Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

Two rounds keeps total volume manageable (34 reps each movement). The 185/135lb deadlifts are moderate — challenging but not grip-destroying at this volume. The key interaction is deadlifts and pull-ups sharing grip demand, creating fatigue accumulation. However, the natural transitions between movements provide brief recovery. Most average CrossFitters complete this in 12-18 minutes with minimal scaling needed.

Benchmark Times for Steven Coakley

• Elite: <3:10
• Advanced: 3:45-4:25
• Intermediate: 5:15-6:15
• Beginner: >13:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): 34 reps each of deadlifts, box jumps, and pull-ups creates significant muscular endurance demand, especially grip and posterior chain fatigue accumulating across all three movements.
• Strength (6/10): 185/135 lb deadlifts are moderately heavy, requiring real strength output. Pull-ups add relative strength demand, making this more than a pure endurance piece.
• Power (6/10): Box jumps are explicitly explosive, and deadlifts at this load reward powerful hip extension. The combination of two power-dependent movements elevates this domain significantly.
• Endurance (5/10): Two rounds of moderate volume keeps cardiovascular demand at a medium level. The workout is short enough to be anaerobic but long enough to tax the aerobic system meaningfully.
• Speed (5/10): For Time format incentivizes fast transitions and cycling, but moderate loads and pull-up fatigue naturally limit sprint pacing. Steady, efficient movement is the optimal strategy.
• Flexibility (3/10): Standard hip hinge for deadlifts, hip flexion for box jumps, and shoulder mobility for pull-ups require basic functional range of motion without extreme mobility demands.

Movements

• Deadlift
• Box Jump
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce deadlifts to 135/95 lb (roughly 70-75% of Rx) for athletes who cannot perform 10+ unbroken reps at Rx weight with solid mechanics. Box Jumps: Drop to 20/16 in, or substitute step-ups for athletes with knee issues or jump anxiety — keep the same rep count. Pull-Ups: Sub jumping pull-ups, banded pull-ups (light band), or ring rows for athletes who cannot perform 5+ strict pull-ups. Volume: Reduce to 12 reps per movement per round if the athlete is newer or if 17 reps would push the workout beyond 18-20 minutes. Rounds: Keep 2 rounds — the low volume is already built into the design.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform at least 8-10 unbroken deadlifts at Rx weight with a neutral spine, or if you have fewer than 5 strict pull-ups. The goal is to finish in 8-14 minutes with consistent effort across both rounds — if you're projected to exceed 18 minutes, reduce load or reps. Prioritize movement quality on deadlifts above all else: a rounded lower back under fatigue is a red flag and a reason to drop weight immediately. Intensity is the goal, but never at the expense of spinal safety. Athletes should feel like they could have pushed slightly harder at the finish — not completely destroyed. If pull-ups are the limiting factor, scale them aggressively so they don't become a 5-minute rest station.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-intensity sprint workout targeting a completion time of 8-14 minutes. Expect a hard, sustained effort that taxes both your posterior chain and pulling strength while keeping your heart rate elevated throughout. The primary challenge is managing fatigue across three complementary movements — the deadlifts load the hips and hamstrings, box jumps demand explosive power, and pull-ups test upper body endurance. The relatively low round count (2 rounds) and moderate rep scheme (17 reps) mean you should be pushing the pace, not pacing for survival. Think 'controlled aggression' — this is not a grind, it's a sustained hard effort.

Coach Insight

The key to this workout is managing the deadlift fatigue so it doesn't destroy your pull-ups. At 185/135 lb, the deadlifts are moderate — not heavy enough to force singles, but heavy enough to accumulate grip and lower back fatigue that will haunt your pull-ups later. Strategy: aim to go unbroken or 10-7 on deadlifts in round 1, then reassess in round 2. Step down from box jumps rather than rebounding — this saves your Achilles and keeps your heart rate from spiking unnecessarily. On pull-ups, break early and often rather than going to failure; consider 9-8 or 6-6-5 sets with short 5-10 second breaks. Common mistakes: going unbroken on deadlifts and blowing up on pull-ups, rebounding box jumps when fatigued (injury risk), and resting too long between movements. Transitions should be sharp — no more than 10-15 seconds between movements. In round 2, expect everything to feel harder; mentally commit to matching or beating your round 1 splits.

Benchmark Notes

Two rounds of 17 deadlifts at 185/135 lb, 17 box jumps and 17 pull-ups. L5 (6:15-7:25) takes about 3:30 a round. L10 (under 3:10) goes unbroken at about 90 seconds a round.

Modality Profile

3 movements: Deadlift (W), Box Jump (G), Pull-Up (G). 2 Gymnastics movements and 1 Weightlifting movement. 2/3 = 67% G, 1/3 = 33% W, 0% M.

Similar Workouts to Steven Coakley

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

• Gerard Schrang (91% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 5 Deadlifts (275/185 lb) 10 Burpees 15 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 20 Double-Unders...
• Nicholas Rossomando (88% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 5 Push Presses (70% of 1 RM) 10 Burpee Box Jumps (24/20 in)...
• Vernon Richard (88% similar) - AMRAP in 10 minutes 5 Push Jerks (155/105 lb) 12 Mountain Climbers...
• Robert McMahon (88% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 5 Thrusters (155/105 lb) 10 Pull-Ups 15 Ring Push-Ups...
• John Paolillo (87% similar) - 12-9-6-3 Reps for Time Cleans (155/105 lb) Pull-Ups Deadlifts (155/105 lb) Burpees...
• David DeRubbio (87% similar) - 21-15-9 Reps for Time Deadlifts (245/165 lb) Box Jumps (24/20 in) Pull-Ups...
• William Burke Jr. (86% similar) - For Time 21 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 9 Burpee Pull-Ups 15 Thrusters (95/65 lb) 15 Burpee Box Jumps (20/1...
• Jonathan Ielpi (86% similar) - 2 Rounds for Time 44 Push Presses (65/45 lb) 22 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 11 Pull-Ups 11 Hand-Relea...

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