Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines high-skill muscle-ups with significant volume (45 total reps per movement) using moderate-heavy dumbbells in a continuous format. The 6 muscle-ups bookending creates grip and upper body pre-fatigue before tackling 45 reps each of demanding movements, then finishing with compromised muscle-ups. The 21-15-9 scheme prevents meaningful recovery, and the combination of skill demands with accumulated fatigue from 135 total DB reps makes this accessible only to experienced athletes.

Benchmark Times for MU buy in/cash out w/ 21-15-9 DB PP, Lunge, DL

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 7:00-8:00
• Intermediate: 9:00-10:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume dumbbell work in descending rep scheme tests upper body and leg muscular endurance, especially with grip fatigue from muscle-ups.
• Endurance (7/10): The 21-15-9 format with muscle-ups bookends creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic output throughout the descending ladder.
• Power (7/10): Muscle-ups are highly explosive movements requiring significant power output, while push press demands rapid force development through legs and shoulders.
• Strength (6/10): 50/35lb dumbbells provide moderate loading for push press and deadlifts, while muscle-ups demand significant relative strength for pulling power.
• Speed (6/10): For-time format encourages quick transitions between movements, though muscle-up complexity may limit overall cycling speed and create bottlenecks.
• Flexibility (4/10): Muscle-ups require shoulder mobility and thoracic extension, while front-racked lunges demand ankle and hip mobility for proper positioning.

Movements

• Ring Muscle-Up
• Dumbbell Push Press
• Dumbbell Front Rack Walking Lunge
• Dumbbell Deadlift

Benchmark Notes

This workout features 6 muscle-ups bookending a 21-15-9 triplet with moderate dumbbell loads (50/35 lbs). I'll analyze this by breaking down each component: Muscle-Up Analysis (6 reps at start and end): - Ring muscle-ups typically take 8-10 seconds per rep in fresh state - First set of 6: Elite 48-60 sec, Intermediate 72-90 sec, Novice 120+ sec - Final set of 6 (heavily fatigued): Elite 60-90 sec, Intermediate 120-150 sec, Novice 180+ sec 21-15-9 Triplet Analysis: - DB Push Press (50/35): Moderate overhead load, 2-3 sec per rep fresh - DB Front Racked Lunges (50/35): 2-3 sec per rep, grip and leg fatigue - DB Deadlifts (50/35): 2-2.5 sec per rep, relatively easier movement - Total reps per movement: 45 reps Round-by-Round Breakdown: Round 1 (21 reps each): - Push Press: 21 × 2.5 sec = 53 sec - Lunges: 21 × 2.5 sec = 53 sec - Deadlifts: 21 × 2.2 sec = 46 sec - Transitions: 15 sec - Round 1 total: ~167 sec Round 2 (15 reps each, 1.2x fatigue): - Push Press: 15 × 3.0 sec = 45 sec - Lunges: 15 × 3.0 sec = 45 sec - Deadlifts: 15 × 2.6 sec = 39 sec - Transitions: 12 sec - Round 2 total: ~141 sec Round 3 (9 reps each, 1.3x fatigue): - Push Press: 9 × 3.2 sec = 29 sec - Lunges: 9 × 3.2 sec = 29 sec - Deadlifts: 9 × 2.8 sec = 25 sec - Transitions: 10 sec - Round 3 total: ~93 sec Total Workout Time Estimates: - Initial 6 muscle-ups: Elite 60 sec, Intermediate 90 sec, Novice 150 sec - 21-15-9 triplet: Elite 401 sec, Intermediate 481 sec, Novice 601 sec - Final 6 muscle-ups: Elite 75 sec, Intermediate 135 sec, Novice 210 sec This workout is most similar to Amanda (9-7-5 ring muscle-up + squat snatch 135/95) but with higher total volume and different movement pattern. Amanda benchmarks: L10: 420-480 sec, L5: 720-840 sec, L1: 1080-1380 sec. However, this workout has 12 total muscle-ups vs Amanda's 21, but includes 135 total dumbbell reps which adds significant volume. Adjusting from Amanda anchor with +20% time due to higher total volume and grip fatigue from dumbbell work: Final Targets: - L10 (Elite): 360-420 sec (6:00-7:00) - L5 (Average): 600-660 sec (10:00-11:00) - L1 (Novice): 1080-1200 sec (18:00-20:00)

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Ring Muscle-Up (1 gymnastics), Dumbbell Push Press, Dumbbell Front Rack Walking Lunge, Dumbbell Deadlift (3 weightlifting). 1/4 = 25% gymnastics, 3/4 = 75% weightlifting, 0% monostructural.