Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The 34-minute AMRAP with a weight vest creates significant metabolic fatigue, while the burpee penalty for breaking movements forces difficult strategic choices. The thruster/deadlift combination with the same barbell weight means grip fatigue compounds throughout each round. The high-volume push-ups after pull-ups creates upper body fatigue that makes maintaining unbroken sets increasingly challenging.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High-volume compound movements with weight vest tax muscular endurance severely. Burpee penalties for breaks create additional local muscle fatigue.
• Endurance (8/10): 34-minute AMRAP with weight vest creates significant cardiovascular demand. Complex movements and burpee penalties maintain elevated heart rate throughout the extended duration.
• Flexibility (7/10): Thrusters demand significant mobility in ankles, hips, and shoulders. Weight vest increases positional demands throughout all movements.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate loads for thrusters and deadlifts, plus weight vest, create consistent strength demands. Not maximal loads but sustained submaximal loading.
• Power (5/10): Thrusters require power output, but fatigue and volume will limit explosive capacity. Other movements are more strength-endurance focused.
• Speed (4/10): Workout rewards steady pacing over sprint efforts. Burpee penalties discourage rushing and breaking sets.

Movements

• Thruster
• Deadlift
• Pull-Up
• Push-Up
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight Modifications: - Thrusters: 65/45 lbs - Deadlifts: 65/45 lbs - Weight Vest: 14/10 lbs or remove Movement Substitutions: - Ring Rows or Banded Pull-ups for Pull-ups - Box Push-ups or Knee Push-ups - Step-ups instead of Burpees Volume Options: - Reduce to 8 Thrusters - Cap deadlifts at 15 reps - Reduce push-ups to 10-12 reps - Cap workout at 20-25 minutes

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken thrusters, 8 unbroken deadlifts, 3-5 strict pull-ups, or 10 good-form push-ups when fresh. The goal is to maintain consistent movement through all 34 minutes - you should be able to complete at least 6-8 rounds. Scale load and/or volume to achieve a steady work pace with 1-2 short breaks per movement. Technique should remain solid even in final rounds. If burpee penalties exceed 5-6 per round, scale movement volumes or weights further.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration oxidative conditioning workout (34 minutes) with moderate-to-heavy loads. The weight vest adds constant metabolic stress while the burpee penalty creates additional anaerobic spikes. Primary challenge is maintaining work capacity under load while managing fatigue and minimizing breaks. The high-volume pushing and pulling elements test upper body endurance.

Coach Insight

Break up thrusters and deadlifts strategically from the start - consider 7-6 on thrusters and 12-11 on deadlifts. Minimize transitions between movements to reduce fatigue accumulation. The burpee penalty should influence your pacing strategy - better to break sets deliberately than fail unexpectedly. For pull-ups, quick singles are better than failing big sets. Push-ups should be broken before form deteriorates, typically 6-6-5. Track your breaks each round to know your burpee count. Remove the vest if form significantly degrades.

Benchmark Notes

Using Cindy (AMRAP 20: 5 pull-up, 10 push-up, 15 air squat) as base anchor, but adjusting for: 1. Longer time domain (34 min vs 20 min) 2. Weight vest (20/14 lb) 3. More complex movements (thrusters/deadlifts vs air squats) 4. Burpee penalty for breaks Base movement times per round: - 13 Thrusters (90/65): ~39s - 23 Deadlifts (90/65): ~57s - 9 Pull-ups: ~18s - 17 Push-ups: ~25s Total ideal round time: ~139s (2:19) Fatigue factors: - Weight vest adds 15% difficulty - Burpee penalties (est. 2-4 per round) add ~12s - Later rounds 20-30% slower Projected round completion: L10 (Elite): ~10.5 rounds L5 (Intermediate): ~7.5 rounds L1 (Beginner): ~4.2 rounds Scaled from Cindy's 25-30 rounds in 20 min benchmark, accounting for increased load/complexity and longer time domain.

Modality Profile

Of the 5 movements: Pull-Up, Push-Up, and Burpee are Gymnastics (3 movements = 60%). Thruster and Deadlift are Weightlifting (2 movements = 40%). No Monostructural movements present.