Two movements at opposite ends of the body, paired in a descending rep scheme. Diane looks like a strength workout on paper — most of it is actually decided upside down.
Complete all deadlifts before moving to handstand push-ups in each round. Total: 45 deadlifts + 45 handstand push-ups.
Suggested time cap: 15 minutes · Competitive target: sub-4 minutes at Rx. Your score is the time it takes to complete all reps.
The deadlift weight in Diane isn’t the limiter for most athletes — 225/155 lb for reps in the low 20s is manageable for anyone who trains barbells regularly. The real bottleneck is almost always the handstand push-up: it’s a skill under fatigue, performed inverted, where a breakdown in shoulder position or kip timing doesn’t just slow you down, it can end your set entirely if you fall out of the handstand.
Diane rewards athletes who can move efficiently on the ground so they arrive at the HSPU with something left, and who can then be patient and controlled upside down instead of rushing into failed reps.
Diane scales per movement. Choose the row below that matches a deadlift you can move efficiently and an inverted position you can actually control.
| Level | Deadlift | Handstand Push-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Rx | 225 lb (M) / 155 lb (W) | Full ROM, kipping allowed |
| Scaled | 155 lb (M) / 105 lb (W) | Box or pike push-ups, reduced deficit |
| Beginner | 95 lb (M) / 65 lb (W) | Seated dumbbell push press |
Scale the HSPU by reducing range of motion or moving to a pike push-up before you remove the inverted position entirely — the shoulder and core stability it builds is most of the point of the movement.
Break the deadlifts into two sets each round rather than going unbroken — a fresh, efficient deadlift takes almost no extra time in twos or threes, and it saves your lower back and grip for the HSPU, where control matters far more than raw strength.
On the HSPU, prioritize a repeatable kip rhythm over speed. If your set breaks down, come out of the handstand deliberately — don’t wait for a failed rep to force you out.
A controlled rep you can repeat 20 times beats a fast rep you can only do twice before falling out of the handstand.
Diane is a barbell-and-inversion workout by design, but both movements survive a handful of straightforward substitutions.
| Equipment | Substitution | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| No barbell | Dumbbell deadlift | 1:1 reps |
| Can’t do any HSPU | Pike push-ups or box HSPU with reduced deficit | 1:1 reps |
| No wall for HSPU | Dumbbell Z-press or seated push press | 1:1 reps |
| No abmat / soft landing | Fold a towel or mat under your head | — |
FITL scales this automatically based on the equipment and experience level in your profile.
Sub-4 minutes at Rx is a strong time for an experienced athlete. Most CrossFit athletes finish Rx Diane in the 5–8 minute range. Scaled athletes should expect 8–12 minutes depending on HSPU capacity.
If you can’t yet do any HSPU, start with pike push-ups on a box or the floor — they build the same shoulder pattern without the inverted balance requirement. If you have some HSPU capacity, reduce the deficit (or remove it) before switching to a different movement entirely.
Yes. Substitute a dumbbell Z-press or seated dumbbell push press at a 1:1 rep ratio if you’re not ready to be upside down under fatigue.
The rep scheme and deadlift load can work for most beginners at scaled weight, but the HSPU usually needs to be substituted entirely for athletes without any inverted pressing experience — don’t force an unscaled HSPU just to match the “real” movement.
Get Diane — and every benchmark WOD — automatically scaled to your equipment and experience level.