Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This chipper combines high-skill pistols with extremely high volume pull-ups (75) sandwiched between push-ups (100 total). The push-up/pull-up combination creates severe upper body fatigue, while the KB swings maintain intensity. The pistols bookending the workout require balance and strength under both fresh and fatigued conditions. Most athletes will need to break the pull-ups into very small sets due to grip and shoulder fatigue.

Benchmark Times for The Legend

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 6:00-7:00
• Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
• Beginner: >15:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Upper body stamina is heavily taxed through 100 push-ups and 75 pull-ups. Grip endurance challenged by pull-ups and kettlebell swings.
• Endurance (7/10): High-volume bodyweight movements combined with kettlebell work creates sustained cardiovascular demand. The ascending/descending rep scheme drives heart rate throughout.
• Flexibility (6/10): Pistols demand significant ankle, hip, and knee mobility. Pull-ups require shoulder flexibility and kettlebell swings need hip hinge mobility.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions and maintaining cycle speed on high-volume movements will significantly impact overall time.
• Power (5/10): Kettlebell swings are explosive hip drive movements. Other movements are more strength-endurance focused.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate kettlebell load and single-leg strength for pistols. Pull-ups and push-ups test relative strength endurance.

Movements

• Pistol Squat
• Push-Up
• Kettlebell Swing
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Pull-ups: Ring rows (chest to ring) or banded pull-ups at 3:2 ratio (e.g., 50 ring rows instead of 75 pull-ups). Push-ups: Elevate hands on box/bench or do from knees. Kettlebell: Reduce to 35/26 lb or substitute dumbbell. Pistols: Box pistols with support, split squats (12-15 each leg), or regular air squats (15-20 total). For significant scaling, consider reducing volume by 25-30% while maintaining movement pattern and relative intensity.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ strict pull-ups, 15+ push-ups unbroken when fresh, or single-leg squats with control. Priority is maintaining steady movement with good form rather than rushing through compromised reps. Target time domain should remain 12-20 minutes - scale volume if exceeding this range. Athletes should be able to complete at least 3-4 unbroken reps of each movement when fresh before attempting Rx version.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length chipper (12-20 minutes) targeting glycolytic and oxidative energy systems. Primary challenge is upper body pushing/pulling endurance with skill elements bookending the workout. High volume bodyweight movements create significant muscle fatigue while technical pistols test stability and control under fatigue.

Coach Insight

Break up push-ups and pull-ups early into manageable sets (10-15 reps) to avoid burnout. For pull-ups, consider 5-7 sets of 10-15 reps with quick shakes. Push-ups can be broken into sets of 15-20 initially. Kettlebell swings should be done unbroken or at most 2 sets. Save pistols for when fresh - do 2+2 each leg. Common failure point is the second push-up set - plan breaks accordingly. Quick transitions between movements are crucial but don't rush pistols.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a chipper format with bookend pistols. Breaking it down: Pistols (4 reps): 2.5s/rep × 4 = 10s KB Swings (25 reps): 2s/rep × 25 = 50s Push-Ups (50 reps): 1.5s/rep × 50 = 75s (broken into sets of 15-20) Pull-Ups (75 reps): 2s/rep × 75 = 150s (broken into sets of 10-15) Push-Ups (50 reps): 1.8s/rep × 50 = 90s (fatigue multiplier) KB Swings (25 reps): 2.2s/rep × 25 = 55s (fatigue multiplier) Pistols (4 reps): 3s/rep × 4 = 12s (fatigue multiplier) Base work time: 442s Transitions (~6 transitions × 5-10s): 30-60s Set breaks for pull-ups/push-ups: 60-90s Comparing to Angie (400 total reps vs 233 here, but more varied movements), this should be ~60% of Angie times. Angie L10 is 900-1080s, so this should be ~540s for L5. Recap: Male L10: 5:00 (300s) Male L5: 9:00 (540s) Male L1: 15:00 (900s) Female L10: 7:00 (420s) Female L5: 11:00 (660s) Female L1: 17:00 (1020s) Females typically 20% slower due to relative upper body strength demands in pull-ups and push-ups.

Modality Profile

Of the 4 movements: Pistol Squat (G), Push-Up (G), and Pull-Up (G) are gymnastics movements (3 movements). Kettlebell Swing (W) is a weightlifting movement (1 movement). No monostructural movements present. 3/4 movements are G (75%) and 1/4 is W (25%).

Similar Workouts to The Legend

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

• Legion 8 (84% similar) - 8 Rounds For Time 8 Thrusters (75/55 lb) 8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 8 Clapping Push-Ups 8 Power Snatche...
• Stevie (84% similar) - For Time 31 Kettlebell Swings (72/56 lb) 31 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 31 Overhead Squats (95/65 lb)...
• The 29 (84% similar) - 4 Rounds for Time 29 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood) 29 Sit-Ups 29 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 29 Knees-to-E...
• Ledesma (84% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes: 5 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups (6" Deficit) 10 Toes Through Rings 15 Medicine ...
• Open 11.4 (84% similar) - AMRAP in 10 minutes: 60 Bar-Facing Burpees 30 Overhead Squats (120/90 lb) 10 Ring Muscle-Ups...
• Mary (83% similar) - AMRAP in 20 minutes 5 Handstand Push-Ups 10 Pistols (alternating legs) 15 Pull-Ups...
• NHS (83% similar) - 12 Rounds for Time 5 Handstand Push-Ups 7 Devil Presses (2x22.5/15 kg) 19 Weighted Squats (42.5/30 k...
• Millar (83% similar) - For time: 3 rounds of: 7 Ring Muscle-Ups 14 Thrusters (40/30 kg) 21 GHD Sit-Ups...

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