Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The 135/95lb thrusters are the primary limiter — 42 total reps across 6 rounds, performed after squats, push-ups, box jumps, and pull-ups each round. Bar-over burpees compound the fatigue further. The escalating run (200m up to 700m by round 6) adds significant cardiovascular volume late when athletes are most depleted. Total work time likely 35-50+ minutes for average athletes, with multiple simultaneous limiting factors: grip, legs, lungs, and barbell cycling under fatigue.

Benchmark Times for Trooper Joshua Miller

• Elite: <17:45
• Advanced: 20:15-23:00
• Intermediate: 26:00-29:30
• Beginner: >53:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High total rep count across 6 rounds — air squats, push-ups, pull-ups, thrusters, burpees, and 209 jump rope reps — demands sustained muscular output from virtually every major muscle group throughout the workout.
• Endurance (8/10): Six rounds of mixed movements plus progressively longer runs (200m increasing to 700m by round 6) create sustained cardiovascular demand. The cash-in and accumulating run volume push aerobic capacity significantly.
• Power (7/10): Box jumps, bar-over burpees, and thrusters all require explosive hip extension. With 7 reps per movement per round, power output must be maintained repeatedly across 6 rounds under accumulating fatigue.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling through 7-rep sets. Minimizing rest between movements and rounds is critical, though the volume and load prevent true sprint-level cycling throughout.
• Strength (5/10): Thrusters at 135/95 lb represent a moderate load requiring real strength, especially under fatigue. However, the majority of movements are bodyweight, keeping overall strength demand at a moderate level.
• Flexibility (4/10): Thrusters demand overhead mobility and hip flexibility; box jumps and air squats require adequate hip and ankle range of motion. Pull-ups add shoulder mobility needs, making this moderately demanding for flexibility.

Movements

• Thruster
• Single-Under
• Push-Up
• Air Squat
• Run
• Box Jump
• Pull-Up
• Burpee Over Bar

Scaling Options

Single-unders: Keep as-is for most athletes; substitute 70 double-unders or 3 minutes of light cardio (bike/row) if jump rope is unavailable. Thrusters: Scale to 95/65 lb for intermediate athletes, 75/55 lb for newer athletes — the goal is to complete 7 reps in no more than 2 sets each round. Pull-ups: Sub jumping pull-ups, banded pull-ups, or ring rows (7 reps each). Box jumps: Reduce height to 20/16 in, or substitute step-ups to eliminate impact. Bar over burpees: Sub lateral burpees to a line or reduce to 5 reps per round. Rounds: Reduce to 4 rounds for newer athletes or those with limited conditioning. Run: Keep the run but reduce the starting distance to 100m and increase by 50m each round after round 2 for scaled athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the thrusters if you cannot complete 7 reps in 2 sets or fewer at Rx weight when fresh — grinding through 7 heavy thrusters for 6 rounds will destroy your time and your back. Scale pull-ups if you cannot string together at least 3-4 unbroken when fresh; kipping is fine, but flopping and failing reps wastes energy. Scale the rounds to 4 if you are newer to CrossFit or have a recent injury history — the progressive run distance makes this workout significantly harder than it looks on paper. The target completion time for Rx athletes is 35-50 minutes; scaled athletes should aim for 30-45 minutes. Prioritize intensity and consistent movement quality over hitting Rx numbers. If you find yourself resting more than 30 seconds between movements in rounds 1-2, you need to scale load or volume immediately.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-to-long time domain grind, targeting roughly 30-50 minutes of sustained effort. The cash-in of 209 single-unders serves as a controlled warm-up to get the heart rate elevated before diving into 6 rounds of full-body punishment. The energy demand is a hard sustained effort — think diesel engine, not a sports car. The primary challenge is mental and conditioning-based: the workout compounds fatigue across every major movement pattern (squat, push, pull, hinge, carry), and the progressively increasing run distance (200m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 600m, 700m) turns the back half into a true test of grit. Athletes should expect the workout to feel manageable early and increasingly brutal in rounds 4-6.

Coach Insight

Start conservative — the cash-in is your signal to settle in, not sprint. Keep single-unders rhythmic and controlled; this is not a race. Once into the rounds, treat the first two as a warm-up lap. Air squats and push-ups should be unbroken early, but have a plan to break them (4-3 or 5-2) in later rounds. Box jumps: step down every rep to protect your Achilles and conserve energy — this is a long workout. Pull-ups are the first real separator; go 4-3 or even 3-2-2 from the start rather than burning out with big sets. Thrusters at 135/95 lb are the heaviest movement — treat these like mini-Fran singles if needed; do NOT redline here. Bar over burpees should be paced at a steady, sustainable cadence — no diving, no flopping, just consistent movement. The run is your reset: use the first 50 meters to breathe, then find a pace you can hold. As the run distance grows each round after round 2, mentally reframe it as 'more recovery time' rather than 'more punishment.' Common mistakes: going out too hot on rounds 1-2, failing to break thrusters early enough, and treating the run as a sprint rather than a controlled reset.

Benchmark Notes

209 single-unders, then six rounds of 7 air squats, push-ups, box jumps, pull-ups, thrusters at 135/95 lb and bar-over burpees, each followed by a run that grows from 200 m to 600 m (2.2 km in all). L5 (29:30-33:30) takes about 3:10 a round plus about 5 minutes per kilometre. L10 (under 17:45) holds about 1:25 a round.

Modality Profile

8 total movements: Gymnastics (5) = Single-Under, Air Squat, Push-Up, Box Jump, Pull-Up, Burpee Over Bar — wait, that's 6. Let me recount: Single-Under (G), Air Squat (G), Push-Up (G), Box Jump (G), Pull-Up (G), Burpee Over Bar (G) = 6 gymnastics; Run (M) = 1 monostructural; Thruster (W) = 1 weightlifting. Total 8 movements. G: 6/8=75%, M: 1/8=13%, W: 1/8=13%. Rounded: G:70, M:10, W:20 — adjusting to cleaner split: G:70, M:10, W:20.

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