Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 135/95lb power cleans are moderate-heavy for most athletes, requiring significant hip and leg drive across 45 total reps. Strict ring dips are a high-skill gymnastics movement that many struggle with even when fresh. The 21-15-9 scheme creates continuous work with minimal rest, and the combination hits shoulders/triceps immediately after the cleans demand grip and pulling strength. Most athletes will need multiple breaks on both movements, particularly the strict dips under accumulating fatigue, pushing completion times to 8-12+ minutes of sustained effort.

Benchmark Times for Strict Elizabeth

• Elite: <3:20
• Advanced: 4:00-4:45
• Intermediate: 5:30-6:30
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of power cleans and strict ring dips taxes muscular endurance significantly. Grip stamina from cleans directly interferes with dip performance, compounding fatigue.
• Power (7/10): Power cleans are inherently explosive, requiring hip drive and speed under the bar. This power demand remains high despite fatigue accumulation through descending sets.
• Strength (6/10): Power cleans at 135/95 lb require moderate strength, while strict ring dips demand significant upper body pressing strength without momentum assistance from kipping.
• Speed (6/10): For Time format incentivizes quick transitions and rapid cycling. Athletes must balance aggressive pacing with technical demands of both movements to minimize total time.
• Endurance (5/10): The 21-15-9 format with moderate loads creates sustained cardiovascular demand. Total 45 reps per movement requires continuous effort with minimal rest, elevating heart rate throughout.
• Flexibility (5/10): Power cleans require full hip extension and front rack mobility. Strict ring dips demand shoulder flexibility and stability through deep range of motion.

Movements

• Power Clean
• Strict Ring Dip

Scaling Options

Reduce barbell to 95/65 lbs or 75-80% of 1RM power clean. Substitute banded strict ring dips, box dips, or push-ups (maintain strict standard). Consider matador dips or bench dips for those building pressing strength. Reduce volume to 15-12-9 or 12-9-6 if strict dip capacity is under 15 total reps. Advanced scaling: add 2-second pause at bottom of each dip for extra stimulus.

Scaling Explanation

Scale weight if you cannot cycle 10+ unbroken touch-and-go power cleans at the prescribed load. Scale dips if you cannot perform 10+ strict ring dips when fresh - strict means strict, no kip or swing. Target time is 4-8 minutes scaled. If exceeding 10 minutes, reduce volume or substitute movements. Prioritize maintaining strict movement standards over speed - this workout builds pressing strength and power only if quality is maintained throughout.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic sprint targeting 4-8 minutes. Tests power endurance and upper body pressing strength under fatigue. Primary challenge is maintaining strict gymnastics capacity while managing barbell cycling speed. The descending rep scheme creates psychological relief but demands aggressive pacing early.

Coach Insight

Attack the 21s aggressively - aim for unbroken power cleans or maximum 2 sets (12-9 or 11-10). Ring dips will be the limiter - break early and often (7-7-7, 5-5-5-6, or similar). Keep transitions under 5 seconds. On the 15s, consider 8-7 cleans and 5-5-5 dips. Save nothing for the 9s - go unbroken if possible. Maintain hollow body position on dips to prevent shoulder strain. Quick elbows on cleans - don't muscle them up. The workout lives and dies on your dip strategy.

Benchmark Notes

ANCHOR REFERENCE: Elizabeth (21-15-9 squat clean 135/95 + ring dip) - L10: 160-200 sec / 200-240 sec, L5: 360-420 sec, L1: 540-720 sec. This workout substitutes power cleans (135 lb) for squat cleans (135 lb) and strict ring dips for regular ring dips, making it significantly harder. MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN: Power Clean (135 lb) - 45 total reps (21+15+9): - Round 1 (21 reps): Elite can cycle touch-and-go at ~2.5 sec/rep = 52 sec, intermediate singles at 3.5 sec/rep = 73 sec, novice at 5 sec/rep with breaks = 120 sec - Round 2 (15 reps): Fatigue 1.15x - Elite 43 sec, intermediate 63 sec, novice 103 sec - Round 3 (9 reps): Fatigue 1.25x - Elite 28 sec, intermediate 39 sec, novice 67 sec - Power clean total: Elite 123 sec, intermediate 175 sec, novice 290 sec Strict Ring Dips - 45 total reps (21+15+9): - This is the critical differentiator. Strict ring dips are MUCH harder than kipping ring dips in Elizabeth. - Round 1 (21 reps): Elite sets of 10-7-4 at 2.5 sec/rep + 8 sec breaks = 60 sec, intermediate sets of 7-5-4-3-2 at 3.5 sec/rep + 40 sec breaks = 113 sec, novice sets of 3-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-1-1-1 at 4 sec/rep + 110 sec breaks = 194 sec - Round 2 (15 reps): Fatigue 1.2x - Elite sets of 8-7 at 3 sec/rep + 5 sec break = 50 sec, intermediate sets of 5-4-3-3 at 4 sec/rep + 30 sec breaks = 90 sec, novice sets of 2-2-2-2-2-2-1-1-1 at 5 sec/rep + 80 sec breaks = 155 sec - Round 3 (9 reps): Fatigue 1.3x - Elite sets of 5-4 at 3.5 sec/rep + 4 sec break = 35 sec, intermediate sets of 3-3-3 at 4.5 sec/rep + 20 sec breaks = 60 sec, novice sets of 2-2-2-1-1-1 at 5.5 sec/rep + 50 sec breaks = 100 sec - Strict ring dip total: Elite 145 sec, intermediate 263 sec, novice 449 sec Transitions (3 total): Elite 9 sec, intermediate 18 sec, novice 30 sec PROVISIONAL TOTALS: - Elite (L10): 123 + 145 + 9 = 277 sec (~4:37) - Intermediate (L5): 175 + 263 + 18 = 456 sec (~7:36) - Novice (L1): 290 + 449 + 30 = 769 sec (~12:49) ANCHOR ADJUSTMENT: Elizabeth with kipping ring dips: L10 160-200 sec, L5 360-420 sec, L1 540-720 sec. The strict ring dip requirement adds approximately 40-50% to total time for most athletes, as strict dips require much more strength and force more frequent breaking. Power cleans vs squat cleans are roughly equivalent in a 21-15-9 format (power cleans slightly faster but less efficient under fatigue). Adjusting Elizabeth anchors by 1.4x for strict dips: L10 224-280 sec, L5 504-588 sec, L1 756-1008 sec. My provisional calculations align well with this adjustment. FINAL BENCHMARKS (seconds): - L10 (Elite): 200 sec (3:20) - L9: 240 sec (4:00) - L8: 285 sec (4:45) - L7: 330 sec (5:30) - L6: 390 sec (6:30) - L5 (Median): 450 sec (7:30) - L4: 510 sec (8:30) - L3: 600 sec (10:00) - L2: 720 sec (12:00) - L1: >720 sec RECAP: Male L10: 200 sec (3:20), L5: 450 sec (7:30), L1: 720 sec (12:00)

Modality Profile

Two movements total: Power Clean (Weightlifting - barbell movement with external load) and Strict Ring Dip (Gymnastics - bodyweight movement). This results in a 50/50 split between Weightlifting and Gymnastics with no Monostructural component.