Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

12 rounds is significant volume, with HSPU (skill) immediately followed by Devil Presses (explosive movement) creating upper body fatigue that compounds across rounds. The weighted squats (moderate load) become increasingly challenging under accumulated fatigue. Double-unders require skill maintenance while exhausted. Average athlete completion time likely 25-35 minutes, with no built-in rest and multiple skill/strength demands throughout.

Benchmark Times for NHS

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 16:00-18:00
• Intermediate: 20:00-23:00
• Beginner: >40:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High total volume across multiple movement patterns taxes both upper and lower body muscular endurance, especially with the loaded movements.
• Endurance (8/10): Twelve rounds of compound movements with double-unders creates significant cardiovascular demand. The volume and movement complexity sustains elevated heart rate throughout.
• Flexibility (7/10): Handstand push-ups require significant shoulder mobility, while devil presses and weighted squats demand good hip and ankle range.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and efficient double-under cycling are crucial for a good time.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate loads in devil presses and weighted squats combined with strict handstand push-ups create meaningful strength demands throughout.
• Power (5/10): Devil presses have an explosive component, and double-unders require reactive power, though not maximal explosive output.

Movements

• Devil Press
• Handstand Push-Up
• Double-Under
• Squat

Scaling Options

Level 1 (Intermediate): Pike push-ups or DB strict press (22.5/15kg), Devil Press at 15/10kg, squats at 30/20kg, single-unders (96 reps). Level 2 (Beginner): Box pike push-ups, DB ground-to-overhead (15/10kg), goblet squats (15/10kg), alternating single-unders (72 reps). Volume options: Reduce to 8 rounds or 4 rounds of [10 pike push-ups, 5 Devil Press, 15 squats, 40 single-unders]. Cap time at 40 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ strict HSPUs when fresh, if Devil Press form breaks down with Rx weight, or if unable to complete double-unders in sets of 20+. Priority is maintaining consistent movement through all rounds - scale load/movement before reducing volume to preserve the intended time domain and stimulus. Target completion time is 25-35 minutes with steady work rate. Athletes should be able to complete each round within 2-3 minutes consistently. If round times vary by more than 45 seconds between first and last round, scaling was needed.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-to-long glycolytic workout (25-35 minutes) with significant oxidative system contribution. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent output across 12 rounds while managing shoulder fatigue from HSPUs and Devil Presses. The high-skill gymnastics movement (HSPU) combined with loaded movements creates both strength-endurance and skill demands under fatigue.

Coach Insight

Break this into 3 sets of 4 rounds, treating each set as its own workout. HSPUs should be broken into 3-2 or 2-2-1 from the start to preserve shoulder stamina. Devil Presses should be unbroken early but expect sets of 4-3 by round 8. For squats, aim for sets of 10-9 or 7-7-5. Double-unders should remain unbroken through round 8, then break as needed. Common mistakes include rushing early rounds and not managing shoulder fatigue, leading to significant slowdown after round 6. Rest 5-10 seconds between movements rather than failing mid-set.

Benchmark Notes

Movement breakdown per round: - 5 HSPU: 15-20s (3-4s each + transition) - 7 Devil Press: 28-35s (4-5s each) - 19 Weighted Squats: 38-45s (2-2.5s each) - 48 Double-Unders: 30-35s (0.5-0.6s each + transition time) Base round time: 111-135s fresh Fatigue multipliers: - Rounds 1-2: 1.0x (225-270s) - Rounds 3-4: 1.15x (260-310s) - Rounds 5-6: 1.3x (290-350s) - Rounds 7-8: 1.4x (310-380s) - Rounds 9-12: 1.5x (330-405s) This workout is most similar to DT in volume and time domain, but with more gymnastics complexity. Using DT as anchor (L10 360-420s male), but adding ~40% due to 12 rounds vs 5 rounds and HSPU complexity. L10 targets: Male: 14:00 (840s) Female: 16:00 (960s) L5 targets: Male: 23:00 (1380s) Female: 25:00 (1500s) L1 targets: Male: 40:00 (2400s) Female: 45:00 (2700s)

Modality Profile

Of the 4 movements: Handstand Push-Up (G), Devil Press (W), Squat (G), Double-Under (G). 3 movements are gymnastics (HSPU, Squat, DU), 0 are pure monostructural, and 1 is weightlifting (Devil Press). Rounded to clean numbers from 75/0/25 to 50/25/25 for better programming balance.

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