Fran WOD: workout, how to scale it and how it is scored.

• Fran is 21-15-9 of thrusters and pull-ups, For Time.
• That is 45 thrusters and 45 pull-ups: 90 reps in total.
• The score is the total time, compared with your previous record, not with other people's.
• You scale it by changing the load and the pull-ups first, and you log the version you did.
• It is a short effort: what decides it is splitting the sets from the start.

Fran is one of the best-known benchmarks, one of those called "the Girls". It is a named WOD with a fixed workout that you repeat to measure progress. Because it does not change, today's time can be compared with the one from weeks or months ago.

It is a For Time: the work is fixed and what you measure is how long it takes. If you need to review the format, it is in the WOD formats glossary.

Rounds

Three rounds, with 21, 15 and 9 reps of each movement.

Movements

Thrusters and pull-ups. In each round you do all the reps of the first and then those of the second.

Total

21 + 15 + 9 = 45 reps of each movement, 90 in total.

A thruster is a front squat followed, without a pause, by a press overhead. The load is set by the Rx version for your category; check the current standard of your box or competition.

The score is the total time, from the moment the clock starts until you finish the last pull-up. If your version has a time cap and you reach it, log the cap and the reps you were missing.

Also log the load and the variation of each movement. A time with a scaled load or scaled pull-ups cannot be compared with an Rx one.

Follow the order of the guide to scaling a WOD: load, movement, volume and, last, time. Change one thing at a time.

Scaled

Load

Lower the thruster weight to one you can use for long sets with clean technique.

Pull-ups

With a band, jumping, or replaced by inverted rows.

Volume

Reduce the scheme. Made-up example: 15-12-9, which is 36 reps of each movement and 72 in total.

Half version

Roughly half the scheme in the same order. Made-up example: 11-8-5, which is 24 reps of each movement. Log it as a reduced version, not as Fran.

At home

Thrusters with dumbbells, a kettlebell or a loaded backpack, and pull-ups replaced by inverted rows under a sturdy table or with an anchored band. Same scheme, logged as a scaled version.

With a partner

One person does the round of 21 and the other the round of 15, or you alternate movements within each round. How to split and score is in the partner WOD guide.

• Split the sets of 21 from the start, instead of trying them unbroken and stopping afterwards.
• Look after the pull-ups: they are usually what breaks first, so decide beforehand how many reps you do per set.
• Take short breaks decided in advance, and avoid long stops.
• With a timer you do not have to watch the clock; the WOD timer guide explains how to set it up.

Compare with your own record, not with other people's times. Two results are worth comparing if the load, the pull-up variation and the movement standard match.

Note the context: how you slept, previous fatigue and the time of day. For how often to repeat benchmarks, see the benchmark WODs guide.

Zoku Athletics brings together a multimodal timer (For Time, AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata and mixed) that times Fran so you do not have to watch the clock while you move. How to set it up step by step is in the WOD timer guide.

If you only need the clock, the online WOD timer on this website runs in the browser, with no sign-up and no cookies.

You can create your Free account on the website, no card needed; how the account and the subscription are managed is covered in account and subscription on the Zoku site.

The app is not public on the stores yet. It is in testing and there is no launch date.

The Free plan is free, with no card and no expiry. Pro and Elite are paid; what each includes is shown in the plans section of the home page.

Who is behind the website and the app: About Zoku Athletics.

• Benchmark WODs: Fran, Cindy, Grace, Helen: Fran, Cindy, Grace and Helen: what each benchmark WOD is, how to repeat it under comparable conditions and how to track your progress.
• How to scale a WOD: Rx vs scaled: What Rx and scaled mean, when to scale a WOD and how to adjust load, movements and volume without losing the stimulus or your technique.
• WOD timer: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata: What a WOD timer is and how to use it: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time and Tabata formats, how to choose one, set it up and log the result.