Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

Simple movements but significant pressing volume and sustained pace across 5 rounds. Expect 10–18 minutes for most, with burpees and hand-release push-ups taxing shoulder, chest, and triceps endurance. No external load or complex skills, yet cumulative fatigue elevates difficulty beyond a pure beginner workout.

Benchmark Times for The 555 Standard

• Elite: <9:00
• Advanced: 11:30-13:00
• Intermediate: 14:00-15:00
• Beginner: >20:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High local muscular endurance through 75 hand-release push-ups and 75 burpees. Accumulating pressing fatigue requires quick micro-breaks and smart set management while maintaining round-to-round consistency and minimal transition time.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained, continuous work for 10–18 minutes keeps heart rate elevated without long rests. Aerobic capacity supports steady burpee cadence and recovery between push-up breaks while maintaining unbroken or near-unbroken air squats.
• Speed (6/10): Quick, efficient cycling and brief transitions improve times, but sprinting early often backfires. Sustainable cadence with controlled breathing and short, planned breaks yields faster overall speed across five rounds.
• Power (3/10): Burpees include a small jump and fast stand, yet output is paced rather than explosive. Efficiency and rhythm matter more than maximal power in this cyclical, repeatable triplet.
• Flexibility (2/10): Standard squat depth and full push-up range with hand release are required. No extreme mobility, but consistent depth and lockout ensure movement standards, reduced no-reps, and efficient repetition quality over time.
• Strength (1/10): No external load and low maximal force demands. Baseline bodyweight strength for squatting, pushing off the floor, and bracing suffices; maximal strength is not a limiting factor in performance.

Movements

• Air Squat
• Burpee
• Hand-Release Push-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: 5RFT 15 Air Squats, 12 Up-Downs, 12 Hand-Release Push-Ups (knees or elevated) • 4RFT 15/12/12 as written • 5RFT 15 Box Squats, 10 Step-Back Burpees, 10 Elevated Hand-Release Push-Ups

Scaling Explanation

Options reduce pressing volume and/or difficulty while preserving nonstop movement, similar time domain, and the squat–burpee–push stimulus for consistent pacing across all rounds.

Intended Stimulus

Steady, breathing-driven effort that feels like sustained cardio with upper-body fatigue building each round. Aim for consistent splits, minimal transition time, and short, strategic breaks on push-ups. Burpees should be smooth and repeatable, while air squats stay unbroken with crisp depth and speed throughout.

Coach Insight

Pace the first two rounds at a 7/10 effort, then hold or slightly increase. Keep squats unbroken, burpees rhythmic, and push-ups in small, repeatable sets. The one tip: protect push-ups—break early before you hit failure to save big time. Avoid sloppy standards on hand release and squat depth. Don’t sprint round one; aim for even splits.

Benchmark Notes

Times are set so beginners finish near the 20-minute cap and advanced athletes approach sub-10. Use them to choose pacing and scaling. If you’d miss the cap, reduce reps or modify push-ups to keep continuous movement.

Modality Profile

All three movements are bodyweight gymnastics. There’s no monostructural element like running or rowing and no external loading. The entire challenge centers on controlling and cycling your body efficiently under fatigue and maintaining standards for each rep.

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