Workout Description
For As Long As Possible
From 0:00-3:00 2 rounds of:
10 Overhead Squats (95/65 lb)
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
From 3:00-6:00 2 rounds of:
12 Overhead Squats (95/65 lb)
12 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
From 6:00-9:00 2 rounds of:
14 Overhead Squats (95/65 lb)
14 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
Follow the pattern until you fail to complete both rounds.
Why This Workout Is Very Hard
High-skill gymnastics under fatigue, strict 3-minute deadlines, and an ascending ladder make this deceptively punishing. The overhead squat demands significant mobility and midline stability while chest-to-bar volume heavily taxes grip and pulling stamina. Most athletes fail between 6–9 minutes; advancing further requires excellent pacing, unbroken sets, and elite upper-body endurance.
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (8/10): Ascending volume of overhead squats and chest-to-bar demands sustained muscular output, especially in shoulders, grip, midline, and lats across multiple windows.
- Flexibility (7/10): Overhead squats require strong thoracic, shoulder, and hip mobility to hold stable bottom positions and cycle efficiently under fatigue.
- Speed (6/10): Quick, efficient barbell cycling and short transitions are rewarded, but overly fast starts often cause early failure in later windows.
- Endurance (5/10): Three-minute windows limit continuous cardio, but repeated efforts and short rest test aerobic recovery and breathing control across 6–12+ minutes for most athletes.
- Power (4/10): Explosiveness helps in powerful hip drive for pull-ups and crisp squat rebound, but pacing outweighs maximal burst output.
- Strength (3/10): Loads are moderate and not near maximal; success relies more on position and stability than one-rep strength.
Movements
- Overhead Squat
- Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
Scaling Options
Scale to: 65/45 lb OHS & Chin-over-Bar Pull-Up • 75/55 lb OHS & Banded/Jumping C2B • Front Squat (95/65 lb) & Ring Row (feet elevated as needed)
Scaling Explanation
These options preserve the couplet, squat demand, and pulling volume while adjusting skill and load so athletes can progress through multiple 3-minute windows with near-perfect mechanics.
Intended Stimulus
A rising-threshold grinder. Early windows should feel controlled with crisp movement and short sets. As reps ascend, breathing and grip get pressured, forcing planned breaks and tight transitions. The workout should end right when your capacity to maintain quality sets in the 3-minute windows runs out—just before failure.
Coach Insight
Pace the early windows. Break before you have to, keep transitions snappy, and protect your grip.
Big tip: Choose sustainable set plans from minute one (e.g., 6/4 OHS, 6/4 C2B), then adjust to smaller, fast breaks later.
Avoid no-reps by stabilizing the OHS overhead and hitting clear chest contact. Don’t rush the first 3 minutes.
Benchmark Notes
Your score is total reps. Finishing the 10-rep window equals 40 reps; finishing the 12-rep window equals 88 reps; finishing the 14-rep window equals 144 reps. Levels show common breakpoints and how deep you get before failing a 3-minute window.
Modality Profile
This is a pure couplet: gymnastics chest-to-bar pull-ups and weightlifting overhead squats. Time tends to skew slightly toward gymnastics due to grip fatigue and cycle time, while the barbell remains a significant portion with moderate, repeatable sets.
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