Workout Description

For Time 23 Burpee Pull-Ups 36 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 42 Toes-to-Bars 24 Handstand Push-Ups 12 Clean-and-Jerks (200/150 lb) Time Cap: 12 minutes

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

High-skill gymnastics (toes-to-bar, handstand push-ups) paired with a very heavy clean and jerk finishing piece make this a formidable chipper. Grip is taxed early by burpee pull-ups and TTB, then pressing strength and stamina are challenged before heavy singles under fatigue. The 12-minute cap forces aggressive pacing with little room for errors or long breaks.

Benchmark Times for Sam

  • Elite: <7:30
  • Advanced: 8:30-9:00
  • Intermediate: 9:30-10:00
  • Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

  • Stamina (8/10): Significant volume across multiple upper-body and core-dominant movements requires sustained muscular endurance. Athletes must chip away without failing sets, especially on toes-to-bar and handstand push-ups.
  • Power (7/10): Explosive hip drive on wall balls and clean and jerks, plus dynamic kipping on gymnastics, reward powerful movement while maintaining control under fatigue.
  • Strength (7/10): A heavy clean and jerk under fatigue elevates strength requirements. Pressing strength for handstand push-ups and pulling strength for burpee pull-ups and TTB are also key factors.
  • Speed (6/10): Fast transitions and efficient rep cycling matter, but strategic breaks on gymnastics and deliberate heavy singles keep it from being an all-out sprint.
  • Endurance (5/10): Short time domain with no monostructural work, but continuous movement, high heart rate, and limited rest windows demand solid aerobic capacity to sustain transitions and manage breathing through large sets.
  • Flexibility (3/10): Standard ranges of motion: overhead squat position for wall balls, shoulder flexion for HSPU, and hip flexion for TTB. Mobility helps efficiency but is not the primary limiter.

Movements

  • Toes-to-Bar
  • Burpee Pull-Up
  • Clean and Jerk
  • Wall Ball Shot
  • Handstand Push-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: 23 burpee jumping pull-ups • 36 wall balls (20/14) → 36 (16/10), 42 TTB → 36, 24 HSPU → 18, 12 C&J 165/115 • 23 burpee jumping pull-ups, 36 wall balls (14/10), 42 hanging knee raises, 24 box pike HSPU, 12 C&J 135/95 • 15 burpee jumping pull-ups, 30 wall balls (14/10), 30 hanging knee raises, 24 hand-release push-ups, 9 C&J 95/65

Scaling Explanation

Each option preserves the chipper flow and primary stimuli—grip, midline, pressing, and a heavy-ish finish—by adjusting reps and skill/loads so athletes can keep moving and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

A hard, fast chipper that starts pumpy on grip and core, moves into pressing stamina, and finishes with heavy, confident singles. You should breathe steadily, break sets early, and keep transitions short. If executed well, you’ll arrive at the barbell with time to work and finish inside the cap without redlining early.

Coach Insight

Open fast-but-controlled: small planned sets on TTB and HSPU with 5–10 second rests. Keep transitions to 5 seconds or less. One tip: Save your forearms—fraction TTB before grip slips, not after. Avoid: big early sets that lead to failure, no-chipping on the wall balls, and resting too long between heavy clean and jerk singles.

Benchmark Notes

Times represent finish times from beginner (time-capped around 12:00) to elite (7:30–7:45). If you’re near 10–11 minutes, you’re pacing well and moving consistently. Breaking before failure on gymnastics and steady singles on the barbell are key to landing in the mid tiers.

Modality Profile

Three of the five movements are gymnastics (burpee pull-ups, toes-to-bar, handstand push-ups), driving most of the time and fatigue. Two movements use external load (wall balls and heavy clean and jerks). There is no pure monostructural element, so the breakdown trends heavily toward gymnastics and weightlifting.

Similar Workouts to Sam

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

  • Heavy Fran (91% similar) - 15-12-9 Reps For Time Thrusters (135/95 lb) Weighted Pull-Ups (45/30 lb)...
  • The Standard (90% similar) - For Time 30 Clean-and-Jerks (135/95 lb) 30 Muscle-Ups 30 Snatches (135/95 lb) Time Cap: 12 minutes...
  • Marco (90% similar) - For time: 3 rounds of: 21 Pull-Ups 15 Handstand Push-Ups 9 Thrusters (135/95 lb)...
  • Quarterfinals 23.5 (90% similar) - For time: 21 Deadlifts (225/155 lb) 21 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 15 Deadlifts (275/185 lb) 15 Bar Muscle...
  • Open 15.4 (90% similar) - AMRAP in 8 minutes: 3 Handstand Push-Ups 3 Cleans (185/125 lb) 6 Handstand Push-Ups 3 Cleans (185/12...
  • Linchpin Test 3 (89% similar) - For time: 3 rounds: 21 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb to 10/9 ft) 14 Handstand Push-Ups 7 Deadlifts (315/...
  • Regionals 18.3 (89% similar) - For time: 10 Snatches (175/125 lb) 12 Burpees Then, 4 rounds of: 7 Snatches (175/125 lb) 7 Burpees...
  • Open 24.3 (89% similar) - For time (15-minute cap): Part 1 — 5 rounds: 10 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups Then, ...

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

Training Profile

AttributeScoreExplanation
Endurance5/10Short time domain with no monostructural work, but continuous movement, high heart rate, and limited rest windows demand solid aerobic capacity to sustain transitions and manage breathing through large sets.
Stamina8/10Significant volume across multiple upper-body and core-dominant movements requires sustained muscular endurance. Athletes must chip away without failing sets, especially on toes-to-bar and handstand push-ups.
Strength7/10A heavy clean and jerk under fatigue elevates strength requirements. Pressing strength for handstand push-ups and pulling strength for burpee pull-ups and TTB are also key factors.
Flexibility3/10Standard ranges of motion: overhead squat position for wall balls, shoulder flexion for HSPU, and hip flexion for TTB. Mobility helps efficiency but is not the primary limiter.
Power7/10Explosive hip drive on wall balls and clean and jerks, plus dynamic kipping on gymnastics, reward powerful movement while maintaining control under fatigue.
Speed6/10Fast transitions and efficient rep cycling matter, but strategic breaks on gymnastics and deliberate heavy singles keep it from being an all-out sprint.

For Time 23 Burpee Pull-Ups 36 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 42 Toes-to-Bars 24 Handstand Push-Ups 12 Clean-and-Jerks (200/150 lb) Time Cap: 12 minutes

Difficulty:
Very Hard
Modality:
G
W
Stimulus:

A hard, fast chipper that starts pumpy on grip and core, moves into pressing stamina, and finishes with heavy, confident singles. You should breathe steadily, break sets early, and keep transitions short. If executed well, you’ll arrive at the barbell with time to work and finish inside the cap without redlining early.

Insight:

Open fast-but-controlled: small planned sets on TTB and HSPU with 5–10 second rests. Keep transitions to 5 seconds or less. One tip: Save your forearms—fraction TTB before grip slips, not after. Avoid: big early sets that lead to failure, no-chipping on the wall balls, and resting too long between heavy clean and jerk singles.

Scaling:

Scale to: 23 burpee jumping pull-ups • 36 wall balls (20/14) → 36 (16/10), 42 TTB → 36, 24 HSPU → 18, 12 C&J 165/115 • 23 burpee jumping pull-ups, 36 wall balls (14/10), 42 hanging knee raises, 24 box pike HSPU, 12 C&J 135/95 • 15 burpee jumping pull-ups, 30 wall balls (14/10), 30 hanging knee raises, 24 hand-release push-ups, 9 C&J 95/65

Time Distribution:
8:45Elite
10:15Target
12:00Time Cap
Your Scores:

Training Profile

Performance Levels
L1
L2
L3
L4
L5
L6
L7
L8
L9
L10
RookieNoviceIntermediateAdvancedPro/Elite