Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While the piked DB shoulder press is a challenging movement requiring shoulder stability and strength, the 1-minute AMRAP format with 3+ minutes rest between rounds allows for significant recovery. The 50/35lb load is moderate for most CrossFitters, and the short work intervals prevent excessive fatigue accumulation. The limiting factor will be shoulder endurance rather than systemic fatigue, making this manageable for the average athlete.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Sustained overhead pressing for one-minute intervals will heavily tax shoulder and tricep muscular endurance across multiple rounds.
• Endurance (7/10): Four minutes of continuous work with minimal rest challenges cardiovascular system and aerobic capacity throughout the workout duration.
• Flexibility (7/10): Piked position demands substantial hamstring flexibility and shoulder mobility to maintain proper positioning throughout the movement.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate dumbbell load requires significant strength, especially in compromised piked position which increases difficulty compared to standing press.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format encourages quick cycling of reps within each minute interval to maximize total volume completed.
• Power (3/10): Some explosive component in pressing movement, but primarily focused on sustained output rather than maximum power generation.

Movements

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Benchmark Notes

This workout is 4 rounds of 1-minute AMRAP piked dumbbell shoulder press at 50/35 lbs, scored by total reps across all 4 minutes. Breaking this down movement by movement: Piked DB shoulder press is a challenging overhead movement requiring core stability and shoulder strength. In fresh state, elite athletes can perform these at roughly 1.5-2 seconds per rep with the prescribed load. However, this is a 4-minute continuous effort with significant fatigue accumulation. Round 1 (0-1 min): Fresh state, expect 20-25 reps for elite (1.5-2 sec/rep), 15-18 for intermediate, 8-12 for beginners. Round 2 (1-2 min): 10% fatigue penalty, shoulders starting to burn. Elite: 18-22 reps, intermediate: 13-16 reps, beginners: 7-10 reps. Round 3 (2-3 min): 20% fatigue penalty, significant shoulder fatigue. Elite: 16-20 reps, intermediate: 11-14 reps, beginners: 6-9 reps. Round 4 (3-4 min): 30% fatigue penalty, maximal effort with heavy fatigue. Elite: 14-18 reps, intermediate: 9-12 reps, beginners: 5-8 reps. Total projections: Elite (L9-L10): 68-85 reps, Advanced (L7-L8): 55-70 reps, Intermediate (L5-L6): 40-55 reps, Novice (L3-L4): 25-40 reps, Beginner (L1-L2): 15-30 reps. No direct anchor match exists, but this follows similar patterns to other high-rep shoulder-intensive workouts. The piked position adds core demand and reduces efficiency compared to standing presses. Final targets: L10: 240+ reps, L5: 160 reps, L1: 80 reps.

Modality Profile

Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a single weightlifting movement using external load (dumbbells), making it 100% Weightlifting modality.