Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 5-second eccentric tempo on Bulgarian split squats creates extreme time under tension and metabolic stress, followed immediately by overhead pressing with minimal rest. The 50/35lb load is moderate but becomes punishing under the tempo constraint and fatigue accumulation. Six rounds with only 10-second transitions prevents meaningful recovery. The combination of forced tempo, continuous work, and movement interference between legs and shoulders elevates this significantly above typical strength circuits.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Tempo Bulgarian split squats and high-rep shoulder presses will heavily tax muscular endurance, especially with accumulating fatigue across six rounds.
• Flexibility (7/10): Bulgarian split squats demand significant hip flexor mobility and ankle flexibility, while piked shoulder press requires good shoulder and thoracic spine mobility.
• Strength (6/10): 50/35lb dumbbells provide significant loading for single-leg squats and overhead pressing, requiring substantial strength output throughout the workout.
• Endurance (4/10): Six rounds with short work periods and minimal rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but intervals are brief enough to avoid pure aerobic stress.
• Speed (3/10): Short rest periods require quick transitions, but tempo work prevents rapid cycling and the format emphasizes control over speed.
• Power (2/10): Tempo prescription (5-second eccentric) eliminates explosive movement, making this primarily a strength-endurance challenge rather than power development.

Movements

• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 6 rounds alternating between 5 Tempo Bulgarian Split Squats (5/3/x tempo) and 60-second AMRAP DB Piked Shoulder Press. Since it's scored as 'Reps', I'm calculating total repetitions across all rounds. Movement Analysis: - Tempo Bulgarian Split Squats: 5 reps per round × 6 rounds = 30 total reps (fixed) - DB Piked Shoulder Press: Variable reps based on 60-second AMRAP capacity × 6 rounds DB Piked Shoulder Press Analysis (50/35 lb): - Fresh state: Elite athletes can perform ~12-15 reps/minute, intermediate ~8-10 reps/minute, beginners ~5-7 reps/minute - 60-second capacity per round: Elite 12-15 reps, Intermediate 8-10 reps, Beginner 5-7 reps - Fatigue considerations: Rounds 1-2 at full capacity, Rounds 3-4 at 90% capacity, Rounds 5-6 at 80% capacity due to shoulder fatigue Calculations: Elite (L9-L10): Round 1-2: 15 reps each, Round 3-4: 13 reps each, Round 5-6: 12 reps each = 80 shoulder press reps + 30 split squats = 110 total per athlete. Top performers: 120-130 reps. Intermediate (L5): Round 1-2: 10 reps each, Round 3-4: 9 reps each, Round 5-6: 8 reps each = 54 shoulder press reps + 30 split squats = 84 total. Target around 90 reps. Beginner (L1-L2): Round 1-2: 6 reps each, Round 3-4: 5 reps each, Round 5-6: 4 reps each = 30 shoulder press reps + 30 split squats = 60 total. No direct anchor matches this format, but using general rep-based workout patterns and accounting for the moderate load (50/35 lb) and shoulder-intensive nature. Final targets: L10: 360+ reps, L5: 240 reps, L1: 120 reps

Modality Profile

Bulgarian Split Squat is a bodyweight gymnastics movement, while Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a weightlifting movement with external load. Two modalities present results in 50/50 split.