Fran workout
21-15-9 Thrusters & Pull-ups
Fran is the benchmark most people hear about first, and for good reason: two movements, 90 reps, and a finish line that arrives quickly and hurts anyway. Fast athletes are done in well under five minutes, so it rewards keeping the bar moving and holding the pull-ups in big sets. Retest it every few months and the clock tells you plainly how your engine and your gymnastics are coming along.
The workout
21-15-9 reps for time of:
- Thrusters (95/65 lb)
- Pull-ups
Time cap: 10 min
Loads the timer ready to go: For Time with a 10:00 cap.
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Rx loads
Time cap
Most gyms cap Fran at about 10 minutes. If the clock runs out, note how many reps you completed. Change the cap in the app before you start if your gym uses a different one.
Scaling options
- Lighter bar: choose a load you could thrust 21 times without stopping when fresh.
- Banded or jumping pull-ups, or ring rows if pull-ups are still a work in progress.
- Cut the rep scheme to 15-12-9 for newer athletes.
Strategy tips
- Split the 21 thrusters before you have to (for example 11 then 10) rather than failing at rep 18.
- Put the bar right next to the rig and chalk before the clock starts: transitions are where Fran times are lost.
- Drive the bar up with your legs out of the squat; tired shoulders cannot press it alone.
- The round of 9 is a sprint. If there is anything left, go unbroken.
Related workouts
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