Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Bert is a long, high-volume bodyweight chipper with six 400m runs interspersed between big sets of burpees, push-ups, lunges, and squats. While the movements are simple, the sheer volume, repeated interference of similar patterns, and duration (often 50–70 minutes for average athletes) create major muscular stamina and aerobic demands. Pacing, mental toughness, and strict movement standards make this a very challenging test.

Benchmark Times for Bert

• Elite: <24:00
• Advanced: 27:00-30:00
• Intermediate: 33:00-36:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Hundreds of push-ups, lunges, and squats plus 100 total burpees tax local muscular endurance of legs, core, and pressing muscles.
• Endurance (8/10): Six 400m runs and continuous movement for 40–70 minutes put a premium on aerobic capacity and breathing control over a long time domain.
• Speed (3/10): Brief surges can help on runs or small sets, but success comes from smooth, sustainable cycling and efficient transitions.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard ROM for squats, lunges, and push-ups; mobility helps quality and comfort but no extreme positions required.
• Power (2/10): Burpees add some pop, but the workout rewards steady pacing over explosive efforts; power outputs are secondary.
• Strength (1/10): No external load and no heavy pulling or pressing; demands are capacity-based rather than max force production.

Movements

• Burpee
• Run
• Push-Up
• Walking Lunge
• Air Squat

Scaling Options

Scale to: Half-volume with 200m runs • 35/75/100/150/100/75/35 reps with 400m runs • Box/bench push-ups + reverse lunges + 400m→200m runs

Scaling Explanation

These options reduce total volume, simplify movements, and/or shorten runs so athletes maintain steady pacing, preserve stimulus, and finish within an appropriate time window.

Intended Stimulus

Long, steady cardio with relentless muscular stamina. Settle into a sustainable pace early and avoid failure on push-ups and burpees. Runs should be controlled but continuous, used for breathing and recovery. Expect leg fatigue to build through lunges and squats, finishing with disciplined upper-body sets and a tough closing set of burpees.

Coach Insight

Pace the opening 50 burpees and first 100 push-ups conservatively—small, repeatable sets with short rests. Use the runs to reset your breathing. Biggest tip: Break push-ups early (e.g., 5s or 3s) to avoid hitting failure; it saves minutes later. Common mistakes: Sprinting early, letting push-ups fail, and resting too long between small sets. Keep transitions tight.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is a massive chipper with 1000 total reps and 2.4 miles of running. I'll analyze it by comparing to similar benchmarks and breaking down movement by movement. Closest anchor comparison: This is most similar to Murph (1 mile run + 300 reps + 1 mile run) but with significantly more volume - 1000 reps vs 600 reps and 2.4 miles vs 2 miles running. Murph anchors: L10 1800-2040s, L5 2580-3300s, L1 3900-4800s. Movement breakdown (fresh state estimates): - 400m runs (6 total): 75-120s each = 450-720s total running - 100 Burpees (50+50): 3-4s per rep = 300-400s - 200 Push-ups (100+100): 1-1.5s per rep = 200-300s - 300 Walking lunges (150+150): 1s per rep = 300s - 200 Air squats: 1-1.5s per rep = 200-300s Fresh total: 1450-2220s Fatigue and pacing adjustments: - This is a symmetric chipper (pyramid structure) which creates massive fatigue - Running times will degrade: First 400m at pace, middle runs +15-25%, final runs +25-40% - Bodyweight movements will slow significantly in second half due to accumulated fatigue - Push-ups and burpees will require extensive set breaking after the midpoint - Transitions between movements: 5-15s each (13 transitions total) Adjusted estimates with fatigue: - Elite athletes: 1800-2160s (running stays aerobic, minimal set breaking) - Average athletes: 2400-3000s (significant slowing on runs, frequent breaks on gymnastics) - Novice athletes: 3600-4800s (walking portions of runs, very small sets on push-ups/burpees) Comparing to Murph anchor and scaling for extra volume: - Murph has 600 total reps + 2 miles running - This workout has 1000 total reps + 2.4 miles running - Volume increase: ~67% more reps, 20% more running - Expected time increase: 50-80% over Murph times Final benchmarks: - L10: 1440s (24:00) - Elite athletes maintaining pace - L5: 2160s (36:00) - Average CrossFitters with moderate pacing - L1: 3600s (60:00) - Novices with extensive rest and scaling Recap: L10: 1440s (24:00), L5: 2160s (36:00), L1: 3600s (60:00)

Modality Profile

About three-quarters of the time is spent on bodyweight gymnastics (burpees, push-ups, lunges, squats). The remaining time is monostructural running across six 400m intervals. There is no external loading, so weightlifting accounts for 0%. Time spent favors gymnastics volume with steady aerobic running to separate large sets.

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These WODs similar to Bert share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.