Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 8 rounds combine devil presses (full-body, grip-intensive at 50/35lb) with burpee box jump overs, creating compounding fatigue before the 29 double-unders each round. The cash-out 1,942m row (~7-8 minutes) hits when legs and lungs are already taxed. Total time estimate: 25-35 minutes. Multiple limiting factors (grip, lungs, legs, skill) accumulate simultaneously, pushing this firmly into Hard territory.

Benchmark Times for Stephen W. Groves

• Elite: <15:45
• Advanced: 17:15-19:00
• Intermediate: 21:00-23:30
• Beginner: >39:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High cumulative volume — 48 devil presses, 32 burpee box jump overs, 232 double-unders, plus a 1,942m row — demands exceptional muscular endurance across the full body, especially shoulders, legs, and posterior chain.
• Endurance (8/10): Eight rounds of high-intensity movements followed by a nearly 2,000-meter row creates sustained cardiovascular demand. The combination of aerobic and anaerobic work taxes the heart and lungs throughout the entire workout.
• Power (7/10): Burpee box jump overs and double-unders are inherently explosive, and devil presses require a powerful hip drive to press the dumbbells overhead. Power output is a consistent demand across all primary movements.
• Speed (7/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling. Double-under speed, quick burpee box jump turnovers, and rowing pace all reward athletes who can sustain fast movement under accumulated fatigue.
• Strength (4/10): Devil presses with 50/35 lb dumbbells require moderate strength, particularly in the press and hinge pattern. Not maximal effort, but the load is meaningful across 48 reps of a compound movement.
• Flexibility (4/10): Devil presses require hip hinge and overhead mobility; burpee box jump overs demand hip flexor and ankle flexibility. Rowing adds hamstring and thoracic demands, making mobility a moderate but not extreme factor.

Movements

• Devil Press
• Burpee Box Jump-Over
• Row
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Weight: Scale devil press dumbbells to 35/20 lbs or 25/15 lbs for newer athletes — the movement is complex and load should allow unbroken or 3+3 sets. Burpee box jump overs: reduce box height to 20/16 in, or substitute burpee step-overs for athletes with knee concerns or limited jumping capacity. Double-unders: substitute 58 single-unders (2:1 ratio) or 20 double-under attempts for athletes still developing the skill — do not let double-under struggles destroy the workout's flow. Volume: reduce to 6 rounds instead of 8 for athletes newer to this style of workout, keeping the cash-out row intact. Row cash-out: scale to 1,200-1,500 meters if the athlete is newer or if time cap is a concern, but keep the row in — it's thematically significant and a key part of the stimulus.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the devil press weight if you cannot complete at least 3 reps unbroken at Rx load when fresh — the movement requires enough control that grinding ugly reps under fatigue is a shoulder injury risk. Scale the box jump overs if you have any knee pain, limited hip mobility, or if your jump mechanics break down when tired. Scale double-unders if you are spending more than 45-60 seconds on the 29 reps — at that point, the rest of the workout suffers and the stimulus is lost. The goal is to keep each round under 3-4 minutes and finish the entire workout including the row in 30-40 minutes. Prioritize movement quality over Rx weight — a clean devil press at 35 lbs teaches better mechanics and builds more fitness than a sloppy one at 50 lbs. Intensity is the goal, and scaling is what protects it.

Intended Stimulus

This workout is a moderate-to-long grind lasting roughly 25-40 minutes for most athletes. The 8-round structure with devil presses and burpee box jump overs creates a relentless full-body demand that taxes your posterior chain, shoulders, and lungs simultaneously. The double-unders serve as active recovery between the heavier movements, but don't be fooled — the cash-out row (1,942 meters, a nod to the year 1942) is a meaningful aerobic finisher that will expose any pacing mistakes made in the rounds. The primary challenge is mental and conditioning-based: staying composed and consistent across all 8 rounds while saving enough in the tank to row hard at the end. Think hard sustained effort with short burst power on the explosive movements.

Coach Insight

Pacing is everything here. The biggest mistake athletes make is going out too hot on rounds 1-3 and falling apart by round 5. Treat rounds 1-4 as controlled and deliberate — you should feel like you could go faster but choose not to. Rounds 5-8 are where you push. For devil presses, break the 6 reps into 3+3 or even 2+2+2 if needed — the dumbbell snatch portion is a shoulder killer when fatigued, so protect your shoulders early. Keep your hips driving and avoid muscling the bells up with your arms. On burpee box jump overs, step down every rep — do not jump down. The eccentric landing fatigue adds up fast over 8 rounds and will wreck your legs for the row. For double-unders, find a rhythm and breathe — treat these as your rest. If you trip, reset calmly and move on; don't let a missed rep spike your heart rate mentally. For the cash-out row, aim for a pace that is challenging but sustainable — roughly 2:00-2:10 per 500m for most athletes. Pull hard but don't sprint the first 500m. Common mistake: athletes collapse on the rower after round 8 and lose 2-3 minutes just recovering before they start pulling.

Benchmark Notes

Eight rounds of 6 devil presses (2x50/35 lb), 4 burpee box jump-overs and 29 double-unders, then a 1,942 m row. L5 (23:30-26:15) takes about 2:10 a round and rows near 8:00. L10 (under 15:45) holds about 70 seconds a round and rows near 6:30.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Devil Press (W - dumbbell movement), Burpee Box Jump-Over (G - bodyweight movement), Double-Under (G - jump rope bodyweight skill), Row (M - cyclical cardio). G: 2/4 = 50%, M: 1/4 = 25%, W: 1/4 = 25%.

Similar Workouts to Stephen W. Groves

If you enjoy Stephen W. Groves, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

• Dallas 5 (Brownwood) (91% similar) - For Time 50 Burpees Then 5 Rounds of: 10 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 10 Shoulder-to-Overheads (95/65...
• King Kettlebell (91% similar) - For time: 5 rounds: 15 Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb) 10 Lunges 15 calorie Assault Air Bike 10 Push-Up...
• Cirillo (90% similar) - AMRAP in 24 minutes 10 Hang Power Cleans (95/65 lb) 22 Air Squats 14 Burpees...
• Assault Burnout (90% similar) - 10 Rounds for Time 5 Kettlebell Thrusters (85/53 lb) 10 Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (85/53 l...
• Michael Weinberg (90% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time 500 meter Row 20 Pull-Ups 5 Push Jerks (135/95 lb)...
• Beast 12 (90% similar) - For time: 25 Walking Lunges 20 Pull-Ups 50 Box Jumps (20 in) 20 Double-Unders 25 Ring Dips 20 Knees-...
• Noah Leotta (90% similar) - With a Running Clock (with a Partner) for Reps Buy-In: 2,747 meter Row Directly into, AMRAP in 24 m...
• Destin Legieza (90% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 6 Burpee Pull-Ups 18 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 20 Front Rack Lunges (110/75 lb) 282 m...

These WODs similar to Stephen W. Groves share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.