Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The 20/14lb weight vest transforms this from Hard to Very Hard by amplifying fatigue across all movements. The run becomes significantly more demanding, lunges require more stabilization, and the pull-ups become much harder - especially for 7 rounds. The continuous nature without built-in rest, combined with the vest affecting every movement, creates compounding fatigue that will challenge even experienced athletes.

Benchmark Times for René

• Elite: <16:00
• Advanced: 18:00-20:00
• Intermediate: 22:00-24:00
• Beginner: >40:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Seven rounds of 400m runs with a weight vest creates significant cardiovascular demand, while the mixed bodyweight movements maintain elevated heart rate throughout.
• Stamina (7/10): High volume of lunges, pull-ups, and burpees tests muscular endurance, especially with added vest weight creating sustained local muscle fatigue.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between movements and maintaining run pace with the vest are crucial. Extended duration prevents all-out speed.
• Flexibility (5/10): Walking lunges require good hip mobility, while burpees and weighted pull-ups demand shoulder flexibility and thoracic extension.
• Strength (4/10): Weight vest adds resistance to all movements, but primarily tests strength-endurance rather than maximal strength. Pull-ups become more challenging.
• Power (3/10): Burpees have some explosive component, but the vest weight and volume favor controlled movement over power output.

Movements

• Walking Lunge
• Burpee
• Run
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Remove vest for newer athletes or reduce vest weight to 14/10 lb. Substitute ring rows or banded pull-ups for strict pull-ups (maintain 15 reps). Reduce run to 200m or substitute row/bike. Can reduce to 5 rounds while keeping rep scheme. Walking lunges can be done without vest or reduced to 15 reps. Target 35 minute time cap.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ strict pull-ups, if running with vest causes form breakdown, or if unable to maintain steady pace through multiple rounds. Priority is maintaining consistent movement and breathing under load - intensity should allow continuous work with minimal extended breaks. Athletes should be able to complete each round within 5 minutes. Scale to maintain intended stimulus of steady-state work vs. survival mode.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration oxidative workout (25-35 minutes) with weighted vest creating additional metabolic demand. Combines steady-state cardio with bodyweight movements. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent output while managing fatigue from the vest. Tests both aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.

Coach Insight

Break this into manageable chunks - treat each round as its own piece. Run at 70-75% effort to account for vest weight and volume. Keep lunges smooth and controlled, focusing on vertical torso. For pull-ups, sets of 5-6 are ideal to prevent grip fatigue. Quick but controlled burpees - don't rush and let form deteriorate. The vest will make everything feel harder as rounds progress - resist urge to rush early rounds.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is most similar to Kelly (5 rounds of 400m run + box jumps + wall balls) but with 7 rounds and different movements. Let's break it down: Per round (fresh state): - 400m Run: 90-120s - 21 Walking Lunges: ~45s (2-3s per rep with weight vest) - 15 Pull-Ups: ~30s (2s per rep with fatigue) - 9 Burpees: ~36s (4s per rep with vest) - Transitions: ~20s Base round time: ~220-250s Fatigue multipliers: - Rounds 1-2: 1.0x - Rounds 3-4: 1.15x - Rounds 5-6: 1.3x - Round 7: 1.4x Weight vest adds ~15% overall difficulty and impacts running/burpees most significantly. Comparing to Kelly benchmark (L10 M/F = 15:30/17:00): - This workout has 2 more rounds - Movements are similarly taxing - Weight vest adds difficulty Projected L10 times: 16:00/19:00 Projected L5 times: 24:00/27:00 Projected L1 times: 40:00/45:00 Interpolated other levels proportionally with ~10-15% spreads between levels.

Modality Profile

The workout contains 4 movements: Run (M), Walking Lunge (G), Pull-Up (G), Burpee (G). 3 movements are gymnastics-based bodyweight movements (Lunge, Pull-Up, Burpee), and 1 is monostructural cardio (Run). Since there are no weighted movements, W is 0%. With 3 gymnastics movements and 1 monostructural movement, rounded to clean numbers, this gives us a 50/50 G/M split.

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