Diane is 21-15-9 deadlifts and handstand push-ups for time. The Rx deadlift is 225 lb for men and 155 lb for women. Complete 21 of each movement, then 15 of each, then 9 of each: 45 deadlifts and 45 handstand push-ups, or 90 total reps.
Diane workout
21-15-9 reps for time: deadlifts and handstand push-ups. Rx deadlift: 225 lb men / 155 lb women.
What Diane should feel like
A fast strength-gymnastics couplet testing posterior-chain endurance and inverted pressing.
How to scale Diane
| Option | Reps of each movement | Deadlift, men / women | Pressing movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rx | 21-15-9 | 225 / 155 lb | Handstand push-up |
| Intermediate | 21-15-9 | 185 / 125 lb | Pike push-up, feet on a box |
| Beginner | 15-12-9 | 115 / 75 lb | Pike push-up, feet on floor |
These are examples from CrossFit’s Diane guide, not mandatory loads for every athlete. Choose a load and pressing variation you can repeat with control. The beginner version reduces the work to 36 reps per movement, so it is a different benchmark from the 45-rep Rx version.
Related guide: choose dumbbell pressing alternatives.
Diane pacing strategy
Keep deadlift sets submaximal and protect the press from early failure. Planned breaks beat failed reps.
For another hinge-heavy workout, compare DT’s barbell-cycling sequence. Diane’s limiter may be inverted pressing; DT adds grip and clean-to-jerk transitions.
How to score Diane
Your score is elapsed time when the final handstand push-up or scaled press is complete. Log minutes and seconds, deadlift load, rep scheme and pressing variation. For example, “7:42, 185 lb, 21-15-9, box pike push-ups” is a scaled result, not an Rx score. Record strict or kipping handstand push-ups and any range-of-motion modification so a later attempt is comparable.
What is a good Diane time?
CrossFit describes completing an appropriate version in 10–12 minutes as a useful goal. Treat that as programming guidance, not a population percentile. A faster time with reduced load or a different press does not establish improvement over an earlier Rx attempt.
Movement standards and substitutions
Scale before the clock starts. If a movement is inappropriate for your current skill, mobility or injury status, choose a variation that preserves the intended training effect.
Choose the press before choosing the clock
Warm up with easy movement, unloaded hinges, light deadlifts and the chosen pressing variation. Rehearse small controlled sets at the intended load; lower it if those sets already approach failure. The Diane guide’s time-domain advice helps choose a repeatable version, not a reason to race a new inversion.
The image depicts a strict wall-supported handstand push-up variation, not a requirement to kip. Agree on hand position, head-contact surface, start/end range and strict versus kipping before testing. For a strict rep, lower under control from locked arms to the selected head-contact position and press back to locked arms without leg drive. A reduced range changes the test.
Attempt inversion only with established support control, a suitable clear wall/floor setup and a practiced controlled exit; learn it with coaching before timing it. The brief image cannot teach entry, exit or fatigue management. An accessible noninverted scale is a light dumbbell strict press or incline push-up, recorded as a different movement. CrossFit’s startup guidance discusses these alternatives. Choose repetitions and rests that keep the press repeatable; do not wait for failed reps.
Download the diane log (CSV). Open it in your spreadsheet app or print it; keep the exact version and standards with each result.
Choose another workout
Open the workout generator and choose your time, equipment and goal. It creates a separate session; this link does not automatically reproduce the benchmark or establish an equivalent training dose.
Open workout generator settings
Related workouts
Fran and Elizabeth are useful next benchmarks. You can also browse the WOD Finder.
Training information only. Scale loading, volume and movement selection to your current ability.