Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines brutal volume with multiple limiting factors across 3 rounds. 103 double-unders create shoulder fatigue before 42 wall balls, which then tax legs and lungs before 33-cal rows. Pull-ups (81 total) hit already-fatigued shoulders and grip. The 185lb ground-to-overhead after all this accumulated fatigue is dangerous. Expected time: 35-50+ minutes of continuous work with no built-in recovery. Multiple athletes will fail to complete as prescribed.

Benchmark Times for BLACK SUNDAY

• Elite: <20:00
• Advanced: 22:00-24:00
• Intermediate: 27:00-30:00
• Beginner: >45:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high rep counts across all movements—over 300 double-unders, 126 wall balls, and 81 pull-ups—will thoroughly exhaust muscular endurance in shoulders, legs, and grip.
• Endurance (8/10): Three rounds of high-volume work including 103 double-unders, rowing calories, and gymnastics creates significant cardiovascular demand over an extended duration, likely 25-40 minutes for most athletes.
• Speed (6/10): Double-unders require fast cycling, and maintaining quick transitions between movements is important. However, the volume necessitates strategic pacing rather than all-out sprinting.
• Power (5/10): Ground-to-overhead requires explosive hip extension, and double-unders demand quick wrist power. However, the high-rep nature shifts focus toward sustained output over pure explosiveness.
• Strength (4/10): The ground-to-overhead at 185/135 lb provides moderate strength demand, but only 9 total reps. Wall balls and pull-ups test strength-endurance rather than maximal force production.
• Flexibility (4/10): Overhead positions in ground-to-overhead and wall balls require adequate shoulder mobility. Pull-ups and rowing demand basic hip and shoulder range of motion.

Movements

• Double-Under
• Wall Ball
• Row
• Pull-Up
• Ground-to-Overhead

Scaling Options

Double-unders: reduce to 75 reps or sub 150 single-unders. Wall balls: 14/10 lb or reduce to 30 reps. Row: reduce to 25 calories. Pull-ups: banded pull-ups, jumping pull-ups, or ring rows (same reps). Ground-to-overhead: 135/95 lb or 115/75 lb, can also sub 5 hang power cleans at lighter weight. For newer athletes: 2 rounds with all scaled options.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if: you cannot complete 30+ unbroken double-unders fresh, wall balls take longer than 3 minutes per round, pull-ups require more than 8 sets per round, or ground-to-overhead technique deteriorates significantly. Priority is maintaining movement quality and consistent round times - if round 2 takes 50% longer than round 1, the workout is too heavy. Target completion: 25-35 minutes for Rx athletes, 30-40 minutes scaled. If projected time exceeds 45 minutes, reduce volume to 2 rounds.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration chipper testing sustained work capacity across 25-40 minutes. Primarily oxidative with glycolytic bursts during heavier efforts. The challenge is maintaining consistent output across multiple modalities while managing grip fatigue and shoulder endurance. This workout tests mental fortitude as much as physical capacity - athletes must stay composed through high-skill movements (double-unders) while fatigued.

Coach Insight

Pacing is everything - start conservative on double-unders (break into 50-53 if needed) to preserve shoulders for wall balls and pull-ups. Wall balls should be steady sets of 14-21, never to failure. Row at 70-75% effort - this is active recovery before pull-ups. Break pull-ups early (sets of 5-7) to save grip for ground-to-overhead. The 3 G2O should be quick singles with a breath between - don't rush these heavy reps when fatigued. Common mistake: going too hard on round 1 double-unders and destroying shoulders. Transitions matter less here than in sprints - take 5-10 seconds to reset mentally between movements.

Benchmark Notes

3 rounds of very high volume with a heavy ground-to-overhead finisher each round. Most time is spent on double-unders, wall balls, and the row; pull-ups and the barbell add big grip/shoulder interference. Expect significant slowdown after round 1. Benchmarks (male): L10 ≤20:00, L5 ~30:00, L1 ≥45:00.

Modality Profile

5 movements: Double-Under (G), Pull-Up (G), Row (M), Wall Ball (W), Ground-to-Overhead (W). Movement-count split: Gymnastics 2/5 = 40%, Monostructural 1/5 = 20%, Weightlifting 2/5 = 40%.