Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

The 135/95 power cleans are moderate weight for most CrossFitters, and 12 step-ups aren't excessive volume. The 4-minute AMRAP format creates intensity but the 1-minute rest between rounds allows meaningful recovery. The movements don't significantly interfere with each other - step-ups won't compromise clean performance. Total work time is only 12 minutes with built-in rest, making this challenging but manageable for the average athlete.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-rep step-ups combined with power cleans over repeated rounds heavily taxes muscular endurance, especially in legs and posterior chain.
• Endurance (7/10): Three 4-minute AMRAPs with 1-minute rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic output across multiple intervals.
• Power (7/10): Power cleans are explosive triple extension movements, requiring rapid force development and coordination throughout the kinetic chain.
• Strength (6/10): 135/95lb power cleans require moderate strength levels, while weighted step-ups add significant loading to unilateral leg strength demands.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format demands quick transitions between movements and efficient cycling to maximize rounds within the 4-minute time domains.
• Flexibility (4/10): Power cleans demand good hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility, while step-ups require adequate hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion range.

Movements

• Dumbbell Box Step-Up
• Power Clean

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 3 rounds of 4-minute AMRAPs with 1-minute rest between rounds. Each AMRAP contains 3 Power Cleans (135/95) + 12 Alt DB Step Ups (50/35, 24/20), totaling 15 reps per round. I'll analyze this by breaking down movement times and applying fatigue across the three rounds. Movement Analysis: - Power Clean (135/95): 2.5-3 sec per rep for elite, 3.5-4 sec for intermediate, 5-6 sec for novice - Alt DB Step Ups (50/35): 2-2.5 sec per rep for elite, 2.5-3 sec for intermediate, 3.5-4 sec for novice - Transition between movements: 3-5 sec for elite, 5-8 sec for intermediate, 8-12 sec for novice Round 1 (Fresh): Elite can complete 1 round (15 reps) in ~35-40 seconds, allowing 10-11 rounds. Intermediate completes in ~50-55 seconds, allowing 7-8 rounds. Novice completes in ~70-80 seconds, allowing 4-5 rounds. Round 2 (Moderate Fatigue): Apply 1.1-1.2x multiplier. Elite maintains 9-10 rounds, intermediate drops to 6-7 rounds, novice to 3-4 rounds. Round 3 (High Fatigue): Apply 1.2-1.3x multiplier. Elite maintains 8-9 rounds, intermediate drops to 5-6 rounds, novice to 2-3 rounds. Total Rep Calculation: - L10 (Elite): 10 + 9 + 8 = 27 rounds × 15 reps = 405 reps (scaled to 360 for realistic ceiling) - L5 (Intermediate): 7 + 6 + 5 = 18 rounds × 15 reps = 270 reps - L1 (Novice): 4 + 3 + 2 = 9 rounds × 15 reps = 135 reps (scaled to 120 for entry level) The 1-minute rest periods allow partial recovery but don't fully reset fatigue, creating cumulative breakdown across rounds. This format rewards both power output and recovery capacity. Final targets: L10: 360 reps, L5: 270 reps, L1: 120 reps

Modality Profile

Both Power Clean and Dumbbell Box Step-Up are weightlifting movements involving external load, making this 100% weightlifting modality