Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This 40-minute continuous AMRAP creates severe cumulative fatigue through three demanding movements with no built-in rest. The wall balls and step-ups will significantly compromise leg strength before the 2K row, while the row's cardio demands will make the subsequent rounds exponentially harder. The extended time domain with high-volume leg-dominant movements makes this substantially harder than the individual elements suggest.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (10/10): A 40-minute AMRAP with a 2K row creates an extreme cardiovascular demand requiring sustained aerobic capacity throughout the entire duration.
• Stamina (9/10): High-volume wall balls and step-ups combined with rowing will severely test upper body, leg, and core muscular endurance over 40 minutes.
• Strength (4/10): Medicine ball wall balls and weighted step-ups provide moderate strength demands, but not maximal loading.
• Flexibility (3/10): Wall balls require hip and shoulder mobility; step-ups need basic hip flexion; rowing demands thoracic extension and hip hinge.
• Power (3/10): Wall balls have some explosive hip extension component, but the sustained nature reduces pure power output demands.
• Speed (2/10): The 40-minute duration emphasizes pacing and endurance over quick cycling; transitions between movements are minimal priority.

Movements

• Medicine Ball Step-Up
• Wall Ball
• Row

Scaling Options

Reduce wall ball weight to 14/10 or use 10# ball to 9' target. Lower step up height to 20'/16' or use 15/10# medicine ball. Row 1500m instead of 2000m. Consider 30-minute AMRAP for newer athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot complete 20+ unbroken wall balls when fresh or if 24' step ups compromise knee tracking. Priority is maintaining movement quality for the full 40 minutes. Target 2+ complete rounds - if you're not finishing round 2, reduce volume or weight to maintain intended aerobic stimulus.

Intended Stimulus

Long aerobic endurance workout targeting oxidative energy system over 40 minutes. Tests ability to maintain consistent pace across varied movement patterns while managing fatigue accumulation. Primary challenge is mental resilience and pacing discipline rather than maximal power output.

Coach Insight

This is about consistent, sustainable pace - not sprinting. Target 12-15 minutes per round to complete 2-3 full rounds. Break wall balls early (20-20 or 15-15-10) to avoid later failure. Step ups should be methodical - focus on full hip extension and controlled descent. On the rower, maintain damper at 4-5 and hold conversational pace around 2:10-2:20/500m. Rest briefly between movements to reset breathing and posture.

Benchmark Notes

This 40-minute AMRAP contains 40 Wall Balls (20/14), 30 MB Step Ups (20#/14#, 24"/20"), and 2K Row per round. Wall balls: 40 reps × 2.5 sec/rep = 100 seconds (fresh). Medicine ball step ups: 30 reps × 2 sec/rep = 60 seconds (fresh). 2K Row: 390-510 seconds (6.5-8.5 minutes). Total round time fresh: 550-670 seconds (9.2-11.2 minutes). With fatigue multipliers: Round 1: 9.2-11.2 min, Round 2: 10.1-12.3 min (1.1x), Round 3: 11.0-13.4 min (1.2x), Round 4: 12.0-14.6 min (1.3x), Round 5: 12.9-16.8 min (1.4x). By 40 minutes, elite athletes complete 4-5 rounds, advanced 3-4 rounds, intermediate 2-3 rounds, beginners 1-2 rounds. The 2K row dominates each round, making this primarily an aerobic capacity test with strength endurance components.

Modality Profile

Wall Ball and Medicine Ball Step-Up are weighted movements (W), Row is monostructural cardio (M). With 2 weighted movements and 1 cardio movement, weightlifting dominates at 67%, monostructural at 33%.