Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The descending rep scheme (21-15-12-9-6-3) provides some natural breaks, but 165/115 power cleans are heavy enough to demand focus throughout. The combination of barbell cycling, box jumps, and pull-ups creates compound fatigue - especially grip and posterior chain. Most athletes will need to break up the larger sets, and the continuous nature without prescribed rest makes sustained intensity challenging.

Benchmark Times for Armando

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 6:00-7:00
• Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
• Beginner: >15:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Multiple muscle groups are challenged through 66 total reps each. Grip endurance becomes a major limiting factor between pulls and cleans.
• Power (8/10): Both power cleans and box jumps are explosive movements requiring significant power output throughout all sets.
• Endurance (7/10): High-rep descending scheme with compound movements creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially early in the workout when volume is highest.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions and efficient cycling of movements, especially in early larger sets, significantly impact overall time.
• Strength (6/10): Moderately heavy power cleans at 165/115 require significant strength, though rep scheme prevents maximal loading.
• Flexibility (5/10): Front rack position for cleans and full depth for box jumps demand decent mobility, particularly in ankles, hips, and shoulders.

Movements

• Power Clean
• Box Jump
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Power Clean: Scale to 135/95 or 115/75 lb. Sub push press if mobility limits. Box Jump: Reduce to 20/16" or step-ups. Pull-ups: Ring rows at chest height, banded pull-ups, or jumping pull-ups. Volume option: Remove round of 21 to start at 15. Time cap at 20 minutes. Advanced athletes can Rx+ to 185/125 lb cleans.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 8+ unbroken power cleans at prescribed weight with solid form, or if you lack 3-5 strict pull-ups. Priority is maintaining power output and proper positions - intensity should allow completion in under 18 minutes. Form breakdown on cleans or excessive singles early are key indicators to reduce load. Box jump scaling preserves stimulus while managing impact. For pull-ups, maintain horizontal body position in ring rows or control eccentric on jumping variations.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-18 minutes) with significant strength-endurance demands. The descending rep scheme allows initial power expression while managing cumulative fatigue. Primary focus is on maintaining power output across cyclical movements while handling moderate-heavy loads.

Coach Insight

Break power cleans into sets of 4-5 reps early to preserve position - don't go unbroken on 21s. Quick singles are fine on later rounds. Step back from box between jumps to reset position and maintain power. Consider butterfly or big kips on pull-ups early, transition to singles when form degrades. Key is maintaining consistent movement between stations - don't rest at transitions. Most athletes break down in the round of 15 - be conservative in opening round.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a descending rep scheme similar to Fran but with an additional two rounds (6 and 3) and using power cleans instead of thrusters. Using Fran as our primary anchor: Movement breakdown (male/rx): - Power Clean (165): 2.5-3.5s/rep (heavier than typical Grace weight) - Box Jump (24"): 2s/rep - Pull-Up: 1.5-2s/rep (kipping) Round estimates with fatigue: Round 21: (3s × 21) + (2s × 21) + (2s × 21) = 147s Round 15: (3.5s × 15) + (2.2s × 15) + (2.2s × 15) = 118s Round 12: (3.8s × 12) + (2.4s × 12) + (2.4s × 12) = 103s Round 9: (4s × 9) + (2.6s × 9) + (2.6s × 9) = 83s Round 6: (4.2s × 6) + (2.8s × 6) + (2.8s × 6) = 59s Round 3: (4.4s × 3) + (3s × 3) + (3s × 3) = 31s Transitions between movements: ~5s × 3 movements × 6 rounds = 90s Total theoretical best: ~631s Comparing to Fran anchor (21-15-9 format): - Fran L10 is 120-140s for men - This workout has 33% more total reps - Power cleans at 165 are significantly heavier than 95lb thrusters - Box jumps add complexity vs straight gymnastics Projected L10 (elite): 300s (5:00) Projected L5 (intermediate): 540s (9:00) Projected L1 (beginner): 900s (15:00) Female adjustments: - 115lb power cleans will require ~20% more time - 20" box height is only slightly easier - Pull-ups typically take 15% longer - Overall projection is 20-40% slower depending on level

Modality Profile

Of the 3 movements: Box Jump and Pull-Up are gymnastics (G), Power Clean is weightlifting (W). With 2 gymnastics movements and 1 weightlifting movement, the split is approximately 40% gymnastics and 60% weightlifting, with no monostructural movements present.