Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines two 1,500m rows bookending a demanding middle section. The 135lb shoulder press (5 reps) is near-maximal for many athletes, especially after 53 push-ups and 11 pull-ups have pre-fatigued the shoulders. The farmers carry and sled push tax legs before a 300m sprint, then it repeats. Total time likely 30-45 minutes with no built-in rest, creating significant cumulative fatigue across multiple limiting factors.

Benchmark Times for Jonathon Farmer

• Elite: <19:15
• Advanced: 21:30-24:00
• Intermediate: 26:45-29:45
• Beginner: >52:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Two 1,500-meter rows bookending a demanding couplet create significant cardiovascular demand. The sustained aerobic effort across rowing, sprinting, and carries taxes the aerobic system heavily throughout.
• Stamina (8/10): High-rep push-ups (53 per round), pull-ups, farmers carries, and sled pushes across two rounds create substantial muscular endurance demands, especially in the upper body and posterior chain.
• Strength (5/10): Loaded shoulder presses at 135/95 lb, heavy farmers carries, and sled pushes introduce moderate strength demands, though volume and fatigue context prevent true maximal force expression.
• Speed (5/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and pacing strategy. The 300-meter sprint demands speed, but the overall workout requires measured pacing across long rowing and carry segments.
• Power (3/10): The 300-meter sprint introduces a speed-power element, and the sled push requires forceful output, but most movements are grind-based rather than explosively driven.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard range of motion required for rowing, push-ups, pull-ups, and shoulder press. No extreme mobility demands, though shoulder and hip mobility support efficient movement patterns.

Movements

• Shoulder Press
• Farmer Carry
• Push-Up
• Sprint
• Row
• Sled Push
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Weight reductions: Women scale shoulder press to 65-75 lbs, farmers carry to 25 lbs, sled push to 25-35 lbs. Men scale shoulder press to 95-115 lbs, farmers carry to 53 lbs, sled push to 65 lbs. Movement substitutions: Replace pull-ups with ring rows or banded pull-ups. Replace sled push with a 50-meter prowler drag or 10 burpees if no sled is available. Replace farmers carry with a dumbbell carry at reduced load. Volume modifications: Reduce push-ups to 35 per round. Reduce rounds from 2 to 1 for newer athletes. Shorten rows to 1,000 meters each for athletes still building aerobic base. Sprint can be reduced to 200 meters if needed.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the shoulder press if you cannot confidently complete 5 reps unbroken at Rx weight when fresh — attempting near-max pressing when fatigued mid-workout is a recipe for injury. Scale push-ups to knee push-ups or reduce reps if you cannot do at least 15 unbroken when fresh. Scale pull-ups if you have fewer than 5 strict pull-ups — ring rows will keep the pulling stimulus without compromising the workout flow. The goal is to finish in 35-55 minutes with consistent effort throughout. If you're looking at a 60+ minute workout, reduce volume on the middle section rather than the rows. Prioritize technique on the shoulder press above all else — a failed rep or a back injury ends your day. Intensity is secondary to moving safely through this long effort.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding effort targeting the 35-55 minute time domain. The workout demands a strong aerobic engine bookended by two 1,500-meter rows, with a middle section that tests raw strength, grip endurance, and mental toughness. The shoulder press at Rx weight is the great equalizer — it's heavy enough to slow most athletes down significantly. Expect a sustained hard effort throughout, with brief spikes of intensity on the sprints and sled pushes. The primary challenge is pacing discipline: going out too hot on the first row or the push-ups will cost you dearly in the second half.

Coach Insight

Row 1: Resist the urge to sprint. Hold a pace that feels almost too easy — roughly 70-75% effort. You have a long road ahead. Push-ups (53 reps): Break these early and often. Consider sets of 15-12-10-8-8 or even smaller. Unbroken attempts here will destroy your shoulders before the press. Pull-ups (11 reps): These should be manageable in 2-3 sets — don't burn out your grip. Shoulder Press (5 reps): This is the anchor movement. At Rx weight, these 5 reps may be near your max. Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and don't rush the setup. If you fail a rep, you've gone too hard elsewhere. Farmers Carry: Maintain an upright torso and controlled breathing — this is active recovery. Sled Push: Drive through your hips and keep your back flat. Sprint: This is your one true sprint of each round — give it real effort but remember you have a second round. Row 2: This is where the workout is won or lost. Settle in, find a rhythm, and grind. Don't go out faster than your first row split.

Benchmark Notes

A 1,500 m row, two rounds of 53 push-ups, 11 pull-ups, 5 strict presses at 135/95 lb, a 100 m farmers carry, a 50 m sled push and a 300 m sprint, then another 1,500 m row. L5 (29:45-33:15) rows each 1,500 m in about 6:15 and takes about 9 minutes a round. L10 (under 19:15) rows near 5:10 and holds about 4 minutes a round.

Modality Profile

7 movements total. Gymnastics (2): Push-Up, Pull-Up. Monostructural (2): Row, Sprint. Weightlifting (3): Shoulder Press, Farmer Carry, Sled Push (weighted). Rounded to nearest whole: G=29%, M=29%, W=42%.

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