Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

Massive volume across seven movements with advanced gymnastics (20 muscle-ups, 40 HSPU) and 140 barbell reps at 95/65 lb, bookended by 2,000 meters of running and 100 box jumps. High skill interference with grip, shoulders, and midline is severe. Expect 60–100+ minutes for most, demanding pacing, endurance, and technical consistency under deep fatigue.

Benchmark Times for Painstorm XXVIII

• Elite: <62:00
• Advanced: 68:00-74:00
• Intermediate: 80:00-86:00
• Beginner: >110:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Very high total reps across barbell and gymnastics require sustained muscular output, especially shoulders, legs, and midline. Success depends on repeatable sets with minimal degradation over time.
• Endurance (8/10): Two kilometers of running plus continuous work for over an hour drives aerobic demand. The challenge is sustaining a steady heart rate and breathing rhythm while transitioning between mixed modalities.
• Flexibility (5/10): Overhead squats and handstand positions demand solid shoulder, thoracic, and ankle mobility to maintain stable, efficient positions under fatigue.
• Power (5/10): Box jumps and barbell cycling need pop, but the long time domain tempers maximal explosiveness. Efficient force production helps conserve energy across many reps.
• Speed (4/10): There are brief opportunities to cycle quickly, yet the overall strategy is controlled pacing. Over-speeding early leads to significant drop-off later.
• Strength (3/10): Loads are moderate rather than maximal. Strength helps efficiency in thrusters and overhead squats but the test is not heavy lifting; it rewards repeatability, not 1-rep capacity.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Ring Rows + Push-Ups + Pike HSPU + Jumping MU or transitions • Reduce barbell to 75/55 (or 65/45) and cut OHS/Thrusters to 30/20 per segment • Reduce run to 600-300-600 and box to 20/16 in step-ups

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the workout’s long, shoulder-intensive chipper stimulus while adjusting skill, load, and volume so athletes keep moving steadily without excessive failures.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding chipper that rewards deliberate pacing. Keep a sustainable aerobic rhythm from the first run and chip away at small, repeatable sets on gymnastics and barbell work. Shoulders and grip will be the limiter; avoid redlining. Finishing strong means holding form and cadence while minimizing transitions and failed reps.

Coach Insight

Break everything before you need to. Think in 3–5 rep bites on gymnastics and 5–10s on the barbell, with short, honest rests. One tip: Protect your shoulders—prioritize perfect positions on OHS and HSPU to save energy and avoid no-reps. Common mistakes: Opening too hot on the first run, doing max sets early, and ignoring grip—leading to failed muscle-ups and long chalk breaks.

Benchmark Notes

Times range from about 110 minutes (beginner) to 62 minutes (elite). If you’re around the middle, plan for 80–90 minutes. Use these tiers to choose an appropriate scale so you keep moving steadily and finish within your target window without long, repeated failures.

Modality Profile

Gymnastics dominates with 100 pull-ups, 40 HSPU, 20 muscle-ups, and 100 box jumps. Weightlifting is substantial with 140 barbell reps. Running accounts for 2,000 meters of monostructural work, about 15–20% of the total time depending on pace.

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