Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Enormous total volume (630 reps) with two loaded movements at bodyweight-relative loads drives muscular stamina to the limit. The long descending ladder stretches duration well beyond typical benchmarks, while grip, posterior chain, and pressing endurance are repeatedly taxed. Movement complexity is moderate, but the sheer amount of work elevates this to an extreme, marathon-style grind.

Benchmark Times for Painstorm XXIX

• Elite: <50:00
• Advanced: 60:00-70:00
• Intermediate: 80:00-90:00
• Beginner: >180:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (10/10): Extremely high total reps under load and high-volume push-ups demand relentless muscular endurance for the posterior chain, grip, and pressing musculature.
• Strength (6/10): Loads are relative to bodyweight and not maximal, yet repeated pulling from the floor and weighted cleans require solid baseline strength to preserve mechanics late.
• Endurance (5/10): Long, continuous effort with minimal opportunities to recover, but without monostructural cardio. Expect a sustained heart rate and breathing load over a very extended time window.
• Power (3/10): Cleans are typically cycled as steady reps, not maximal explosive efforts. Emphasis shifts toward repeatable mechanics rather than peak power output.
• Speed (3/10): This is not a sprint; athletes succeed by minimizing rest and keeping transitions tidy, not by blasting fast sets early.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard ranges of motion: full lockout on push-ups and safe hinge/catch positions. No unusual mobility demands beyond quality setup and front rack positioning.

Movements

• Deadlift
• Push-Up
• Dumbbell Clean

Scaling Options

Scale to: 15-1 ladder @ DL 0.9×BW & DB pair 0.35×BW • 20-1 ladder @ DL 0.75×BW, DB pair 0.25×BW, push-ups from box • 45-min AMRAP descending 20-1 with strict quality caps

Scaling Explanation

Options reduce total volume, relative loading, or pressing difficulty to preserve the long, steady stamina stimulus and safe mechanics while maintaining movement intent.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding test of stamina and positional discipline. Aim for sustainable sets from the start, keeping rest brief and technique consistent. Breathing stays elevated, but the limiter will be local muscle fatigue in the posterior chain, grip, and pressing. Success looks like calm, methodical pacing that prevents failure sets and maintains form for the full ladder.

Coach Insight

Pace from rep 20. Use very small, repeatable sets (e.g., 5s on deadlifts, 3–5s on cleans, 5–10s on push-ups) with short, timed rests. Biggest tip: Keep sets consistent—avoid early blow-ups. If a set feels easy, bank that energy for the rounds 12–6. Don’t rush push-ups into failure, and never let deadlift form drift—reset the hinge, brace, and keep your grip fresh by shaking out often.

Benchmark Notes

Times range from 3 hours (L1) to 50 minutes (L9). Most solid athletes should plan for 80–120 minutes. Use these to estimate pacing: if you cannot maintain small consistent sets on push-ups and cleans, you’ll drift toward the slower tiers. Elite athletes can chip steadily with minimal rest.

Modality Profile

Two of the three movements use external load (deadlift and dumbbell clean), dominating time and fatigue. Push-ups represent the sole gymnastics element. No monostructural work is included, so expect a strength-endurance emphasis with some gymnastics stamina mixed in.

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