Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 3-minute interval provides some recovery, but the volume and movement combination creates significant challenge. The dumbbell snatches (18 reps) will tax grip and shoulders, which then impacts toes-to-bar performance. The burpees at the start of each round ensure elevated heart rate throughout. Most athletes will need 2:00-2:30 per round, leaving minimal rest before the next set begins.

Benchmark Times for The Fire Chief

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:00-10:00
• Intermediate: 11:00-12:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-volume dumbbell work combined with gymnastics movements tests muscular endurance across multiple domains. Grip endurance particularly challenged.
• Speed (8/10): Quick transitions and efficient movement cycling crucial within 3-minute windows. Must maintain fast pace to complete work.
• Endurance (7/10): The 18-minute EMOM format with compound movements creates sustained cardiovascular demand. Short rest windows between rounds maintain elevated heart rate throughout.
• Power (7/10): Dumbbell snatches are explosive movements. Burpees and toes-to-bar also require power production, especially under fatigue.
• Flexibility (6/10): Toes-to-bar requires significant shoulder and hip mobility. Dumbbell snatch and burpees demand good overhead position and hip hinge.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate dumbbell loads (50/35) for snatches and goblet squats provide strength stimulus, but not maximal. Bodyweight elements balance the load.

Movements

• Burpee
• Goblet Squat
• Toes-to-Bar
• Dumbbell Snatch

Scaling Options

Weight Modifications: Scale dumbbell to 35/25 lbs or 25/15 lbs based on snatch capacity. Movement Substitutions: Replace toes-to-bar with hanging knee raises or V-ups. Scale burpees to step-back version if needed. For goblet squats, maintain weight but reduce depth if mobility limited. Volume Options: Reduce to 12-15 snatches per round, 5 toes-to-bar. Time Domain: Keep 3-minute intervals but reduce to 4-5 rounds for beginners.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 8+ unbroken dumbbell snatches at prescribed weight or 3-4 consecutive toes-to-bar. Priority is maintaining consistent movement through all rounds while finishing each interval with 30+ seconds rest. Athletes should be able to complete most movements unbroken in first round. Target effort is 7/10 intensity with ability to maintain pace across all rounds. Form deterioration on snatches or losing kip rhythm on toes-to-bar indicates need for scaling.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity interval workout targeting the glycolytic energy system with oxidative recovery between rounds. Each 3-minute window should feel challenging but doable, with 30-45 seconds rest between rounds. Primary challenge is maintaining consistent output while managing fatigue across all six rounds. The workout tests both power endurance and movement efficiency.

Coach Insight

Break up the dumbbell snatches into 2-3 sets early (e.g., 10-8 or 6-6-6) to preserve grip strength. Perform burpees at a steady, controlled pace to set up for snatches. Group toes-to-bar into sets of 3-4 to maintain kip rhythm. Quick transitions between movements are key - have a plan for dumbbell and equipment placement. Aim to finish each round in 2:15-2:30 to allow adequate rest. Most athletes will struggle with grip fatigue and core endurance in later rounds.

Benchmark Notes

This is an EMOM-style workout with 6 rounds of 4 movements. Let's break it down: Per round fresh state estimates: - 6 Burpees: 6 × 3.5s = 21s - 18 DB Snatches: 18 × 2.5s = 45s - 7 Toes-to-Bar: 7 × 2s = 14s - 9 Goblet Squats: 9 × 2s = 18s Base work time: 98s per round Transitions between movements: 3-5s × 3 = 12s Total fresh round: 110s Fatigue progression: Round 1: 110s Round 2: 110s × 1.1 = 121s Round 3: 110s × 1.2 = 132s Round 4: 110s × 1.25 = 138s Round 5: 110s × 1.3 = 143s Round 6: 110s × 1.35 = 149s This workout is most similar to Grace (30 snatches) but with additional movements. Using Grace as an anchor (L10 90-120s for men), we scale up for volume and complexity. Elite athletes (L10) should complete each round in 140-150s, leaving 30-40s rest. Intermediate (L5) will push close to the 3-min cap each round. Beginner (L1) will consistently hit the cap. Final targets: Men: L10: 8:00 (480s) L5: 12:00 (720s) L1: 18:00 (1080s) Women: L10: 9:00 (540s) L5: 13:00 (780s) L1: 19:00 (1140s)

Modality Profile

2 gymnastics movements (Burpee, Toes-to-Bar) and 2 weightlifting movements (Dumbbell Snatch, Goblet Squat). Equal split between G and W with no monostructural movements.

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