Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While individual elements are basic bodyweight movements, the structure creates significant fatigue accumulation. The 5 burpees between each movement act as a 'tax' that prevents recovery and keeps heart rate elevated. With 20 total burpees per round (100 total), plus high-volume squats and lunges targeting legs repeatedly, this becomes a brutal test of muscular endurance and cardiovascular capacity.

Benchmark Times for (Home)WORK #26

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 7:00-8:00
• Intermediate: 9:00-10:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Multiple rounds of high-rep bodyweight movements tax muscular endurance, especially with burpees repeated between each exercise block.
• Endurance (7/10): High volume of burpees interspersed throughout creates significant cardiovascular demand. Five rounds with compound movements maintains elevated heart rate throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between movements and efficient burpee cycling are crucial for maintaining workout intensity.
• Flexibility (4/10): Burpees and lunges require moderate hip and ankle mobility. V-ups demand some shoulder and hamstring flexibility.
• Power (3/10): Burpees have a moderate power component in the stand-up and jump, but most movements are controlled bodyweight exercises.
• Strength (2/10): Exclusively bodyweight movements focusing on endurance rather than maximal strength. Push-ups provide some upper body strength demand.

Movements

• Burpee
• Air Squat
• Push-Up
• Lunge
• V-Up

Scaling Options

Beginner modifications: Reduce to 3-4 rounds. Step-out burpees instead of jumping. Reduce squats to 10-15 reps. Knee push-ups or elevated push-ups. Walking lunges instead of alternating. Bent knee v-ups or crunches. Intermediate modifications: Keep 5 rounds but reduce squats to 15, lunges to 15. Maintain burpee volume as written. Scale push-ups to knees as needed in later rounds.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to maintain proper burpee form for 5 reps unbroken when fresh, or if push-ups break to singles before round 3. Target completion time is 12-18 minutes - scale volume if projected to go longer. Prioritize full range of motion on squats and lunges over speed. Movement quality should not significantly degrade between first and last round. This workout should feel challenging but manageable - you should be able to keep moving with minimal extended breaks.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-18 minutes) with burpee-driven spikes in heart rate. Primary focus is on muscular endurance and mental toughness. The repeated burpee clusters create metabolic disruption while the bodyweight movements test local muscular endurance. This is a 'chipper' style workout that challenges both cardiovascular capacity and muscular stamina.

Coach Insight

Break up the squats and lunges early into sets of 10 to preserve leg endurance. Burpees should be performed with urgency but controlled - they're your limiting factor. Keep transitions under 5 seconds. For push-ups, consider 5-5 split to maintain quality. V-ups can be performed unbroken if possible as they provide active recovery for legs. Watch for form degradation on burpees in later rounds - full extension at top, chest to ground at bottom.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is structurally similar to Angie but broken into smaller sets with more transitions. Let's break it down: 1. Movement analysis per round: - 5 burpees (4x): 20 sec - 20 squats: 30 sec - 10 push-ups: 15 sec - 20 lunges: 30 sec - 10 v-ups: 15 sec - Transitions between movements (~5 sec each): 25 sec Base time per round: ~135 seconds Fatigue multipliers: - Round 1: 1.0x = 135s - Round 2: 1.1x = 149s - Round 3: 1.2x = 162s - Round 4: 1.3x = 176s - Round 5: 1.4x = 189s Total projected time: 811 seconds Comparing to Angie (our closest benchmark), this workout is about 35% easier due to: - Smaller sets (less cumulative fatigue) - More built-in rest during transitions - Less total volume Therefore, we'll scale Angie's benchmarks (L10: 900-1080s, L5: 1320-1500s, L1: 1980-2400s) down by ~35% and adjust for smoother progression. Final targets: Male: L10: 360s (6:00) L5: 600s (10:00) L1: 1080s (18:00) Female: L10: 420s (7:00) L5: 660s (11:00) L1: 1200s (20:00)

Modality Profile

All 5 movements (Burpee, Air Squat, Push-Up, Lunge, V-Up) are bodyweight/gymnastics movements. No monostructural cardio or weighted movements are present.