Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Joshie pairs unilateral dumbbell squat snatches with strict L pull-ups—an advanced gymnastics skill. Across 3 rounds you’ll accumulate 126 snatches and 84 L pull-ups, demanding midline strength, shoulder stability, and grip endurance. The strict standard forces small, consistent sets and strategic rest, pushing many athletes into a 30–50 minute grind with high movement complexity.

Benchmark Times for Joshie

• Elite: <32:00
• Advanced: 35:00-38:00
• Intermediate: 41:00-44:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High-volume unilateral snatches (126 total) and 84 strict L pull-ups require continuous muscular output in shoulders, grip, hips, and trunk. Success depends on managing small sets and short, consistent breaks across all three rounds.
• Flexibility (6/10): Receiving the dumbbell in a full squat overhead needs hip, ankle, thoracic, and shoulder mobility. L pull-ups also challenge hamstring flexibility and active hip flexion to keep legs straight at or above horizontal.
• Power (5/10): Dumbbell squat snatches require a crisp, explosive pull to overhead. The load allows snappy reps, but strict L pull-ups reduce overall power expression, shifting the workout toward controlled, repeatable effort.
• Endurance (5/10): Sustained work across a long time domain without pure cardio. Heart rate stays elevated from continuous snatch cycling and repeated pull-up sets, but breathing is rarely the sole limiter compared to grip and midline fatigue.
• Speed (4/10): Not a sprint. Rep speed is constrained by strict L pull-ups and grip management. Most time gains come from efficient transitions and steady snatch cycling rather than large unbroken sets.
• Strength (3/10): Loads are moderate (40/25 lb) so maximal strength isn’t tested. However, strict L pull-ups demand notable upper-body pulling and midline strength to maintain leg position while pulling under accumulating fatigue.

Movements

• Dumbbell Squat Snatch
• L-Sit Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: DB 30/20 lb + Tucked-L Pull-Ups • Keep Rx load, cut L Pull-Ups to 12–15 each set • Strict Pull-Ups (1:1) or Ring Rows; optional 10–15s L-sit/knee-tuck holds

Scaling Explanation

These options reduce load and/or skill while maintaining unilateral overhead squatting, high pulling volume, and core demand so the time domain and grip stimulus remain comparable.

Intended Stimulus

A grindy, skill-heavy effort. Move the dumbbell steadily in small, repeatable sets with crisp positions. Break L pull-ups early to protect grip and core, aiming for consistent sets and short rests. Heart rate stays controlled while midline and forearms become the limiting factor. Finish challenged but with movement quality intact.

Coach Insight

Pace early. Snatches in 6–5–5–5 or 7–7–7, and L pull-ups in 3–5s with 5–10 breaths between sets usually beats going big and blowing up. One tip: Protect your grip. Chalk, breathe at lockout, and deliberately regrip each snatch—don’t death-clamp the handle. Avoid: Letting the L collapse, racing the first round, or crashing the dumbbell into the squat. Stay tall and keep tension.

Benchmark Notes

These times represent finish benchmarks from beginner to elite. If you’re near L5, expect around 44 minutes. Faster athletes hold small, consistent sets on L pull-ups and steady snatch pacing. If you exceed L1, scale volume or movement to stay within the intended stimulus.

Modality Profile

Two movements: gymnastics (L pull-up) and weightlifting (dumbbell squat snatch). Although snatches have more total reps, athletes typically spend more time on strict L pull-ups due to smaller sets and rest. As a result, gymnastics slightly outweighs weightlifting in overall time demand.

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