb and 10 burpees. L5 (13:15-15 min) runs about 2 minutes a lap and takes about 3:35 a round. L10 (under 8:15) runs near 1:15 and goes unbroken.

Modality Profile

Three movements: Run (Monostructural), Overhead Squat (Weightlifting - barbell with external load), Burpee (Gymnastics - bodyweight). One movement per modality, resulting in an even 33/33/34 split.

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