Workout Description
For Time
Buy-In:
Max Unbroken Thrusters (75% BW)
Muscle-Ups*
Then AMRAP in 30 minutes of:
250 meter Row
250 meter Run
Cash-Out:**
Thrusters** (75% BW)
Muscle-Ups*
*Perform the same number of reps as Thrusters.
**Same number of reps from the Buy-In.
Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard
High skill and heavy relative loading meet long duration. A max-unbroken thruster at 75% bodyweight sets a punishing rep target for Muscle-Ups and the cash-out, surrounding a fixed 30-minute cardio block. Movement complexity, grip demands, and fatigue management across 40–60 minutes make this suitable only for advanced athletes or carefully scaled versions.
Benchmark Times for Painstorm XXXV
- Elite: <42:00
- Advanced: 53:00-55:00
- Intermediate: 57:00-59:00
- Beginner: >70:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Endurance (8/10): Thirty minutes of steady Row/Run builds aerobic capacity. Pacing and breathing control are essential to keep heart rate stable before the demanding cash-out under fatigue.
- Stamina (8/10): Max-unbroken thrusters set a large rep target repeated later, plus high-skill gymnastics volume. Sustaining sets under fatigue taxes shoulders, legs, and grip extensively.
- Strength (6/10): Thrusters at 75% bodyweight require significant leg and pressing strength, especially for a large unbroken set. Absolute max strength isn’t tested, but relative strength is key.
- Power (5/10): Thrusters demand leg drive and hip extension into a crisp press. However, the overall piece is more sustained than explosive due to the 30-minute AMRAP component.
- Speed (4/10): Moderate cadence dominates. Quick transitions help, but sprinting early backfires when the cash-out demands high-skill reps under heavy fatigue.
- Flexibility (4/10): Full-depth front squat into overhead lockout requires solid front rack, thoracic extension, and shoulder mobility. Ring positions demand stable, comfortable ranges overhead and in the dip.
Scaling Options
Scale to: 55–65% BW Thruster + Bar Muscle-Ups • 65/45 lb Thruster + Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups (2:1 for MU) • Keep 75% BW Thruster but Cap Unbroken at 8–12 reps + Jumping Ring Muscle-Ups
Scaling Explanation
These options preserve the heavy relative thruster stimulus and high-skill pulling pattern while adjusting load, skill, or volume so athletes can keep moving and finish within the intended time domain.
Intended Stimulus
Start with a disciplined unbroken thruster set—smooth, controlled cycling to avoid redlining. Move directly into crisp Muscle-Ups. Settle into a sustainable Row/Run rhythm for the full 30:00 without spiking heart rate. Finish by methodically chipping through cash-out thrusters and Muscle-Ups in smart sets to maintain quality and avoid failure.
Coach Insight
Pace the buy-in: breathe every rep on thrusters and keep a steady cadence you could hold for five more reps. Then move into quick MU sets with short rests.
The one tip: protect your grip and shoulders—break the cash-out before you have to.
Common mistakes: sprinting early rows/runs, racing the first MU set, or choosing thruster cadence that forces an early fail.
Benchmark Notes
Times include a fixed 30:00 AMRAP plus buy-in and cash-out work. Faster athletes complete the gymnastic and barbell portions efficiently before and after the monostructural block. Slower times reflect larger buy-in rep counts, heavier relative loading, or extended breaks managing muscle-up and thruster fatigue.
Modality Profile
Most of the time is spent in monostructural work (30:00 of Row/Run). Gymnastics (Muscle-Ups) contribute significant skill and volume before and after. Weightlifting (Thrusters at 75% bodyweight) is impactful but occupies less total time compared to the cardio block.
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