Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines multiple brutal elements sequentially: 40 ring dips (high skill, shoulder fatigue), heavy snatches at 155/105 (technical under fatigue), a 2,000m row (aerobic grind mid-workout), heavy cleans, then loaded lunges. The 155/105 barbell weight is demanding for average athletes, ring dips will pre-fatigue shoulders before the row, and the total time domain likely exceeds 25-35 minutes with no built-in rest. Multiple limiting factors hit simultaneously.

Benchmark Times for William McGinn

• Elite: <10:45
• Advanced: 12:15-13:45
• Intermediate: 15:30-17:30
• Beginner: >32:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): 40 ring dips, 100-foot weighted lunges, and the 2k row demand sustained muscular output. Grip and upper body fatigue accumulate across all movements, testing muscular endurance heavily.
• Endurance (7/10): The 2,000 meter row is a significant aerobic demand, and the overall for-time format with high-rep movements creates sustained cardiovascular stress throughout the workout's duration.
• Strength (6/10): Snatches and cleans at 155/105 lb are moderately heavy loads requiring real strength. Ring dips and weighted lunges with 2x55/35 lb dumbbells add further strength demands throughout.
• Flexibility (6/10): Snatches require overhead mobility and hip flexibility. Ring dips demand shoulder extension range. Cleans require thoracic and wrist mobility. Overall, moderate-to-high flexibility demands across multiple movement patterns.
• Power (6/10): Snatches and cleans are inherently explosive Olympic lifts requiring hip extension power. However, the moderate rep counts and fatigue from surrounding movements reduce peak power expression significantly.
• Speed (4/10): For-time format incentivizes efficient pacing, but the heavy barbell loads and high-rep ring dips force strategic breaks. Transitions between movements matter, but raw speed cycling is limited by load.

Movements

• Ring Dip
• Snatch
• Dumbbell Walking Lunge
• Clean
• Row

Scaling Options

Ring Dips: Scale to 40 Bar Dips, 40 Banded Ring Dips, or 40 Push-ups (strict) for athletes without ring dip capacity. Reduce to 25-30 reps if upper body endurance is a limiting factor. Snatches: Scale to 115/75 lb or 95/65 lb. Athletes newer to the snatch should use 75/55 lb or substitute with 10 Dumbbell Hang Power Snatches (50/35 lb). Row: Scale to 1,500m for newer athletes or those with limited aerobic base. Substitute with 1,600m Run or 2,000m Ski Erg if rowers are unavailable. Cleans: Scale to 115/75 lb or 95/65 lb. Substitute with Dumbbell Power Cleans (50/35 lb) if barbell cycling is a concern. Dumbbell Walking Lunges: Scale dumbbells to 2x35/20 lb. Reduce distance to 50-75 feet or substitute with 40 Bodyweight Walking Lunges if load is too heavy for safe movement.

Scaling Explanation

Scale this workout if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken ring dips, if your snatch or clean technique breaks down significantly under moderate load, or if your estimated finish time would exceed 50 minutes. The priority in this workout is maintaining movement quality on the barbell — a missed snatch or a back-rounding clean is never worth the time lost or injury risk. Technique always wins over load here. The target time window is 25-45 minutes for most athletes. If you're consistently finishing chippers like this in under 20 minutes, consider Rx. If you're newer to Olympic lifting, prioritize lighter loads and clean mechanics over hitting prescribed weights — the stimulus is the sustained effort and movement variety, not the specific numbers on the bar.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding chipper designed to test your full engine across multiple energy systems — expect a 25-45 minute effort for most athletes. The workout demands upper body pushing strength on the rings, technical barbell cycling under fatigue, sustained aerobic capacity on the row, and mental toughness to push through the lunges at the end. The primary challenge is managing accumulated fatigue across very different movement patterns. Think of it as a true test of well-rounded fitness — no single weakness can hide here.

Coach Insight

Attack this workout in distinct phases. Ring Dips (40 reps): Break these early and often — sets of 8-10 to start, then 5s as fatigue sets in. Do NOT go to failure on the rings or your triceps will be cooked for the rest of the workout. Snatches (10 reps at 155/105): These are heavy and technical — treat them as singles or doubles. Reset your hips between reps, stay patient over the bar, and don't rush. A missed snatch here costs you far more time than a 3-second pause. Row (2,000m): This is your recovery and reset opportunity — settle into a sustainable pace around 85% effort. Aim for a consistent split rather than going out hot. Use the first 500m to find your rhythm. Cleans (10 reps): You're fatigued now, so treat these like the snatches — singles are fine. Focus on a strong pull and catching in a solid front rack. Avoid the temptation to rush. Dumbbell Walking Lunges (100 feet): These will feel brutal on tired legs. Keep your torso upright, drive through the front heel, and take short deliberate steps. Break into 25-foot segments mentally. Common mistakes: going unbroken on ring dips and burning out early, rowing too hard and arriving at the cleans with nothing left, and rushing the barbell movements under fatigue leading to missed reps.

Benchmark Notes

40 ring dips, 10 snatches at 155/105 lb, a 2,000 m row, 10 cleans at 155/105 lb and 100 ft of dumbbell walking lunges (2x55/35 lb). The row is almost half the time. L5 (17:30-20 min) rows about 8:15 and takes the snatches as singles. L10 (under 10:45) rows near 7:00.

Modality Profile

5 movements total: Ring Dip (G), Row (M), Snatch (W), Clean (W), Dumbbell Walking Lunge (W). That's 1 Gymnastics, 1 Monostructural, 3 Weightlifting. Percentages: G=1/5=20%, M=1/5=20%, W=3/5=60%.

Similar Workouts to William McGinn

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

• Matty Brown (91% similar) - For Time Cash-In: 49 Pull-Ups Then, 3 Rounds of: 4 Clusters (135/115 lb) 9 Single-Arm Kettlebell Cl...
• Brian Sweeney (91% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time 7 Bear Complexes (135/95 lb) 10 Lateral Over Bar Burpees...
• Langsdorf 347 (91% similar) - 3 Rounds for Time 400 meter Run 7 Unbroken* Bear Complexes (135/95 lb) * Burpee penalty for each dr...
• Thomas Gambino (90% similar) - Every 3 Minutes on the Minute for 18 minutes 7 Bear Complexes (135/95 lb) 14 Burpees 21 Double-Under...
• Open 25.3 (90% similar) - For time: 5 Wall Walks 50/50 calorie Row (men/women) 5 Wall Walks 25 Deadlifts (225/155 lb) 5 Wall W...
• Samuel Oitice (90% similar) - For Time 60 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 50 Deadlifts (135/95 lb) 40 Burpees 30 Snatches (135/95 lb) 2...
• Richard Prunty (90% similar) - 2 Rounds for Time 2 Power Snatches (135/95 lb) 50 Double-Unders 4 Power Cleans (135/95 lb) 25 Kettle...
• Thomas Moody (90% similar) - 5 Rounds for Time 7 Bear Complexes (135/95 lb) 400 meter Run...

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