21-15-9 Squats & Burpees is a free intermediate-level For Time workout lasting about 15 min. It uses Air Squats and Burpees, needs no equipment, and can be scaled up or down for any fitness level.
Run this on a real For Time timer with audio cues — free in the iOS app.
Get the appClassic couplet. Keep sets unbroken if possible; focus on efficient burpee mechanics.
Create custom, AI-generated WODs tailored to your equipment and fitness level. Enjoy smart timers and saved workouts.
Get the iOS AppThis is a For Time workout. The work is fixed — all 2 movements as listed — and your score is how long it takes you to finish. Because the workload never changes, this is a benchmark you can return to: record the time, repeat it in six or eight weeks, and the difference is a real measurement rather than an impression.
Set a time cap before you start; roughly 27 minutes is a reasonable ceiling for this one. Break the larger sets before fatigue forces you to. Planning your splits in advance is almost always faster than grinding a set to failure and then needing a long recovery.
This session assumes you can already pace yourself across a full workout without your technique falling apart. The volume is higher and the rest is shorter than a beginner equivalent. If you are having to stop mid-set to recover, treat it as a signal to scale rather than a reason to push through.
Scaling is how this workout stays useful across a range of abilities. Pick the version of each movement that lets you keep moving at a steady pace, and note what you changed so the next attempt is a fair comparison.
Air Squats — easier: squat to a chair or bench to control the depth. Harder: add a jump at the top, or slow the descent to three seconds.
Burpees — easier: step back and step in rather than jumping, and skip the jump at the top. Harder: add a push-up at the bottom and a tuck jump at the top.
No equipment at all. Everything here is bodyweight, and floor space roughly the size of a yoga mat is enough. This one works in a hotel room, a garage or a corner of the living room.
Warm up before you start the clock. Five to ten minutes of easy movement plus a few light reps of each movement in the workout is enough, and it matters more on short, intense sessions than on long ones.