Grace is a fast barbell sprint: 30 clean-and-jerks at 135/95 lb. Work density is moderate at this load, movement complexity is advanced (clean and jerk), and most athletes finish between 3–8 minutes, with elites far faster. No special modifiers apply. These factors combine to a solid Hard rating, consistent with benchmark expectations.
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This is Kalsu, a notoriously brutal workout. The combination of heavy thrusters (135/95) with forced-pace burpees creates a devastating fatigue cycle. The EMOM format prevents adequate recovery between burpee sets while thrusters must be completed in diminishing windows. Most athletes hit a severe wall around 60-70 reps, turning this into a 30-40 minute grind that tests both strength and mental fortitude.
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Chad is a massive, single-movement grind: 1,000 step-ups on a 20-inch box while wearing a 45/35 lb ruck. The movement is simple, but the sheer volume, unilateral fatigue, and long time domain (often 50–90+ minutes) drive difficulty. Load plus high reps create significant muscular endurance demands and mental toughness requirements, even for well-trained athletes.
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Assuming a burpee baseline: estimate 12 minutes completed (78 total reps). Work Density = (78 × 0.5) / 12 = 3.25 units/min → 20 points. Movement Complexity: burpee = 60. Time Domain: 12 minutes → 70. Base Score = 0.4×20 + 0.3×60 + 0.3×70 = 47. Modifier for ascending/Death By ×1.2 → 56.4 (“Hard”). Heavier or high‑skill movements would raise difficulty; simpler options lower it.
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Isabel is a fast barbell sprint: 30 moderate-to-heavy snatches requiring precise technique under fatigue. The short time domain (typically 2–6 minutes) demands high power output, fast barbell cycling, and positional strength. Technical proficiency, confidence cycling the bar, and grip/shoulder stamina drive performance, elevating difficulty for many athletes.
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Karen is deceptively simple but brutally taxing: 150 continuous wall-ball shots at moderate load with a fixed target. Movement complexity is low, yet volume and sustained leg/shoulder cycling drive severe muscular endurance fatigue and heart-rate elevation. Most athletes finish between 6–15 minutes, demanding smart pacing, consistent mechanics, and disciplined rest to avoid redlining and no-reps.
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Randy is a short, single-modality sprint with a light barbell but high reps. Ninety percent of the challenge is barbell cycling efficiency and managing fatigue across 75 snatches. Most experienced athletes finish in 3–7 minutes; beginners may approach the 10-minute cap. The load is light, complexity is moderate, and the intensity is high.
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Difficulty computed via framework: Density uses 100 reps × 0.5 ÷ 12 min ≈ 4.2 units/min = 20 points. Movement complexity averages Burpee (60) and Pull-Up (40) = 50 points. Time domain set at 5–12 minutes = 80 points. Base Score: (20×0.4)+(50×0.3)+(80×0.3)=47. No modifiers apply. Final mapping 47 → Hard.
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Low skill but high volume and sustained effort. Most intermediate athletes will work 12–20 minutes with minimal rest, making it a significant aerobic and muscular endurance challenge. No external load or complex skill reduces barriers, yet the repetition count drives heart rate, breathing, and shoulder/triceps stamina into the red if pacing is poor.
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Single-modality and low technical complexity keep the base score moderate, but the EMOM ladder sharply increases effort each minute. Most athletes will finish in 8–10 minutes, with intensity spiking as minute targets jump (3, 6, 9, …). The ascending structure is punishing on lungs and quads while remaining highly accessible, placing this on the upper end of Medium for most.
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Gwen is hard because you’re chasing the heaviest unbroken sets across a highly technical lift. Density is low (36 total reps with rest), but the clean and jerk is an advanced movement and the typical 12–20 minute timeframe compounds fatigue. The unbroken requirement elevates grip/midline demand and mental pressure—any break ends the set—making load selection and flawless cycling the real challenge.
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While 35/25lb dumbbells are relatively light, the combination of 100 squat cleans with forced burpees every minute creates a brutal metabolic challenge. The EMOM burpees prevent sustained rhythm on the cleans and force constant transitions. Most athletes will take 12-15 minutes, meaning 36-45 total burpees on top of the cleans. The squat clean's full-body nature combined with this format creates significant cumulative fatigue.
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