Scaling & Substitutes:

Erg Substitutes
What’s covered in this section
All of the monostructural elements can be interchanged without significantly impacting
the stimulus of the workout. Below you will find three different charts: (1) a Distance
Equivalency chart which shows how to adjust distances based on different ergs, (2) a
Calorie Equivalency chart which shows how to adjust calories on different ergs, (3) a
cals/hr chart for the concept-2 ergs. Use the information in the equivalency charts to
adjust your training as needed and the cals/hr chart to guide pacing for workouts.

Distance Equivalency
Row Ski C2 Bike Echo / AB Run

500m 500m 1000m 1200m 400m

1000m 1000m 2000m 2400m 800m

1500m 1500m 3000m 3600m 1200m

2000m 2000m 4000m 4800m 1600m

5000m 5000m 10,000m 12,000m 4000m

NOTE: based on ROW distance you can calculate your equivalent distance by with the
following
Row → Ski = multiply distance x1
Row → C2 bike = multiply the distance x2
Row → Echo or AB = multiply the distance x2.4
Row → Run = multiply the distance x0.8

Calorie Equivalency
Row Ski C2 Bike Echo / AB AAR

10cals 10cals 10cals 8cals 8cals

20cals 20cals 20cals 16cals 16cals

30cals 30cals 30cals 24cals 24cals

40cals 40cals 40cals 32cals 32cals

 50cals 50cals 50cals 40cals 40cals

100cals 100cals 100cals 80cals 80cals

NOTE: all of the Concept-2 ergs measure calories using the same algorithm so 1cal = 1cal in
terms of work-performed on the erg. The Echo / AB / AAR all use different formulas to
determine their cals rewarded for a specific wattage. We based this on the idea that a
competitive male CF’er can hit 20cals on the rower on the minute consistently and
determined what competitive numbers were for the Echo / AB / AAR.

Concept-2 Cals per HR

Cals Per HR Cals in 60sec Time to Time to Time to Time to 100
10cals 20cals 50cals cals
800 13 0:45 1:30 3:45 7:30
900 15 0:40 1:20 3:20 6:40
1000 17 0:36 1:12 3:00 6:00
1100 18 0:33 1:05 2:44 5:27
1200 20 0:30 1:00 2:30 5:00
1300 22 0:28 0:55 2:18 4:37
1400 23 0:26 0:51 2:09 4:17
1500 25 0:24 0:48 2:00 4:00
1750 29 0:21 0:41 1:43 3:26
2000 33 0:18 0:36 1:30 3:00
2500 42 0:14 0:29 1:12 2:24
3000 50 0:12 0:24 1:00 2:00

NOTE: this chart does NOT account for the time lost getting up to your target cals/hr pace.
In order to hit these target numbers you need to get up to speed in 2-3 pulls and try to get
your first calorie on the monitor as fast as possible.

Gymnastics Mods:
What’s covered in this section
In this section we cover how to adjust the gymnastics elements in our program. There are
many possible reasons you might need to adjust a movement: whether you lack the
specific skill or don’t have the equipment required - this section will cover how to adjust
your training accordingly.

Note: if not otherwise specified, these movements should be substituted 1:1 (meaning 1 of
the RX’d movement = 1 of the substituted movement).

Pull-up
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do strict pull-up Banded Pull-up (in metcon)

Pull-up Negative (in strength work)

Can’t do kipping pull-up Jumping Pull-up

Can’t do butterfly pull-up Kipping Pull-up

Can’t hang Ring Rows / Inverted Bar row (x1-1.5)

CTB Pull-up
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do kipping CTB Pull-up Jumping CTB Pull-up (in metcon)

CTB Iso Hold (in strength work)

Can’t do butterfly CTB Pull-up Kipping CTB Pull-up

Can’t hang Ring Rows / Inverted Bar row - w/ chest

contact

Ring Muscle-up
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do Ring MU Burpee Pull-ups (1 burpee + 1 pull-up)

Don’t have rings, but do have bar Bar MU

Don’t have high rings Ring Dips

Bar Muscle-up
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do Bar MU Jumping BMU Turn-overs from box

Bar doesn’t allow for Bar MU Burpee Pull-ups (1 burpee + 1 pull-up)

Strict Muscle-up
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do Strict Ring MU Low Rings Transitions (foot assist)

Don’t have high rings L-sit Strict RMU from seated

Rope Climb
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t climb the rope moderate hand-over-hand sled drag (50ft)

hand-over-hand climbs from seated (2x)

No rope available Towel Grip Pull-ups (3 Pull-ups per RC)

Legless Rope Climb

Limitation Adjustment

Can’t climb the rope legless Rope climbs w/ feet

Feet elevated Hand-over-Hand Climbs

No rope available heavy hand-over-hand sled drag (50ft)

Pegboard
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t climb the pegboard Uneven Grip Pegboard Pull-ups (3 ea side)

Don’t have a pegboard Uneven Grip Ring Pull-ups (3 ea side)

Strict HSPU
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do Strict HSPU Strict HSPU to abmat or elevated surface

Pike HSPUs
Seated DB Strict Press

No HSPU mat Shoulder Press @ 60% Bodyweight

Seated DB Shoulder Press

Can’t do modified Strict HSPU Yoga Push-ups

Kipping HSPU
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do K.HSPU K.HSPU to abmat or elevated surface

Pike HSPUs
Seated DB Shoulder Press

No HSPU mat Push Press @ 60% Bodyweight

Can’t do modified K.HSPU Yoga Push-ups

Toes to Bar
Limitation Adjustment

Can’t do TTB V-ups, Strict Leg Raises

Abmat sit-ups
GHDSUs

No Bar for TTB V-ups

Alternating V-up
Tuck-up
Abmat Sit-up
GHDSU

GHD Situp
Limitation Adjustment

No Equipment V-ups
Abmat Sit-ups (x1.5)
Feet Anchored Hips on Medball Sit-Up
Wtd Abmat sit-ups

Back Pain Tempo GHDSUs (x.25)

GHD Hollow Holds
GHD Sit-up to parallel (with support)
Handstand Walk
Limitation Adjustment

Cannot HSW Wall Walks (2 per 25’)

Shoulder Taps (10 per 25’)
HandStand Hold (15 sec for 25’)
Lateral Wall-facing HSW

Upper Body Injury Ski Cals (x.5 of distance)

Bear Crawl (x3 distance)

External Loads
What’s covered in this section
Modifying strength work around pain / injury can be a challenge, however it also allows
you to maintain strength and preserve the training stimulus. In this section you’ll find
some common limitations and suggestions for adjusting your strength work around
them.

Back Squat
Limitation Adjustment

Knee pain below parallel Back Squat to Box above parallel

Lower back pain during squatting Belt Squat

Landmine Squat

Upper Body Injury Safety Bar Squat

Structural Imbalance Split Squat

Front Squat
Limitation Adjustment

Knee pain below parallel Front Squat to Box

Lower back pain during squatting Belt Squat or Goblet Squat

Upper Body Injury (wrist/front rack) KB/DB Front Squat

Zombie Squat
Zercher Squat

Structural Imbalance Front Rack Split Squat

Overhead Squat
Limitation Adjustment

Knee pain below parallel Overhead Squat to Box

Low Seated SOTTS Press

Lower back pain during squatting Belt Squat

Upper Body Injury PVC Overhead Squat
Safety Bar Squat

Structural Imbalance Split Squat

OH Split Squat

Deadlift
Limitation Adjustment

Hamstring Injury Deadlift off Riser

Trap Bar DL
Suitcase DL

Lower back pain Deadlift off Riser

Trap Bar DL
Suitcase DL

Structural Imbalance SL RDL

SL Goodmorning
Kickstand DL

Squat Clean
Limitation Adjustment

Knee pain below parallel Power Clean

Power Clean + Tempo FS

Lower back pain during squatting Block Cleans

Medball Cleans

Upper Body Injury (wrist or front rack) Cleans Pulls

DB/KB Squat Clean

Structural Imbalance Position Cleans

Clean Pulls

Squat Snatch
Limitation Adjustment

Knee pain below parallel Power Snatch

Power Snatch + Tempo OHS
Snatch Pulls

Lower back pain during squatting Block Snatch

Snatch Pulls
Medball Throws

Upper Body Injury Snatch Pulls

DB/KB Snatch
Medball Throws

Structural Imbalance Position Snatch

Snatch Pulls

Split Jerk
Limitation Adjustment
Lower Body Injury limiting “split” Push Jerk
Jerk Dips

Shoulder Injury Jerk Dips

Jerk Recoveries
Footwork only drills

Wrist Injury DB/KB Jerk Variations

Structural Imbalance SA DB Jerks

Bench Press
Limitation Adjustment

No Bench/Rig Floor Press

Push-ups
Ring Push-ups

Wrist Injury Neutral Grip DB/KB Bench

Structural Imbalance SA DB/KB Bench Press

Ring Push-ups

Sled Push
Limitation Adjustment

No Sled Assault/Echo Sprint

Row Sprint
Bike erg Sprint
Plate Push
Plyo Box Push

Yoke Carry
Limitation Adjustment

No Yoke Back Rack Barbell Carry with KBs attached

Back Rack Barbell Carry
Back Rack Barbell Carry march in place (8
steps = 25ft)

Sandbag Carry
Limitation Adjustment

No Sandbag KB/DB Front Rack Carry (150/100lbs =

70/53lbs)
Zercher Carry

Sandbag Cleans
Limitation Adjustment

No Sandbag Barbell Power Clean (150/100lbs =

185/125/lbs)