DT is one of CrossFit’s most popular “Hero” workouts, and well-known for being a deceptively challenging workout.
The first time I did CrossFit’s popular “DT” workout, I managed to get through all five rounds only with the support of the peers in my class, who cheered me on through the final stretch of the 15:25 that is took me to complete it. My nervous system was shot for an entire day.
I was convinced that “DT” stood for “died trying.”[1]
The second time I did the workout I fared much better, completing it in 9:39. Even more important, my nervous system recovered more quickly, evidence of improved resilience.
For this case study, I investigated the factors that led to my improved performance, the lessons to be learned from this workout, and how we can apply those lessons to creating a more effective daily routine.
Throughout my investigation, I also considered:
What makes DT so challenging?
That’s the question I’ll attempt to answer here, based on my experience with it.
What is the CrossFit DT Workout?
Before we get into what makes the CrossFit DT workout so challenging, let’s review what is involved:
The Movements
CrossFit’s DT workout is a timed workout that requires performing three different barbell lifts that are common in CrossFit: deadlifts, hang power cleans, and push jerks.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the world of lifting, here’s a brief non-professional description of the movements:
In a deadlift, you lift the bar off the floor and stand upright with it.
In a hang power clean, you deadlift the bar off the floor. Then you reset with the bar just above your knees and pull the bar up to your shoulders.
In a push jerk, you start with the bar at your shoulders (so obviously you have to get it there first) and push the bar overhead.
The Rounds, Reps, and Weights
Here’s how it reads on paper:
5 rounds for time:
- 12 deadlifts
- 9 hang power cleans
- 6 push jerks
In DT, you’re using the same barbell for all 3 movements. The “prescribed” weights are 155 pounds for men and 105 pounds for women.
3 Reasons Why CrossFit’s “DT” Workout is So Challenging
The CrossFit DT workout may seem simple on paper, but nobody does a workout on paper.
As Rob Orlando writes at Muscle and Fitness:
Experiencing this WOD and reading about it are worlds apart.
The CrossFit DT workout may seem simple on paper, but nobody does a workout on paper. Experiencing this WOD and reading about it are worlds apart.
This is actually one of the more complex CrossFit workouts. It’s a test of both physical, mental, and nervous system endurance.
Here are 3 reasons the CrossFit DT workout is so challenging:
(1) It’s a Mind-Fuck
(a ) Volume: On Paper vs Reality
Your mind may see the rep scheme and number of rounds, but not necessarily do the math right away. It’s easy to overlook that you’ll be doing this for FIVE rounds in a row, without any programmed rest.
You see:
- 12 Deadlifts
- 9 Hang Power Cleans
- 6 Push Jerks
Do the math and you will realize that this workout really is:
- 60 Deadlifts
- 45 Hang Power Cleans
- 30 Push Jerks
That’s a completely different dynamic.
(b) Weight Selection
It’s axiomatic that an athlete can deadlift a heavier weight than they can clean, and they can clean a heavier weight than they can push overhead.
No matter what weight an athlete chooses for this workout, this results in a dynamic where the deadlifts will feel fairly easy compared to the other movements.
The hang power cleans might start out feeling moderate to heavy, but they’ll get heavy over the course of the workout. The push jerks will likely feel heavy from the start.
As you go through the rounds and your body fatigues, the weight feels heavier.
(c) Pacing
Because the deadlifts feel really light, athletes may be more likely to jump out of the gate too hot and fast, sprinting through them. This elevates the heart rate and leads athletes to burn energy that they will need for the cleans and push jerks, as well as for the later rounds.
Even as you progress through the rounds, the deadlifts always feel relatively light. This strengthens the impulse is to speed through them, because it is the obvious place to save time.
That’s how this can become a cardio workout in addition to a test of strength and endurance.
(2) Grip Strength and Back Fatigue
You’re holding a barbell for 27 reps per round, which will tax your grip strength. The more fatigued your grip gets, the harder it is to hold onto the bar.
As noted at Muscle + Fitness, by rounds 3 and 4 of this workout, even experienced athletes start to feel the strain in their forearms and their grip starts to fail.
When you don’t have a solid grip on the bar it’s harder to complete a movement. The nervous system can shut down other muscles in response to a weak grip.
Then there’s your back.
Both the deadlifts and the hang power cleans are hinging movements, which leads to a lot of hinging in this workout. Expect your back to fatigue.
The one movement that isn’t a hinge is an overhead press, which is the hardest movement for most people. Shoulder joints are the most unstable in the body, and this is a lot of reps for overhead pressing at what is going to feel like a very heavy weight from the start.
(3) Cognitive Load
The CrossFit DT workout is more than a test of physical and mental capacity. It’s also a workout with a heavy cognitive load.
Cognitive load is different from the mental capacity, so let’s clarify:
Mental capacity refers to your ability to stay positive and resourceful when the thoughts and doubts start creeping into your mind.
Cognitive load refers to the amount of focus needed on the techniques and mechanics of the movement.
All three movements are technical movements. Especially the hang power cleans and push jerks. To avoid injury, an athlete needs to remain focused on executing the movements with good technique. This requires a high level of attention and focus.
Through five rounds without any significant breaks, this creates cognitive fatigue, which contributes to the physical fatigue.
The cognitive fatigue is what shut down my nervous system after my first time doing this workout.
As an athlete has more fluency in the movements, the cognitive load will get lower, but it’s still a factor.
The cognitive load can create a fatigue spiral: As you fatigue, it’s easy for your mind to lose focus on technique, leading you to get sloppy in your movement, which will make you less efficient and create more fatigue.
What else?
Based on my limited experience with CrossFit, these are the main factors that make the Crossfit DT workout so challenging.
If you’ve done this workout, I’d love to hear your opinion.
What other factors make this workout so complex?
- The “DT” workout is actually named for U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy P. Davis, who was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on February 20, 2009. ↩
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...