Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

10 rounds of continuous barbell work (15 S2OH + 11 Thrusters at 95/65 = 260 total reps) combined with 130 push-ups, 350 sit-ups, 90 burpees, and 1km of running creates brutal cumulative fatigue. The shoulder-to-overhead and thrusters share the same muscle groups, compounding fatigue each round. Total volume is enormous — estimated 60-90+ minutes for average athletes — with no built-in rest and multiple simultaneous limiting factors: lungs, legs, and shoulders.

Benchmark Times for Kevin Tonn

• Elite: <27:00
• Advanced: 31:00-35:30
• Intermediate: 40:30-46:00
• Beginner: >84:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Massive volume across 10 rounds — 150 shoulder-to-overheads, 130 push-ups, 350 sit-ups, 110 thrusters, and 90 burpees — creates extreme muscular endurance demands, particularly in the shoulders, chest, and core.
• Endurance (8/10): Ten rounds of running combined with continuous barbell and bodyweight work creates significant cardiovascular demand. The sustained aerobic output over many rounds taxes the heart and lungs substantially throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): Timed format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling of movements. Managing bar cycling speed on thrusters and shoulder-to-overheads while minimizing rest between movements is critical for a competitive time.
• Power (5/10): Thrusters and shoulder-to-overheads require explosive hip drive and pressing power. Burpees add explosive jumping. However, high volume and fatigue reduce the ability to express true peak power output.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate barbell loads at 95/65 lb for thrusters and shoulder-to-overheads provide a meaningful strength stimulus, but the high rep count shifts the demand toward endurance rather than maximal force production.
• Flexibility (4/10): Thrusters and shoulder-to-overheads require adequate shoulder mobility and hip flexibility. Overhead positioning and squat depth demand moderate range of motion, especially as fatigue accumulates across rounds.

Movements

• Thruster
• Push-Up
• Shoulder-to-Overhead
• Burpee
• Sit-Up
• Run

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce barbell to 75/55 lb or 65/45 lb if 95/65 lb Thrusters and S2OH cannot be performed in controlled sets of 5 across all 10 rounds. Volume: Reduce to 6-8 rounds if the full 10 rounds would exceed 90 minutes or cause significant form breakdown. Alternatively, reduce reps — try 10 S2OH, 10 Push-Ups, 25 Sit-Ups, 8 Thrusters, and 6 Burpees per round. Movement subs: Replace Shoulder-to-Overhead with dumbbell press or push press at reduced load. Sub knee push-ups or box push-ups for standard push-ups. Replace Thrusters with goblet squats or dumbbell thrusters. Run can be subbed with a 200m row or 1-minute bike at moderate effort. Sit-ups can be subbed with V-ups or AbMat crunches for those with lower back concerns.

Scaling Explanation

Scale this workout if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken Thrusters or S2OH at the prescribed weight with solid mechanics, or if your push-ups consistently break down in the first 3 rounds. The sheer volume of this workout means that poor movement patterns early will compound into injury risk by round 6 or 7 — technique always wins over Rx weight here. The target completion time for Rx athletes is 50-70 minutes; scaled athletes should aim for 45-65 minutes. If you're projected to go over 80 minutes, reduce rounds or reps rather than grinding through with deteriorating form. Prioritize intensity and consistent pacing over hitting the prescribed load — a scaled version done with quality and grit delivers far more stimulus than an Rx version done poorly and slowly.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long-duration grind — expect 45 to 75+ minutes of sustained effort. The stimulus is a true test of your aerobic engine and mental toughness. With 10 full rounds of mixed modalities, the goal is NOT to go fast — it's to find a pace you can sustain across all 10 rounds without blowing up. The barbell volume is significant (150 Shoulder-to-Overheads and 110 Thrusters at 95/65 lb), making this primarily a conditioning and mental fortitude challenge with a heavy dose of upper body fatigue management. Think of this as a long, hard sustained effort — like a tempo run that never quite lets you recover.

Coach Insight

Pacing is everything here. If you come out hot on rounds 1-3, rounds 7-10 will be brutal. Treat the run as active recovery — a controlled jog, not a sprint. On the barbell, break early and often: consider sets of 5s on both the Shoulder-to-Overhead and Thrusters from round one rather than going unbroken and paying for it later. The push-ups will accumulate fatigue fast — break into sets of 5-7 from the start. Sit-ups are your relative rest; breathe and move steadily. Burpees at the end of each round are a gut check — keep a slow, consistent pace and never stop moving. Key mistakes to avoid: going unbroken on the barbell in early rounds, sprinting the run, and letting push-up form collapse (no snaking — full lockout at top, chest to deck). Transition quickly between movements but never rush your setup on the barbell. A consistent round-by-round split is the goal — aim for each round to feel the same as round 3.

Benchmark Notes

Ten rounds of a 100 m run, 15 shoulder-to-overheads and 11 thrusters at 95/65 lb, 13 push-ups, 35 sit-ups and 9 burpees: 830 reps and a kilometre of running. L5 (46-52:30) takes about 5 minutes a round. L10 (under 27 min) holds about 2:40 a round.

Modality Profile

6 movements total: Run (M), Shoulder-to-Overhead (W), Push-Up (G), Sit-Up (G), Thruster (W), Burpee (G). Gymnastics: 3 movements (Push-Up, Sit-Up, Burpee) = 50%. Monostructural: 1 movement (Run) = ~17%. Weightlifting: 2 movements (Shoulder-to-Overhead, Thruster) = ~33%.

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