Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Five rounds of this workout creates brutal cumulative fatigue across multiple limiting factors simultaneously. HSPUs and C2B pull-ups demand high skill under shoulder/grip fatigue. Then 28 deadlifts AND 28 push presses per round — both grip and pressing muscles are already torched. Total volume is enormous: 60 HSPUs, 95 C2B, 150 lunges, 140 deadlifts, 140 push presses. Most average athletes cannot complete this as prescribed.

Benchmark Times for Minnesota 3

• Elite: <18:30
• Advanced: 22:20-27:00
• Intermediate: 32:40-39:30
• Beginner: >84:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Massive total volume — 60 HSPUs, 95 C2B pull-ups, 150 lunges, 140 deadlifts, 140 push presses — creates extreme muscular endurance demands across upper body pushing, pulling, and lower body, testing sustained output across all muscle groups.
• Endurance (7/10): Five rounds of high-rep, multi-movement work creates sustained cardiovascular demand. The volume and variety of movements keep heart rate elevated throughout, making aerobic capacity a significant limiting factor.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format incentivizes fast transitions and efficient cycling of all movements. Managing bar cycling on deadlifts and push presses, plus quick set breaks on gymnastics, rewards athletes who can move with urgency under fatigue.
• Strength (5/10): Moderate loads on deadlifts and push presses require meaningful strength, especially as fatigue accumulates. Handstand push-ups add bodyweight pressing strength demand, but weights are not near maximal effort levels.
• Flexibility (4/10): Handstand push-ups require shoulder mobility and wrist flexibility; chest-to-bar pull-ups demand lat and shoulder range of motion; deadlifts require hip hinge mobility. Above average but not extreme flexibility demands overall.
• Power (4/10): Push presses are inherently explosive, and chest-to-bar pull-ups benefit from kipping power. However, the high volume and fatigue shift the stimulus away from pure power toward grinding muscular endurance over time.

Movements

• Reverse Lunge
• Dumbbell Push Press
• Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
• Deadlift
• Handstand Push-Up

Scaling Options

Handstand Push-Ups: Scale to Pike Push-Ups, Box Pike Push-Ups, or reduce to 6-8 reps of strict HSPU if volume is the issue. Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups: Scale to regular Kipping Pull-Ups (19 reps), Banded Pull-Ups (15 reps), or Ring Rows (15-19 reps). Reverse Lunges: Keep as written for most athletes — reduce to 20 steps if mobility or knee issues are present. Deadlifts: Scale to 115/75 lb or 135/95 lb — prioritize a load you can move for sets of 10+ with a neutral spine. Push Presses: Scale to 2x35/25 lb dumbbells or a barbell at 75/55 lb. Volume scaling: Consider 3 rounds instead of 5 for newer athletes, or reduce reps to 8 HSPU / 12 C2B / 20 Lunges / 20 Deadlifts / 20 Push Presses per round to preserve the stimulus without excessive time.

Scaling Explanation

Scale this workout if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken Handstand Push-Ups, 8 unbroken Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups, or if the Rx barbell loads feel heavy for sets of 10. The target completion window is 35-55 minutes — if you're projected to go beyond 60 minutes, reduce rounds to 3-4 or cut reps per round. Technique always wins over load here: a rounded back on 28 deadlifts per round across 5 rounds is a recipe for injury, not fitness. Prioritize movement quality on the hinge and overhead press above all else. Athletes newer to gymnastics should sub movements that allow them to keep moving — staring at the wall for 3 minutes per round kills the stimulus entirely. The goal is continuous, hard effort with short, strategic breaks — not long rest periods trying to survive Rx.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding chipper-style workout disguised as rounds — expect a 35-60+ minute effort for most athletes. The stimulus is a sustained aerobic and muscular endurance challenge that taxes your upper body pushing, pulling, hinging, and leg strength all in one brutal package. The sheer volume (5 rounds of 117 reps each) demands a strong aerobic engine and mental toughness to keep moving when fatigue accumulates. Primary challenges are skill and strength endurance on the gymnastics movements, and raw muscular stamina on the barbell work. This is NOT a sprint — it's a long, hard grind that rewards pacing and smart movement management.

Coach Insight

The biggest mistake athletes make here is going out too hot on round one and dying by round three. Treat round one like round three — conservative and controlled. On Handstand Push-Ups, break early (sets of 4-5) before your shoulders give out; coming off the wall proactively is far faster than failing reps. Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups will accumulate fatigue fast — consider sets of 5-7 with short rests rather than big sets that blow up your grip and lats. Reverse Lunges are your active recovery — breathe here, stay tall, and use this movement to reset before the barbell work. On Deadlifts at 155/105 lb, use a touch-and-go rhythm in early rounds but switch to dead-stop singles if your back rounds — never compromise the hinge. Push Presses are the sneaky killer: 28 reps per round is a lot of overhead volume after everything else. Break these into sets of 7-10 from the start. Grip fatigue will be a major limiter — shake out hands during lunges and between sets. Transitions between movements should be deliberate but not slow — keep rest periods under 15-20 seconds when possible.

Benchmark Notes

Five rounds of 12 handstand push-ups, 19 chest-to-bar pull-ups, 30 reverse lunges, 28 deadlifts at 155/105 lb and 28 dumbbell push presses (2x50/35 lb): 585 reps. L5 (39:30-47:50) takes about 8:45 a round, with the gymnastics in sets of 3-5. L10 (under 18:30) holds about 3:30 a round.

Modality Profile

5 movements total: Handstand Push-Up (G), Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up (G) = 2 Gymnastics; Reverse Lunge (G) = 3 Gymnastics... wait, recalculating: HSPU (G), C2B Pull-Up (G), Reverse Lunge (G) = 3 Gymnastics; Deadlift (W), Dumbbell Push Press (W) = 2 Weightlifting. 3/5 = 60% G, 2/5 = 40% W, rounded to G:60, M:0, W:40.

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