Many CrossFit workouts can be considered masochistic pursuits. However, “Fran” is particularly brutal.

This workout pushes you to your limit both mentally and physically. No matter who you are or what goals you have, everyone should give Fran a try!

What are the Specifics of Fran?

To complete Fran, you’ll need to set up a 95-pound barbell and position yourself near a pull-up bar.

Fran consists of the following:

21 barbell thrusters;
21 pull-ups;
15 barbell thrusters;
15 pull-ups;
9 barbell thrusters;
9 pull-ups.

You’ll complete three rounds of the workout listed above, aiming for the fastest time possible.

What Time Should I Aim for?

At the elite level, you’ll find Fran times approaching three minutes. However, you should not despair if you’re not achieving a time even close to this.

If it takes you 45 minutes to complete the Fran, aim for 40 minutes the next time you try it. You can call it progressive overload or whatever other terms you like. But put simply, just make sure you work a little bit harder every time you work out!

What If I Don’t Have a Barbell?

If you’re working out at home or in a small gym, you may not always have access to the exact equipment you need.

No excuses!

You can modify these workouts in whatever way you need based on your specific setup. Will you be able to post your time and compare it to those who completed Fran with standardized equipment? Probably not. But this doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the same Fran benefits with whatever you have available.

Tips for Improving Your Fran Time

No matter what you do, the Fran is going to leave you sweating and breathless at the end. That being said, there are quite a few ways you can improve your efficiency during this workout so that you can continue to post better results each time. Let’s take a look at some of the top tips for improving your Fran performance!

1. Keep your equipment close together. If your barbell is 10 steps from your pull-up bar, this will be reflected in your final time. Be sure to keep everything close together to give you the best shot at a PT possible.
   
2. Focus on your breathing. This is good advice for all forms of exercise. When we aren’t breathing effectively, our performance will suffer. Ensure that you are coordinating your breathing with your movements so that you can supply your body with much-needed oxygen during this killer workout!
3. Warm-up longer than usual. For many CrossFitters, a warm-up usually consists of a couple of trunk twists and maybe some half-hearted bodyweight squats. When you’re aiming for a better Fran time, don’t skimp on your warm-up. You need to limber up your body and encourage blood flow to your working muscles. Give yourself the best chance possible during your Fran attempt!

Conclusion

The Fran workout is not for the faint of heart. But by following the above tips and giving it your all, you’ll start posting better Fran times each time you complete it!