Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

This team workout involves massive volume: 10 rounds of 5 movements (130 reps each plus 13 calories of rowing per round) bookended by 1,065-foot cardio efforts. Even split 3 ways, each athlete handles ~43+ reps per movement per round plus cardio. The 225/165lb barbell cycling through deadlifts AND back squats creates compounding leg and grip fatigue. Estimated time exceeds 60+ minutes, pushing this into elite territory even as a team.

Benchmark Times for Ryan Comas

• Elite: <30:30
• Advanced: 34:00-38:00
• Intermediate: 42:30-47:30
• Beginner: >80:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (10/10): 130 deadlifts, 130 pull-ups, 130 back squats, 130 burpees, and 130 calories of rowing across 10 rounds demands extreme muscular endurance. Grip, posterior chain, and leg stamina are relentlessly taxed.
• Endurance (9/10): The versa climb, rowing, and ski bookend 10 rounds of mixed movements, creating sustained cardiovascular demand throughout. Team format allows brief recovery but total aerobic output remains very high.
• Strength (7/10): 225/165-lb deadlifts and back squats are moderately heavy loads performed for high reps. Strength is a real factor, especially in later rounds when fatigue accumulates and bar speed slows significantly.
• Speed (6/10): Team format and for-time structure incentivize efficient transitions and steady cycling. However, the sheer volume and load mean pacing and sustainability matter more than raw speed through movements.
• Flexibility (4/10): Deadlifts and back squats require adequate hip hinge and squat mobility. Pull-ups demand shoulder flexibility. Nothing extreme, but sustained volume under fatigue exposes any mobility limitations in hips and thoracic spine.
• Power (4/10): Burpees and pull-ups have some explosive component, but the primary stimulus is muscular endurance rather than peak power output. Heavy barbell work under fatigue shifts toward grinding rather than explosive movement.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Burpee
• Deadlift
• Row
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Barbell: Reduce to 155/105 lbs for intermediate athletes or 135/95 lbs for newer athletes. Pull-ups: Sub banded pull-ups, ring rows, or jumping pull-ups depending on ability — maintain the rep count. Burpees: Keep as prescribed if possible; they are bodyweight and accessible. Volume: Reduce to 7 or 8 rounds if the team is newer or if the time cap is a concern — prioritize quality movement over grinding through all 10 rounds poorly. Reps: Scale to 10 reps per movement per round if 13 reps at load is unsustainable. Monostructural: Row or ski are the most accessible substitutions for the versa climb — keep the distance at 1,065 meters and split evenly among the team.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the barbell if any athlete cannot perform at least 5 unbroken deadlifts or back squats at the prescribed load with solid mechanics — form breakdown under fatigue across 10 rounds is a significant injury risk. Scale pull-ups if an athlete cannot string together at least 3-5 unbroken reps; banded pull-ups or ring rows preserve the pulling stimulus without destroying grip and shoulders early. Reduce rounds or reps if the team's projected time exceeds 80 minutes — the stimulus is sustained hard effort, not a survival crawl. The goal is to keep all three athletes moving with purpose and intensity throughout. Prioritize technique on the barbell above all else — a rounded deadlift or collapsed squat at round 8 is not worth the risk. Intensity is the goal, but safe movement patterns are non-negotiable.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding team effort designed to test sustained aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and mental toughness across a broad time domain — expect 45 to 75+ minutes depending on team fitness level. The bookend climbs or rows serve as a collective buy-in and cash-out, while the 10-round middle section demands consistent output across multiple movement patterns. The primary challenge is pacing and communication as a team — managing fatigue across heavy barbell work, gymnastics, and monostructural cardio simultaneously. This is not a sprint; it's a long, hard sustained engine test with significant strength demands woven in.

Coach Insight

Divide the opening and closing 1,065-foot climb or 1,065-meter row/ski evenly among the three athletes — roughly 355 feet or meters each, rotating as needed. For the 10 rounds, establish a clear rotation strategy before the clock starts. One effective approach: one athlete on the rower each round while the other two split the barbell and pull-up work, then rotate who rows each round. For deadlifts at 225/165 lbs, these will feel manageable early but accumulate fast — break them into sets of 5-4-4 or 7-6 from round 4 onward. Back squats at the same load are the sneaky killer; treat them like a heavy barbell cycling piece and never go to failure. Pull-ups should be broken early — sets of 5-4-4 — to protect the shoulders and grip for 10 rounds. Burpees are the great equalizer; keep a steady, unbroken pace rather than sprinting and dying. Communicate constantly — call out when you're gassing so your teammates can adjust. The biggest mistake teams make is going out too hot in rounds 1-3 and falling apart by round 6.

Benchmark Notes

Team of three, shared: a 1,065 m row, ski or 1,065 ft VersaClimb, 10 rounds of 13 deadlifts, 13 pull-ups, a 13-calorie row, 13 back squats at 225/165 lb and 13 burpees, then another 1,065 m. L5 (47:30-53 min) takes about 4:40 a round with one athlete working at a time. An elite team (under 30:30) holds about 2:15 a round.

Modality Profile

5 movements total: Row (M), Deadlift (W), Pull-Up (G), Back Squat (W), Burpee (G). Gymnastics: 2/5 = 40%, Monostructural: 1/5 = 20%, Weightlifting: 2/5 = 40%.

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