The Fran Workout
Intermediate
For time:
21-15-9 thrusters
12-9-6 pull-ups
♀ 55 lb
♂ 75 lb
What Is the Fran Workout?
This benchmark workout was first posted on CrossFit.com on Aug. 25, 2003. This workout entails completing 21 reps of each movement, then 15 reps of each movement, before finishing the workout by performing 9 reps of each movement.
When the community was introduced to Fran, CrossFit’s founder Greg Glassman challenged people to beat original CrossFit athlete Greg Amundson’s time of 3:59. Today, elite athletes complete the prescribed workout in under 2 minutes. Experienced athletes should go hard and treat this workout as a sprint, while a great goal for all athletes is successful completion of the workout in 10-12 minutes, regardless of whether performing the workout as prescribed or a scaled variation. A general guideline for the thruster is to use a load that allows for at least 15 unbroken reps to be completed. Selecting a pull-up option that allows you to complete each round with minimal rest is advisable.
Intermediate and beginner athletes should establish a goal for this workout and create a plan for breaking up the thrusters and/or pull-ups as necessary.
Fran is notorious for being a simple workout that packs a potent dose of intensity. A significant contribution to the efficacy of this workout is the complementary movement demands of the thruster and the pull-up, as well as the descending rep scheme. These attributes promote power output and intensity.
About the Fran Workout
Fran is a task-priority workout. This means that the work is fixed (e.g., 21-15-9 reps of thrusters and pull-ups), and athletes strive to complete the work as quickly as possible while maintaining full range of motion and sound mechanics. With this type of workout, it’s important to note the time required for completion. When repeating this workout, the goal is to perform the workout faster with the same weight or at a similar time with increased weight, which would designate an improvement.
This workout can be easily scaled to reach the current capacity of any athlete.
FAQs
Fran was part of the original benchmark series of workouts, consisting of a trio of couplets used to assess various functional hip demands and pulling and pushing movements. The creative art of this workout lies in the complementary movement pairing, the relatively light load on the thruster, and the descending rep scheme. These elements tax the entire body and allow athletes to move at a high rate of speed, so intensity remains high relative to the individual’s current ability level. This workout is easily scaled by reducing the load, using a pair of dumbbells for the thrusters, lowering the reps, and/or performing another bodyweight upper-body pulling movement instead of the pull-ups.
The best strategy for this workout depends on an individual’s capacity. For those with a high degree of capacity, treat this workout as a sprint with unbroken sets of each movement and quick transitions between exercises while striving for completion in 3-4 minutes.
The thruster load is intended to be light and allow for at least 15+ reps to be completed without taking a break. Athletes can scale the load to achieve this goal while maintaining sound mechanics and range of motion.
The pull-ups will be troublesome for many. Those who can complete pull-ups but cannot complete more than 5 reps consecutively may benefit from reducing the number of reps per round to achieve the stimulus. For those currently unable to complete pull-ups, choosing another bodyweight upper-body pulling movement similar to the pull-up, such as a ring row or jumping pull-up, is advisable.
There are many options for those who struggle with these movements. The reps for each movement and overall time duration can be altered to meet the athlete’s capacity level.
The following intermediate and beginner workouts are recommendations. Do not hesitate to deviate from these options to customize the workout and replicate the intended stimulus.
Intermediate Variation
For time:
21-15-9 thrusters
12-9-6 pull-ups
♀ 55 lb
♂ 75 lb
Beginner Variation
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Thrusters
Ring rows
♀ 35 lb
♂ 45 lb
The average time for this workout is 4-7 minutes. To preserve the stimulus, it should not exceed 10-12 minutes. Those with a high physical and psychological capacity can complete the workout in 2-3 minutes.
Beginner: Under 12 minutes (scaled)
Intermediate: Under 10 minutes (scaled or as prescribed)
Rx’d: Under 5 minutes
Elite: Under 3 minutes
Before starting this workout, complete a general warm-up that includes traditional aerobic activity, exercises to warm up the shoulders, and movements to prepare the lower body for the squatting demands. Keep this section under 20-25 minutes in duration.
For example:
2 rounds at a moderate pace of:
90 seconds of rowing
10 ring rows
10 shoulder presses with a light barbell
10 GHD hip extensions or 15 banded good mornings
10-second hollow hold
10 PVC overhead squats
20 seconds for each leg of a dynamic Samson stretch
The specific warm-up can focus on refining the kipping pull-up and thruster mechanics.
For example:
Pull-up Preparation
Step 1- 5 kip swings
Step 2- 2 kip swings + 1 kip
Step 3- 2 kip swings + 1 pull-up or attempt
Step 4- 2 kip swings + 1 pull-up + 2 kip swings
Step 5- 3-5 kipping pull-ups
*This progression can be scaled to a box or a band.
Thruster Preparation
Step 1- 5-10 front squats with an empty barbell
Step 2- 5-10 push presses with an empty barbell
Step 3- 5-10 thrusters with an empty barbell
Build-Up
5 thrusters (light weight) + 3 pull-ups (use variation intended to be used in the workout)
5 thrusters (workout weight) + 3 pull-ups (use variation intended to be used in the workout)
There are technical aspects to each movement that allow for the most success. However, the primary considerations for the thruster revolve around sound squatting mechanics and the proper timing of the press of the barbell into the overhead position. Strive to manage the reps on the thrusters so that no more than two to three short breaks are needed on any round.
Strive to preserve the range of motion on the pull-up, which tends to be compromised when fatigue sets in. Proper management and pacing of these reps will be valuable if this is a movement that an athlete struggles with. Consider breaking out the reps into small sets with a well-managed short rest period if muscular failure is a concern.
How to Train for fran
There does not need to be a specialized training plan for Fran, as consistency with CrossFit workouts and sound lifestyle habits will lead to improvements in this workout. However, if you notice a significant weakness in any aspect of this workout, it can be targeted with additional training in your warm-ups and cool-downs. For example, if the pull-ups were a limiting factor, you can include a few sets of strict pull-ups or variations of pull-ups into your warm-ups and/or cool-downs 1-2 times per week.