Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This descending ladder hits nearly every energy system and movement pattern. The opening 13 Devil Presses are brutally taxing on grip, shoulders, and lungs before anything else begins. Cumulative fatigue compounds through dumbbell-heavy movements, barbell cycling, gymnastics, and finally a Bear Complex requiring unbroken execution when the athlete is most fatigued. Multiple limiting factors (grip, shoulders, lungs) stack continuously with no built-in rest, pushing most average athletes to scale.

Benchmark Times for The Thirteen

• Elite: <4:55
• Advanced: 5:50-6:50
• Intermediate: 7:55-9:15
• Beginner: >19:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High variety of movements targeting multiple muscle groups across 13 different exercises demands significant muscular endurance. Dumbbell devil presses, step-ups, and lunges accumulate substantial fatigue early in the workout.
• Power (7/10): Power snatches, burpee box jump overs, bear complex, and thrusters all demand explosive hip extension and rapid force production. The workout is heavily loaded with ballistic and Olympic-style movements throughout.
• Endurance (6/10): The descending ladder format with rowing, burpees, and continuous movement creates sustained cardiovascular demand. Multiple transitions between movements keep heart rate elevated throughout the workout.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate barbell loads for thrusters, deadlifts, power snatches, and the bear complex require meaningful force production. The single bear complex and two deadlifts test strength under fatigue rather than maximal effort.
• Flexibility (5/10): Front rack positions for lunges and thrusters, overhead lockout for snatches and push press, and hip flexion for V-ups and knees-to-elbows require moderate mobility across multiple planes of movement.
• Speed (5/10): For-time format incentivizes efficient transitions and cycling speed, but the descending rep scheme and heavy loads naturally moderate pace. Strategic movement management matters more than raw sprint speed.

Movements

• Push Press
• Thruster
• Power Snatch
• Back Squat
• Front Squat
• V-Up
• Dumbbell Box Step-Up
• Power Clean
• Devil Press
• Burpee Box Jump-Over
• Knees-to-Elbow
• Deadlift
• Dumbbell Front Rack Lunge
• Hand Release Push-Up
• Row
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Dumbbell weight: reduce to 2x15/10 kg for devil presses, step-ups, and lunges if the Rx load prevents consistent movement. Barbell weight: reduce to 35/20 kg for snatches, thrusters, deadlifts, and Bear Complex if technique breaks down or the load cannot be cycled safely. Box height: reduce to 20/16 in for step-ups and burpee box jump overs; sub box step-overs for jump overs if jumping is a limiter. Pull-ups: sub banded pull-ups, ring rows, or jumping pull-ups. V-ups: sub tuck-ups or sit-ups. K2E: sub hanging knee raises or lying knee tucks. Bear Complex: if the full complex is too complex or heavy, sub 1 power clean + 1 front squat + 1 push press as a simplified version, or reduce load significantly and drill the sequence. Volume: reduce devil presses to 9, step-ups to 8, and lunges to 7 if the athlete is newer or time-capped at 30 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform at least 5 unbroken devil presses at Rx dumbbell weight with good form, cannot complete 3+ unbroken pull-ups, or have not practiced the Bear Complex sequence before. The goal is to finish in under 30 minutes while maintaining movement quality — if you are projected to exceed that, reduce load or volume rather than grinding through poor mechanics. Prioritize technique over load on the Bear Complex above all else — it is a complex multi-movement sequence performed under fatigue, and a failed rep means starting over. Newer athletes should drill the Bear Complex before the workout begins. Intensity is the goal, but never at the cost of a rounded back on deadlifts or a collapsed overhead position on snatches and push presses.

Intended Stimulus

A descending ladder chipper designed to feel like a moderate-to-long effort, targeting 18-28 minutes for most athletes. The workout starts heavy and demanding with dumbbell work, transitions through a mixed middle section of gymnastics and barbell cycling, and finishes with low-rep high-skill movements that reward composure under fatigue. The energy demand is a sustained hard effort — not a sprint, but never comfortable. The primary challenge is mental: managing fatigue across constantly changing movements while keeping technique intact, especially as the barbell work arrives in the back half when your body is already taxed.

Coach Insight

Treat the first three dumbbell movements as your opening investment — they are the most volume-heavy and will set the tone. Devil presses at 13 reps are the biggest single set in the workout; break them 7-6 or 8-5 early rather than grinding to failure. Box step-ups and lunges can be steady and rhythmic — keep your torso upright and breathe. The row at 10 calories is a reset; use it to lower your heart rate slightly before the gymnastics. V-ups and K2E are core-intensive — if your midline is smoked, sub toes-to-bar or hanging knee raises to keep moving. Power snatches at 8 reps should be unbroken if possible — the load is moderate and the reps are low. Pull-ups at 6 reps: go unbroken if you can, kip efficiently. Thrusters at 5 reps should be one unbroken set — drive hard through the hips. The final 3 movements are where athletes either race or collapse mentally. Burpee box jump overs at 3 reps — attack them. Two deadlifts are a gift — reset your back and pull strong. The Bear Complex is 1 unbroken sequence: Power Clean → Front Squat → Push Press → Back Squat → Push Press. Do NOT set the bar down. Breathe at the top of each rep, stay tight, and finish with authority. Common mistakes: going too hard on devil presses and dying on the row, rushing the Bear Complex setup, and losing midline on lunges under fatigue.

Benchmark Notes

A 13-station countdown from 13 devil presses (2x22.5/15 kg) to 1 bear complex at 45/30 kg, through dumbbell step-ups and lunges, a row, V-ups, snatches, knees-to-elbows, pull-ups, thrusters, push-ups, burpee box jump-overs and deadlifts. The devil presses and station changes take the most time. L5 (9:15-10:45) needs about 2 minutes for the devil presses. L10 (under 4:55) changes stations without pausing.

Modality Profile

16 total movements. Gymnastics (4): V-Up, Knees-to-Elbow, Pull-Up, Hand Release Push-Up, Burpee Box Jump-Over — wait, let me recount. G: V-Up, Knees-to-Elbow, Pull-Up, Hand Release Push-Up, Burpee Box Jump-Over = 5 movements. M: Row = 1 movement. W: Devil Press, Dumbbell Box Step-Up, Dumbbell Front Rack Lunge, Power Snatch, Thruster, Deadlift, Power Clean, Front Squat, Push Press, Back Squat = 10 movements. Total = 16. G: 5/16 = 31% → 30, M: 1/16 = 6% → 10, W: 10/16 = 63% → 60. Adjusted to sum to 100: G=30, M=10, W=60.

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