Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

A high-skill, heavy couplet under an aggressive 11-minute cap. The workout demands efficient ring muscle-ups (27 total) and barbell cycling across ascending thruster loads up to 135/85 lb. Fatigue compounds quickly, challenging grip, shoulder endurance, and breathing. Finishing requires advanced gymnastics capacity, strong front rack stamina, and disciplined pacing—well above typical benchmark difficulty.

Benchmark Times for Regionals 17.4

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 6:00-7:00
• Intermediate: 8:00-8:30
• Beginner: >11:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High total reps under fatigue—63 thrusters and 27 ring muscle-ups—demand sustained shoulder, triceps, and leg endurance with minimal breaks to stay under the cap.
• Power (7/10): Explosive hip drive for thrusters and powerful kip for transition and dip phases of the muscle-up are critical to maintain speed and reduce excessive pressing fatigue.
• Speed (7/10): Fast barbell cycling and crisp singles or small sets on rings with tight transitions separate top times. Over-resting or chalk breaks quickly erode speed.
• Endurance (5/10): Short time domain but breathing gets taxed by large thruster sets and quick transitions. Athletes must manage heart rate spikes and recover rapidly between gymnastics sets without extended rest.
• Strength (5/10): Not maximal loading, but the final thrusters at 135/85 require adequate leg drive and front rack stability, especially after cumulative fatigue from earlier sets and gymnastics pressing.
• Flexibility (3/10): Solid front rack and overhead position, plus shoulder extension for the ring dip, are needed. Mobility limitations will cost efficiency but demands are not extreme.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Thrusters 75/55-95/65-115/75 + Bar Muscle-Ups • Thrusters 65/45-85/55-95/65 + Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups (2:1) • 21-15-9 Thrusters (95/65) + 9-6-3 Ring Muscle-Ups

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the couplet, descending rep scheme, and push-pull stimulus while adjusting load and skill so athletes can keep intensity high and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

Fast but controlled. Push large thruster sets with confident breathing and quick racks, then deliberate, efficient muscle-up reps without redlining. The final barbell should feel heavy, but still cyclable in steady sets. Athletes should finish under the cap with smart pacing, minimal chalk breaks, and tight transitions.

Coach Insight

Open strong but not reckless—break thrusters before form implodes. Aim for planned, sustainable sets (e.g., 15-12, 12-9, 9-6). Your one tip: Earn fast transitions. Chalk once per round, then move immediately. Avoid the trap of failed muscle-up attempts. If kip rhythm falters, take a brief breath and hit confident singles instead of grinding misses.

Benchmark Notes

Times range from just beating the cap (11:00) to elite finishes near 5:00. Mid-level athletes should aim for 8:00–9:00. Faster times require unbroken or near-unbroken thruster sets and quick, confident muscle-up sets with minimal chalk, rest, and transitions.

Modality Profile

A two-movement couplet blending gymnastics and weightlifting. Although thrusters hold more total reps, ring muscle-ups often consume comparable time due to skill and fatigue. No monostructural element is present; the stimulus alternates between barbell cycling and advanced upper-body pulling/dipping.

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If you enjoy Regionals 17.4, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

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These WODs similar to Regionals 17.4 share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.