Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This ladder structure means athletes face 55 reps of overhead squats (135/95) AND 55 bar-facing burpees with no rest built in. The OHS demands significant mobility, core stability, and shoulder strength — and as burpee fatigue accumulates, maintaining an overhead squat becomes increasingly difficult. The descending OHS paired with ascending burpees ensures constant metabolic stress throughout, with no 'easy' rounds. Most average athletes will struggle to complete this as prescribed.

Benchmark Times for Thomas Kelly

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 7:30-9:20
• Intermediate: 11:15-13:30
• Beginner: >29:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): 55 overhead squats and 55 burpees total require significant muscular endurance. The ladder structure forces sustained output from legs, shoulders, and core under accumulating fatigue.
• Flexibility (8/10): Overhead squats require exceptional ankle, hip, thoracic, and shoulder mobility simultaneously. This is one of the most demanding movements for flexibility in CrossFit, requiring near-extreme range of motion.
• Endurance (7/10): The descending/ascending ladder format with burpees creates sustained cardiovascular demand throughout. Continuous movement between two taxing exercises keeps heart rate elevated for the workout's duration.
• Strength (6/10): Overhead squats at 135/95 lb demand considerable strength and stability throughout the lift. Moderate-to-heavy loading challenges the posterior chain, shoulders, and core under fatigue.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling. Managing pace on burpees while preserving overhead squat capacity requires strategic speed management throughout the ladder.
• Power (4/10): Burpees require some explosive hip extension to jump, but the primary stimulus is muscular endurance rather than true power output. Overhead squats are more strength-based than explosive.

Movements

• Overhead Squat
• Bar-Facing Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce OHS to 95/65 lb for intermediate athletes or 75/55 lb for newer athletes. If overhead squat mechanics are not yet solid, substitute front squats at the same load or goblet squats at a moderate kettlebell weight. For athletes still developing the overhead squat pattern, a PVC pipe or empty barbell is appropriate to maintain volume and stimulus. Burpees: Sub step-up burpees (step back and step forward instead of jumping) to reduce impact and fatigue for athletes with shoulder or wrist limitations. Volume: Reduce the ladder to 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 OHS / 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 burpees for athletes who need a shorter stimulus or are newer to barbell cycling under fatigue.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the overhead squat weight if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken reps with solid positioning — active shoulders, full depth, and knees tracking over toes — at the prescribed load when fresh. If your lower back rounds or your elbows bend under load, drop the weight immediately; this movement punishes poor mechanics quickly under fatigue. Scale the volume if you anticipate finishing beyond 30 minutes, as the stimulus becomes a recovery workout rather than a conditioning piece. The goal is to keep moving with quality — intensity is secondary to technique on the OHS. Prioritize keeping the overhead squat honest over hitting Rx weight. Athletes should be breathing hard and challenged but never in a position where they are grinding out ugly reps with a loaded barbell overhead.

Intended Stimulus

A moderate-to-long grind lasting 15-25 minutes that tests both barbell cycling skill and aerobic capacity. The descending overhead squat ladder paired with an ascending burpee ladder creates a constant mental and physical negotiation — as the squats get easier, the burpees get harder. Expect a sustained hard effort with no true rest, demanding both technical discipline under fatigue and a strong aerobic engine. The primary challenge is skill and mental toughness: overhead squats require constant focus on positioning even when your lungs are burning from burpees.

Coach Insight

The key strategic insight is pacing the burpees early. In the first few rounds, the burpees feel easy (1-2-3 reps) — resist the urge to sprint them, because you are carrying 10-9-8 overhead squats right before them. Save your legs. As the workout flips in the middle rounds (around 6-5-4 OHS / 5-6-7 burpees), this is where athletes blow up — manage your breathing here aggressively. For overhead squats, prioritize an active shoulder lockout and a wide grip before every set. Cue yourself: 'armpits forward, knees out, chest up.' Break the OHS early and strategically — consider 6-4, 5-4, 4-4 in the opening rounds rather than going unbroken and losing position. Never sacrifice the squat depth or shoulder position to save time. For burpees, use a consistent, sustainable pace — a slow-and-steady burpee beats a sprint-and-rest approach every time. Transitions between movements should be brisk but controlled; chalk up during the walk to the bar. Common mistakes: going unbroken on OHS in early rounds and losing position by round 6, sprinting burpees in rounds 1-3 and dying by round 7, and failing to reset the overhead position after each rep.

Benchmark Notes

Overhead squats at 135/95 lb from 10 down to 1 and bar-facing burpees from 1 up to 10: 55 of each, getting the bar overhead every round. 135 lb is about 75% of an average athlete's overhead squat. L5 (13:30-16:15) squats in sets of 3-5. L10 (under 6 min) holds the early sets unbroken.

Modality Profile

Two movements: Overhead Squat (W - barbell with external load) and Bar-Facing Burpee (G - bodyweight movement). 1 Weightlifting + 1 Gymnastics = 50/50 split.

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