Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

The 40:20 work-to-rest ratio provides adequate recovery between stations, preventing excessive fatigue accumulation. Light 15kg dumbbells and moderate box height keep loads manageable. While devil press is demanding, the tabata-style format with built-in rest and movement variety prevents any single limiting factor from dominating. Average athletes can maintain intensity across 6 rounds without major scaling needs.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Continuous 40-second work periods across multiple muscle groups will heavily tax muscular endurance, especially grip strength from devil press and rowing.
• Endurance (8/10): Six rounds of 40-second intervals with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, testing aerobic capacity and heart rate recovery between efforts.
• Speed (8/10): 40-second AMRAP format demands rapid movement cycling and quick transitions between exercises to maximize repetitions within each interval.
• Power (7/10): Box jump overs and hang clean & jerks are explosive movements, while devil press has power component in the burpee and press phases.
• Flexibility (6/10): Devil press requires full overhead mobility, box jumps need ankle/hip flexibility, and hang cleans demand good thoracic spine and shoulder mobility.
• Strength (4/10): 15kg dumbbells and bodyweight movements provide moderate resistance, but focus is on sustained output rather than maximal strength development.

Movements

• Box Jump-Over
• Row

Scaling Options

Reduce DB weight to 10-12.5kg for devil press and clean & jerk. Lower box to 40cm or use step-ups. Substitute regular DB thrusters for devil press if movement is too complex. Use lighter damper setting (3-4) on rower. Consider 30:15 intervals for newer athletes or extend rest to 30 seconds if recovery is insufficient.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain movement quality throughout 40-second intervals or if rest periods feel inadequate for partial recovery. Priority is maintaining high intensity and proper form over using prescribed weights. Athletes should complete 8-12 reps per station during work intervals. If completing fewer than 6 reps per movement, reduce load or complexity.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity interval training targeting the glycolytic energy system with brief recovery periods. This 6-minute workout creates significant metabolic stress while testing power endurance across multiple movement patterns. The 40:20 work-to-rest ratio maintains high intensity while allowing partial recovery, challenging both anaerobic capacity and movement efficiency under fatigue.

Coach Insight

Pace aggressively in first 2 rounds, then settle into sustainable rhythm. Devil press should be singles or doubles max - focus on smooth ground-to-overhead transition. Box jump overs prioritize speed over height - step down if needed for safety. Keep DB hang clean & jerks light and crisp - alternate arms each rep. Row at 85-90% effort to accumulate calories quickly. Transitions between stations are crucial - have equipment pre-positioned and move with purpose.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 6-round AMRAP with 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest intervals across 4 movements. Total work time is 240 seconds (4 minutes) with 100 seconds of rest. Movement breakdown per 40-second interval: Single arm DB Devil Press (complex movement): 6-12 reps depending on skill level. Box Jump Over 50cm: 12-20 reps for most athletes. Alternating DB Hang Clean & Jerk 15kg: 15-25 reps (relatively light load). Calorie Row: 8-15 calories depending on power output. Per round (160 seconds total), athletes should complete roughly 40-70 total reps across all movements. Over 6 rounds with progressive fatigue: Round 1-2 (fresh): 65-70 reps per round. Round 3-4 (moderate fatigue): 60-65 reps per round. Round 5-6 (high fatigue): 55-60 reps per round. This gives a total range of approximately 350-400 reps for elite athletes, 250-300 for intermediate, and 150-200 for beginners. The workout structure is similar to Fight Gone Bad in terms of interval format, but with different movements and shorter duration. Using Fight Gone Bad as an anchor (L10: 430-500 total reps over 15 minutes), this 4-minute version should yield proportionally lower totals. Adjusting for the shorter timeframe and movement complexity: L10 athletes should achieve 400-420 reps, L5 athletes around 300 reps, and L1 athletes around 180 reps.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Single Arm Dumbbell Devil Press (W), Box Jump-Over (G), Alternating Dumbbell Hang Clean And Jerk (W), Row (M). Two weightlifting movements (50%), one gymnastics movement (25%), one monostructural movement (25%).