My son was born on January 10, 2025! Yay!
Like any good CrossFit coach, programmer, or athlete, I made a workout for him.
From determining the right rep scheme and choosing movements to figuring out the time duration and the overall stimulus, this was NOT an easy decision.
Stimulus
The stimulus WAS easy to decide on. Like most workouts named after people, I wanted it to be long and gritty. I also knew that I wanted it to be a workout that adds a round for each year old he is. With that, I wanted it to be something that would be still tough in the beginning of his life and progressively get worse and worse. The last thing I wanted was a workout that’s under 10 minutes all the way to age 10.
Numbers: 1-10-25
The rep scheme was another easy decision. His birthday is 1/10/25, which gave me the perfect numbers: 1, 10, and 25. Multiples of 5, multiples of 10, and 1—the ideal numbers for a CrossFit workout.
Initially, I thought about using the 1-10-25 rep scheme in a workout where I would add one round every year. For example, when he's one year old, it’ll be 1 round; at two, 2 rounds; and so on. So, I’m starting with one round for his birth and first birthday. I make the rules.
Choosing the Right Movements
The movement selection was trickier. I needed something that would be challenging but not impossible, especially as the rounds increase.
At first, I thought, "1 mile run to start each round." But then I realized, I really don’t want to be running 15 miles when he turns 15... or worse, running a marathon when he’s 26. So, that idea was quickly scrapped.
Next, I considered a single movement that could compound over time—something tough, but not completely overwhelming. A single ring or bar muscle-up, a sandbag clean, or a heavy snatch rep. The possibilities are endless.
For the 10 and 25, I wanted movements that I enjoy and that can be done quickly; mostly cardio-ish movements. Some ideas included:
- 10 power snatches and 25 double-unders
- 10 pull-ups and 25 burpees
- 10 thrusters and 25 calorie bike
I imagined a heavy movement paired with 2 moderate-to-high rep movements, adding 1 round each year.
9:56
Here’s another detail: my son was born at 9:56 AM. I briefly entertained the idea of incorporating that into the workout—maybe a 956m run, or 956 double-unders. But I quickly realized that might be a bit much. (Besides, if anyone ever says, "Oh, 9:56 AM isn’t so bad—I had my baby at 3 AM," let me tell you: I would’ve gladly taken a 3 AM birth. We were in labor and pushing from about 2 AM to 9:56 AM. Trust me, I’ll take 3 AM any day.)
Potential Workout Options
Before settling on the final version, I considered a few options. Here’s a recap of some of the combinations I tested:
- 1 Round per Age:
- 1 mile run
- 10 strict pull-ups
- 25 bar-facing burpees
- 1 Mile Run, Then 1 Round per Age:
- 10 power snatches
- 25 double-unders
- 1 Mile Run buy in, then 1 Round per Age:
- 10 power snatches
- 25 bar-facing burpees
- 1 Round per Age:
- 1 bodyweight snatch
- 10 pull-ups
- 25 bar-facing burpees
- 1 Round per Age:
- 1 mile run
- 10 burpee box jump-overs
- 25 calorie bike sprints
- 1 Round per Age:
- 1 muscle-up
- 10 snatches
- 25 double-unders
And there were many more combinations. The options were endless, and part of me wanted to create something absolutely hilarious as he ages. But I also wanted it to be tough from the start, not just a 3-5 minute workout until he’s 10 years old. Some of the shorter round options would be borderline under a minute until he’s 3 years old for me.
The Final Workout
After considering all the options, I went with the funniest one…
1 round per year of age:
- 1 mile run
- 10 power snatches (135/95 lbs)
- 25 bar-facing burpees
It’ll be a tough workout from the start, and progressively get worse and worse. More importantly, funnier and funnier. We’ll revisit that statement when he turns 12…