Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

This workout combines maximal loading (85-95% back squat) with forced pacing that prevents adequate recovery. The EMOM format allows only 60 seconds total, meaning athletes must complete heavy singles with minimal rest between attempts. At these percentages, most athletes need 3-5 minutes between max effort attempts. The combination of near-maximal loads with inadequate recovery creates an extremely demanding challenge that only elite athletes could sustain for 8 minutes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (10/10): Maximum strength focus with loads at 85-95% of 1RM back squat, testing pure force production.
• Flexibility (4/10): Back squats require good ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility for proper depth and positioning.
• Power (3/10): Some explosive drive out of the bottom position, but primarily a strength grind at these loads.
• Endurance (2/10): Minimal cardiovascular demand due to single rep efforts with full minute recovery between sets.
• Stamina (1/10): Very low muscular endurance requirement with only one rep per minute allowing complete recovery.
• Speed (1/10): No speed component with full minute rest between single rep efforts.

Movements

• Back Squat

Benchmark Notes

This is an 8-minute EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) with 1 back squat at 85-95% 1RM each minute. The score is total reps completed. Analysis: At 85-95% 1RM, this is very heavy loading requiring singles with substantial rest between attempts. Elite athletes (L10) should complete all 8 minutes successfully, managing the heavy load with proper pacing and technique. The key limiting factors are: 1) Strength endurance at high percentage, 2) Central nervous system fatigue accumulation, 3) Technical breakdown under fatigue. Minute-by-minute breakdown: Minutes 1-3: Fresh state, all athletes should complete (100% success rate). Minutes 4-5: Fatigue begins, recreational athletes may start missing (L1-L3 range: 4-6 total reps). Minutes 6-7: Significant CNS fatigue, intermediate athletes struggle (L4-L6 range: 6-7 total reps). Minute 8: Only advanced/elite complete final rep (L7-L10 range: 7-8 total reps). The narrow range (4-8 reps) reflects the binary nature of heavy strength work - you either make the lift or you don't. Unlike metabolic workouts with gradual degradation, strength EMOMs have sharp cutoff points where athletes fail completely. No direct anchor matches this format, but comparing to other strength-based workouts, the distribution heavily favors the top end since the workout design allows adequate rest between efforts. L10 (Elite): 8 reps - completes all minutes with technical proficiency. L5 (Average): 7 reps - misses final 1-2 minutes due to accumulated fatigue. L1 (Novice): 4 reps - struggles after first few minutes, may need to scale load.

Modality Profile

Back Squat is a barbell movement with external load, making it 100% Weightlifting