Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Easy

While this pyramid structure creates a decent amount of volume (110 total reps), all movements are basic bodyweight exercises with natural built-in rest during transitions. The 1-10-1 rep scheme prevents significant fatigue accumulation, and no single movement interferes with performance of others. Most athletes will complete this in 4-6 minutes at a sustainable pace.

Benchmark Times for Pandemic

• Elite: <3:45
• Advanced: 4:15-4:45
• Intermediate: 5:30-6:15
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and fast cycling of relatively low reps is key to optimal performance.
• Stamina (6/10): Accumulating reps in a pyramid format challenges muscular endurance, especially in the core and shoulders through burpees and mountain climbers.
• Endurance (4/10): The pyramid format creates moderate cardiovascular demand through continuous movement, but the rep scheme allows for natural micro-breaks between rounds.
• Power (4/10): Burpees require moderate power output for the jump and ground-to-standing transition, while other movements are more controlled.
• Flexibility (3/10): Basic mobility required for burpees and mountain climbers, with some hip flexion demands in sit-ups.
• Strength (2/10): Exclusively bodyweight movements with relatively low rep counts per round don't significantly test maximal strength.

Movements

• Mountain Climber
• Burpee
• Sit-Up

Scaling Options

Beginner option: Cap at 8 rounds up/down instead of 10. Reduce multipliers to: Burpee x1, Mountain Climbers x1.5, Sit-ups x2. Movement modifications: Step-out burpees instead of jumping, standing mountain climbers or marching in place, crunches or v-ups instead of full sit-ups. For reduced impact: Replace burpees with squat-press or squat-jump.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to maintain consistent movement standards through round 5, or if burpees become extremely labored early. Target completion time is 8-12 minutes - scale volume if estimated time exceeds 15 minutes. Prioritize full range of motion on all movements over speed. Key signs to scale: losing plank position on mountain climbers, inability to maintain hollow position in sit-ups, or excessive rest needed between movements.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (8-12 minutes) with ascending/descending rep scheme. Primary focus is on aerobic capacity and body control with increasing metabolic stress during middle sets. The pyramid structure creates a mental challenge of pacing through high-volume middle sets while maintaining movement quality.

Coach Insight

Start controlled and deliberate - the volume increases quickly. Break up mountain climbers early (sets of 10-12) even when reps feel easy. For larger sets (8-10 rounds), consider breaking burpees into 2-3 reps, mountain climbers into sets of 8-10, and sit-ups into sets of 6-8. Keep transitions quick between movements. The workout gets spicy around rounds 7-8-9-10 where cumulative fatigue hits - plan for this by establishing sustainable pace early.

Benchmark Notes

This is a pyramid workout with 19 total rounds (1-10-1) containing: - 100 total burpees (1+2+3+...+10+...+3+2+1) - 200 total mountain climbers - 300 total sit-ups Breakdown: Burpees: 3.5s/rep × 100 = 350s base Mountain Climbers: 1s/rep × 200 = 200s base Sit-ups: 1.5s/rep × 300 = 450s base Fatigue multipliers: - Early rounds (1-5): 1.0x - Middle rounds (6-10): 1.2x - Descending rounds (9-1): 1.3x Transitions: ~3s between movements × 19 rounds = 57s This workout is most similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 double-unders and sit-ups) in terms of volume and movement pattern, though slightly more demanding due to burpees. Using Annie's benchmarks (L10: 300-360s, L5: 480-600s, L1: 780-960s) as a base and adjusting up 25% for increased difficulty. Final targets: L10 (Elite): 225s (3:45) L5 (Intermediate): 375s (6:15) L1 (Beginner): 720s (12:00) No gender-specific scaling needed as movements are bodyweight.

Modality Profile

All three movements (Burpee, Mountain Climber, Sit-Up) are bodyweight/gymnastics movements. Burpees and Sit-Ups are classic gymnastics movements, while Mountain Climbers are a bodyweight movement that requires no external load. With all movements falling into the gymnastics category, this workout is 100% G.

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