Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This is a high-skill, shoulder-dominant gymnastics gauntlet under an aggressive cap. Strict and kipping HSPU, handstand walking, and bar hanging movements create intense interference. The volume isn’t extreme, but the skill density, time pressure, and need for unbroken sets push capacity, control, and efficiency. Most intermediate athletes will time-cap before the final section.

Benchmark Times for Regionals 18.4

• Elite: <7:30
• Advanced: 8:00-8:30
• Intermediate: 9:00-9:30
• Beginner: >11:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Repeated upper-body pressing and pulling under fatigue (40 HSPU, 60 hanging reps, 20 push-ups) demand sustained muscular endurance and smart set management to avoid failure, especially in the strict phase.
• Speed (6/10): Fast transitions, quick but controlled kipping mechanics, and confident handstand walking pace are rewarded. Over-speeding risks shoulder blow-up; smooth is fast here.
• Endurance (5/10): Sub-11-minute time domain with minimal monostructural work. Breathing matters, but the limiter is not cardio—it's maintaining steady output while shoulders and grip fatigue through frequent inversions and hangs.
• Flexibility (4/10): Shoulder and thoracic mobility for efficient handstand positions and stable midline, plus hip flexion for tight TTB. Not extreme, but poor mobility increases energy cost and no-rep risk.
• Strength (4/10): No external load, but strict HSPU and stable handstand walking require notable relative pressing strength and midline control, especially for larger athletes.
• Power (2/10): Explosiveness is minor; efficiency and tension control matter more than big power outputs. Quick kick to inverted and sharp kip timing help but don’t dominate performance.

Movements

• Kipping Handstand Push-Ups
• Push-Up
• Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
• Toes-to-Bar
• Handstand Walk
• Strict Handstand Push-Ups
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: Box/pike HSPU or 1–2 abmats • 25–50-ft bear crawl or wall-facing HS hold accumulations • Jumping pull-ups or banded pull-ups/toes-to-bar

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the pressing, midline demand, and hanging volume while reducing skill thresholds so athletes can keep moving fast without repeated failures.

Intended Stimulus

A fast but controlled gymnastics sprint. Move confidently through strict HSPU and early handstand walks without failing reps. Keep bar movements in small, quick sets to protect shoulders and grip. Transitions should be immediate, breathing steady, and no wasted chalk breaks. Finish feeling shoulder-pumped but technically crisp, not sloppy.

Coach Insight

Open conservatively: 5-5 strict HSPU and quick 5-5 on the bar. Handstand walk in composed bursts with short rests. Priority tip: Save your shoulders—avoid failure. Break one rep early, not one late. Common pitfalls: Greedy unbroken strict sets, long chalk breaks, and rushing handstand walks into no-reps. Small, fast sets win.

Benchmark Notes

Times are tiered from the time cap (L1) down to advanced athletes finishing well under 8 minutes (L9). If you’re above L5, you should reach the final triplet. Elites move quickly through strict HSPU and handstand walks with minimal breaks and fast bar cycling.

Modality Profile

This is pure gymnastics: inversions, bar hangs, and bodyweight pressing/pulling. No monostructural or external loading. Success hinges on high-skill body control, cycle efficiency, and shoulder stamina rather than pacing a traditional cardio element or moving weights.

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These WODs similar to Regionals 18.4 share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.