Fran - A Test of Strength and Cardio
Coach Kris Perry-Tedesco • June 18, 2024
21-15-9 Elegant and Simple
One of the most common CrossFit workouts performed is the "Fran" workout. Fran is a benchmark workout that consists of the following:
21 thrusters (a combination of a front squat into a push press with a barbell)
21 pull-ups
15 thrusters
15 pull-ups
9 thrusters
9 pull-ups
The goal is to complete the workout as quickly as possible. It's known for its intensity and ability to quickly elevate heart rate and challenge both strength and cardiovascular endurance.
The workout Fran is notoriously challenging due to its combination of high-intensity movements performed in quick succession. It begins with thrusters, a compound exercise that combines a front squat with a push press, demanding significant lower body strength and explosiveness. Immediately following the thrusters are pull-ups, which require upper body strength and endurance. The workout is structured as a descending ladder, starting with 21 repetitions of each exercise and decreasing by 6 reps each round, making it physically demanding and mentally tough to maintain intensity throughout. Fran is designed to push athletes to their limits, testing both their strength and cardiovascular capacity within a short timeframe, thus earning its reputation as one of the most difficult and iconic CrossFit workouts.
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, named workouts with the intention of creating a distinctive and memorable fitness culture. His approach to naming workouts was both practical and philosophical:
1. **Memorability and Identity**: Glassman believed that giving workouts names like "Fran," "Murph," or "Helen" helped create a sense of identity and community within the CrossFit culture. These names made the workouts recognizable and memorable, fostering a shared experience among CrossFit athletes worldwide.
2. **Honoring Athletes and Heroes**: Some workouts are named in honor of military servicemen, firefighters, or police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. For example, the workout "Murph" is named after Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan. These workouts serve as a tribute to their sacrifice and bravery.
3. **Functional and Varied Movement Focus**: The workouts themselves are designed to be functional and varied, focusing on movements that mimic real-life activities and prepare individuals for a broad range of physical challenges.
Overall, Glassman's naming strategy was part of his broader vision to create a fitness methodology that emphasized functional movements, intensity, and community support, encapsulating the spirit of CrossFit beyond just physical exercise.
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One of the things I love most about CrossFit is that it gives us real evidence—inside and outside the gym—that we are in control of how we age. Not by chasing perfection, but by consistently showing up, putting in the work, and recovering with intention. This November, my WHOOP data gave me a clear snapshot of what’s working and where I can tighten up my habits. And as a coach, I want to share this because healthy aging isn’t random. It’s trainable. It’s measurable. And it’s available to every single one of us. My Pace of Aging : Slowing Down the Clock The biggest win this month? My Pace of Aging slowed from 0.6x → 0.4x. That means my body is aging slower than expected. This lines up with what the research says: maintaining aerobic capacity and muscle mass (two things CrossFit gives us in spades) is strongly linked to slower biological aging and better long-term health. Harvard and the British Journal of Sports Medicine have both published studies showing that interval training plus strength work are two of the most powerful levers we have for longevity. We don’t age passively. We age according to what we practice. Habits Matter! Training Metrics That Matter My top activity this month was Functional Fitness —no surprise there. Here’s a quick snapshot: VO₂ Max improved to 40 509 minutes in aerobic zones (1–3) 159 minutes in high-intensity zones (4–5) Hit 10+ strain on 20 days Average sleep: 7 hrs 50 min Sleep consistency : 77% This is the blend that improves heart health, builds lean tissue, supports metabolism, and boosts energy. And the research supports this: High-intensity training improves VO₂ max, the #1 predictor of long-term cardiovascular health. Strength training reduces all-cause mortality and protects bone density and muscle mass. Basically: the CrossFit methodology works! Recovery : The Quiet Driver of Longevity This month I logged : 7 green recoveries 5 red recoveries 30 total tracked recoveries Recovery is where the adaptation happens. Green days tell me my system was primed for work. Red days tell me to adjust my intensity, walk more, hydrate, and manage stress. Healthy aging isn’t about avoiding stress—it’s about improving your capacity to recover from it. Sleep, nutrition, breathwork, sunlight, mobility… these things add up. Science says the same thing: regular physical activity + consistent sleep patterns are two of the strongest predictors of long-term cognitive and cardiovascular health. Movement Outside the Gym Still Matters I took 256,800 steps this month—down from last month—and I felt it. My resting heart rate moved from 60 → 63. Walking is one of the simplest longevity tools we have. It improves blood sugar, digestion, metabolism, stress, and overall cardiovascular health. CrossFit gives us intensity. Walking gives us the foundation. We need both. What I’m Taking Into Next Month Here’s what I’m learning as both an athlete and a coach: Aging healthfully is built on consistency, not perfection. The combination of strength training + aerobic conditioning is unbelievably powerful. Recovery habits matter as much as training habits. Small behaviors—steps, sleep, hydration—show up in long-term health markers. We can absolutely take control of how we age. CrossFit trains you for the next workout, yes. But it also trains you for the next decade. I should also note that I was sick for about 10 days during this timeframe, which definitely influenced a few of these metrics—especially my step count and overall energy output. It was a good reminder that health isn’t about avoiding setbacks; it’s about how quickly we return to our routines once we’re back on our feet. Even with that downtime, the consistency before and after those sick days still moved the needle in a positive direction. What’s Coming Next I’ll be turning this into a longer educational series on: How CrossFit improves metabolic health as we age Why VO₂ max matters more than the number on the scale Strength training after 40 Using sleep and recovery to influence biological age Training strategies for long-term health vs. short-term intensity If you want to age with strength, mobility, confidence, and purpose, stay tuned. There’s so much more to dive into. Here’s to aging like an athlete, not an accident. — Coach Kris 🏹
DISCLAIMER
This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.
No one remembers exactly when it started, but at some point, a phrase began echoing through the gym: “Finish like it matters.” It wasn’t shouted. It wasn’t printed on a t-shirt. It was just something the community started to believe. At first, it was about the workout: Don’t sandbag the last 10 seconds. Don’t give up on that final pull up. Don’t coast through the cool-down like it’s optional. But over time, it grew into something bigger. People started living that way. They showed up not just to sweat—but to grow and learn. Not just to check the box—but to lead by example and move with intension. Not just for PRs—but for purpose. One morning, an older member who’d been quiet for months hit a 200 lb deadlift for the first time. Everyone roared. She stood there, hands shaking, and said, “I didn’t think I could still get stronger at my age.” Another member brought in his teenager—“just to try it”—and by the end of class, they were working side by side, breathing hard, laughing like teammates. Bill started cheering newcomers through their first workouts, reminding them to start with mechanics, stay consistent, and earn their intensity. He was no longer just a survivor of Uncle Pukie. He was a mentor. A movement legacy. The final rep isn’t always the heaviest. Sometimes it’s the slowest, the cleanest, or the one you help someone else finish. And in that rep—in that choice to hold the standard—you realize: This was never just about fitness. It was about showing up for your life. Every rep. Every day. Every age. Every version of yourself. And that’s the real endgame. To fuel. To move. To grow. And when it’s your turn to take the final rep— to finish like it matters. ✨ This concludes the Hollow Body Heroes Series. Your journey isn’t over. It’s just beginning.
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