Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

This partner workout is brutally voluminous: 4 rounds of 40 MB lunges, 14 devils presses (20kg), 70 hang power cleans, and 41 strict presses creates massive cumulative fatigue. Even split 50/50 with a partner, that's 35 HPC and ~20 strict presses each per round — the strict press after cleans destroys shoulder endurance. Devils presses at 20kg compound grip and shoulder fatigue. Total volume and movement interference across 4 rounds pushes this to elite territory.

Benchmark Times for Brett Forte

• Elite: <23:00
• Advanced: 25:30-28:30
• Intermediate: 32:00-36:00
• Beginner: >65:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Massive volume across 4 rounds — 40 lunges, 14 devils presses, 70 hang power cleans, and 41 strict presses — demands exceptional muscular endurance in legs, shoulders, and posterior chain.
• Endurance (6/10): Two 400m runs bookend a high-volume barbell and medicine ball workout. The sustained cardiovascular demand across 4 rounds of mixed movements keeps heart rate elevated throughout the session.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate barbell loads for hang power cleans and strict presses require meaningful strength, especially as fatigue accumulates. Strict pressing 40/27 kg for 41 reps per round is a significant strength-endurance challenge.
• Power (5/10): Hang power cleans and devils presses are explosive movements requiring hip drive and full-body power generation. However, the high rep counts shift the stimulus toward power-endurance rather than pure explosiveness.
• Flexibility (4/10): Hang power cleans require hip hinge mobility, lunges demand hip flexor range, and overhead pressing needs shoulder and thoracic mobility. Moderate but consistent flexibility demands throughout all movements.
• Speed (4/10): For Time format incentivizes efficient movement and quick transitions, but the sheer volume and moderate loads demand pacing strategy over sprint cycling. Partner format adds coordination considerations.

Movements

• Shoulder Press
• Lunge
• Devil Press
• Run
• Hang Power Clean

Scaling Options

Weight reductions: Scale medicine ball to 6/4 kg. Scale devils press dumbbells to 15/10 kg. Scale hang power cleans to 30/20 kg. Scale strict press to 30/20 kg. Volume modifications: Reduce to 3 rounds instead of 4, or reduce hang power cleans to 50 reps and strict presses to 30 reps per round. Movement substitutions: Replace devils presses with dumbbell deadlifts + push-ups performed separately if shoulder integrity is a concern. Replace strict press with push press if overhead mobility is limited. Replace hang power cleans with kettlebell swings (24/16 kg) if barbell cycling technique is underdeveloped. Shorten runs to 200m if cardiovascular capacity or time is a limiting factor.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the load if either partner cannot perform at least 10 unbroken hang power cleans or 8 unbroken strict presses at the prescribed weight with solid mechanics — form breakdown under fatigue in a high-rep workout like this is a recipe for injury. Scale the volume (to 3 rounds) if the team's projected finish time exceeds 65 minutes, as the stimulus becomes counterproductive beyond that point. Prioritize technique over intensity here — the strict press and devils press both demand shoulder stability, and fatigue will expose weaknesses quickly. The goal is to keep both athletes moving consistently throughout, not to survive the last round. If one partner is significantly stronger, adjust the rep split so the stronger athlete takes slightly more reps on barbell movements to keep rest periods balanced and the workout flowing.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding partner workout designed to test muscular endurance, mental toughness, and pacing discipline. Expect a time domain of 40-60+ minutes depending on fitness level. The energy demand is a sustained, hard effort — not a sprint, but never comfortable. The primary challenge is managing fatigue across high-rep barbell and dumbbell movements while keeping your partner accountable. The medicine ball lunges and hang power cleans will accumulate serious leg fatigue, while the devils presses and strict presses hammer the shoulders and upper body. This workout rewards smart splitting, consistent communication, and the ability to keep moving when everything wants to stop.

Coach Insight

Start the opening 400m run at a conversational pace — both partners must stay together, so match the slower athlete's speed and save your legs. Once into the rounds, divide reps strategically: for the 40 MB lunges, consider 20/20 or 10/10 alternating sets. For 14 devils presses, try 7/7 or 4/3/4/3 — these will get heavy fast. The 70 hang power cleans are the biggest volume challenge; break these into sets of 10 or fewer from the start, alternating frequently (e.g., 10 on/10 off). Do NOT go unbroken early — you will pay for it in rounds 3 and 4. For 41 strict presses, the odd number means one partner does 21 and the other does 20 — decide this upfront. Keep the bar moving with short, consistent sets of 5-8 reps. Avoid the common mistake of one partner doing too much early while the other rests too long — keep transitions tight and rest periods honest. The closing 400m run will feel brutal; commit to finishing together and push the pace as a team.

Benchmark Notes

Partner workout: a 400 m run together, four rounds of 40 medicine-ball lunges, 14 devil presses, 70 hang power cleans and 41 strict presses at 40/27 kg, then another 400 m run together. The strict presses set the pace. L5 (36-41 min) is about 8 minutes a round with the presses in sets of 6-8. L10 (under 23 min) holds about 4:30 a round.

Modality Profile

5 movements total: Run (M), Lunge (G), Devil Press (W - dumbbell movement), Hang Power Clean (W - barbell), Shoulder Press (W - barbell). That gives 1 Gymnastics, 1 Monostructural, 3 Weightlifting = 20% G, 20% M, 60% W.

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