Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The continuous 8-minute format with no built-in rest creates significant fatigue accumulation. The weighted bear crawl (50/35lbs) is extremely taxing on shoulders, core, and grip, immediately followed by heavy kettlebell swings (70/53lbs) that further stress the posterior chain and grip. This movement pairing with zero recovery in an AMRAP format will cause rapid deterioration in movement quality and force most athletes to take frequent breaks.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Bear crawls tax shoulders, core, and legs while kettlebell swings challenge posterior chain endurance. Grip fatigue becomes limiting factor.
• Endurance (7/10): Eight minutes of continuous movement with weighted bear crawls and kettlebell swings creates significant cardiovascular demand and aerobic stress.
• Strength (6/10): Moderate loading with 50/35lb bear crawl and 70/53lb kettlebell swings requires solid strength base but not maximal effort.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format rewards quick transitions and maintaining pace. Bear crawl distance and swing reps allow for strategic pacing decisions.
• Power (5/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently explosive hip extension movements, while bear crawls are more strength-endurance focused with minimal power demand.
• Flexibility (4/10): Bear crawl demands shoulder mobility and hip flexion. Kettlebell swings require hip hinge pattern and overhead shoulder flexibility.

Movements

• Bear Crawl
• Kettlebell Swing

Benchmark Notes

This 8-minute AMRAP combines 50ft weighted bear crawl (50/35lb) with 10 kettlebell swings (70/53lb). I'll analyze each movement and apply fatigue patterns. Bear crawl with weight: approximately 25-30 seconds for elite athletes fresh, 35-45 seconds for intermediate. The added weight significantly increases difficulty and time. Kettlebell swings at 70lb (heavier than standard 53lb): approximately 12-15 seconds for 10 reps when fresh for elite athletes, 15-20 seconds for intermediate. Round 1 (fresh): Bear crawl 25-30 sec + transition 3 sec + KB swings 12-15 sec = 40-48 sec total. Round 2: Apply 1.1x fatigue = 44-53 sec. Round 3: Apply 1.2x fatigue = 48-58 sec. Round 4: Apply 1.3x fatigue = 52-62 sec. Round 5: Apply 1.4x fatigue = 56-67 sec. Round 6: Apply 1.5x fatigue = 60-72 sec. Round 7: Apply 1.6x fatigue = 64-77 sec. The bear crawl becomes increasingly taxing on shoulders and core, while the heavier kettlebell swings stress the posterior chain. Elite athletes (L10) should complete 7+ rounds in 8 minutes. Intermediate athletes (L5) around 5 rounds. Beginners (L1) may struggle to complete 3 rounds due to the demanding nature of weighted bear crawls. No direct anchor match exists, but this follows similar patterns to other grip and core-intensive AMRAPs. Final targets: L10: 7+ rounds, L5: 5 rounds, L1: 2.5 rounds.

Modality Profile

Bear Crawl is a bodyweight gymnastics movement, while Kettlebell Swing is a weightlifting movement with external load. Two modalities present results in 50/50 split.