Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The ascending rep scheme (55 total reps) of dumbbell squats and burpees creates significant leg fatigue and cardiovascular stress with no built-in rest. The time pressure to complete this AND establish a 1RM clean within 12 minutes forces a fast pace. The combination of accumulated fatigue from the metcon portion followed by a maximal lift attempt makes this particularly challenging.

Benchmark Times for Open 18.2 & 18.2 A

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 5:30-6:00
• Intermediate: 7:00-8:00
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of squats and burpees challenges muscular endurance, particularly in legs and core. Total reps accumulate quickly in ascending format.
• Strength (8/10): The 1RM clean portion tests absolute strength, while the dumbbell squats maintain moderate loading throughout the conditioning piece.
• Speed (8/10): Quick transitions and fast cycling of movements are crucial to beat the time cap. Burpees especially reward fast turnover.
• Endurance (7/10): The ascending rep scheme combined with burpees creates significant cardiovascular demand, while the time cap keeps intensity high throughout both workout portions.
• Power (7/10): The clean tests explosive power, while burpees require repeated power output. Dumbbell squats can be performed explosively for efficiency.
• Flexibility (6/10): Clean requires good mobility in ankles, hips, and shoulders. Burpees and squats demand consistent range of motion under fatigue.

Movements

• Burpee
• Clean
• Dumbbell Squat

Scaling Options

Reduce dumbbell weight to 35/25 lbs if unable to complete 10 unbroken squats. For burpees, step-back variation is acceptable. Consider capping at round 8 (45 total reps) for newer athletes. For the clean portion, work to a heavy triple or focus on perfect form at 75-85% if technique isn't solid. Time cap can be extended to 15 minutes for scaled versions.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot maintain consistent movement through round 5 without long breaks, or if dumbbell squats cause form breakdown. The goal is to complete the conditioning portion with 2+ minutes remaining for clean attempts. Prioritize maintaining intensity over Rx weights - you should be moving continuously with brief rest periods. For the clean, scale load if unable to maintain vertical torso, full hip extension, or stable receiving position.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (8-12 minutes) with ascending volume, followed by maximal strength test. Primary challenge is maintaining intensity through increasing rep scheme while preserving enough energy for heavy clean. Combines metabolic conditioning with explosive power and strength.

Coach Insight

Break up the dumbbell squats and burpees into small sets early to preserve energy - consider 2-3 reps at a time starting at round 6. Quick transitions between movements are crucial. For burpees, stay close to the bar and minimize lateral movement. In the clean portion, take no more than 3 attempts with 90 seconds rest between. Have your opening weight planned before starting the workout. Most athletes will complete the conditioning portion in 8-10 minutes, leaving 2-4 minutes for cleans.

Benchmark Notes

This is a two-part workout with ascending reps of DB squats and burpees, followed by a 1RM clean attempt. Analysis focuses on Part 1 since it's the timed portion. Breakdown of Part 1: - Total reps: 55 DB squats + 55 burpees = 110 reps - DB Squats (50/35): ~2 sec/rep when fresh, increasing with fatigue - Bar-Facing Burpees: ~4-5 sec/rep Rep scheme progression: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Small sets early allow quick transitions, larger sets later require breaks. Fatigue impact: - Sets 1-4 (10 reps): 1.0x multiplier - Sets 5-7 (18 reps): 1.2x multiplier - Sets 8-10 (27 reps): 1.4x multiplier Closest benchmark comparison is Grace (30 reps of clean and jerk) but with higher total volume (110 vs 30 reps). Using Grace's L10 (90-120s) as baseline but scaling up for: - ~3.7x total reps - Simpler movements - No barbell cycling Target times: Male: L10: 4:30-5:00 (270-300s) L5: 7:30-8:00 (450-480s) L1: 11:00-12:00 (660-720s) Female: L10: 5:30-6:00 (330-360s) L5: 8:30-9:00 (510-540s) L1: 12:00+ (720-780s)

Modality Profile

Dumbbell Squat (W), Burpee (G), Clean (W) - Two weightlifting movements (Dumbbell Squat, Clean) and one gymnastics movement (Burpee), rounded to 70/30 split between W and G. No monostructural movements present.

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