Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Long duration (39 minutes) with eight Tabatas drives massive volume and fatigue. Mixed high-skill gymnastics (HSPU, ring dips) and moderate-to-heavy barbell work (thrusters, cleans, deadlifts) require strength endurance and technique under duress. Grip, shoulders, and midline are taxed continuously, and pacing errors are heavily punished. This is an advanced test of stamina, resilience, and movement efficiency.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High repetition demands across shoulders, grip, and posterior chain challenge muscular endurance and repeatability under accumulating fatigue.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained 39-minute effort with limited rest requires strong aerobic capacity to keep repeatable intervals and manage fatigue across eight stations.
• Speed (6/10): Short work intervals reward quick cycling and fast transitions, tempered by the need to sustain output for eight stations.
• Power (6/10): Explosive hip drive and crisp barbell cycling help maximize reps per 20-second window without excessive fatigue.
• Strength (5/10): Moderate-to-heavy barbell loads and bodyweight pressing strength are required, but no true max-effort lifts are tested.
• Flexibility (4/10): Adequate shoulder and thoracic mobility for overhead positions (thrusters, HSPU, swings) and hip/hamstring positions for deadlifts and cleans.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Lighter bars (75/55 thruster, 95/65 clean, 155/105 deadlift) • Banded/Jumping Pull-Ups and Box/Bench Dips • Pike HSPU or Strict DB Push Press • Lighter KB (35/26) and Row at sustainable damper

Scaling Explanation

These options keep the interval intent—consistent, high-quality reps—while matching strength and skill to maintain safe mechanics and steady output across all eight Tabatas.

Intended Stimulus

Sustained, repeatable high output with smart restraint. Each 20-second burst should feel fast but controlled, leaving a few reps in the tank early to avoid collapse later. Expect shoulders, grip, and lungs to burn. The best scores come from minimizing drop-off across all eight stations, not sprinting one and crashing the next.

Coach Insight

Pace for repeatability: aim for a target rep count you can hold within 1–2 reps for all 8 intervals per station. One tip: break early on gymnastics—stop a rep shy of failure. Preserve pressing capacity for HSPU and dips. Avoid: death-sprinting the first two Tabatas, ignoring grip management, and sloppy barbell cycling that spikes heart rate and ruins later stations.

Benchmark Notes

Your score is the total reps and calories across all eight Tabatas. Beginners may land around 220–340 total. Solid intermediates target 410–540. Advanced/elite athletes push 590+ by sustaining high, repeatable intervals and minimizing drop-off across the heavier and gymnastic stations.

Modality Profile

Four weightlifting movements (thruster, clean, deadlift, kettlebell swing) dominate volume and time. Three gymnastics movements (pull-up, ring dip, HSPU) add high-skill demand. Rowing is the only monostructural piece. This yields roughly 50% weightlifting, 37.5% gymnastics, and 12.5% monostructural.

Similar Workouts to Painstorm XXVI

If you enjoy Painstorm XXVI, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

• Roney (92% similar) - For time: 4 rounds: 200 meter Run 11 Thrusters (135/95 lb) 200 meter Run 11 Push Presses (135/95 lb)...
• Tully (92% similar) - 4 Rounds For Time 200 meter Swim 23 Dumbell Squat Cleans (2 x 40/30 lb) ...
• Lindskog (92% similar) - For time: 5 rounds of: Run 500 meters 20 Box Jumps (24/20 in) 20 Pull-Ups 5 Handstand Push-Ups...
• Ken Zink (91% similar) - 7 Rounds for Time 71 Double-Unders 14 Deadlifts (135/95 lb) 6 Hang Power Cleans (135/95 lb) 9 Front ...
• Cajun (91% similar) - 4 Rounds for Time 400 meter Run 16 Bench Presses (135/95 lb) 16 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb) 16 Should...
• Davo (90% similar) - For Time 400 meter Run 21 Thrusters (40/20 kg) 400 meter Run 21 Pull-Ups 400 meter Run 15 Sumo Deadl...
• Philip M Wigal (90% similar) - For Time (with a Partner) 1,507 meter Row 157 calorie Bike 35 Devil Presses (2x50/35 lb) 4 Bear Comp...
• Steve Skipton Sr. (90% similar) - For Time 400 meter Run 25 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood) 25 Burpees 25 Air Squats 25 Single-Arm Kett...

These WODs similar to Painstorm XXVI share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.