Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

High total volume with a weight vest plus odd-object carries makes this a long, grinding effort. You’ll do 100 hand-release push-ups, 170 squats, and 180 kettlebell swings, bracketed by over 1 km of medicine ball carrying. Movement complexity is low, but vest loading and cumulative fatigue elevate difficulty, pushing most athletes into 30–50 minutes of sustained work.

Benchmark Times for Kevin Conner

• Elite: <25:00
• Advanced: 27:00-29:00
• Intermediate: 31:00-33:00
• Beginner: >55:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Accumulated 100 push-ups, 170 squats, and 180 swings under a vest tax local muscular endurance of shoulders, core, and legs across many rounds.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained effort for 25–50 minutes including two long carries demands aerobic capacity and steady breathing throughout a high-rep, low-skill grind.
• Speed (4/10): Round times reward crisp transitions and steady cycling, but pacing must be controlled to prevent early burnout with the vest and carries.
• Power (4/10): Kettlebell swings require hip drive, but the workout is mostly sustained output rather than pure explosiveness or high-power bursts.
• Strength (3/10): Loads are moderate and submaximal. Strength contributes but is not the limiter; capacity to repeat reps under fatigue matters more than peak force.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard ROM for push-ups, squats, and overhead swings. Basic shoulder and hip mobility required; no extreme positions or advanced flexibility demands.

Movements

• Medicine Ball Carry
• Kettlebell Swing
• Air Squat
• Hand-Release Push-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: No vest, Rx loads • Vest on, KB 35/26 lb, 8 rounds • Vest on, Rx KB, 7 rounds, 8 HRPU/14 squats, 400 m MB carry each end

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the long, steady stimulus while adjusting load, volume, and carry distance so athletes keep moving and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

Grindy, sustained effort with controlled breathing and short, reliable sets. The carries should feel challenging but steady. Inside the rounds, keep push-ups in quick, manageable breaks, squats smooth and unbroken, and swings mostly unbroken. Aim to keep transitions tight and maintain a consistent round pace without redlining early.

Coach Insight

Settle into the first carry—don’t sprint. Inside the rounds, cap push-ups to sustainable sets from the start (e.g., 5-3-2) and breathe through the squats and swings. Most important: protect your push-ups—break before you fail so you never hit the wall. Avoid death-gripping the kettlebell, sloppy lockouts on swings, and long, aimless chalk breaks between movements.

Benchmark Notes

Times reflect completion of the full Rx with vest and prescribed loads. If you’re above L3, consider scaling to hit the intended stimulus. Advanced athletes should finish under 30 minutes; beginners may approach the cap unless they scale carries, KB load, or total rounds.

Modality Profile

Gymnastics (hand-release push-ups and air squats) make up a large chunk of the 10-round core, while weightlifting dominates due to 180 kettlebell swings plus over 1,100 m of medicine ball carries. There’s no pure monostructural element; the carries count as odd-object weightlifting work.

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