Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While 80% power jerks are manageable individually, the 30-second AMRAP format creates intense time pressure forcing rapid barbell cycling at heavy weight. The 60-second rest prevents full recovery between rounds, leading to significant fatigue accumulation over 5 rounds. Most athletes will struggle to maintain consistent reps as grip, shoulders, and CNS fatigue compounds, requiring weight scaling despite the built-in rest periods.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (9/10): Power jerks are explosive movements requiring rapid force production to drive weight overhead in AMRAP format.
• Strength (8/10): Power jerks at 80% of max require significant strength to move heavy loads overhead repeatedly.
• Speed (7/10): AMRAP format demands quick cycling of heavy power jerks within 30-second windows to maximize repetitions.
• Flexibility (6/10): Power jerks demand good shoulder, hip, and ankle mobility for proper receiving position and overhead stability.
• Stamina (4/10): Multiple rounds of 30-second AMRAPs will test muscular endurance in shoulders and legs, though rest periods allow partial recovery.
• Endurance (3/10): Short 30-second intervals with 60-second rest provide some cardiovascular demand but allow significant recovery between efforts.

Movements

• Power Jerk

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 5 rounds of 30-second AMRAP Power Jerks at 80% of complex max, with 60 seconds rest between rounds. Since it's scored as 'Reps', we're tracking total repetitions across all 5 rounds. Movement Analysis: - Power Jerk at 80% complex max is a high-intensity movement - At 80% load, elite athletes can maintain 2-3 reps per 5-second window when fresh - 30-second windows allow for 6-8 reps per round for elite athletes initially Round-by-Round Breakdown: - Round 1 (fresh): Elite 7-8 reps, intermediate 5-6 reps, novice 3-4 reps - Round 2: Slight fatigue, -5-10% performance - Round 3: Moderate fatigue, -10-15% from fresh - Round 4: Significant fatigue, -15-20% from fresh - Round 5: Heavy fatigue, -20-25% from fresh The 60-second rest periods provide partial recovery but not full restoration at this intensity. Total Rep Calculations: - L10 (Elite): 8+7+7+6+6 = 34, with some achieving 35+ through superior conditioning - L5 (Intermediate): 6+5+5+4+4 = 24, scaling to ~25 with good pacing - L1 (Novice): 4+3+3+2+2 = 14, with some managing 15-16 reps This workout doesn't directly match any iconic benchmarks, but the high-intensity barbell cycling pattern is similar to strength-endurance workouts. The 80% loading creates a power-endurance challenge rather than pure strength or pure conditioning. Final targets: L10: 55+ reps, L5: 35 reps, L1: 15 reps

Modality Profile

Power Jerk is a weightlifting movement using a barbell with external load, making it 100% weightlifting modality