Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

The Don is a high-volume, long-duration chipper: 10 movements with 66 reps each (660 total). While loads are moderate to light, cumulative fatigue, grip demand, and repeated hip hinge/pulling make it punishing. Expect 45–90 minutes for most, with significant pacing and strategy required to avoid early redline and excessive rest later.

Benchmark Times for The Don

• Elite: <40:00
• Advanced: 45:00-50:00
• Intermediate: 60:00-70:00
• Beginner: >110:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Hundreds of reps tax local muscular endurance in hips, shoulders, and grip. Success hinges on maintaining sustainable sets and minimizing drop-off across high-rep movements.
• Endurance (8/10): Long, steady effort with minimal true rest. Heart rate stays moderately high for an extended period, demanding aerobic base and the ability to recover while moving between varied tasks.
• Power (4/10): Box jumps, thrusters, and wall balls require repeated hip drive, but the sheer volume shifts emphasis from peak power to repeatable, submaximal output.
• Speed (4/10): This is not a sprint. Efficient, moderate cycling with quick transitions matters more than all-out speed to prevent late-workout collapse.
• Flexibility (3/10): Standard ROM demands: squat depth, full hip/knee extension, overhead mobility, and hollow/arch positions. Mobility matters but isn’t the primary limiter.
• Strength (3/10): Loads are light to moderate; strength is not the limiter. Athletes with adequate baseline strength will move the barbell and kettlebell without maximal effort.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 44 reps of each movement (keep RX loads/heights) • 33 reps of each with lighter loads (DL 95/65, KB 35/26, thruster 35/25) and assisted pull-ups/HKRs • 40-minute AMRAP cycling 22 reps of each

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the chipper’s flow and fatigue pattern by adjusting total volume and skill/load demands while maintaining movement variety and continuous pacing.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding chipper with steady breathing, manageable sets, and minimal chalk breaks. Keep heart rate controlled and move deliberately. Aim to avoid failure on pulling and thrusters by breaking early. The right stimulus feels relentless yet sustainable—never sprinting, always chipping away with consistent cadence.

Coach Insight

Pace like a 10k run. Break every station before you ‘need’ to: e.g., 11-11-11-11-11-11 for 66, with short, timed rests. Your one big tip: protect your grip and hips—break swings, pull-ups, and K2E proactively to keep moving later. Common mistakes: opening with big sets, sloppy standards on wall balls/box jumps, and letting burpees and transitions balloon in time.

Benchmark Notes

Use these finish-time tiers to gauge pacing. If your expected time is over 70 minutes, reduce reps or scale skills to sustain steady movement. Faster athletes should aim for consistent sets and quick transitions to target 40–50 minutes or better.

Modality Profile

Half the work is gymnastics (box jumps, K2E, sit-ups, pull-ups, burpees). Weightlifting is substantial (deadlifts, kettlebell swings, thrusters, wall-balls). Monostructural is present only in double-unders. Time distribution trends similarly, with the longest segments coming from gymnastics and lighter barbell tasks.

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

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