Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The bodyweight/75% bodyweight bench press creates significant upper body fatigue in just 2 minutes, especially with minimal rest between partners. The synchronized beastmakers (bear crawl to burpee) immediately target the same fatigued muscle groups while demanding coordination. The 1-minute rest isn't sufficient recovery between rounds. Most athletes will struggle with the loading and movement interference, requiring weight scaling by round 2-3.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Max rep bench press and synchronized beastmakers will heavily tax upper body muscular endurance, especially with the repeated exposure across rounds.
• Strength (7/10): Bench press at bodyweight/75% bodyweight represents significant strength demands, though max reps format shifts focus toward strength-endurance rather than pure max effort.
• Endurance (4/10): Three 2-minute capped efforts with rest periods provide moderate cardiovascular stress but significant recovery between rounds limits pure endurance demand.
• Flexibility (3/10): Bench press requires shoulder mobility and beastmakers demand thoracic extension and shoulder flexibility, but movements stay within moderate ranges.
• Speed (3/10): Partner format and 2-minute caps create some urgency, but rest periods and strength focus limit the need for rapid movement cycling.
• Power (2/10): Beastmakers have some explosive component but bench press is primarily grinding strength work with minimal power expression required.

Movements

• Beastmaker
• Bench Press

Scaling Options

Bench Press: Reduce to 85%/65% bodyweight or use fixed loads like 135/95 lbs. Sub dumbbell bench press or push-ups if needed. Beast Makers: Reduce weight to 35/25 lbs or use bodyweight burpees. Allow non-synchronized movement if coordination is limiting factor. Consider 90-second caps instead of 2 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale bench if athlete cannot perform 5+ reps at prescribed weight or lacks spotter. Scale beast makers if weight prevents fluid movement or if synchronization breaks down consistently. Priority is maintaining high intensity - better to move lighter weight fast than struggle with heavy loads. Target 15+ bench reps and 8+ beast makers per 2-minute block.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity anaerobic power development with phosphagen system focus. Each 2-minute block targets maximal strength-endurance under time pressure. Partner format adds competitive element while synchronized movements demand coordination and pacing discipline. Primary challenge is maintaining heavy bench press volume while managing fatigue for beast makers.

Coach Insight

Bench Press: Start conservative with sets of 3-5 reps, rest 10-15 seconds between sets. Focus on controlled descent and explosive press. Partner should spot aggressively and call out rep counts. Beast Makers: Establish rhythm immediately - synchronized means moving together, not racing. Use controlled tempo, full hip extension on burpees, clean chest-to-deck position. Communication is key for staying in sync.

Benchmark Notes

This partner workout has 3 rounds, each with two 2-minute intervals separated by 1-minute rest. Round 1: Partner bench press - elite athletes can perform 15-20 reps BW in 2 minutes (30-40 total per team), synchronized beastmakers at 50/35 allow 20-25 reps per team in 2 minutes fresh. Round 1 total: 50-65 reps. Round 2: Fatigue factor 1.1x reduces bench press to 13-18 reps per person (26-36 total), beastmakers drop to 18-22 reps per team. Round 2 total: 44-58 reps. Round 3: Fatigue factor 1.2x further reduces bench press to 12-15 reps per person (24-30 total), beastmakers drop to 15-20 reps per team. Round 3 total: 39-50 reps. Total workout range: 133-173 reps for elite level (L10), with L5 median around 160 reps. Benchmarks distributed with 20-rep intervals to account for varying partner coordination and strength levels.

Modality Profile

Two movement types: Bench Press (weightlifting with external load) and Beastmaker (bodyweight grip/pull-up training tool). Equal 50/50 split between Gymnastics and Weightlifting.