Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While 115/75 is moderate weight for push press and lunges, the 21-15-9 rep scheme creates manageable fatigue accumulation. The cardio elements (bike/row calories) provide active recovery between strength movements, preventing excessive interference. Most average CrossFitters can handle this loading for these rep ranges, and the alternating structure allows some recovery. Total time around 12-15 minutes keeps intensity moderate rather than grinding.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 5:30-6:00
• Intermediate: 6:45-7:30
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of push press and lunges with 115/75 lbs will heavily tax upper body pressing and leg muscular endurance throughout.
• Endurance (7/10): The combination of cardio machines and weighted movements in a 21-15-9 format creates significant cardiovascular demand with minimal rest periods.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate loading at 115/75 lbs requires meaningful strength for both push press and weighted lunges, especially under fatigue.
• Speed (6/10): Fast transitions between barbell and cardio machines are crucial, with the descending rep scheme encouraging aggressive pacing early.
• Power (5/10): Push press is inherently explosive from the dip-drive, though fatigue will reduce power output as rounds progress.
• Flexibility (4/10): Push press demands overhead mobility while reverse lunges require hip flexor and ankle flexibility for proper positioning and depth.

Movements

• Push Press
• Reverse Lunge
• Bike
• Row

Scaling Options

Reduce barbell weight to 95/65 or 75/55 lbs. Substitute goblet reverse lunges with dumbbell (35/25 lbs) if barbell mobility is limited. Reduce calories to 15-12-9 or 18-12-6. Replace bike/row with air squats or mountain climbers if machines unavailable.

Scaling Explanation

Scale weight if you can't complete 10+ unbroken push presses or reverse lunges at Rx load. Scale calories if cardio portions take longer than 90 seconds per round. Priority is maintaining movement quality and workout intensity over hitting prescribed loads. Target completion time should be 12-18 minutes for scaled versions.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity glycolytic workout lasting 8-15 minutes. Tests muscular endurance and cardiovascular capacity across two distinct couplets. Primary challenge is maintaining power output on cardio machines while managing leg fatigue from weighted movements.

Coach Insight

Treat this as two separate mini-workouts with a brief transition. For push press, break early into manageable sets (11-10, 8-7, 5-4) to avoid shoulder failure. Keep bike pace steady but aggressive - aim for consistent splits across all rounds. On reverse lunges, alternate legs smoothly and maintain upright torso. Row with powerful leg drive but don't redline - you still have lunges ahead. Quick transitions between movements are key to maintaining intensity.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a 21-15-9 format with two couplets: Push Press + Calorie Bike, then Alternating Reverse Lunges + Calorie Row. I'll use Fran as the primary anchor since it's the classic 21-15-9 benchmark, then adjust for the different movements and structure. Movement Analysis: - Push Press (115/75): Similar to thrusters but no squat component, roughly 15-20% faster per rep - Calorie Bike: Fast cardio bursts, approximately 1-1.5 sec per calorie for elite athletes - Alternating Reverse Lunges (115/75): Unilateral leg work, approximately 1.5-2 sec per rep - Calorie Row: Similar to bike but slightly different muscle recruitment Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1 (21 reps each): - Push Press: 21 reps × 2 sec = 42 sec - Bike: 21 cal × 1.2 sec = 25 sec - Transition: 5 sec - Reverse Lunges: 21 reps × 1.8 sec = 38 sec - Row: 21 cal × 1.3 sec = 27 sec - Transition: 5 sec Round 1 total: ~142 sec Round 2 (15 reps each, 1.15x fatigue): - Push Press: 15 × 2 × 1.15 = 35 sec - Bike: 15 × 1.2 × 1.15 = 21 sec - Transition: 5 sec - Reverse Lunges: 15 × 1.8 × 1.15 = 31 sec - Row: 15 × 1.3 × 1.15 = 22 sec - Transition: 5 sec Round 2 total: ~119 sec Round 3 (9 reps each, 1.3x fatigue): - Push Press: 9 × 2 × 1.3 = 23 sec - Bike: 9 × 1.2 × 1.3 = 14 sec - Transition: 5 sec - Reverse Lunges: 9 × 1.8 × 1.3 = 21 sec - Row: 9 × 1.3 × 1.3 = 15 sec Round 3 total: ~78 sec Total elite time: 142 + 119 + 78 = 339 sec (~5:40) Comparing to Fran anchor (L10: 120-140 sec): This workout is significantly longer due to the two separate couplets and cardio components. The structure creates more transitions and different muscle recruitment patterns. I estimate this should take roughly 2.5x longer than Fran for elite athletes. Final benchmarks: - L10: 300 sec (5:00) - Elite competitive athletes - L5: 450 sec (7:30) - Median CrossFitter - L1: 720 sec (12:00) - Beginner/scaled athletes Recap: L10 = 300 sec, L5 = 450 sec, L1 = 720 sec

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Push Press (W), Bike (M), Reverse Lunge (G), Row (M). Two monostructural movements (50%), one weightlifting (25%), one gymnastics (25%).