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Fran

Mackerel with Garlic Herb Butter

The Story of Fran

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Photo of Mackerel with Garlic Herb Butter

21-15-9 reps for time:

Thrusters
Pull-ups

Mackerel fillets pan-seared and finished with a generous dollop of garlic herb butter.

The birth of the world's greatest workout

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The
Daily
Fix

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Men use 95-lb for thrusters.
Women use 65-lb for thrusters.

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Ingredients

2 mackerel fillets (~5–6 oz each), skin on
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp butter or tallow (for searing)
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp fresh dill or thyme (optional)
½ tsp lemon zest
Pinch of salt
Lemon wedges
1 tsp olive oil (cold drizzle)
Extra chopped herbs for garnish

Macronutrients
(makes 2 servings)

Protein: 30g
Fat: 40g
Carbs: 1g

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix softened butter (2 Tbsp) with minced garlic, parsley, dill or thyme (optional), lemon zest, and salt. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Pat the mackerel fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat butter or tallow (1 Tbsp) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place fillets skin-side down and cook for 3–4 minutes, pressing gently so the skin crisps.

Flip and cook the flesh side for 1–2 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Plate fillets hot and top with a generous spoonful of garlic herb butter. Let melt slightly over the fish. Garnish with herbs and a squeeze of lemon, and drizzle with olive oil (1 tsp, optional) if desired.

In this video Coach Greg Glassman talks about the birth of one of the world’s best-known and most challenging workouts: Fran.

As a young athlete, Coach believed training with weights would help him become a better gymnast. When three sets of eight lateral raises with a Ted Williams weightlifting set didn’t replicate the feeling produced by a two-minute routine on the rings or parallel bars, Coach had to get creative. After coming up with and self-testing a workout involving three rounds of 21, 15 and 9 thrusters and pull-ups, Coach promptly threw up—but he knew he had found something that would make him better at his sport.

From there, Coach invited a friend to try the workout (with similar results), and a few decades later the workout is still challenging athletes around the world.

“If a hurricane that wreaks havoc on a whole town can be Fran, so can a workout.”

Watch

COMMENTS

2 COMMENTS 0 COMMENTS 0 COMMENTS SHARE LOGIN PRINT
troybruun December 04, 2025 | 17:59 EST
4:23
75lbs
Pat McElhone December 05, 2025 | 18:08 EST
Sub’d 2x25lb DB
4:28
17years since I did Fran last, about a min slower, but still threw up
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