Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

High volume burpee pull-ups (88 total) paired with 88 heavy back squats at 185/135 lb creates major muscular fatigue and breathing demand. The 200 m overhead plate run compounds shoulder stamina and midline integrity. Expect 30–50+ minutes for most, with heavy leg fatigue and grip/shoulder burnout driving pace decisions.

Benchmark Times for Walsh

• Elite: <24:00
• Advanced: 28:00-32:00
• Intermediate: 36:00-42:00
• Beginner: >66:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Large total reps under fatigue—88 burpee pull-ups and 88 heavy back squats—require muscular endurance in legs, shoulders, and pulling musculature to keep moving with limited rest between sets.
• Endurance (6/10): Sustained work over 30–50 minutes with repeated bouts of burpees and running taxes the aerobic system. You’ll need steady breathing and efficient pacing to avoid redlining and to maintain round-to-round consistency.
• Strength (6/10): Back squats at 185/135 lb are heavy enough to require strength, especially late. It’s not a 1-rep-max test, but the volume at load demands solid baseline strength to perform safe, repeatable sets.
• Flexibility (4/10): Full-depth squats and an overhead carry with the plate require adequate ankle, hip, thoracic spine, and shoulder mobility. Limited range of motion will slow transitions and increase compensations under fatigue.
• Speed (4/10): You’ll cycle at a controlled, repeatable pace. Short transitions help, but the heavy squats and overhead run cap turnover speed, favoring steady sets over all-out sprints.
• Power (4/10): There’s little pure explosiveness. While burpee jump-to-pull-up has a power element, fatigue and volume shift the demand toward sustainable output rather than maximal power production.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Burpee Pull-Up
• Overhead Plate Run

Scaling Options

Scale to: 15 Burpee Pull-Ups + 22 Back Squats (155/105 lb) + 200 m OH Run (35/25 lb) • Burpees + Jumping Pull-Ups + 22 Back Squats (135/95 lb) + 200 m Run (no load) • 4 Rounds: 15 Burpee Pull-Ups, 15 Back Squats (115/75 lb), 150 m OH Carry (25/15 lb)

Scaling Explanation

Reduces volume and load while preserving the triplet structure, squat stimulus, pulling volume, and the overhead carry challenge, allowing athletes to keep round splits steady and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

A grinding, high-volume effort that forces disciplined sets on the squats and controlled, consistent burpee pull-ups. The overhead run should feel uncomfortable but manageable with brief resets. Aim for steady round splits, avoiding early redline. Legs and shoulders should burn, breathing should be elevated, but you can keep moving throughout.

Coach Insight

Pace the first round conservatively. Break squats early (e.g., 8-7-7 or 6-6-5-5) and keep burpee pull-ups smooth, not sprinty. Your one tip: lock in a sustainable overhead carry—short, quick steps, ribs down, elbows fully extended, and break before you fail. Avoid no-rep slop: stand tall on pull-ups, hit full squat depth, and don’t let the plate drift forward on the run.

Benchmark Notes

These times bracket finish ranges from beginner to elite. If you’re above the top values, reduce load or volume. If you’re under the fastest times, increase pace or consider heavier loading next time. Use the time cap and round splits to guide effort.

Modality Profile

Gymnastics dominates with high-rep burpee pull-ups taxing pull and shoulder stamina. Weightlifting is significant due to heavy back squats each round. The run is monostructural, but overhead loading shifts it toward strength-endurance while still contributing meaningful aerobic time.

Similar Workouts to Walsh

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

• Bulger (91% similar) - 10 Rounds For Time 150 Meter Run 7 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups 7 Front Squats (135/95 lbs) 7 Handstand Pus...
• Luke (90% similar) - For time: 400 meter Run 15 Clean-and-Jerks (155/105 lb) 400 meter Run 30 Toes-to-Bars 400 meter Run ...
• Swink (90% similar) - For Time 1 mile Run 27 Bench Presses (70%) 27 Handstand Push-Ups 27 Dumbbell Thrusters (2 x 50/35 lb...
• Lund (89% similar) - For time: 800 meter Run 12 Pull-Ups 24 Kettlebell Swings 48 Toes-to-Bars 96 Sit-Ups 48 Push-Ups 24 D...
• Mr. Joshua (89% similar) - For time: 5 rounds of: 400 meter Run 30 GHD Sit-Ups 15 Deadlifts (250/165 lb)...
• SC 4 (88% similar) - For time: Buy-in: 44 Push-Ups Then, 4 rounds of: 400 meter Run 4 Front Squats (115/85 lb) 4 Burpees...
• Larry (88% similar) - For time: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of: Front Squats (115/75 lb) Bar-Facing Burpees After each round: 2...
• Pat (88% similar) - For time: 6 rounds: 25 Pull-Ups 50 ft Front-Rack Lunges (75/55 lb) 25 Push-Ups 50 ft Front-Rack Lung...

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