Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While max effort burpees at sprint pace are metabolically demanding, the workout structure prevents cumulative fatigue buildup. The 1:2 and 1:3 work-to-rest ratios provide substantial recovery between efforts—2 minutes rest after 1 minute of work allows heart rate and breathing to recover significantly. The 3-minute break midway acts as a reset. Total volume (~50 burpees over 13 minutes) is moderate for an average CrossFitter, and there are no technical skills or heavy loads. It's uncomfortable but manageable—harder than steady-state work but the generous rest keeps it from reaching 'Hard' territory where continuous fatigue or complex skills dominate.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (9/10): Primary stimulus is maximum cycling speed during short bursts. Success depends on how rapidly you can perform unbroken burpees at unsustainable pace.
• Power (7/10): Sprint-pace burpees demand explosive hip extension, rapid push-ups, and powerful jumps. Each rep requires significant power output at maximum intensity.
• Stamina (4/10): Individual sets of 20-60 seconds don't accumulate enough volume to deeply test muscular endurance. Rest periods allow significant recovery between efforts.
• Endurance (3/10): Short work intervals with generous rest periods minimize aerobic demand. This tests anaerobic capacity rather than sustained cardiovascular endurance over time.
• Strength (2/10): Bodyweight-only movement with no external load. Tests relative strength endurance rather than maximal force production capacity.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard burpee range of motion requires basic mobility for floor-to-standing transitions but nothing extreme or particularly demanding.

Movements

• Burpee

Scaling Options

Movement: Step-back burpees (remove jump back/forward), no push-up burpee, hand-elevated burpees on box/bench, reduce jump height or remove jump entirely. Volume: Reduce intervals to 45-second/15-second work periods while keeping rest ratios the same (maintain 2:1 rest-to-work ratio). Alternative: Remove one set from each block (2 sets of 1-min, 1 set of 20-sec). DO NOT reduce rest periods - recovery is essential to maintain sprint intensity.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain continuous movement for the full work interval without stopping. The goal is UNBROKEN sets at maximal sustainable pace, not struggling through broken reps. Signs to scale: breaking during any interval, unable to maintain chest-to-deck position, excessive form breakdown, or finishing intervals with gas left in the tank (indicating poor pacing/fear of the work). Priority is intensity over complexity - better to do step-back burpees at 100% effort than standard burpees at 70% with breaks. Athletes should feel completely gassed at the end of each interval. Total work time is only 3:40, so this should hurt significantly.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity anaerobic capacity test targeting the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems. Each interval is a true sprint (95-100% effort) with sufficient rest to allow near-complete recovery. Tests ability to repeatedly achieve maximal power output and serves as a benchmark for tracking anaerobic conditioning progress over time. The progression from 1-minute to 20-second intervals creates two distinct challenges: sustained sprint capacity and pure explosive output.

Coach Insight

Commit to UNBROKEN reps in every interval - this is non-negotiable for the intended stimulus. Use an efficient burpee pattern: chest-and-thighs touch together, explosive hip extension on the jump. Expect 15-25 reps in the 1-minute intervals and 6-10 reps in the 20-second sprints depending on fitness level. The first 1-minute set establishes your baseline - aim to stay within 2-3 reps across all three 1-minute blocks. Write down each set's count immediately - this is a benchmark for future testing. The 20-second intervals should feel like an all-out sprint with nothing left in the tank. Use the generous rest fully - walk around, shake out legs, control breathing.

Benchmark Notes

Primary limiters are anaerobic capacity, upper body endurance, and the ability to sustain high-intensity burpee pace across multiple intervals. L1 athletes (31 reps) average ~8-10 burpees/min with fatigue, likely stepping back instead of jumping. L5 (58 reps) maintains 15-16/min on the one-minute sets and can push harder on the 20-second sprints (~18-20/min pace). L10 elite (84 reps) sustains 21-23/min on longer sets and hits 25+ burpees/min pace on the short sprints despite accumulated fatigue. The generous rest allows for high output, but the sheer volume of unbroken work tests both power output and ability to manage breathing under repeated maximal efforts.

Modality Profile

Burpee is a bodyweight movement combining a push-up and jump, classified entirely as Gymnastics (G). No monostructural cardio or external load elements are present.