Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The unbroken requirement is the key factor here. While air squats and burpees are basic movements, performing 40 consecutive reps (then 30/20/10) without breaks creates severe metabolic fatigue. The burpees particularly tax both the upper body and cardiovascular system, making the subsequent air squats more challenging. The descending rep scheme provides some relief, but maintaining unbroken sets throughout makes this a significant challenge for average CrossFitters.

Benchmark Times for Locked Up

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 7:00-8:00
• Intermediate: 9:00-10:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): 100 total burpees and air squats performed unbroken tests muscular endurance to the extreme, particularly in legs, core, and pushing muscles.
• Endurance (8/10): High-rep burpees and air squats create significant cardiovascular demand, especially with unbroken sets. The descending rep scheme maintains intensity throughout.
• Speed (7/10): Unbroken requirement demands quick cycling of movements. Success depends on maintaining fast but sustainable pace through large sets.
• Power (4/10): Burpees require some explosive component to stand up and jump, but fatigue will limit power output as sets progress.
• Flexibility (3/10): Basic mobility needed for squat depth and burpee positions. No extreme ranges of motion required.
• Strength (2/10): Bodyweight movements only, focusing on endurance rather than maximal strength. Some leg strength required for high volume squats.

Movements

• Air Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Beginner option: 30-20-10-5 reps with allowed breaks between sets. Intermediate: Same rep scheme (40-30-20-10) but allow 1-2 breaks per round. Movement modifications: Step-back burpees instead of jumping, reduce squat depth to above parallel if mobility limited. Add 5-minute time cap per round to prevent excessive fatigue. For deconditioned athletes, substitute walking burpees (step up/down) and box squats to target depth.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 15+ unbroken burpees when fresh or if air squat form deteriorates under fatigue. Primary goal is maintaining consistent movement quality throughout - scale volume before compromising range of motion. Target completion time is 15-25 minutes; scale if projected time exceeds 25 minutes. Athletes should feel significant but manageable fatigue by round of 20. If breaking sets more than twice per round, scale volume down. Preserve intended stimulus of sustained effort with good movement patterns.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-to-long glycolytic workout (15-25 minutes) with significant oxidative component. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent output while managing cumulative fatigue. Tests mental toughness and ability to maintain form under increasing metabolic stress. The unbroken requirement adds significant psychological pressure.

Coach Insight

Start slower than you think on the round of 40 - aim for steady, sustainable pace (20-25 reps/min). Break burpees into sets of 10-15 early to preserve ability to go unbroken later. Keep air squats controlled but quick - avoid rushing descent. Common failure point is round of 20 where athletes often break sets due to earlier overexertion. Transition quickly between movements but take 3-5 deep breaths before starting each new set. Focus on full range of motion - stand tall on burpees, break parallel on squats.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is structurally similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 double-unders + sit-ups) but with 40-30-20-10 reps and more demanding movements. Using Annie as our anchor (L10: 300-360s, L5: 480-600s, L1: 780-960s), we need to adjust for: 1. Burpees (3.5s/rep) - 40 reps: 140s - 30 reps: 105s - 20 reps: 70s - 10 reps: 35s Base burpee time: 350s 2. Air Squats (1.25s/rep) - 40 reps: 50s - 30 reps: 37.5s - 20 reps: 25s - 10 reps: 12.5s Base squat time: 125s 3. Fatigue factors: - Unbroken requirement adds mental/physical strain - Burpees into squats creates significant leg fatigue - Apply 1.2x multiplier to later rounds 4. Transitions: ~5s between movements × 3 rounds = 15s Total elite time projection: ~490s Scale up ~20% for female athletes due to burpee intensity Final benchmarks (M/F): L10: 360s/420s (6:00/7:00) L5: 600s/720s (10:00/12:00) L1: 1080s/1260s (18:00/21:00)

Modality Profile

Both Air Squat and Burpee are bodyweight/gymnastics movements. With 2 gymnastics movements and no monostructural or weightlifting movements, this workout is 100% gymnastics.

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