Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines high-intensity intervals with minimal rest, creating significant fatigue accumulation. The bodyweight back squats will be challenging for most athletes after rowing, and the continuous nature (only 10-second breaks) prevents meaningful recovery. The 32kg/25kg kettlebell swings at the end, when already fatigued, will be particularly demanding. The time pressure and movement interference make this substantially harder than individual elements suggest.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): High-volume AMRAPs across multiple movements with bodyweight squats, shoulder press, and kettlebell swings will exhaust muscular endurance systems.
• Endurance (8/10): Multiple 2-minute rowing intervals with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, testing aerobic capacity throughout the workout.
• Speed (8/10): AMRAP format with short time domains demands rapid cycling and minimal transition time to maximize repetitions within each interval.
• Power (7/10): Kettlebell swings are highly explosive, and the AMRAP format encourages powerful, quick repetitions across all movements.
• Strength (6/10): Bodyweight back squats and 50/35lb shoulder press provide moderate strength demands, while kettlebell swings require posterior chain strength.
• Flexibility (3/10): Standard mobility requirements for squatting, overhead pressing, and hip hinge patterns in kettlebell swings.

Movements

• Row
• Back Squat
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Kettlebell Swing

Benchmark Notes

This workout is scored by total reps across 3 rounds of mixed intervals. Each round contains: 2-min row for calories, 30-sec back squat at bodyweight, 30-sec DB shoulder press (50/35), and 60-sec kettlebell swings (32kg/25kg). Breaking down by movement: ROW CALORIES (2 min): Elite athletes can sustain 18-20 cal/min for 360 seconds total = 108-120 calories across 3 rounds. Intermediate athletes 12-15 cal/min = 72-90 calories. Beginners 8-12 cal/min = 48-72 calories. BACK SQUAT (bodyweight, 30 sec): This is highly dependent on individual strength-to-weight ratio. Elite athletes might achieve 25-30 reps per round (75-90 total), intermediates 15-20 reps per round (45-60 total), beginners 8-12 reps per round (24-36 total). DB SHOULDER PRESS (50/35, 30 sec): Elite athletes 20-25 reps per round (60-75 total), intermediates 12-18 reps per round (36-54 total), beginners 8-12 reps per round (24-36 total). KETTLEBELL SWINGS (32kg/25kg, 60 sec): Elite athletes 35-40 reps per round (105-120 total), intermediates 25-30 reps per round (75-90 total), beginners 15-20 reps per round (45-60 total). FATIGUE CONSIDERATIONS: Round 1 performed fresh (1.0x), Round 2 with moderate fatigue (1.1x), Round 3 with significant fatigue (1.2-1.3x). The 10-second rests provide minimal recovery. Total rep calculations: L10 (Elite): 120 + 90 + 75 + 120 = 405-425 reps, L5 (Intermediate): 81 + 52 + 45 + 82 = 260-300 reps, L1 (Beginner): 60 + 30 + 30 + 52 = 172-180 reps. This workout doesn't match any iconic benchmark exactly, but the mixed-modal interval format with high rep potential is similar to Fight Gone Bad's structure, though with different movements and timing. Final targets: L10: ~420 reps, L5: ~300 reps, L1: ~180 reps.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Row (M), Back Squat (W), Dumbbell Shoulder Press (W), Kettlebell Swing (W). 1 monostructural movement (25%) and 3 weightlifting movements (75%).