Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

This partner workout combines brutal volume (15 rounds of thrusters + stone over shoulders), heavy loads (2x50lb DBs, 100lb stone), and a punishing interrupt mechanism — 22 burpees EACH every 7 minutes. With a 40-minute cap, partners face roughly 5-6 burpee breaks totaling 110-132 burpees each, while managing ~180 thrusters and 150 stone-over-shoulders split between them, plus a 2,006m ski buy-in and 2,947m bike cash-out. The forced burpee interruptions prevent recovery and accelerate fatigue accumulation across already demanding movements, making completion within the cap extremely unlikely for average athletes even with a partner.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): 15 rounds of 12 dumbbell thrusters and 10 stone over shoulders totals 180 thrusters and 150 stone lifts, plus mandatory burpees every 7 minutes. Muscular endurance across full body is the primary limiter.
• Endurance (9/10): The 2,006m ski erg buy-in, 2,947m bike cash-out, and 40-minute time cap with continuous partner work create sustained cardiovascular demand throughout. Aerobic capacity is heavily taxed across the entire session.
• Speed (7/10): The 40-minute time cap with mandatory burpee interruptions every 7 minutes forces efficient transitions and fast cycling. Partners must manage pace strategically to avoid falling behind on volume and burpee penalties.
• Power (7/10): Stone over shoulder is an inherently explosive hip-driven movement, and dumbbell thrusters require a powerful drive from the squat. Repeated power expression under fatigue is a consistent demand across all 15 rounds.
• Strength (6/10): 100lb stone over shoulder and 2x50lb dumbbell thrusters represent moderate-to-heavy loads requiring real strength output, especially as fatigue accumulates across 15 rounds under a time cap.
• Flexibility (4/10): Dumbbell thrusters demand overhead mobility and hip flexibility; stone over shoulder requires hip hinge and thoracic extension. Moderate mobility demands across multiple planes of movement throughout the workout.

Movements

• Dumbbell Thruster
• Burpee
• Atlas Stone
• Ski Erg
• BikeErg

Scaling Options

Dumbbell Thrusters: reduce to 35/20 lb dumbbells for intermediate athletes or 25/15 lb for beginners. Stone Over Shoulders: scale to 70/50 lb or substitute with a sandbag over shoulder, a heavy dumbbell deadlift and press, or a kettlebell swing. Reduce rounds from 15 to 10-12 for athletes who are newer or less conditioned. Burpees can be reduced to 15 each (instead of 22) or scaled to step-up burpees for athletes with movement limitations. Ski can be substituted with a 500m row or 1000m bike equivalent. Bike cash-out can be substituted with a 2000m row or 1500m run. For three-person teams, distribute the buy-in and cash-out in thirds and allow one person to rest during each round of the middle section.

Scaling Explanation

Scale this workout if you cannot perform at least 8 unbroken dumbbell thrusters at the prescribed weight when fresh, or if you cannot safely lift and load the stone with proper bracing and hip drive. The stone over shoulder is a high-risk movement under fatigue — if your lower back rounds significantly or you cannot control the descent, reduce the load immediately. Athletes should scale if they anticipate being unable to complete the workout within the 40-minute time cap, as the burpee penalty can compound quickly and leave athletes buried. Prioritize technique over load on both the thrusters and the stone — a lighter load done safely for 15 rounds is far more valuable than a heavy load done dangerously. The goal is to finish the full workout feeling worked but not destroyed, maintaining movement quality through the final bike cash-out.

Intended Stimulus

This is a long, grinding partner workout designed to test your sustained engine, mental toughness, and ability to manage fatigue over a 35-40 minute time domain. The 2006 meter ski buy-in and 2947 meter bike cash-out bookend a brutal middle section of dumbbell thrusters and heavy stone over shoulders. The every-7-minute burpee penalty adds a mandatory interruption that forces athletes to manage their pacing and transitions intelligently. The primary challenge is mental and conditioning-based — this is not a sprint, it's a long hard sustained effort that demands smart energy management from start to finish. Expect your lungs and legs to be taxed simultaneously throughout.

Coach Insight

Split the ski buy-in evenly — roughly 1003 meters each, alternating in a relay style. Aim for a moderate, sustainable pace on the ski (not a sprint) since you have a long road ahead. For the 15 rounds, divide work strategically: one partner does thrusters while the other does stone over shoulders, then switch — this keeps both athletes moving simultaneously and maximizes efficiency. On dumbbell thrusters, keep your elbows up in the front rack and use your hips to drive the dumbbells overhead — don't press with your arms. Break the 12 reps into 6-6 or 8-4 if needed rather than going to failure. For stone over shoulders, brace hard through your core, use your hips and legs to load the stone, and avoid rounding your lower back — technique here is critical as fatigue accumulates. The burpees every 7 minutes are non-negotiable, so plan your round transitions around them — try to finish a full round before the clock hits 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 minutes. Don't sprint into a burpee break; use it as a brief mental reset. Common mistakes: going too hard on the ski, letting thruster elbows drop, and rounding the back on stone loads late in the workout.

Benchmark Notes

Partner workout with a 40-minute cap: a shared 2,006 m ski, 15 shared rounds of 12 dumbbell thrusters (2x50/35 lb) and 10 stone-over-shoulders at 100/70 lb, then a 2,947 m bike, with 22 burpees each every 7 minutes. Capped teams are graded by reps (each round is 22, the ski and bike count as one). An average team reaches the bike before the cap (L5). An elite team finishes under 31 minutes.

Modality Profile

5 movements total: Ski Erg (M), BikeErg (M), Burpee (G), Dumbbell Thruster (W), Atlas Stone (W). That gives 1G, 2M, 2W = 20% / 40% / 40%.

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