Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The weight vest transforms this seemingly straightforward workout into a significant challenge. 100 total hand release push-ups with added weight creates substantial upper body fatigue, split by a mile run that offers no real recovery due to the vest. The combination means the second set of push-ups occurs under severe fatigue. Average athletes will struggle to maintain form and likely need to break the push-ups into very small sets.

Benchmark Times for Romeo

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 15:00-16:00
• Intermediate: 18:00-20:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): The mile run combined with high-volume push-ups while wearing a weight vest creates significant cardiovascular demand and sustained aerobic output.
• Stamina (7/10): Two sets of 50 hand release push-ups with a weight vest tests upper body muscular endurance, especially with the run between sets.
• Strength (4/10): The weight vest adds load to both movements, but primarily tests strength-endurance rather than maximal strength.
• Speed (4/10): Maintaining a steady pace on the run and consistent push-up sets is key. No high-speed movement cycling required.
• Flexibility (3/10): Hand release push-ups require slightly more shoulder mobility than standard push-ups, but mobility demands remain moderate.
• Power (1/10): This workout focuses on sustained effort rather than explosive movements. Both exercises are performed at steady, submaximal intensities.

Movements

• Run
• Hand-Release Push-Up

Scaling Options

Remove weight vest for most athletes. Scale push-ups to knees if needed, maintaining hand release. Can reduce push-ups to 30-40 per round. For running, substitute 800m or 400m based on capacity. Alternative movement options: Incline hand release push-ups on box, tempo push-ups with 3-second descent. Time cap at 25 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 15+ unbroken hand release push-ups when fresh or if mile run time is over 9 minutes unweighted. Priority is maintaining consistent movement through all sets - form should not significantly degrade. Target time domain is 15-25 minutes with steady work rate. Scale to maintain intensity rather than grinding through poor reps. Athletes should be able to maintain push-up sets of at least 5 reps throughout.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length oxidative workout (15-25 minutes) with significant upper body pushing endurance demand. The weight vest adds metabolic stress and strength-endurance challenge. Primary focus is on upper body pushing capacity and aerobic power maintenance under load.

Coach Insight

Break push-ups into manageable sets early (sets of 10-15) to avoid burning out. Full extension at top of push-up, chest must touch ground on release. For the run, maintain steady pace around 75-80% effort - this isn't a sprint. Quick transitions between movements but take 10-15 seconds to reset breathing. Second set of push-ups will be significantly harder - plan for smaller sets (5-8 reps). Common mistake is rushing first set of push-ups too aggressively.

Benchmark Notes

Analysis based on Murph and Helen anchors with adjustments: 1. Hand Release Push-Ups (50 reps) - Fresh: 1.5-2 sec/rep with hand release - Set breaking: 15-12-8-8-7 for elite, more breaks for others - First set: ~90-100 seconds 2. Mile Run with vest - Base mile: 6:30-7:30 elite pace with 20lb vest - Using Murph run splits as reference - Added 15% time vs unweighted mile 3. Hand Release Push-Ups (50 reps) - Significant fatigue after run - Apply 1.4x multiplier - More set breaking: 10-8-8-8-8-8 - Second set: ~140-160 seconds Transitions: ~15-20 seconds total Total for elite (L10): 14:00 (840 seconds) - First push-ups: 90-100s - Run: 390-450s - Second push-ups: 140-160s - Transitions: 15-20s Scaled from Murph anchor (which is longer but similar push-up volume and running with vest), adjusting down proportionally for reduced volume. Cross-referenced with Helen's run+gymnastics pacing. Female adjustments: - Push-ups typically require more sets/breaks (+15%) - Mile run with vest slightly more impact (+10%) Final Benchmarks: Male: L10 = 14:00 | L5 = 20:00 | L1 = 30:00 Female: L10 = 16:00 | L5 = 22:00 | L1 = 32:00

Modality Profile

Hand-Release Push-Up is a gymnastics (bodyweight) movement, and Run is monostructural cardio. With two movements split across two modalities, this results in an even 50/50 split between G and M.

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