Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While using only bodyweight movements, the high volume (110 total reps each) combined with the continuous nature and movement interference makes this challenging. Burpees tax the whole body, immediately followed by air squats fatiguing the legs, then push-ups hitting already-tired shoulders. The shuttle sprints prevent full recovery and maintain high heart rate throughout. Most athletes will take 20-25 minutes with significant breaks needed.

Benchmark Times for Iron Hart

• 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 (9/10): The volume of repetitions (110 each) of burpees, squats, and push-ups demands exceptional muscular endurance, particularly in the pushing muscles and legs.
• Endurance (8/10): High-rep bodyweight movements combined with shuttle sprints create significant cardiovascular demand across the descending rep scheme, requiring sustained aerobic capacity throughout.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and fast shuttle sprints make speed a key component, particularly in the shorter rep rounds.
• Power (6/10): Shuttle sprints and explosive components of burpees require significant power output, especially early in the workout when fresh.
• Flexibility (4/10): Burpees and air squats require moderate mobility in hips and shoulders, but movements don't demand extreme ranges of motion.
• Strength (2/10): While challenging, the movements are all bodyweight-based and test muscular endurance rather than maximal strength capacity.

Movements

• Air Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Level 1 (Beginner): Regular push-ups instead of hand release, reduce reps by 50%, 5m shuttle run. Level 2 (Intermediate): Keep movements but use 16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 rep scheme. For push-ups: Elevate hands on box/bench if needed. Air squats: Reduce depth to above parallel if mobility limited. Consider adding 1-2 minutes rest between rounds for newer athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 10+ unbroken push-ups, maintain below parallel squat position, or complete standard burpees with full chest contact. Priority is maintaining consistent movement standards throughout - scale to allow 15-25 minute completion time. Athletes should be able to complete each round without extended breaks (>30 seconds). If breathing becomes severely labored or form deteriorates significantly, reduce volume or intensity while keeping workout intent.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-20 minutes) with oxidative system contribution. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent output across descending rep scheme while managing accumulating fatigue. Movement patterns target full body with emphasis on pushing mechanics and lower body endurance. Short shuttle runs provide active recovery and skill variety.

Coach Insight

Break up burpees early (sets of 5-7) to prevent redlining. Air squats can be done in larger chunks but watch depth as fatigue sets in. For hand release push-ups, focus on full extension at top and chest contact at bottom - break into sets of 4-6 as needed. Sprint should be crisp but controlled, using this time to reset breathing. As rounds progress and reps decrease, try to maintain or increase work rate. Most athletes hit a wall around the round of 14 - be prepared to adjust pacing.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 double-unders + sit-ups) in rep scheme and movement complexity, but with 4 movements instead of 2 and slightly higher total volume. Breakdown: - Total reps per movement: 90 (vs Annie's 150) - Burpees: 3.5s/rep fresh, increasing with fatigue - Air Squats: 1.5s/rep fresh - Hand Release Push-Ups: 2s/rep fresh - 10m Shuttle Sprint: ~4s per sprint fresh Round estimates (elite): 20 reps: 70s (burpees) + 30s (squats) + 40s (push-ups) + 80s (sprints) = 220s 18 reps: 65s + 28s + 37s + 72s = 202s 16 reps: 58s + 25s + 33s + 64s = 180s 14 reps: 52s + 22s + 29s + 56s = 159s 12 reps: 46s + 19s + 25s + 48s = 138s Remaining rounds scale down proportionally Transitions between movements: ~5s x 3 per round = 15s x 10 rounds = 150s Comparing to Annie anchor (L10: 300-360s, L5: 480-600s, L1: 780-960s), this workout should take about 20% longer due to: - Additional movements (4 vs 2) - More complex movement transitions - Greater cardio demand from burpees and sprints Final targets: L10 (M/F): 360/420s (6:00/7:00) L5 (M/F): 600/660s (10:00/11:00) L1 (M/F): 1080/1200s (18:00/20:00)

Modality Profile

Of the 4 movements: Air Squat (G), Burpee (G), Hand-Release Push-Up (G) are gymnastics movements, while Shuttle Sprint (M) is monostructural. 3 out of 4 movements are gymnastics (75%) and 1 out of 4 is monostructural (25%). No weightlifting movements present.