Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Chest-to-bar strict pull-ups are already a high-skill movement requiring significant upper body strength. The 5-round max rep format creates cumulative fatigue with no programmed rest, forcing athletes to work through progressive grip and lat failure. Most average CrossFitters can only perform 3-8 strict CTB pull-ups fresh, meaning later rounds become extremely challenging or impossible, requiring major scaling to ring rows or assisted variations.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Strict chest-to-bar pull-ups demand exceptional upper body pulling stamina as grip and lat endurance become severely limiting factors across multiple max sets.
• Strength (7/10): Strict pull-ups require significant relative strength, especially chest-to-bar variation which demands greater range of motion and pulling power than standard pull-ups.
• Endurance (4/10): Five rounds of max effort sets will elevate heart rate and challenge cardiovascular system, though rest periods allow some recovery between rounds.
• Flexibility (4/10): Chest-to-bar requires good shoulder mobility and thoracic extension to achieve full range of motion, more than standard pull-ups but not extreme.
• Speed (3/10): Max rep format allows athletes to work at their own pace with rest between rounds, though maintaining consistent rep speed becomes challenging as fatigue sets in.
• Power (2/10): Strict pull-ups are primarily a strength-endurance movement with minimal explosive component, focusing on controlled pulling rather than dynamic power output.

Movements

• Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout is 5 rounds of max reps chest-to-bar strict pull-ups, scored by total reps completed across all rounds. Chest-to-bar strict pull-ups are significantly more challenging than regular strict pull-ups due to the higher pull requirement and increased lat/rear delt engagement. For reference, I'm using Angie (100 pull-ups + other movements) as a partial anchor - elite athletes complete 100 kipping pull-ups in 15-18 minutes as part of a longer workout. However, this workout is pure strict chest-to-bar pull-ups with no other movements, making it much more demanding on pulling strength and grip endurance. Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1 (fresh): Elite athletes might achieve 25-30 strict CTB, advanced 15-20, intermediate 8-12, novice 3-5. Round 2: 15-20% decline due to fatigue - elite 20-25, advanced 12-16, intermediate 6-10, novice 2-4. Round 3: 25-30% decline from fresh - elite 18-22, advanced 10-14, intermediate 5-8, novice 1-3. Round 4: 35-40% decline - elite 15-18, advanced 8-12, intermediate 4-6, novice 1-2. Round 5: 45-50% decline - elite 12-15, advanced 6-10, intermediate 2-4, novice 0-1. Total estimates: Elite (L9-L10): 100-110 reps, Advanced (L7-L8): 70-90 reps, Intermediate (L5-L6): 42-56 reps, Novice (L2-L3): 12-20 reps, Beginner (L1): 5 reps. The strict nature and chest-to-bar requirement makes this extremely demanding - many athletes will hit failure quickly and see dramatic rep drops between rounds. Final targets: L10: 110 reps, L5: 42 reps, L1: 5 reps.

Modality Profile

Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up is a bodyweight gymnastics movement, making this workout 100% gymnastics with no monostructural or weightlifting components.