Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

High-skill gymnastics drive the challenge: 6" deficit parallette HSPU require significant pressing strength and balance, while toes-through-rings tax grip and core control. Though the medicine ball cleans are light, the 20-minute duration amplifies fatigue. Athletes must manage small sets, precise movement quality, and steady pacing to avoid failure and grip blow-up.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Repeated small sets of deficit HSPU, core flexion on the rings, and high-rep medicine ball cleans demand sustained muscular output in shoulders, triceps, midline, and legs across many rounds.
• Endurance (6/10): Twenty minutes promotes aerobic work, but frequent breaks for strict pressing and skill reduce continuous flow. Expect steady breathing with periodic spikes while transitioning between rings and parallette work.
• Flexibility (6/10): Shoulders and thoracic extension for stable handstands, hip and ankle mobility for clean receiving positions, and hamstring flexibility for toes-through-rings. Limited mobility will slow cycle time and increase energy cost.
• Speed (5/10): Cycle rates are moderate; athletes cannot sprint deficit HSPU and must manage transitions. Time is gained by minimizing chalk breaks, quick sets, and efficient, continuous med-ball clean cadence.
• Power (4/10): Explosiveness shows on crisp medicine ball cleans and aggressive hip flexion to the rings, but the workout rewards control more than peak power due to strict gymnastics and sustained pace.
• Strength (3/10): No maximal loads, but strict vertical pressing strength for parallette HSPU is a limiter. Athletes need adequate pressing and midline strength to keep sets small and consistent under fatigue.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Reduce deficit → standard HSPU or box pike HSPU • Toes-through-rings → toes-to-bar, knees-to-rings, or hanging knee raises • Medicine ball cleans 20/14 → 14/10 lb (or 12/8 lb) or reduce to 10 reps

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the intended stimulus—pressing skill/strength, hanging core flexion, and cyclical light cleans—so athletes can maintain small, sustainable sets and move continuously for 20 minutes.

Intended Stimulus

A steady, technical grinder. You should breathe consistently, keep HSPU to small, repeatable sets, and move the medicine ball with a smooth cadence. Manage grip on the rings and minimize transitions. The workout should feel controlled yet relentless—avoid failure and keep moving for the full 20 minutes.

Coach Insight

Pace the first 5 minutes at a sustainable rhythm: quick singles or doubles on HSPU as needed, then right back to work. The one tip: strict-capable sets only. Break HSPU early to avoid hitting failure. Common mistakes: long chalk breaks, rushing sloppy toes-through-rings, and trying to unbroken the med-ball cleans. Better to hold a steady 8-7 split and keep transitions short.

Benchmark Notes

Rounds are a good proxy for consistency across 20 minutes. Newer athletes might complete 2–4 rounds, intermediates 5–8, and advanced/elite 9–12. Aim for repeatable sets on HSPU, smooth toes-through-rings, and quick, consistent medicine ball clean cadence to maintain rounds.

Modality Profile

Two of the three movements are gymnastics (parallette HSPU and toes-through-rings), which dominate skill and fatigue. The medicine ball clean is light weightlifting and takes a significant share of time each round. No monostructural component is present, so the split skews toward gymnastics.

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