Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

A brutal, Kalsu-style grind: 100 back squats at bodyweight with 5 burpees every minute throttles pacing and forces many small sets. The barbell load is heavy for high volume, while the persistent burpee tax spikes heart rate and limits recovery. Expect significant leg and systemic fatigue, long duration, and high mental stress.

Benchmark Times for Birchall

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 16:00-18:00
• Intermediate: 20:00-22:00
• Beginner: >33:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Very high total lower-body volume under load coupled with minute-by-minute burpees taxes muscular endurance heavily.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained heart rate and breathing from burpees every minute with limited recovery creates steady aerobic demand over a long time frame.
• Strength (6/10): Bodyweight back squats demand significant absolute strength to maintain quality reps as fatigue mounts.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires standard squat mobility: hips below parallel, solid rack and shoulder position, and ankle dorsiflexion. No extreme ranges.
• Power (3/10): Movements are largely grinding; minimal need for explosive output compared to Olympic lifts or sprints.
• Speed (2/10): Burpees and heavy squats prevent sprint cycling; pace is controlled, with deliberate reps and managed transitions.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Scale to: 75% bodyweight back squat + 5 burpees EMOM • 50% bodyweight back squat + 4 burpees EMOM • 100 air squats + 3 burpees EMOM

Scaling Explanation

Reducing barbell load or burpee count preserves the intended relentless pacing and squat volume while matching each athlete’s current strength and conditioning capacity.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding test that blends strength endurance and aerobic tolerance. You should feel constant pressure from the burpees and be forced into small, repeatable squat sets with brief rests. Breathing should be controlled but elevated, legs should burn, and mental discipline matters more than big sets.

Coach Insight

Open with very small, consistent squat sets (e.g., 3–5 reps), then step right into burpees. Avoid failure at all costs. The one tip: break early and often. Keep every minute predictable. Common mistakes: starting with big squat sets, sloppy depth under fatigue, and pausing too long before burpees. Keep transitions tight.

Benchmark Notes

This workout combines 100 back squats at bodyweight with an EMOM burpee penalty (5 burpees at the top of each minute). This creates a unique pacing challenge where athletes must balance squat volume with forced burpee interruptions. **MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN:** Back Squat (Bodyweight): - Fresh pace: 2-2.5 sec/rep for bodyweight squats - 100 reps would take 200-250 sec unbroken (3:20-4:10) - However, this volume requires significant set breaking: * Elite: Sets of 15-20-15-15-10-10-8-7 with 3-5 sec rest = ~280-320 sec * Intermediate: Sets of 10-12-10-8-8-7-5-5 with 8-12 sec rest = ~400-480 sec * Novice: Sets of 5-8-5-5-5-5 pattern with 15-20 sec rest = ~600-720 sec Burpees (5 per minute): - Each burpee: 3-4 sec - 5 burpees = 15-20 sec per minute - Total minutes in workout determines total burpee volume **EMOM PENALTY CALCULATION:** The critical factor is how many minutes the workout takes, as this determines total burpee volume: - Elite (14-15 min): 70-75 burpees = 210-300 sec of burpee work - Intermediate (22-24 min): 110-120 burpees = 330-480 sec of burpee work - Novice (33-35 min): 165-175 burpees = 495-700 sec of burpee work **PACING STRATEGY:** Athletes must decide whether to: 1. Rush squats to minimize total minutes (and burpees), but risk greater fatigue 2. Pace squats steadily, accepting more burpee volume The EMOM structure forces rest/transition at minute marks, disrupting squat rhythm. **ANCHOR COMPARISON:** Closest anchor: **Angie** (100-100-100-100 bodyweight movements) - Angie L10: 900-1080 sec (15-18 min) / 960-1140 sec (16-19 min) - Angie L5: 1320-1500 sec (22-25 min) - Angie L1: 1980-2400 sec (33-40 min) Our workout is MORE DIFFICULT than Angie because: 1. Back squats at bodyweight are heavier/harder than air squats 2. EMOM burpee penalty adds 70-175 reps depending on pace 3. Forced minute breaks disrupt flow and add mental fatigue Adjustment: +20-30% time vs Angie due to heavier loading and burpee penalty. **LEVEL CALCULATIONS:** L10 (Elite): 14-15 min (840-900 sec) - 100 back squats in ~5-6 min of actual work (sets of 15-20) - 70-75 burpees = 210-225 sec - Transitions/EMOM breaks = 180-240 sec - Total: 840 sec (14:00) L9: 16 min (960 sec) - Slightly more conservative squat pacing - 80 burpees = 240 sec L8: 18 min (1080 sec) - 90 burpees = 270 sec - More set breaking on squats L7: 20 min (1200 sec) - 100 burpees = 300 sec - Moderate squat sets L6: 22 min (1320 sec) - 110 burpees = 330 sec L5 (Median): 24 min (1440 sec) - 120 burpees = 360 sec - Squats in sets of 8-12 with regular breaks L4: 26 min (1560 sec) - 130 burpees = 390 sec L3: 29 min (1740 sec) - 145 burpees = 435 sec - Smaller squat sets (5-8 reps) L2: 33 min (1980 sec) - 165 burpees = 495 sec - Frequent rest between small sets L1: Would exceed 35+ min with scaling needed **FINAL RECAP:** - Male L10: 840 sec (14:00) - Male L5: 1440 sec (24:00) - Male L1: 1980 sec (33:00) No separate female benchmarks provided as bodyweight loading self-scales, though women may trend 10-15% slower due to typically lower relative strength in back squats at bodyweight.

Modality Profile

Most of the session time accrues in gymnastics via the recurring burpees. The loaded component is a single barbell movement—the back squat—which, while slower per rep, comprises fewer total reps than burpees. There’s no monostructural element.

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