Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines high-volume bodyweight movements with significant skill requirements (pull-ups and knees-to-elbows) sandwiched between two mile runs. The 100 Body Blasters create extreme upper body fatigue and metabolic stress, while the second mile run becomes dramatically harder due to accumulated fatigue. The continuous nature without built-in rest periods and movement interference (pull-ups after burpees) makes this especially challenging.

Benchmark Times for The Reckoning

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 15:00-16:00
• Intermediate: 18:00-20:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (9/10): Two mile runs combined with high-volume gymnastics creates significant cardiovascular demand. The length and continuous nature taxes aerobic capacity substantially.
• Stamina (8/10): 100 complex bodyweight combinations challenge local muscular endurance, particularly in pulling muscles, core, and legs through sustained effort.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements in Body Blasters and maintaining running pace are crucial for performance.
• Flexibility (6/10): Knees-to-elbows demand good hip flexion and shoulder mobility, while burpees require full-body range of motion.
• Power (4/10): Burpees require moderate power output, but the volume and endurance demands limit explosive execution.
• Strength (3/10): While pull-ups and knees-to-elbows require relative strength, the workout tests endurance more than maximal force production.

Movements

• Burpee
• Knees-to-Elbow
• Run
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Running: Reduce to 800m or substitute row/bike at similar effort level. Body Blasters: Ring rows instead of pull-ups, hanging knee raises instead of knees-to-elbows, step-back burpees for reduced impact. Volume options: Reduce to 50-75 total Body Blasters or break into smaller sets (4 sets of 25). For beginners, separate the movements (all burpees, then all pull-ups, then all knee raises) to build movement competency.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ strict pull-ups, 5+ consecutive knees-to-elbows, or if running form deteriorates significantly when tired. Prioritize maintaining proper movement patterns throughout - this is not meant to be a technical practice session under extreme fatigue. Target completion time is 20-30 minutes. Scale to maintain intensity while allowing for proper movement execution. If taking over 35 minutes, reduce volume or modify movements to increase intensity.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length oxidative-glycolytic workout (20-30 minutes) that tests aerobic capacity and gymnastic skill endurance. The combination of running and complex bodyweight movements creates significant cardiovascular demand while requiring maintenance of technical movements under fatigue. Primary challenge is maintaining movement efficiency and output across multiple modalities.

Coach Insight

Break the Body Blasters into manageable sets early - consider 5-10 reps at a time. Pace the first run at about 75-80% effort to leave room for the gymnastics work. The second run will be significantly slower due to accumulated fatigue. For Body Blasters: Complete the burpee with a controlled drop and explosive stand, transition smoothly to pull-up grip, maintain hollow body position through pull-up and knees-to-elbows. Common mistake is rushing transitions and losing core control. Avoid completely burning out on first mile or early Body Blaster sets.

Benchmark Notes

Breaking down the workout: 1. First Mile Run: Using classic mile run benchmarks (270-300s elite) - Elite: 270-300s - Intermediate: 390-420s - Beginner: 600-720s 2. 100 Body Blasters: Each Body Blaster consists of: - Burpee: 3-4s - Pull-up: 1-2s - Knees-to-Elbows: 2-3s Total per rep: 6-9s fresh Set breaking strategy: - Elite: Sets of 10-15 (8-10 sets) - Intermediate: Sets of 5-8 (15-20 sets) - Beginner: Sets of 3-5 (25-35 sets) Fatigue multiplier on Body Blasters: - First 25: 1.0x (6-9s/rep) - 26-50: 1.2x (7-11s/rep) - 51-75: 1.4x (8-13s/rep) - 76-100: 1.6x (10-15s/rep) Elite Body Blaster portion: ~600s Intermediate: ~900s Beginner: ~1200s 3. Second Mile Run: Fatigue multiplier after Body Blasters: 1.2-1.3x - Elite: 324-390s - Intermediate: 468-546s - Beginner: 720-936s Total time ranges: Elite (L10): 14-15 min (840-900s) Intermediate (L5): 20-22 min (1200-1320s) Beginner (L1): 30+ min (1800s+) This workout is most similar to Helen in structure (run + gymnastics + run), but with significantly more volume. Using Helen as an anchor (L10: 450-510s male), this workout should take roughly 1.8-2x as long due to the doubled run distance and more complex gymnastics movement. Final targets: Male L10: 14:00-15:00 Male L5: 20:00-22:00 Male L1: 30:00+ Female L10: 17:00-18:00 Female L5: 23:00-25:00 Female L1: 33:00+

Modality Profile

Of the 4 movements: Run is Monostructural (M), while Burpee, Pull-Up, and Knees-to-Elbow are all Gymnastics (G). This gives us 3 G movements and 1 M movement. Rounded to clean numbers, this becomes a 50/50 split between G and M.

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