Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This triplet blends 2.5 km of running with 75 bar-facing burpees and 75 overhead squats at a heavy, advanced load (185/125 lb). The overhead squat demands significant strength, mobility, and midline stamina under fatigue. Expect high systemic fatigue, elevated heart rate throughout, and a long time domain for most athletes.

Benchmark Times for Nasty Nancy

• Elite: <24:00
• Advanced: 27:00-29:00
• Intermediate: 32:00-35:00
• Beginner: >55:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Seventy-five heavy overhead squats plus seventy-five burpees tax muscular endurance of legs, shoulders, and midline. Success depends on managing repeated sets under fatigue without major drop-off.
• Endurance (7/10): Five 500 m runs and steady burpee pacing create a sustained aerobic demand. Heart rate sits high for a long time with limited recovery, rewarding runners who can hold even splits across all rounds.
• Strength (6/10): The prescribed overhead squat load is heavy for sets of 15, requiring significant leg, core, and overhead stability strength, particularly when performed while fatigued from running and burpees.
• Flexibility (6/10): Solid shoulder, thoracic, and hip-ankle mobility are required to hit depth and maintain a stable overhead position at heavy load across multiple fatigued sets.
• Speed (6/10): Moderate emphasis on quick yet sustainable burpee cadence, purposeful transitions, and composed barbell cycling tempo without redlining early rounds.
• Power (4/10): Explosiveness is secondary. While a strong drive out of the squat and crisp burpee pop help, the workout rewards sustained output more than peak power efforts.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 5 rounds: 400m Run, 12 OHS (135/95 lb), 12 Bar-Facing Burpees • 5 rounds: 400m Run, 15 OHS (115/75 lb), 12 Lateral Bar Burpees (step allowed) • 5 rounds: 500m Run, 15 OHS (95/65 lb), 10 Burpees

Scaling Explanation

These options reduce load, volume, and/or skill while preserving the triplet structure, metabolic demand, and overhead squat emphasis.

Intended Stimulus

Sustain a hard but controlled pace from the first round. Runs should be steady, burpees unbroken with consistent cadence, and overhead squats done in one to two sets per round. The barbell should be challenging but manageable under fatigue, demanding focus on bracing and position while breathing stays uncomfortable throughout.

Coach Insight

Open at 80–85% effort and hold. Aim for even round splits; if round 1 feels too easy, you chose the right pace. One tip: pick a break plan for OHS (e.g., 8/7) and stick to it so you don’t stare at the bar. Avoid sprinting early runs, soft lockouts overhead, and sloppy bar-facing burpee standards.

Benchmark Notes

Times range from 55+ minutes (beginners or heavy scaling needed) down to 24 minutes (elite). Many athletes will land around 29–35 minutes if doing the workout as prescribed. Hitting under 40 minutes indicates solid pacing and capacity with heavy overhead squats and steady burpees.

Modality Profile

About 40% monostructural from the 2,500 meters of running; 30% weightlifting from heavy overhead squats; and 30% gymnastics from bar-facing burpees. Time-on-task is fairly balanced between barbell and burpees, with the run slightly dominating each round.

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