Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

This workout combines maximal loading (225/155 squat clean and jerk is near 1RM for most athletes) with forced pacing in an EMOM format that prevents adequate recovery. The heavy barbell cycling every minute for 10 minutes creates cumulative fatigue while demanding high skill under pressure. Most athletes will fail reps or need significant scaling. The sit-ups become secondary as the barbell work dominates, making this accessible only to elite athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (9/10): Squat clean and split jerk are explosive Olympic lifting movements requiring maximum power output for successful completion at heavy loads.
• Stamina (8/10): Maximum sit-ups after heavy squat clean and jerks will severely test core muscular endurance and ability to maintain output.
• Strength (8/10): Heavy squat clean and split jerk at 225/155 pounds demands significant maximal strength and technical proficiency under load.
• Flexibility (7/10): Full squat clean requires excellent ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility; split jerk demands overhead and hip flexibility for proper positioning.
• Endurance (4/10): Ten minutes of work with brief rest periods between EMOM intervals creates moderate cardiovascular demand, though not sustained cardio.
• Speed (3/10): EMOM format allows recovery between rounds; focus is on quality heavy lifts rather than fast cycling or transitions.

Movements

• Squat Clean
• Sit-Up
• Jerk

Benchmark Notes

This workout is a 10-minute EMOM with 1 squat clean and split jerk at 225/155 lbs, followed by max sit-ups for the remainder of each minute. The score is total sit-ups completed across all 10 rounds. Breaking this down: The squat clean and split jerk at this weight will take elite athletes 3-4 seconds, intermediate athletes 5-7 seconds, and novice athletes 8-12 seconds (including setup and recovery). This leaves approximately 56-57 seconds for sit-ups (elite), 53-55 seconds (intermediate), and 48-52 seconds (novice) per round. Sit-up pace in fresh state is about 1 rep per second, but fatigue accumulates significantly. Elite athletes can maintain 25-28 sit-ups per minute for the first few rounds, dropping to 20-25 in middle rounds, and 15-20 in final rounds due to accumulated fatigue and the demanding barbell work. Average would be around 25 reps per round × 10 rounds = 250 total. Intermediate athletes will average 15-18 reps per round due to longer barbell times and faster sit-up fatigue, totaling around 150-170. Novice athletes will struggle with the heavy barbell work, potentially failing rounds, and average 8-12 sit-ups per completed round, totaling 80-120. The workout has similarities to high-volume sit-up benchmarks but the heavy barbell component significantly limits sit-up volume compared to pure bodyweight work. Final targets: L10: 250+ reps, L5: 150 reps, L1: 50 reps.

Modality Profile

Three movements total: Squat Clean (W), Jerk (W), Sit-Up (G). Two weightlifting movements and one gymnastics movement, resulting in 67% weightlifting and 33% gymnastics.