Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines heavy Olympic lifting (135/95 hang squat snatches and power cleans) with high-volume gymnastics and conditioning across three sprint intervals. The hang squat snatch at that weight demands significant skill under fatigue. While rest periods exist, each 4-minute window creates intense pressure. The combination of 20 pull-ups after power cleans creates grip interference, and the final segment's 30 wall balls after box jumps compounds leg fatigue. Most average athletes will struggle to complete movements as prescribed.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-rep schemes including 20 pull-ups, 30 wall balls, and continuous burpees demand significant muscular endurance. Upper body pulling, pressing, and leg stamina are all heavily taxed across the workout.
• Power (8/10): Olympic lifting variations dominate two segments requiring explosive hip extension. Box jump-overs add plyometric demand. Snatches and cleans are quintessential power movements requiring rapid force production.
• Speed (7/10): Short 4-minute windows incentivize fast cycling and quick transitions. Bar-facing burpees and box jump-overs reward efficient movement patterns. Athletes must maintain high intensity throughout each AMRAP.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate barbell loads at 135/95 lb for snatches and cleans require meaningful strength. The combination of Olympic lifts under fatigue tests strength capacity beyond pure bodyweight work.
• Flexibility (6/10): Hang squat snatches demand overhead squat mobility and shoulder flexibility. Wall balls require hip and thoracic mobility. Power cleans need adequate front rack position mobility.
• Endurance (5/10): Three 4-minute AMRAPs with 2-minute rest periods create moderate cardiovascular demand. The rest intervals prevent sustained aerobic stress but accumulated work across all segments challenges the aerobic system.

Movements

• Hang Squat Snatch
• Burpee
• Power Clean
• Pull-Up
• Box Jump-Over
• Wall Ball

Scaling Options

Weight: Reduce barbell to 95/65 lb or 75/55 lb to maintain cycling speed. Movements: Sub hang power snatches for hang squat snatches, jumping pull-ups or ring rows for pull-ups, step-overs for box jumps, lighter wall ball (14/10 lb) or lower target. Volume: Reduce to 3 hang snatches/7 burpees, 7 cleans/14 pull-ups, 10 box jumps/20 wall balls. Intermediate Rx+: Keep weights but reduce pull-ups to 15 and wall balls to 20.

Scaling Explanation

Scale the barbell if you cannot cycle 5 hang squat snatches unbroken when fresh, or 10 power cleans in 2 sets. Scale pull-ups if you cannot complete 15+ unbroken when fresh. Scale box jumps if Achilles or knee issues exist, or if jump height causes hesitation. The goal is 2+ rounds per AMRAP - if you're getting less than 1.5 rounds, the workout is too heavy. Prioritize movement quality on snatches (full depth, stable overhead) and maintain intensity throughout. If grip is a known limiter, scale pull-up volume to preserve power clean cycling.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic intervals targeting different movement patterns across three 4-minute windows. Each AMRAP should feel like a sprint with the 2-minute rest allowing partial but incomplete recovery. The workout tests barbell cycling under fatigue, gymnastics capacity, and explosive hip extension. Athletes should accumulate 2-3+ rounds per AMRAP if appropriately scaled. Energy system focus shifts from phosphagen-dominant early in each AMRAP to glycolytic as fatigue accumulates.

Coach Insight

AMRAP 1: Hang squat snatches are the limiter - break early (2-3 sets) to avoid failed reps. Stay connected on burpees, don't rest at the bottom. AMRAP 2: Power cleans should be touch-and-go or quick singles - don't death grip the bar. Break pull-ups strategically (7-7-6 or 5-5-5-5) before grip fails. AMRAP 3: Box jump-overs should be steady and rhythmic - step down to save legs. Wall balls are the grind - break at 15-15 or 10-10-10 to maintain consistent pace. Common mistakes: going too hard in AMRAP 1 and paying for it later, resting too long between movements, and letting transitions eat up time. Quick transitions between movements are where you win or lose rounds.

Benchmark Notes

Three 4-minute AMRAPs separated by 2 minutes rest (12 minutes work, 16 minutes elapsed). Score is total rounds completed across all three segments (partial rounds are fine). Early AMRAPs are usually faster; AMRAP 3 (box jump-overs + wall balls) is the grind. Benchmarks (total rounds): Male L10 6+, L5 ~4, L1 <2. Female L10 5.5+, L5 ~3.5, L1 <1.5.

Modality Profile

6 movements total: Gymnastics (3) - Burpee, Pull-Up, Box Jump-Over are bodyweight movements; Weightlifting (3) - Hang Squat Snatch, Power Clean, Wall Ball involve external loads. No monostructural cardio movements. Split is 3/6 = 50% each for G and W.