Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Very high total volume and long duration with moderate skill demands. Across two rounds you accumulate 50 toes-to-bars, 100 calories of rowing, 150 light kettlebell swings, and 200 burpees. Grip and midline will be heavily taxed while the burpee volume drives overall fatigue. Expect 40–60+ minutes for most athletes if done as prescribed.

Benchmark Times for Start Today

• Elite: <36:00
• Advanced: 39:00-42:00
• Intermediate: 46:00-50:00
• Beginner: >72:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High-rep, repetitive movements require sustained muscular endurance in grip, core, hips, and shoulders, especially through burpees, swings, and toes-to-bars.
• Endurance (9/10): Long, steady output with limited opportunities to rest. Cardio system under constant demand from extended burpee work and rowing across two high-volume rounds.
• Speed (4/10): Fast transitions help, but sustainable pacing outweighs sprinting due to extreme total volume.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires overhead position quality and shoulder/hamstring range for swings and toes-to-bar, but demands are moderate for most athletes.
• Power (2/10): Explosiveness is not the limiter; steady, repeatable effort is more important than peak power output.
• Strength (1/10): External load is light relative to typical CrossFit standards; success is not limited by maximal strength.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 2 rounds — 15 Hanging Knee Raises, 35-cal Row, 50 KB Swings (12/8 kg), 75 Burpees • 2 rounds — 20 V-Ups, 40-cal Row, 60 Russian KB Swings (16/12 kg to eye level), 60 Burpees • 1 round for time — 25 TTB, 50-cal Row, 75 KB Swings (16/12 kg), 100 Burpees

Scaling Explanation

Adjust skill, load, and volume to preserve the long, steady grind while keeping continuous movement and managing grip and core fatigue.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding effort with sustainable pacing from the start. Grip and core should feel taxed but manageable after strategic breaks on toes-to-bars and swings. The row is steady, not sprinted. Burpees are metronomic—think relentless but controlled, minimizing rest. Finish feeling you managed pace wisely rather than redlining too early.

Coach Insight

Pace round one like you must immediately repeat it. Use small, consistent sets on toes-to-bars and swings with short, planned breaks. Row just below threshold. Most important: Make burpees a metronome. Pick a pace you can hold and don’t stop moving. Avoid early big sets on TTB/swings, standing around on transitions, and blowing up the row. Chip away relentlessly.

Benchmark Notes

Times are listed from slowest (L1) to fastest (L9). Aim to finish under the time cap if you fall between L3–L5. If you’re pacing well, you’ll be around the L5 mark. Breaks, grip fatigue, and burpee speed will largely determine your bracket.

Modality Profile

Most time is spent on gymnastics elements (burpees and toes-to-bars), with rowing as a smaller monostructural portion and kettlebell swings as the weightlifting component. The burpees dominate total time, while TTB and swings contribute significant grip and midline fatigue.

Similar Workouts to Start Today

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

• Highway to Hell (92% similar) - For Time 5 mile Assault Air Bike (in 2 minute max intervals) After each 2-minute interval if the 5-m...
• Battleground 24 (91% similar) - AMRAP in 24 minutes 24 calorie Assault Air Bike 24 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 24 Bar-Facing Burpees 24 Kne...
• Rosenbloom (91% similar) - AMRAP in 28 minutes Buy-in: 1,971 meter Row Then, AMRAP of: 2 Thrusters (115/95 lb) 9 Burpee Box Ju...
• Hyrox Physical Fitness Test (91% similar) - For time: 1000m Run (outdoor or treadmill at 2% incline) 50 Burpee Broad Jumps (90 cm) 100 Stationar...
• Steve Skipton Sr. (90% similar) - For Time 400 meter Run 25 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood) 25 Burpees 25 Air Squats 25 Single-Arm Kett...
• Pull-Press-Pedal-Squat (90% similar) - AMRAP in 24 minutes 3 Muscle-Ups 6 Kettlebell Thrusters (53/35 lb) 9 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 12 Sumo De...
• Lindskog (89% similar) - For time: 5 rounds of: Run 500 meters 20 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 20 Pull-Ups 5 Handstand Push-Ups...
• Bradley (89% similar) - 10 Rounds For TIme 100 meter Sprint 10 Pull-Ups 100 meter Sprint 10 Burpees 30 seconds Rest...

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