Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

The pairs format is the critical context here - each athlete does roughly half the work (15 deadlifts, 30 T2B, 60 cal row, 90 wall-balls) with built-in rest while their partner works. The weights are moderate (100kg/70kg deadlift, standard wall-balls), movements are fundamental, and the volume per person is manageable. While there's fatigue accumulation, particularly in the wall-balls after rowing, the work-to-rest ratio and ability to strategize splitting keeps this solidly in Medium territory for average CrossFitters.

Benchmark Times for The Deadlift Diaries: A Row-mantic Comedy

• Elite: <11:00
• Advanced: 12:00-13:15
• Intermediate: 15:00-16:45
• Beginner: >28:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high total volume with 180 wall balls, 60 toes-to-bar, and 120 row calories tests muscular endurance across multiple body regions throughout the entire workout.
• Endurance (8/10): The 120-calorie row combined with continuous high-volume movements creates significant cardiovascular demand, even when split between partners in this for-time format.
• Flexibility (5/10): Toes-to-bar demand good shoulder and hip mobility, wall balls require overhead position and squat depth, and deadlifts need proper hip hinge mechanics throughout.
• Speed (5/10): For-time format encourages quick cycling, but extreme volume and partner transitions create natural pacing constraints. Strategy over pure speed determines success here.
• Strength (4/10): Deadlifts at 70/100kg represent moderate loads but aren't maximal effort. Wall balls are relatively light, making this more endurance than pure strength focused.
• Power (3/10): Wall balls have hip drive component but high volume turns them into a grind. Minimal explosive demand as movements become metabolically taxing rather than power-focused.

Movements

• Deadlift
• Toes-to-Bar
• Row
• Wall Ball

Scaling Options

Reduce deadlift to 50kg/70kg or 60-70% of 1RM. Substitute hanging knee raises, knees-to-elbows, or abmat sit-ups for toes-to-bar. Reduce row to 80-100 calories total. Use lighter wall-ball (4kg/6kg) or reduce total reps to 120-150. Consider reducing all volumes by 20% (24 DL, 48 T2B, 96 cal, 144 WB) while maintaining weight standards. For significant scaling needs, remove one movement entirely and adjust others proportionally.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain sets of 5+ unbroken toes-to-bar or if deadlift weight requires excessive rest between singles. Scale if wall-ball cannot be done in consistent sets of 5+. The goal is to preserve the 18-25 minute time domain with sustained work periods. Prioritize movement quality over completing Rx weights/movements - breaking down on toes-to-bar or grinding singles on deadlifts defeats the intended stimulus. Your breathing should be elevated but controlled throughout, never gasping. Athletes should finish tired but not completely destroyed.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate aerobic capacity workout in the 18-25 minute range split between partners. Primarily glycolytic with oxidative system involvement as time extends. Tests strength endurance on deadlifts, midline stamina on toes-to-bar, sustained power output on rower, and mental resilience through high-volume wall-balls. The partnership element adds accountability and controlled rest periods.

Coach Insight

Establish a clear partnership strategy before starting - consider 'I go, you go' style with manageable chunks (sets of 5-10 on deadlifts, 5-8 on T2B, 10-15 cal switches on row, 10-15 reps on wall-balls). The deadlifts should feel moderate - maintain touch-and-go or quick singles with tight positioning. Toes-to-bar will be the technical bottleneck - break early and often, prioritize tight hollow-arch cycles over big sets. On the rower, aim for consistent 1:50-2:05/500m pace rather than sprinting. Wall-balls are the mental grind - find a sustainable rhythm (7-10 reps per set) and stick to it. Quick transitions are critical - have your partner ready to jump in immediately. Don't let rest periods between your turns extend beyond 20-30 seconds.

Benchmark Notes

Primary limiters are T2B grip endurance and wall ball volume under fatigue. L1 pairs take ~30 min with scaled movements (knee raises, lighter loads, frequent breaks). L5 pairs finish in ~17.5 min with moderate T2B sets (8-10 reps), steady rowing (~15 cal/min per athlete), and wall ball sets of 15-20. L10 elite pairs complete in ~10.5 min with large T2B sets, aggressive rowing (~20 cal/min), and minimal wall ball breaks. Partner strategy on work splits and transitions significantly impacts time.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Deadlift (W), Toes-to-Bar (G), Row (M), Wall Ball (W). Distribution: 1 Gymnastics (25%), 1 Monostructural (25%), 2 Weightlifting (50%).