Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Six rounds of 12 deadlifts, 21 burpee box jumps, and 15 pull-ups creates brutal cumulative fatigue — grip is destroyed by deadlifts and pull-ups while legs are hammered by burpee box jumps simultaneously. The 21 burpee box jumps per round is exceptionally high volume (126 total). The 455 single-unders buy-out adds meaningful work when already exhausted. Total volume and movement interference across 6 rounds pushes this well beyond Hard.

Benchmark Times for Airmen

• Elite: <17:30
• Advanced: 19:30-22:00
• Intermediate: 25:00-29:00
• Beginner: >58:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Massive total volume — 72 deadlifts, 126 burpee box jumps, 90 pull-ups, and 455 jump rope reps — demands exceptional muscular endurance across the posterior chain, upper body, and legs simultaneously.
• Endurance (8/10): Six rounds of high-rep mixed movements plus 455 single-unders creates sustained cardiovascular demand. The combination of pulling, jumping, and hinging keeps heart rate elevated throughout the entire workout.
• Power (6/10): Burpee box jumps are inherently explosive, requiring repeated hip extension power each round. The combination of jumping and deadlift hip drive creates a meaningful power demand across all six rounds.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling. Managing pace across burpee box jumps and pull-ups while minimizing rest is critical to a competitive finish time.
• Strength (4/10): Deadlifts at 185/125 lb are moderate loads requiring real strength, but the high rep count shifts the stimulus toward muscular endurance rather than maximal force production.
• Flexibility (3/10): Deadlifts require adequate hamstring and hip mobility, and burpee box jumps need basic hip flexion. Overall mobility demands are moderate but not extreme for this workout.

Movements

• Single-Under
• Burpee Box Jump
• Deadlift
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce deadlifts to 135/95 lb (intermediate) or 95/65 lb (beginner) — target a load you can move for 8-10 reps unbroken when fresh. Burpee Box Jumps: Reduce box height to 20/16 in, or substitute burpee step-ups to reduce impact and skill demand. Athletes with jumping limitations can do step-up burpees or standard burpees to a target. Pull-ups: Sub jumping pull-ups, banded pull-ups, or ring rows (15 reps). For athletes with limited pulling strength, ring rows at a challenging angle maintain the stimulus well. Volume: Reduce to 4-5 rounds if the full 6 rounds would push beyond 50 minutes, or reduce burpee box jumps to 15 per round. Buy-out: Reduce single-unders to 300 or substitute 150 double-unders for advanced athletes looking for an extra challenge.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the deadlift if you cannot perform at least 8 reps unbroken at the prescribed weight with a neutral spine — fatigue will only make form worse, and 72 total deadlifts with compromised mechanics is a recipe for injury. Scale pull-ups if you have fewer than 5 strict pull-ups or cannot string together 8+ kipping pull-ups when fresh — the goal is to keep moving, not hang from the bar struggling. Scale burpee box jump height if you're landing with excessive knee cave or losing confidence on the jump as fatigue sets in. The target time window is 30-45 minutes for most athletes — if you're projected to go beyond 50 minutes at Rx, reduce rounds or reps to preserve intensity and keep the workout from becoming a slow grind. Prioritize movement quality on deadlifts above all else — intensity is secondary to a safe spine under load.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding chipper-style workout targeting a 30-45 minute time domain for most athletes. The combination of 6 rounds with high-volume burpee box jumps and pull-ups creates a sustained aerobic demand that will tax your cardiovascular system, posterior chain, and upper body pulling capacity simultaneously. The buy-out of 455 single-unders adds a metabolic finisher that rewards athletes who pace smartly through the rounds. Primary challenge is mental — managing fatigue across 6 rounds while keeping movement quality on deadlifts and not blowing up on the burpee box jumps early.

Coach Insight

Pacing is everything here — the burpee box jumps are the workout. With 21 reps per round across 6 rounds, that's 126 total burpee box jumps, and athletes who sprint early will pay dearly by rounds 4-5. Establish a steady, rhythmic pace on the burpees from round 1 — think 'sustainable hustle' not sprint. Deadlifts at 185/125 should be manageable in 2-3 sets early (consider 7-5 or 8-4 splits), but expect to break more in later rounds — that's fine, just minimize rest time. Keep a flat back and hinge properly; fatigue will tempt you to round. For pull-ups, break early and often — sets of 5-8 are smarter than going to failure. Kip efficiently and avoid death-gripping the bar. Transition quickly between movements — don't stand around catching your breath, keep moving. For the buy-out, find a smooth jump rope rhythm and knock out the 455 single-unders in large unbroken sets or consistent chunks of 50-100 reps. Common mistakes: going too fast on burpees in round 1-2, rounding the back on deadlifts when tired, and doing pull-ups to failure which tanks your grip for deadlifts.

Benchmark Notes

Six rounds of 12 deadlifts at 185/125 lb, 21 burpee box jumps and 15 pull-ups, then 455 single-unders. The 126 burpee box jumps set the pace. L5 (29-34 min) is about 4:30 a round with the pull-ups in sets of 5 and the single-unders in about 5 minutes. L10 (under 17:30) holds about 2 minutes a round and finishes the single-unders in about 2:30.

Modality Profile

4 movements: Deadlift (W), Burpee Box Jump (G), Pull-Up (G), Single-Under (G) = 3 Gymnastics, 1 Weightlifting. Rounded: G 75% → 80%, W 25% → 20%, but with only 2 modalities present and 3:1 ratio, approximating to G: 75, W: 25 rounded to G: 80, W: 20. However applying standard rounding to nearest 10: 3/4=75%→80% G, 1/4=25%→20% W.

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