Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

A 20-minute AMRAP with heavy front squats, slow-cycling dumbbell man makers, and sustained biking yields moderate work density in the framework. Movement complexity averages to the Advanced range (front squat and man maker), but the time domain sits at 20 minutes, emphasizing pacing over sprinting. No volume or format modifiers apply. Expect a steady grind with intermittent heavy bracing rather than a pure sprint or max-strength effort.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Repeated front squats and man makers require sustained muscular output and bracing under fatigue across many small sets and transitions.
• Endurance (6/10): Twenty minutes with repeated bike efforts taxes aerobic capacity, but lifting segments break up continuous cardio, keeping it from being purely endurance-focused.
• Speed (5/10): Transitions matter and bike cadence can surge, yet man makers limit overall cycle speed and encourage controlled pacing.
• Strength (4/10): Front squats at 135/95 lb challenge leg and midline strength, but loads are submaximal and cycled in sets of 10.
• Power (4/10): Some power on the bike start and strong drive out of the squat, but most work is steady, not ballistic.
• Flexibility (3/10): Front rack mobility and squat depth are required, but demands are standard and not extreme.

Movements

• Man Maker
• Air Bike
• Front Squat

Scaling Options

Scale to: 12/9 cal bike • 10 Front Squats (95/65 lb or 75/55 lb) • 5 Man Makers (2×20/10 lb) or 5 Burpee + 2 DB Rows (light)

Scaling Explanation

These options keep the triplet structure and intent while adjusting the primary limiters—bike output, front squat loading, and man maker complexity—so athletes can move consistently without long breaks.

Intended Stimulus

A steady, sustainable grind with short breathing spikes. Bike at a controlled but assertive cadence, then move the front squats unbroken or in one break. Man makers should be smooth and consistent, not frantic. You should feel continuous work with minimal rest, aiming to hold the same round split from start to finish.

Coach Insight

Pace the first two rounds at 80–85%, then lock that split. Breathe on the bike, brace hard for squats, and be methodical on man makers. Most important: pick a squat load you can do unbroken or with one quick break—this preserves your breathing for the bike. Avoid redlining early on the bike and sloppy man maker mechanics. Fatigue comes from rushing transitions—organize your space.

Benchmark Notes

ANCHOR REFERENCE: This workout is most similar to Cindy (AMRAP 20: 5 pull-up + 10 push-up + 15 air squat), which has L10: 25-30 rounds, L5: 15-18 rounds, L1: 6-8 rounds for males. However, this workout is SIGNIFICANTLY more demanding due to heavy loading and complex movements. MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN PER ROUND: 15 Cal Assault Bike: Elite 18-22 sec, Intermediate 30-40 sec, Recreational 45-60 sec. This is a moderate cardio output that will tax the legs significantly. 10 Front Squats (135/95 lb): This is a heavy load for volume work. Elite athletes can cycle these in 20-25 sec (2-2.5 sec/rep), intermediate 35-45 sec with 1-2 breaks, recreational 50-70 sec with multiple breaks. At 135 lb, most athletes will break into sets of 5+5 or 3+3+4. 5 Dumbbell Man Makers (2x35/20 lb): This is an extremely taxing complex movement (burpee + renegade row + clean + thruster). Each rep takes elite 8-10 sec, intermediate 12-15 sec, recreational 18-25 sec. Total per round: elite 40-50 sec, intermediate 60-75 sec, recreational 90-125 sec. ROUND TIME ESTIMATES: Round 1 (Fresh): - Elite: 18 + 20 + 40 + 10 sec transition = 88 sec (1:28) - Intermediate: 35 + 40 + 65 + 15 sec transition = 155 sec (2:35) - Recreational: 50 + 60 + 100 + 20 sec transition = 230 sec (3:50) FATIGUE PROGRESSION: The man makers are a severe bottleneck. By round 3, athletes will slow 20-30% on man makers due to shoulder/core fatigue. Front squats will also degrade 15-25% as leg fatigue accumulates from the bike and squats. The bike remains relatively consistent but HR elevation adds 10-15%. Round 2: +10% = Elite 97 sec, Int 171 sec, Rec 253 sec Round 3: +20% = Elite 106 sec, Int 186 sec, Rec 276 sec Round 4: +30% = Elite 114 sec, Int 202 sec, Rec 299 sec Round 5: +40% = Elite 123 sec, Int 217 sec, Rec 322 sec Round 6: +50% = Elite 132 sec, Int 233 sec, Rec 345 sec CUMULATIVE TIME CALCULATIONS: Elite (L10): Round 1-6 = 88+97+106+114+123+132 = 660 sec (11:00). Can complete 5-6 full rounds. Advanced (L8): Round 1-5 = 100+115+130+145+160 = 650 sec. Completes 5 rounds. Intermediate (L5): Round 1-4 = 155+171+186+202 = 714 sec (11:54). Completes 3-4 rounds. Recreational (L2): Round 1-2 = 230+253 = 483 sec (8:03). Completes 2 rounds. Beginner (L1): Struggles to complete 1-2 rounds due to man maker complexity and front squat load. COACHING REALITY CHECK: The man makers at 2x35 lb are a MASSIVE limiter. Most intermediate athletes will hit singles on man makers by round 3, adding 10-15 sec rest between reps. The front squats at 135 lb will force frequent breaks. This is NOT a high-volume AMRAP like Cindy - it's a grinding, strength-endurance test. Elite athletes might average 3.5-4 min/round in the middle rounds, not the 1-2 min rounds seen in Cindy. Compared to Cindy's L5 of 15-18 rounds, this workout will see L5 athletes complete only 3-4 rounds due to the heavy loading and complex movements. The man maker alone takes longer than an entire Cindy round for most athletes. ADJUSTMENT FROM ANCHOR: Cindy L10 = 25-30 rounds → This workout L10 = 5-6 rounds (approximately 5x harder per round) Cindy L5 = 15-18 rounds → This workout L5 = 3-4 rounds (approximately 4.5x harder per round) Cindy L1 = 6-8 rounds → This workout L1 = 1-2 rounds (approximately 4x harder per round) FINAL MALE BENCHMARKS: - L10 (Elite): 5.5-6+ rounds - L5 (Intermediate): 3.5-4 rounds - L1 (Beginner): 1.5-2 rounds These numbers reflect the brutal combination of heavy front squats and complex man makers in a 20-minute window.

Modality Profile

The Assault Bike accounts for roughly one-third of each round’s time. The remaining time is primarily weightlifting: front squats and dumbbell man makers. There is no pure gymnastics element; push-up and row components live inside the dumbbell man maker, so they’re categorized as weightlifting here.

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