Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While the movements are basic bodyweight exercises, the EMOM format with high reps creates significant cumulative fatigue over 21 minutes. The 35 air squats leave minimal rest before the next round of push-ups, creating a challenging push-pull effect. Most athletes will struggle to maintain the prescribed rep counts unbroken by the later rounds, especially on push-ups following squats.

Benchmark Times for Living Room Mash 88

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:00-10:00
• Intermediate: 11:00-13:00
• Beginner: >21:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of bodyweight movements (140 push-ups, 175 sit-ups, 245 air squats) tests muscular endurance, particularly in pushing and core.
• Endurance (7/10): The 21-minute EMOM format with continuous movement creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic capacity with brief recovery windows between sets.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions and efficient movement patterns are crucial to complete prescribed reps within each minute.
• Flexibility (3/10): Basic mobility requirements for squats and push-ups. No extreme ranges of motion needed.
• Strength (2/10): Exclusively bodyweight movements with moderate rep ranges. Focus is on endurance rather than maximal strength production.
• Power (1/10): Movements are performed at steady pace without explosive requirements. Focus is on completion rather than power output.

Movements

• Push-Up
• Air Squat
• Sit-Up

Scaling Options

Push-ups: Scale to incline push-ups on box/bench or knee push-ups (same rep count). Reduce to 15 reps if needed. Sit-ups: Scale to crunches or V-ups, reduce to 20 reps. Can also do anchored sit-ups if form deteriorates. Air Squats: Reduce to 25 reps, scale to box squats if mobility is limited. Time domain can be reduced to 15 minutes (5 rounds) for beginners. Consider 45 seconds work/15 seconds rest format instead of EMOM for less experienced athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to complete 15+ push-ups unbroken when fresh, or if unable to maintain proper form through full range of motion on any movement. Priority is maintaining consistent work across all rounds while keeping intensity in the moderate zone (conversational pace between sets). Athletes should finish each minute with 10-20 seconds rest. If consistently hitting failure or getting less than 5 seconds rest, scale volume or movement difficulty. Target effort is 7/10 - hard but repeatable.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity oxidative workout lasting 21 minutes. Primary focus is muscular endurance and aerobic capacity development. The workout challenges local muscular endurance (particularly pushing, core, and legs) while maintaining a steady aerobic pace. The EMOM format tests work capacity and recovery between sets.

Coach Insight

Start at 70-80% effort to maintain consistency across all 7 rounds. Break push-ups into 2 sets (12/8 or 10/10) from the start - don't wait until failure. Keep core tight during sit-ups and maintain a steady rhythm. For air squats, focus on full depth while maintaining lumbar curve. Common mistake is rushing early rounds then struggling in rounds 5-7. Rest should be earned by efficient movement, not rushed reps. Aim for 30-40 seconds of work per minute.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 21-minute EMOM with 3 bodyweight movements repeated 7 times. Let's break it down: 1. Base movement times (fresh): - 20 Push-Ups: ~1-1.5s each = 20-30s - 25 Sit-Ups: ~1s each = 25s - 35 Air Squats: ~1-1.5s each = 35-52s 2. Fatigue progression through 7 rounds: Rounds 1-2: Base timing (~80-107s per round) Rounds 3-4: 1.2x multiplier (~96-128s) Rounds 5-6: 1.3x multiplier (~104-139s) Round 7: 1.4x multiplier (~112-150s) 3. This workout is most similar to Angie (100 pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, air squats) in terms of movement pattern and volume, though spread across intervals. Angie's L10 benchmark is 15-18 minutes. 4. The EMOM format provides built-in rest, but also forces pacing and prevents extended breaks. This makes it slightly more manageable than Angie's straight-through format. L10 (Elite): 8:00 - Can maintain high pace throughout L5 (Intermediate): 13:00 - Significant slowdown in later rounds L1 (Beginner): 21:00 - Uses full minute each round The levels array represents seconds of actual work time within the 21 minutes.

Modality Profile

All three movements (Push-Up, Sit-Up, Air Squat) are bodyweight/gymnastics movements. Push-ups and sit-ups are classic bodyweight exercises, while air squats are unweighted squats performed with body weight only. With all movements falling under gymnastics category, the workout is 100% G.

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