The Helen Workout: Structure, Movements, Benefits, and Scaling in CrossFit

What is the Helen workout structure?

The Helen workout is a classic CrossFit "Girl" benchmark workout, structured as three rounds for time (RFT) of a 400-meter run, 21 American kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups, designed to test an athlete's cardiovascular endurance, muscular stamina, and functional strength across varied modalities.

Understanding the Helen Workout: A CrossFit Benchmark

Helen is one of the original "Girl" workouts in CrossFit, introduced early in the sport's development to provide a standardized benchmark for athletes to measure their fitness and track progress over time. These workouts are named after women, similar to how hurricanes are named, and are characterized by their fixed structure, movements, and rep schemes. Helen specifically targets a blend of cardiovascular capacity, power endurance, and upper-body pulling strength, making it a comprehensive test of functional fitness. Its "for time" structure encourages intensity and efficient movement transitions, pushing athletes to manage their effort across different physiological demands.

The Structure of Helen: Breakdown of Movements

The Helen workout is prescribed as "3 Rounds For Time" (3 RFT), meaning the athlete completes the specified sequence of movements three times as quickly as possible. The movements for each round are:

• 400-meter Run: This element primarily tests cardiovascular endurance and leg stamina. The distance is short enough to be run at a high intensity, but repeated three times, it accumulates significant fatigue.
• 21 Kettlebell Swings (KBS): Following the run, athletes perform 21 kettlebell swings. In CrossFit, these are typically American Kettlebell Swings (AKBS), where the kettlebell travels from between the legs to an overhead position with arms extended. The standard weight is 1.5 pood (24 kg / 53 lbs) for men and 1 pood (16 kg / 35 lbs) for women. This movement engages the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, lower back) and shoulders, demanding powerful hip extension and core stability.
• 12 Pull-ups: The final movement in each round is 12 pull-ups. This exercise primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, biceps, and other upper back muscles, testing relative upper-body strength and muscular endurance. Athletes are typically allowed to use kipping pull-ups, but strict pull-ups are also an option for those who prefer them or are working on strength development.

The challenge lies not only in completing each movement efficiently but also in managing the transitions between them and maintaining a consistent pace across all three rounds as fatigue sets in.

Physiological Demands and Energy Systems

Helen is a potent blend of various physiological demands, challenging multiple energy systems:

• Aerobic System: The 400-meter runs, while short, are performed at a high intensity and are repeated. This significantly taxes the aerobic system, requiring efficient oxygen delivery to working muscles and the ability to clear metabolic byproducts.
• Anaerobic Glycolytic System: The high-rep kettlebell swings and pull-ups, especially under fatigue, heavily rely on the anaerobic glycolytic system. This system provides quick energy for powerful, sustained efforts, but also leads to the accumulation of lactate and hydrogen ions, contributing to muscle fatigue and the "burning" sensation.
• Phosphocreatine System: Short, maximal bursts, such as the initial few reps of the kettlebell swings or pull-ups, will tap into the phosphocreatine system for immediate energy, though its contribution is quickly overshadowed by the glycolytic system due to the rep volume.
• Muscular Endurance: The ability to perform 21 kettlebell swings and 12 pull-ups three times, often with minimal rest, is a direct test of muscular endurance in the posterior chain, shoulders, and back.

The constant switching between modalities (running, hinging, pulling) forces the body to adapt rapidly, highlighting an athlete's work capacity across diverse functional movements.

Benefits of Incorporating Helen into Your Training

Regularly performing or training for Helen offers several significant benefits:

• Improved Cardiovascular Fitness: The repeated high-intensity runs significantly boost VO2 max and overall cardiovascular endurance.
• Enhanced Muscular Endurance and Stamina: The volume of kettlebell swings and pull-ups builds resilience in key muscle groups, delaying fatigue.
• Increased Functional Strength and Power: Kettlebell swings are excellent for developing explosive hip power, which translates to many other athletic movements. Pull-ups build practical upper-body pulling strength.
• Mental Toughness and Pacing Strategy: Learning to push through discomfort and strategically pace oneself across varied movements is a crucial mental skill developed by workouts like Helen.
• Benchmark for Progress: As a standardized workout, Helen provides a clear metric to track improvements in fitness over months or years. A faster time indicates increased work capacity and overall fitness.

Scaling and Modifications for All Fitness Levels

One of the strengths of CrossFit workouts is their scalability, allowing athletes of all fitness levels to participate safely and effectively. Helen can be modified in several ways:

• Run:
  • Shorter Distance: Reduce to 200m or 300m.
  • Alternative Cardio: Row 500m, bike 1000m, or use an assault bike for a similar time domain.
• Kettlebell Swings:
  • Lighter Weight: Use a kettlebell that allows for unbroken sets or only 1-2 breaks.
  • Russian Swings: Swing the kettlebell only to eye level (a good progression before American swings).
  • Fewer Reps: Reduce to 15 or 12 reps per round.
• Pull-ups:
  • Banded Pull-ups: Use resistance bands to assist the pull.
  • Jumping Pull-ups: Jump to get the chin over the bar, then control the eccentric (lowering) phase.
  • Ring Rows/Inverted Rows: Perform bodyweight rows with feet on the ground or elevated, adjusting the angle for difficulty.
  • Fewer Reps: Reduce to 8 or 6 reps per round.

The goal of scaling is to maintain the intended stimulus of the workout—high intensity and minimal rest—while ensuring proper form and safety.

Strategic Pacing and Performance Tips

To achieve your best performance in Helen, strategic pacing is crucial:

• Pace the Run: Avoid sprinting the first run. Aim for a fast, but sustainable pace that you can mostly replicate in rounds 2 and 3. The runs are recovery for your upper body but taxing on your lungs and legs.
• Kettlebell Swings Strategy: Break up the swings early if needed. Instead of going unbroken and then blowing up, consider sets like 11-10 or 7-7-7 from the start to maintain consistency and avoid excessive grip or posterior chain fatigue.
• Pull-up Strategy: Similar to swings, break up pull-ups into smaller, manageable sets (e.g., 6-6, 4-4-4) rather than attempting large unbroken sets that lead to long rest periods later. Efficiency in kipping (if applicable) is key.
• Minimize Transitions: Every second counts. Move quickly from the run to the kettlebell, and from the kettlebell to the pull-up bar. Set up your equipment strategically.
• Breathe and Focus: Maintain steady breathing throughout. Focus on one movement at a time, but also keep the overall structure in mind to manage your effort.

Safety Considerations and Proper Form

As with any intense workout, safety and proper form are paramount:

• Warm-up Thoroughly: Prepare your body with dynamic stretches, light cardio, and specific warm-ups for each movement (e.g., light kettlebell deadlifts, band pull-aparts).
• Kettlebell Swings: Emphasize a strong hip hinge, neutral spine, and powerful hip drive. Avoid squatting the swing or pulling with the arms.
• Pull-ups: Ensure full range of motion (dead hang at the bottom, chin over the bar at the top). If kipping, ensure your shoulder is stable and you have sufficient strict strength as a prerequisite.
• Listen to Your Body: If you experience sharp pain, stop immediately. It's always better to scale down or rest than to risk injury.
• Hydration and Nutrition: Ensure you are well-hydrated and adequately fueled before attempting a demanding workout like Helen.

Conclusion: Helen as a Benchmark of Functional Fitness

The Helen workout structure is a deceptively simple yet profoundly challenging test of an athlete's overall fitness. By combining cardiovascular running, powerful kettlebell swings, and upper-body pull-ups, it demands a high level of work capacity, endurance, and strength across different planes of movement. Whether you're a seasoned CrossFitter or new to functional fitness, understanding Helen's structure, physiological demands, and strategic approaches can help you not only improve your performance in this specific workout but also enhance your general physical preparedness and track your progress on your fitness journey.