Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

A 15-minute ascending ladder couples moderate-skill burpee pull-ups with increasingly taxing shuttle runs. The volume ramps quickly, demanding aerobic capacity, grip and pulling stamina, and efficient transitions. No external load keeps it accessible, but accumulating reps and repeated accelerations make it a grind for most athletes and a tough engine test for advanced athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (7/10): Rising rounds amplify total burpee pull-ups and transitions, taxing shoulder, grip, and hip extension stamina as fatigue accumulates across the ladder.
• Speed (7/10): Quick turnover on short shuttles and crisp burpee-to-bar transitions reward fast footwork and efficient cycling without redlining early.
• Endurance (7/10): Fifteen minutes of continuous work with a large share of shuttle running demands steady aerobic output and the ability to repeat short efforts with minimal degradation over time.
• Power (4/10): Repeated jumps to the bar and frequent accelerations out of shuttle run turns require moderate explosiveness but are secondary to sustainable pacing.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard burpee and pull-up range of motion plus reaching to a bar; mobility demands are basic and shouldn’t limit most athletes when set to appropriate bar height.
• Strength (1/10): No external loading and no maximal contractions; strength is not the limiter beyond basic bodyweight pulling capacity to complete the burpee pull-ups consistently.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Burpee to Jumping Pull-Up (lower bar) • Burpee to 6-in Target (no pull-up) • Reduce shuttle volume (e.g., +5 per round instead of +10) or shorten distance to 20 ft

Scaling Explanation

These options keep the workout’s engine-and-pulling stimulus while adjusting skill and volume so athletes can move continuously with minimal stoppage.

Intended Stimulus

Steady cardio with a building grind. Early rounds feel smooth; by mid-workout the shuttles pile up and burpee pull-ups get sticky. You should breathe hard but keep moving, minimizing transitions. Aim for tight turns, efficient jump-to-pull-up mechanics, and consistent pacing so you don’t blow up in minutes 10–15.

Coach Insight

Pace the early rounds at 80–85% and protect your breathing. Quick but controlled turns and calm burpee transitions matter more than sprinting the first two rounds. The one tip: Land close to the bar, jump straight up, and pull immediately—no extra steps. Avoid long chalk breaks, sloppy turnarounds, and early redlining. Small, sustainable sets beat sporadic surges.

Benchmark Notes

Your score is total completed reps in 15 minutes. Hitting 90 reps means finishing the third round; 150 reps finishes the fourth. Advanced athletes push into the fifth round. Use these levels to guide pacing and scaling so you’re steadily moving with minimal rest.

Modality Profile

This is a pure gymnastics/monostructural couplet. Burpee pull-ups are bodyweight gymnastics, while shuttle runs dominate time in later rounds. With no external load, the work skews slightly toward monostructural due to the accumulating running volume and repeated accelerations.

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