Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Moderate barbell cycling into high-heart-rate burpees, followed by advanced gymnastics (30 total bar muscle-ups) makes this very demanding. The 12-minute cap is tight; many athletes complete Part 1 quickly but are limited in Part 2 by pulling strength, skill, and grip fatigue. Elite athletes finish sub-10, while many time-cap during Part 2.

Benchmark Times for Open 19.4

• Elite: <8:30
• Advanced: 9:00-9:30
• Intermediate: 10:00-10:30
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (8/10): Fast cycle rates on snatches and burpees plus short transitions define top scores. Quick, high-quality reps without breaks in rhythm drive performance in both parts.
• Stamina (7/10): High total reps with sustained upper-body pulling and pressing demands. Athletes must repeat submaximal efforts on the barbell and bar muscle-ups without major drop-off in performance.
• Power (6/10): Barbell snatches and dynamic bar muscle-up hip pop require explosive hip extension and crisp turnover under fatigue, especially when cycling quick singles or small sets.
• Endurance (6/10): Sustained breathing under fatigue from repeated burpees and continuous work across both parts. Aerobic capacity helps maintain pace and recover during the mandatory 3-minute rest between parts.
• Flexibility (3/10): Full-range shoulder and thoracic mobility for efficient snatches and stable turnover in muscle-ups. Hip flexion and extension through burpees demand functional range but not extreme positions.
• Strength (3/10): Loads are moderate and not strength-limited for most; success is more about cycling efficiency than maximal lifting. Pulling strength matters for bar muscle-ups but not absolute max strength.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Snatch 75/55 lb (or 65/45) • Bar Muscle-Ups → Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups → Chin-over-bar Pull-Ups → Jumping BMU • Reduce burpees to 10/round if needed

Scaling Explanation

Adjusting load and gymnastics complexity preserves the stimulus: fast cycling in Part 1 and challenging pulling volume in Part 2 without stalling or exceeding the time cap.

Intended Stimulus

Part 1 should feel fast but controlled—smooth barbell cycling or quick singles into steady burpees. After the forced 3-minute rest, Part 2 turns into a high-skill, grip-taxing push. Aim for small, sustainable bar muscle-up sets with consistent burpees. Breathing stays high throughout, but movement quality must remain crisp.

Coach Insight

Pace Part 1 at about 85–90%—unbroken or quick singles on snatches, no burpee pauses. Finish fresh enough to hit Part 2. Your one big key: break bar muscle-ups early and often. Small, repeatable sets beat blow-ups. Avoid sprinting the first 36 burpees. Missed MU reps and sloppy snatches waste more time than slightly slower pacing.

Benchmark Notes

Times range from time-cap (12:00) for newer athletes to 8:30 for elites. L5 (intermediate) should finish around 10:30 if bar muscle-ups are solid; otherwise they’ll time-cap on reps. Each level represents about 15–30 seconds improvement in transitions, barbell cycle rate, and bar muscle-up capacity.

Modality Profile

Two of the three movements are gymnastics (bar muscle-ups and burpees), which dominate the time spent, especially in Part 2. Weightlifting appears in Part 1 with the snatch at a moderate load. No monostructural element is present, making this primarily gymnastics with supplemental barbell cycling.

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