Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While pistols are a high-skill movement that many average CrossFitters struggle with, the EMOM format provides 50+ seconds of rest between sets, making the skill demand manageable. However, 4 pistols every minute for 12 minutes (48 total) creates significant unilateral leg fatigue, and the max air squats immediately after will be severely compromised by accumulated single-leg strength demands. The combination of skill requirement plus fatigue accumulation makes this challenging.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume air squats combined with pistols over 12 minutes heavily taxes leg muscular endurance and ability to sustain output.
• Flexibility (7/10): Pistols demand excellent ankle, hip, and hamstring mobility, plus balance and coordination for single-leg range of motion.
• Strength (6/10): Pistols require significant unilateral leg strength and stability, while air squats test relative strength endurance under fatigue.
• Endurance (4/10): Twelve minutes of continuous work with minimal rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, though the EMOM structure provides some recovery between sets.
• Speed (3/10): EMOM format requires efficient transitions and consistent pacing, but movements themselves are not performed at high velocity.
• Power (2/10): Minimal explosive demand as both movements are controlled bodyweight exercises focused on strength and endurance rather than speed.

Movements

• Pistol Squat
• Air Squat

Benchmark Notes

This is a 12-minute EMOM with 4 pistols (alternating legs) every minute, followed by max air squats for the remaining time. Since it's scored as 'Reps', we're tracking total air squats completed across all 12 rounds. Movement breakdown: - Pistols: 4 per minute (2 per leg), taking approximately 8-12 seconds total (2-3 sec per pistol) - Air squats: Remaining 48-52 seconds per minute for max reps Air squat capacity per minute: - Fresh state: 1-1.5 sec per rep = 32-48 reps possible in 48 seconds - With pistol fatigue and EMOM pacing: 25-40 reps realistic per minute Fatigue progression over 12 minutes: - Minutes 1-3: Full capacity (35-40 reps/min for elite) - Minutes 4-6: Slight decline (30-35 reps/min) - Minutes 7-9: Moderate fatigue (25-30 reps/min) - Minutes 10-12: Significant fatigue (20-25 reps/min) Using Cindy (AMRAP 20: 5 pull-up + 10 push-up + 15 air squat) as reference anchor: - L10: 25-30 rounds = 375-450 air squats in 20 minutes - L5: 15-18 rounds = 225-270 air squats in 20 minutes - L1: 6-8 rounds = 90-120 air squats in 20 minutes Adjusting for 12-minute duration and pistol interference: - Elite athletes: 30-35 reps/min average = 360-420 total - Average athletes: 20-25 reps/min average = 240-300 total - Beginners: 10-15 reps/min average = 120-180 total Final targets: L10: 360 reps, L5: 240 reps, L1: 120 reps

Modality Profile

Both Pistol Squat and Air Squat are bodyweight gymnastics movements, resulting in 100% gymnastics modality