Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

A long, high-volume grind with 290 loaded squats, 10 seated rope climbs, and 100 meters of heavy barbell carries. The rope starts from seated increase pulling difficulty and core demand, while the carries crush grip. Expect 40–70+ minutes for most athletes. Managing fatigue, pacing, and movement quality is crucial to finish safely.

Benchmark Times for Thompson

• Elite: <35:00
• Advanced: 40:00-45:00
• Intermediate: 50:00-55:00
• Beginner: >90:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high repetition squatting plus repeated rope efforts demand continuous muscular output in legs, hips, and trunk with accumulating fatigue.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained effort across 10 long rounds keeps heart rate elevated for 40–70 minutes. Breath control and steady pacing matter more than short sprint ability.
• Strength (5/10): Loads aren’t maximal, but the double barbell carry and seated rope pulls require respectable absolute strength, especially in grip, posterior chain, and upper back.
• Power (4/10): Short, powerful rope pulls from seated and strong bar pick-ups help, but the overall feel is a steady grind rather than explosive repeats.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires full-depth squats with solid front-side mobility and a comfortable back rack. Rope climbs need overhead reach but no extreme ranges.
• Speed (3/10): High fatigue and grip limits prevent fast cycling. Efficiency and quick but controlled sets beat all-out speed here.

Scaling Options

Scale to: Seated rope to 1 standing rope climb or 3 strict rope pulls • Back Squat 75/55 lb (or 65/45 lb) • Farmer Carry 2x70/50 lb kettlebells for 15 m

Scaling Explanation

These options preserve the squat volume, pulling stimulus, and loaded carry challenge while reducing bottlenecks so athletes maintain steady round times and the intended grind.

Intended Stimulus

A long, relentless grinder. Legs and lungs should burn from high-rep squats while grip and upper back fatigue from the rope and carries. Move steadily with short planned breaks, keep transitions tight, and avoid redlining early. Finish with consistent round times, not big spikes and crashes.

Coach Insight

Pace the squats as sustainable sets from round one (e.g., 10-10-9 or 15-8-6), with deliberate breathing. One tip: lock in efficient barbell re-racks and quick transitions—lost seconds add up over 10 rounds. Avoid death sets on squats, sloppy rope technique, and letting the carries drift into rest breaks. Small, consistent chunks win.

Benchmark Notes

Times reflect a wide range. Newer athletes may take 60–90 minutes. Intermediate athletes often finish around 45–55 minutes. Advanced can push sub-40. Choose loads and rope variations that let you keep moving and finish within 40–60 minutes for intended stimulus.

Modality Profile

Most time is spent under load: 290 barbell squats and 100 m of heavy farmer carries drive the session. The seated rope climb adds a small but significant gymnastics element. No monostructural cardio appears.

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