Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This is a long grinder with very high volume under a light barbell. Expect roughly 400 front rack lunges and 200 push presses, performed in small, repeatable chunks over 30–45 minutes for most. Movement complexity is moderate-to-advanced, but the real challenge is unrelenting shoulder, leg, and midline stamina. Heavy volume ups the difficulty.

Benchmark Times for 1/4 Mile for Humanity

• Elite: <26:00
• Advanced: 30:00-33:20
• Intermediate: 36:40-40:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high total reps under load build shoulder, leg, and trunk stamina. Repeating 10-lunge/5-press chunks demands consistent, repeatable efforts with minimal rest for a long period.
• Endurance (6/10): Sustained, steady output over 30–45 minutes taxes breathing and heart rate, though the limiter is more muscular than purely aerobic. Expect continuous movement with strategic short breaks to manage fatigue.
• Flexibility (4/10): A quality front rack position and hip/ankle mobility are needed to keep elbows high, torso upright, and knees tracking well during long walking lunges and repeated push presses.
• Power (3/10): Push presses require a small, crisp dip-drive, but loads are light and reps are small sets. Power output matters less than consistent mechanics and pacing across many intervals.
• Speed (3/10): This is not a sprint. Cadence is steady with purposeful transitions. Brief, unbroken sets of five presses should be quick, but most time is spent moving methodically through lunges.
• Strength (2/10): The barbell is light, so maximal strength is not the focus. Strength shows up mainly as postural strength to hold the front rack and maintain solid lunge mechanics while fatigued.

Movements

• Push Press
• Front Rack Lunge

Scaling Options

Scale to: 35/25 lb barbell • 200–300 m total distance (keep 5 push presses every 10 lunges) • Double DB front rack lunges and push press at 25/15 lb each

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the long, front-rack stamina stimulus and frequent shoulder-to-overhead efforts while reducing load or total volume to maintain steady pacing and safe mechanics.

Intended Stimulus

A long, steady-cardio grind driven by muscular endurance. Legs, shoulders, and midline should feel constant, accumulating fatigue, but not failure. Keep the bar racked, move 10 controlled lunges at a time, and hit quick, unbroken sets of five push presses. Breathing should be steady with very short, intentional breaks.

Coach Insight

Pace the lunges deliberately—consistent steps and controlled breathing. Aim to keep all push presses unbroken at a smooth cadence. Biggest tip: Protect the front rack—elbows up, ribs down, and brace. A strong rack saves shoulders and keeps breathing under control. Avoid overstriding or collapsing the rack. Don’t rush early; blowing up your shoulders or midline leads to long, unnecessary breaks.

Benchmark Notes

Times reflect total completion from first lunge to last push press. Intermediate athletes should target around 40 minutes, with advanced finishing closer to 26–33 minutes. Newer athletes may require up to an hour unless they scale load and/or distance to maintain steady pacing.

Modality Profile

Every rep uses a barbell in the front rack, making this a pure weightlifting piece. Although you cover 400 meters, the distance is achieved via loaded walking lunges rather than monostructural cardio, and there is no bodyweight gymnastics component.

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