Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

This is a descending ladder with manageable total volume but a very heavy front squat (185/135) under fatigue. The bike and bodyweight movements keep intensity aerobic, while the barbell drives the challenge. Expect 18–24 minutes for most competent athletes, with pacing and barbell strength determining outcomes more than pure conditioning.

Benchmark Times for Assault Reduction

• Elite: <13:00
• Advanced: 14:00-15:30
• Intermediate: 17:00-19:00
• Beginner: >33:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Volume accumulates with 84 lunges, 63 push-ups, and 42 heavy front squats. Managing sets and short rests taxes local muscular endurance in legs, core, and pressing.
• Strength (6/10): Front squats at 185/135 drive the strength demand, often forcing singles or doubles. Adequate leg and trunk strength is needed to hold positions and stand reps under fatigue.
• Endurance (5/10): Sustained heart rate from repeated bike efforts and transitions, but tempered by strength-limited sets on the heavy front squat and push-ups. It’s steady cardio without being an extended monostructural grind.
• Power (5/10): Bike rewards strong accelerations and the squat benefits from a powerful drive out of the hole, but overall work alternates between explosive and grinding efforts.
• Speed (4/10): Descending reps invite quick transitions, but push-up fatigue and heavy squats cap turnover. The best approach is steady movement with minimal chalking and short, planned breaks.
• Flexibility (3/10): Front-rack mobility, ankle dorsiflexion, and hip depth matter for efficient squats and lunges. Not extreme, but limitations will slow cycle time and increase fatigue.

Movements

• Air Bike
• Lunge
• Push-Up
• Front Squat

Scaling Options

Scale to: 135/95 (front squat) • 20/16–16/12–12/9–9/7–7/5–5/3 cals on bike • Incline or knee push-ups, and reduce lunges to 20-16-12-10-8-4

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the descending format and stimulus while matching strength and pressing capacity so athletes can keep moving with short rests.

Intended Stimulus

A sustained grind with brief, punchy bike efforts and controlled sets on bodyweight movements, capped by heavy front squat work under fatigue. You should breathe steadily, resist push-up failure, and move the barbell as quick singles or small sets. Keep transitions tight and maintain composure as reps descend and the legs heat up.

Coach Insight

Pace the bike at a repeatable effort; you should step off ready to lunge immediately. Keep push-ups in tidy, sustainable sets from the start. Your one big key: plan the front squat sets. Quick singles or doubles with short rests beat failed reps every time. Avoid redlining early and don’t chase big front squat sets. Long chalk breaks and push-up failure are the biggest time sinks.

Benchmark Notes

This is a descending ladder workout with 6 rounds combining bike calories, lunges, push-ups, and front squats at 185/135 lbs. Total volume: 129 cal bike, 114 lunges, 63 push-ups, 42 front squats. I'll analyze this round by round with fatigue accumulation. Round 1 (30 cal bike, 24 lunges, 18 push-ups, 12 FS): Bike calories take 45-75 sec fresh, lunges 24-36 sec, push-ups 18-27 sec, front squats at this load 24-36 sec. Total: 111-174 sec. Round 2 (25 cal bike, 20 lunges, 15 push-ups, 10 FS): With 1.1x fatigue multiplier, bike 41-69 sec, lunges 22-33 sec, push-ups 17-25 sec, front squats 22-33 sec. Total: 102-160 sec. Round 3 (20 cal bike, 16 lunges, 12 push-ups, 8 FS): With 1.2x fatigue, bike 36-60 sec, lunges 19-29 sec, push-ups 14-22 sec, front squats 19-29 sec. Total: 88-140 sec. Round 4 (15 cal bike, 12 lunges, 9 push-ups, 6 FS): With 1.3x fatigue, bike 29-49 sec, lunges 16-23 sec, push-ups 12-18 sec, front squats 16-23 sec. Total: 73-113 sec. Round 5 (10 cal bike, 8 lunges, 6 push-ups, 4 FS): With 1.4x fatigue, bike 21-35 sec, lunges 11-17 sec, push-ups 8-13 sec, front squats 11-17 sec. Total: 51-82 sec. Round 6 (5 cal bike, 4 lunges, 3 push-ups, 2 FS): With 1.5x fatigue, bike 11-19 sec, lunges 6-9 sec, push-ups 5-7 sec, front squats 6-9 sec. Total: 28-44 sec. Transitions between movements: 5-15 sec per transition x 18 transitions = 90-270 sec total. Provisional totals: Elite 453-692 sec, Recreational 723-1083 sec. This workout is most similar to Kelly (5 rounds: 400m run, 30 box jump, 30 wall ball) which has L10: 930-1050 sec, L5: 1260-1440 sec, L1: 1800-2100 sec. However, this workout has heavier loading (185/135 front squats vs 20/14 wall balls) and more technical movements, so I'm adjusting upward by about 15-20% from Kelly's anchors. Adjusted benchmarks: L10: 780-840 sec (13:00-14:00), L5: 1140-1260 sec (19:00-21:00), L1: 1980-2100 sec (33:00-35:00). Final targets - L10: 780-840 sec, L5: 1140-1260 sec, L1: 1980 sec.

Modality Profile

Time is split fairly evenly: the bike consumes a large aerobic chunk, push-ups and lunges drive gymnastics volume, and the heavy front squats slow pacing with loaded repetitions. Expect roughly one-third monostructural, one-third gymnastics, and one-third weightlifting by time spent.

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