Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The workout pairs a short, heavy single squat-snatch attempt each round with maximal lateral barbell burpees and only 45s rest. The snatch single taxes CNS/shoulders even if one rep, and ten rounds of barbell burpees create severe cumulative leg, shoulder and aerobic fatigue. The aggressive work-to-rest and technical loading make this Very Hard for the average CrossFitter—many will need to scale or break significantly.

Movements

• Squat Snatch
• Bar-Over Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight reductions: Beginners/tech‑focused: 30–40% of snatch 1RM (or empty bar to start). Intermediate: 50–70% of 1RM; advanced can progress toward 75–85% for very brief singles if technique is flawless. Movement substitutions: Replace squat snatch with power snatch, hang snatch, or single‑arm DB snatch to prioritize speed and safety; substitute lateral barbell burpees with regular burpees, burpee over a plate, step‑over burpees, or burpees without a bar if shoulder/pressing endurance is limited. Volume modifications: reduce rounds to 6–8 rounds, or reduce rounds and increase rest. Time adjustments: increase work window to 20–30s for more time to complete burpees or lengthen rest to 60–90s for heavier snatch emphasis. For athletes who must lower intensity, keep the 1:2 work:rest ratio but shorten work window (e.g., 10–12s) to maintain stimulus.

Scaling Explanation

When to scale: scale if you cannot consistently and safely catch a single at 50% with good position, if you miss multiple singles in a row, if burpees become purely grinding reps with collapsed posture, or if breath/HR remain >9 RPE with no recovery between rounds. What to prioritize: technique and safety on the snatch first (a clean catch beats a heavy miss), then preserve a steady, safe burpee tempo to maintain the conditioning stimulus. Target completion/effort: each 15s effort should feel like a high‑quality 8–9/10 sprint with recovery to ~4–5/10 before the next round. Practical targets: expect ~2–6 lateral burpees per round depending on skill/load (total ~20–40 across 10 rounds at Rx); scale down until you can average a small, consistent number of quality burpees per round while keeping snatch singles solid.

Intended Stimulus

Short repeated-sprint/power stimulus: 10 x 15‑second work windows with 45s rest (≈10 one‑minute rounds). Targets short‑duration power and technical strength expression on the squat snatch with repeated anaerobic efforts (primarily phosphagen with a short glycolytic contribution and aerobic recovery between rounds). Primary challenge is producing a technically sound, powerful single snatch each round while immediately transitioning to high‑tempo lateral barbell burpees — so power/skill under fatigue, conditioning, and mental grit.

Coach Insight

Pacing strategy: treat each 15s window as an all‑out, controlled sprint: get the snatch attempt done early (first 4–7s) then convert remaining seconds into steady, efficient burpees. Start at the prescribed ~50% as warm‑up weight and add small jumps (≈5–10% every 1–2 rounds) only while maintaining clean catches. Movement tips & cues: Snatch — setup consistent hip height, strong hook grip, aggressive triple extension, pull elbows high, punch under quickly, land in a stable full squat and stand tall. Lateral barbell burpee — keep a neutral spine, step or jump laterally with soft knees, keep the bar close to the body (or across shoulders if Rx), full chest/contact if required, rebound quickly. Common mistakes to avoid: chasing heavier snatches that lead to misses or bouncing recovery, leaving the snatch to the last second and causing chaotic transitions, holding breath or tensing between reps, stepping over the bar unsafely, flaring elbows/early arm pull on the snatch. Rep‑scheme suggestions: if burpees begin to slow, break them into short, consistent sets each round (e.g., 2+2 or 3+2 rather than grinding singles). If snatches are sticking, switch to a power or hang single for that round to keep intact technique and preserve burpee output.