“Alright. They’re to the front of us, to the left and right, and behind us. We’re surrounded…. They can’t escape us now.” – General Chesty Puller, United States Marine Corps

21-15-9 reps, for time of:

Wall Ball, 20/14 lbs, 10/9 ft

Pull-up

Thruster, 95/65 lbs

Box Jump, 24/20 in

Kettlebell Swing (American), 53/35 lbs

GENERAL
With 225 reps total, “Opening Day” is a higher volume and higher interference conditioning piece
You’ll work through 21 reps at all 5 movements before moving on to the round of 15 (and so on…)

WEIGHTED MOVEMENTS
Choose weights for the kettlebell swings, wallballs, and thrusters that you could complete 25+ reps unbroken when fresh
Within the workout, these are ideally completed in around 3 sets

PULL-UPS
Choose a pull-up variation that you could complete 21+ reps unbroken when fresh
For athletes modifying the workout, we recommend keeping the reps the same to avoid any mid-workout confusion
Choose from one of the subs listed below…
Let’s keep the reps the same today to preserve the simplicity of the rep scheme
Adjust variation as needed to one of the following:
Banded Pull-ups
Jumping Pull-ups
Ring Rows

BOX JUMPS
Since these are regular box jumps, stand to full extension at the top of each repetition

STRATEGY
Rather than thinking of this workout as a 21-15-9, let’s approach it as with the full round numbers in mind
Each complete round would make this a 105-75-45 rep scheme
Having an idea of how many reps lie in each round can help us approach the workout with the end in mind, allowing for better pacing and more effective break-up strategies
There is one movement we’ll just keep moving on, the box jumps, but all the other movements will likely require some kind of break-up plan
The most difficult round today won’t be the opening round of 105, rather the middle round of 75
Approach the round of 105 in a way that helps you shine through the middle round of 75, as doing so will likely lead to your best possible scoring outcome
See below for potential break-up options for each round:
Round of 21
1 Set: 21
2 Sets: 12-9
3 Sets: 7-7-7
4 Sets: 6-5-5-5
5 Sets: 5-4-4-4-4

Round of 15
1 Set: 15
2 Sets: 8-7
3 Sets: 5-5-5
4 Sets: 4-4-4-3
5 Sets: 3-3-3-3-3

Round of 9
1 Set: 9
2 Sets: 5-4
3 Sets: 3-3-3
4 Sets: 3-2-2-2