Workout Description
Every 2 min, for 15 rounds:
- somersault
- 2 m monkey bar
- somersault
- sprint for 20 m
In the rest periods: HS practice
Notice: monkey bar starts and ends with both hands on the rungs. Try to have smooth transitions from somersault to monkey bar and from the monkey bar to the somersault. Try to make this last transition into a parkour roll.
Do not underestimate the effect of rolling/tumbling to your balance. Work safely and do not sprint if you get any dizziness.
Measure each round with a stopwatch and annotate seconds and decimals. Try to stay below 15 s. Advanced athletes will stay consistently below 10 s.
The total score for the WOD is the average time in seconds to complete the circuit.
Why This Workout Is Easy
Despite the unique movement combination, this workout has an extremely favorable work-to-rest ratio (10-15 seconds work, ~105-110 seconds rest per round). The total work volume is minimal—essentially 15 short sprint intervals spread across 30 minutes with nearly 2 minutes recovery between efforts. The movements are fundamental with low technical demands. The primary challenge is dizziness from rolling, not metabolic or strength capacity. This is more of a coordination and speed skill session than a conditioning test.
Benchmark Times for Monkey Business
- Elite: <0:07
- Advanced: 0:08-0:09
- Intermediate: 0:10-0:11
- Beginner: >0:19
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Speed (9/10): Extremely high speed emphasis with sub-15 second goal per round, requiring fast transitions and maximal sprint velocity throughout the circuit.
- Power (8/10): High power demand from explosive 20-meter sprints and rapid transitions from ground to monkey bar, emphasizing quick force production.
- Flexibility (6/10): Moderate to significant mobility demands from somersaults, parkour rolling transitions, and handstand practice during rest periods requiring shoulder and hip range.
- Endurance (5/10): Moderate cardiovascular demand from 15 rounds of repeated sprints over 30 minutes total, though significant rest between rounds limits pure aerobic stress.
- Stamina (3/10): Low muscular endurance demand as each round lasts only 10-15 seconds with ample recovery between efforts, despite 15 total rounds.
- Strength (2/10): Minimal strength requirement using only bodyweight movements; monkey bars and sprints demand relative strength but no external load.
Scaling Options
No monkey bars: Substitute 4 strict pull-ups or bear crawl 10m. Balance issues: Replace somersaults with forward shoulder rolls on mats or omit entirely and just run. Dizziness concerns: Walk instead of sprint, or reduce to 10 rounds. HS practice scaling: Wall-facing handstand holds, box pike position holds, or downward dog. Reduce total rounds to 10 for beginners while maintaining work-to-rest ratio. Target should remain sub-15 seconds for scaled movements.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if you cannot perform controlled somersaults, lack monkey bar access, or experience any dizziness/nausea from tumbling movements. Athletes new to gymnastics or with inner ear sensitivity should prioritize safety over intensity. The vestibular challenge is real and cumulative - scaling is smart, not weak. Maintain the explosive nature of each round even when scaled. Goal is consistent sub-15s efforts with zero balance-related safety concerns. If you cannot complete a controlled parkour roll, practice the movement pattern separately before adding speed.
Intended Stimulus
Explosive power intervals in the phosphagen system with significant gymnastics skill and vestibular challenge. Each 10-15 second burst combines tumbling, upper body coordination, and sprinting with nearly 2 minutes recovery. Tests ability to maintain explosive speed and spatial awareness despite cumulative balance disruption from repeated rolling movements. 15 rounds builds skill endurance and neurological adaptation.
Coach Insight
Attack each round at near-maximal effort since recovery time is generous. Focus on seamless transitions: stand up from first somersault directly into monkey bar start position, land the monkey bar exit into immediate parkour roll, explode into sprint. The real challenge is maintaining speed and coordination as vestibular fatigue accumulates - rounds 8-12 typically show slowdown. If experiencing dizziness, immediately stop sprinting and walk. Use rest periods wisely: handstand practice develops body awareness but don't go to failure. Keep HS work to 20-30 second holds or 2-3 wall walks max per rest period. Track every round meticulously - consistency matters more than one fast round.
Benchmark Notes
Primary limiters are gymnastics skill (somersaults, parkour rolls), monkey bar proficiency, sprint speed, and vestibular tolerance under repeated tumbling. The workout explicitly states 'try to stay below 15s' (anchors L3-L4) and 'advanced athletes will stay consistently below 10s' (anchors L7+). L1 athletes move conservatively due to balance/dizziness concerns and less fluid transitions (~20s). L5 intermediate athletes hit smooth transitions and moderate sprint speed (~12s). L10 elites execute near-perfect parkour rolls, explosive sprints, and seamless monkey bar traverses with minimal transition time (~6.5s).
Modality Profile
Somersault (G), Monkey Bar (G), Sprint (M), Handstand (G). 3 out of 4 movements are gymnastics bodyweight skills, 1 is monostructural cardio. 75% Gymnastics, 25% Monostructural, 0% Weightlifting.
