Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

While the individual movements are basic, the high volume (300 KB swings, 150 air squats, 75 burpees) and descending rep scheme creates significant metabolic fatigue. The combination of hip-dominant KB swings followed by squats taxes the posterior chain continuously. Burpees add full-body fatigue throughout. Most athletes will take 20-25 minutes with forced breaks, making sustained intensity difficult.

Benchmark Times for Grand Ferré

• Elite: <11:00
• Advanced: 12:00-13:00
• Intermediate: 14:00-16:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Total volume of 300 KB swings, 150 squats, and 75 burpees creates substantial local muscular endurance demands, especially in posterior chain.
• Endurance (8/10): High-volume descending rep scheme creates sustained cardiovascular demand across multiple movements, requiring significant aerobic capacity to maintain work rate.
• Speed (7/10): Descending rep scheme allows for faster cycling of movements, with transition speed becoming crucial for overall workout time.
• Power (6/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently power-focused movements, though fatigue will impact power output as volume accumulates.
• Flexibility (5/10): Russian kettlebell swings require good hip hinge mobility, while burpees and air squats demand moderate hip and ankle range.
• Strength (4/10): Kettlebell swings provide moderate strength stimulus, while air squats and burpees are primarily bodyweight movements focusing on endurance.

Movements

• Russian Kettlebell Swing
• Air Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Kettlebell weight: Rx+ (32/24kg), Rx (24/16kg), Scaled (16/12kg), Beginner (12/8kg). Movement substitutions: KB swings to chest height instead of overhead, step-back burpees, reduce range of motion on squats if mobility limited. Volume options: 80-60-40-20 or 60-40-20 rep scheme. Add time cap of 25 minutes for newer athletes. Consider reducing total volume by 25-50% for beginners while maintaining movement pattern and intensity.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to maintain proper KB swing form for sets of 15+, if burpees take longer than 3-4 seconds each, or if air squat depth/form deteriorates. Prioritize maintaining intensity over completing full volume - better to reduce reps and move with purpose than grind through poor form. Target completion time is 12-20 minutes. Scale to achieve minimum 1:2 work-to-rest ratio. Signs to scale: grip failure, excessive rest between sets, inability to maintain consistent movement standards.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-20 minutes) with oxidative system contribution. Primary focus is metabolic conditioning and muscular endurance. The descending rep scheme creates a sustained high heart rate while allowing brief recovery between movements. Tests mental toughness through high-volume bodyweight movements and moderate-load kettlebell work.

Coach Insight

Break kettlebell swings into sets of 20-25 early to preserve grip strength. Quick but controlled transitions between movements are key. For air squats, establish consistent depth and maintain upright torso. On burpees, focus on efficiency over speed - step-back variation if needed. Consider breaking sets as follows: KB swings (25-25-25-25), air squats (15-15-10-10), burpees (8-8-9). Heart rate management in first two rounds is crucial for finishing strong.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is structurally similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 rep scheme) but with higher total volume and more demanding movements. Using Annie's anchor points as a base: Movement breakdown: - Russian KB Swings (300 total): 1.5-2 sec/rep = 450-600 sec - Air Squats (150 total): 1-1.5 sec/rep = 150-225 sec - Burpees (75 total): 3-4 sec/rep = 225-300 sec Base time: 825-1125 sec Fatigue factors: - Set breaks for KB swings (sets of 20-25): +60-90 sec - Air squat fatigue multiplier (1.2x for later sets): +30-45 sec - Burpee fatigue multiplier (1.3x for later sets): +70-90 sec - Transitions between movements: 5-8 transitions × 5-10 sec = 25-80 sec Total projected time ranges: - Elite (L10): 660-720 sec (11:00-12:00) - Intermediate (L5): 960-1020 sec (16:00-17:00) - Beginner (L1): 1800-1920 sec (30:00-32:00) Compared to Annie anchor (L10: 300-360s, L5: 480-600s, L1: 780-960s), this workout is roughly 2x the volume and complexity, justifying the ~2x time multiplier across all levels.

Modality Profile

Of the 3 movements: Air Squat and Burpee are Gymnastics (G), Russian KB Swing is Weightlifting (W). With 2 gymnastics movements and 1 weightlifting movement, rounded to nearest 10%, this gives us 40% G, 0% M, 60% W.