Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Short, steep runs spike heart rate, burpees punish pacing, and the thruster ladder finishes heavy at 165/115 lb for 11 reps. The mixed demand of cardio, high-rep leg/shoulder cycling, and barbell strength creates a sustained redline where poor pacing leads to big drop-offs. Advanced athletes still feel heavy breathing and leg/shoulder fatigue.

Benchmark Times for Happy Star

• Elite: <13:00
• Advanced: 15:00-17:00
• Intermediate: 19:00-21:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Accumulating burpees and heavy thruster sets challenge leg and shoulder stamina. Athletes must repeatedly produce submaximal effort without full rest, especially on the last two rounds.
• Strength (6/10): Thrusters climb to a load many athletes can’t cycle easily for 11 reps. Strength in the front rack, squat, and press-out is needed to avoid excessive small sets and long rest.
• Power (6/10): Thrusters start from the legs and hips, demanding aggressive drive. Hill running also rewards powerful strides, especially when surging the final 50–100 meters of each run.
• Endurance (6/10): Four 300 m hill efforts drive sustained aerobic demand. Heart rate stays elevated with limited recovery, but the workout is not pure cardio because strength and heavy barbell sets interrupt steady pacing.
• Speed (6/10): Fast transitions and decisive barbell sets matter. True sprinting is limited by the hill and heavy loads, but quicker cycle rates and minimal chalk breaks significantly reduce time.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires reliable front rack mobility and squat depth. Overhead positioning is standard for thrusters but not extreme; most athletes can meet standards with a thorough warm-up.

Movements

• Hill Run
• Thruster
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Scale to: progressive thruster ladder 95/65 → 115/75 → 135/95 → 155/105 • flat 300 m run (or 250 m) if no hill • burpees to up-downs or reduce reps to 4-6-8-10

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the triplet, increasing ladder, and breathing/heavy legs stimulus while matching strength and aerobic capacity so athletes keep moving without extensive barbell failures or walking the runs.

Intended Stimulus

Fast but controlled hill efforts into crisp, confident barbell sets. The first two rounds should feel challenging yet smooth. The final two rounds bring deep leg burn and heavy breathing; manage rest so you avoid redline blowups and barbell failures while keeping transitions tight and runs honest.

Coach Insight

Pace the early runs at 80–85% and breathe through smooth burpees. Save your big push for the round of 9 and the final 11. One tip: Commit to your first thruster set—no hesitation after the burpees. Avoid over-resting before the bar and sprinting the first run. Small, planned breaks beat failed reps.

Benchmark Notes

These finish-time tiers assume a legit hill. Beginners may bump against the 30-minute cap; intermediates finish around 18–22 minutes; advanced athletes 13–17 minutes; elites sub-13. Use them to pick a scaling that lets you push hard without long barbell failures or walking the runs.

Modality Profile

Time splits typically lean one-third each across weightlifting (thrusters), monostructural (hill runs), and gymnastics (burpees). Thrusters and runs dominate, but burpees are a sizable chunk that accumulate fatigue and influence heart rate and pacing choices.

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