Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The combination of high-volume kettlebell swings (300 reps) with a forced-pace burpee penalty every minute creates significant metabolic and grip fatigue. While neither element alone is extreme, the EMOM burpees prevent sustained recovery and force constant movement. The average athlete will take 15-20 minutes, meaning 75-100 total burpees on top of the swings. This combination creates substantial cumulative fatigue.

Benchmark Times for Haystacks

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 15:00-16:00
• Intermediate: 18:00-20:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): 300 kettlebell swings test posterior chain stamina extensively. Regular burpees add full-body muscular endurance demands throughout the entire workout.
• Endurance (8/10): High-volume kettlebell swings combined with burpee EMOMs create sustained cardiovascular demand. The workout requires maintaining output through significant systemic fatigue.
• Speed (7/10): EMOM format forces quick burpee execution. Fast cycling of kettlebell swings is essential for efficient workout completion.
• Power (6/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently a power movement. However, fatigue will reduce power output as volume accumulates.
• Flexibility (5/10): Kettlebell swings demand good hip hinge mobility. Burpees require shoulder mobility and general range of motion.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate-heavy kettlebell weight requires decent strength, but not maximal. Focus is more on strength endurance than pure force production.

Movements

• Kettlebell Swing
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Reduce kettlebell weight to 24/16kg or 20/12kg. Can substitute Russian swings for American swings if shoulder mobility is limited. For newer athletes, reduce total swing volume to 150-200 reps. Scale burpees to step-back burpees or burpees without push-ups if needed. Time cap at 30 minutes. Can also reduce burpee reps to 3 per minute for higher-fatigue athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain powerful hip drive on swings for sets of 25+ or if burpees take more than 20 seconds per round. Form deterioration on swings is primary scaling indicator - should be able to maintain full hip extension and proper swing arc throughout. Target completion time is 20-30 minutes with consistent work rate. Scaling should allow athletes to keep moving with good form while preserving intended stimulus of steady work with regular heart rate spikes.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration glycolytic/oxidative workout (20-30 minutes) that tests muscular endurance and mental toughness. The EMOM burpees create a consistent spike in heart rate while managing a large volume of kettlebell swings. Primary challenge is maintaining power output and proper mechanics under accumulated fatigue.

Coach Insight

Break kettlebell swings into manageable sets (25-50 reps) from the start - don't go unbroken early. Use the burpees as a natural break in swing sets. Maintain powerful hip drive on swings; avoid turning them into front raises. Quick but controlled descent on burpees to preserve energy. Aim to complete burpees in 15-20 seconds to allow recovery. Consider 6 sets of 50 swings or 10 sets of 30 swings as a rep scheme strategy.

Benchmark Notes

This workout combines high-volume kettlebell swings (300) with EMOM burpees. Analysis: 1. Base KB Swing Timing: - Fresh: 1.5-2s per swing - Progressive fatigue multipliers applied to sets of 25-30 - First 100: ~200s - Second 100: ~240s (1.2x fatigue) - Final 100: ~300s (1.5x fatigue) Base KB time: ~740s 2. EMOM Burpees: - 5 burpees every minute - 3-4s per burpee = ~20s work per minute - Forces 40s rest each minute - Total burpee impact: adds ~13-15 minutes 3. Closest benchmark comparison is Karen (150 wall balls) but doubled volume. Karen L10 is 420-480s for men. This workout has: - 2x the reps - Similar movement pattern - Added EMOM burpees - Slightly lighter relative loading Projected targets: Men: L10: 14:00 (840s) L5: 20:00 (1200s) L1: 30:00 (1800s) Women: L10: 16:00 (960s) L5: 23:00 (1380s) L1: 35:00 (2100s) Women's times adjusted +15-20% due to relative loading impact and volume.

Modality Profile

Burpee is a gymnastics (bodyweight) movement, while Kettlebell Swing is a weightlifting movement using external load. With two movements split across two modalities, this results in a 50/50 split between G and W.