Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

150 total back squats at 135/95 lb is the brutal core of this workout — the descending ladder provides slight psychological relief but legs are destroyed early. The interspersed movements (TTB, burpees, sit-ups, double-unders) offer minimal recovery since they're high-rep and compound the fatigue. Cumulative leg and core fatigue makes later squat sets extremely difficult. Expect 25-40+ minutes for average athletes, pushing this firmly into Very Hard territory.

Benchmark Times for Thomas Haskell Jr.

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:15-10:40
• Intermediate: 12:20-14:15
• Beginner: >28:30

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): 150 back squats plus 30 burpees, 20 toes-to-bars, 40 sit-ups, and 50 double-unders creates enormous muscular endurance demand, particularly in the legs, core, and posterior chain across the entire workout.
• Endurance (6/10): The descending ladder of 150 total back squats combined with burpees, double-unders, and gymnastics creates sustained cardiovascular demand throughout, requiring solid aerobic capacity to maintain output.
• Strength (5/10): 135/95 lb back squats are moderate loads that challenge strength endurance rather than maximal strength, but the volume means fatigue will make even moderate weight feel heavy in later sets.
• Speed (5/10): For-time format incentivizes efficient transitions and cycling speed, especially on double-unders and burpees. Pacing the squat ladder strategically while pushing gymnastics and conditioning movements is key.
• Flexibility (4/10): Back squats require hip and ankle mobility, toes-to-bars demand hamstring flexibility and shoulder overhead position, and double-unders require coordinated movement, creating moderate overall flexibility demands.
• Power (4/10): Box jumps and double-unders require explosive power output, while burpees demand repeated hip extension. However, the dominant stimulus is muscular endurance rather than pure power expression.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Burpee
• AbMat Sit-Up
• Toes-to-Bar
• Box Jump
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce back squat to 95/65 lb for athletes who cannot perform 15+ unbroken reps at Rx weight when fresh, or 75/55 lb for newer athletes. Volume: Reduce the rep scheme to 40-30-20-10-5 back squats if 150 total reps feels excessive for your current capacity. Box Jumps: Scale to 24/20 in, or substitute step-ups at the same height to reduce joint impact. Toes-to-Bars: Sub knees-to-elbows, hanging knee raises, or lying leg raises for athletes without the core strength or grip for T2B. Burpees: Keep as-is for most athletes — reduce to 20 if the total volume is overwhelming. AbMat Sit-Ups: Keep as-is or reduce to 30 if lower back fatigue is a concern. Double-Unders: Sub 100 single-unders or 25 double-under attempts for athletes still developing the skill.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the back squat weight if you cannot perform at least 10-12 unbroken reps at Rx load when fully fresh — attempting 50 reps at a weight that forces singles from the start will destroy your time and risk form breakdown under fatigue. Scale volume if 150 total squats feels like it would push you beyond 35 minutes — the intended stimulus is a hard sustained effort, not a survival crawl. Prioritize technique over load on every squat rep: depth, braced core, and knees tracking over toes are non-negotiable as fatigue accumulates. The target completion window is 18-28 minutes for most athletes. If you're consistently finishing outside 30 minutes, reduce weight or volume. Athletes newer to high-rep barbell work should always err on the side of lighter weight and full range of motion — building the engine safely is the long game.

Intended Stimulus

This is a moderate-to-long time domain grind, targeting roughly 18-30 minutes of sustained effort. The descending back squat ladder (50-40-30-20-10) is the backbone of the workout, accumulating 150 total reps at a moderate barbell load. The gymnastics and conditioning movements between squat sets serve as active recovery while keeping the heart rate elevated. The primary challenge is mental and muscular endurance — your legs will be under constant stress, and the ability to stay composed and keep moving through fatigue is the real test. Expect a hard, sustained effort that taxes the posterior chain, core, and aerobic engine simultaneously.

Coach Insight

The back squats are the anchor — treat every other movement as a transition, not a break. On the opening set of 50, resist the urge to go unbroken. Break it early: consider 20-15-15 or 15-15-10-10 to protect your legs for the remaining 100 reps. As the squat sets shrink, you can push harder — the set of 10 at the end should be a sprint. For box jumps, step down every rep to save your Achilles and keep your heart rate from spiking unnecessarily. On toes-to-bars, break into sets of 5-7 before your grip fails — unbroken sets here will cost you on the squats. Burpees should be slow and steady with a consistent pace — this is your aerobic reset, not a sprint. AbMat sit-ups are a gift; move through them steadily without stopping. For double-unders, stay relaxed and find your rhythm — a missed string here late in the workout is a momentum killer. Common mistakes: going too hard on the first squat set and dying by the set of 30, treating burpees as rest instead of pacing them intentionally, and rushing double-unders when fatigued.

Benchmark Notes

Back squats at 135/95 lb falling 50-40-30-20-10, each followed by a bodyweight station: 10 box jumps, 20 toes-to-bars, 30 burpees, 40 AbMat sit-ups and 50 double-unders. L5 (14:15-16:30) squats in sets of 10-15 from the rack. L10 (under 8 min) squats the 50 in two sets.

Modality Profile

6 total movements: Back Squat (W), Box Jump (G), Toes-to-Bar (G), Burpee (G), AbMat Sit-Up (G), Double-Under (G). That's 5 Gymnastics and 1 Weightlifting. 5/6 = 83% G, 1/6 = 17% W, 0% M.

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