For Time (no cap): 27-21-15-9 Row (calories) and Thrusters (95/65 lb).
Primary movement: Row/Thrusters
Open 15.5 closed 2015 with a workout of legendary simplicity and cruelty: row calories and thrusters, 27-21-15-9, no time cap, no place to hide. Dave Castro's tagline was 'no rest, no gimmicks' - just two movements that both punish the legs and lungs, alternating until the round of 9 mercifully arrives. It's widely ranked among the most painful Open workouts ever, precisely because everything about it is known from second one.
| Level (Time) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 18:00+ | 20:00+ |
| intermediate | 13:00 | 14:30 |
| advanced | 9:30 | 11:00 |
| elite | sub 7:00 | sub 8:15 |
The row is a trap wearing a monitor: pull the 27 at conversational wattage - hero calories cost double on the thrusters. Thrusters in planned sets (15-12 the 27s, 12-9 the 21s) with sub-5-second breaks, going unbroken only from the 15s. Get off the rower fast: fumbled dismounts leak 20+ total seconds. The final 9-and-9 is a pure sprint; whatever you saved, spend it all there.
Scaled: same scheme at 65/45 lb. Beginner: 21-15-9 with light thrusters.
Log every result, see your progress over time, and know exactly where you stand.