Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While individual elements are basic (jumping lunges, wall balls, burpees, bike), the 40-minute duration with continuous partner rotation creates moderate sustained effort. The escalating rep scheme adds progressive overload, but built-in recovery during partner transitions and sandbag holds prevents extreme fatigue accumulation. The penalty plank adds accountability but isn't prohibitive. Average athletes can complete this with manageable intensity throughout the time domain.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Escalating reps from 2 to potentially 20+ per movement, combined with isometric sandbag holds and bike calories, heavily taxes muscular endurance.
• Endurance (8/10): 40-minute team workout with continuous movement between biking, bodyweight exercises, and isometric holds demands significant cardiovascular capacity and aerobic output.
• Speed (7/10): Team format demands quick transitions between partners and efficient movement cycling to maximize rounds before the 40-minute cap.
• Power (6/10): Jumping lunges and burpees are explosive movements, while wall balls require power to drive the ball overhead repeatedly.
• Strength (4/10): Wall balls and sandbag holds provide moderate loading, while jumping lunges and burpees rely on bodyweight resistance demands.
• Flexibility (3/10): Jumping lunges require hip mobility, wall balls demand overhead range of motion, and burpees need full-body movement patterns.

Movements

• Wall Ball
• Burpee
• Alternating Jumping Lunge
• Plank Hold
• Sandbag Hold
• Bike
• Front Plank

Scaling Options

Reduce wall ball weight to 14/10 lbs or use lighter medicine ball. Scale jumping lunges to reverse lunges or stationary lunges. Modify burpees to step-back burpees or push-up + jump. Use lighter sandbag (30/20 lbs) or substitute with dumbbell/kettlebell hold. Reduce bike to rower if limited equipment. Consider starting rep scheme at 1-1-1 and progressing by 1 instead of 2. Shorten time cap to 30 minutes for newer athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if athlete cannot maintain sandbag hold for minimum 90 seconds or perform 10 consecutive wall balls at Rx weight. Priority is maintaining team flow and workout intensity over individual movement standards. Athletes should feel challenged but able to complete 6-8 full rounds minimum. If sandbag drops become frequent (3+ times), reduce weight immediately to preserve workout stimulus and avoid excessive plank penalties.

Intended Stimulus

Long aerobic workout focusing on oxidative energy system development with muscular endurance components. The ascending ladder creates progressive overload while the sandbag hold adds isometric strength endurance. Primary challenges are pacing, grip endurance, and team coordination over a sustained 40-minute effort.

Coach Insight

Start conservatively with the first few rounds to establish rhythm. Partner doing movements should pace for consistency across rounds, not sprint early rounds. Sandbag holder should rotate grip positions and use core bracing to maintain hold. Bike partner should maintain steady 60-70% effort to accumulate calories while recovering. Plan sandbag transitions carefully - communicate before partner A finishes to avoid drops. Consider bear hug, front-loaded, or shoulder carry positions for sandbag variety. Team should establish clear rotation signals and stay mentally engaged to avoid penalty planks.

Benchmark Notes

This is a team workout scored by total bike calories accumulated over 40 minutes. Teams of 3 rotate through: Partner A (Alt Lunges/Wall Balls/Burpees), Partner B (Sandbag Hold), Partner C (Bike). After each round, roles rotate and reps increase by 2 (2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20...). Round analysis: Round 1 (2 reps): ~45-60 sec for movement work + bike time. Round 2 (4 reps): ~60-80 sec + bike. Round 3 (6 reps): ~75-100 sec + bike. Pattern continues with increasing fatigue. Key factors: 1) Sandbag penalty (30-sec plank if dropped) disrupts flow, 2) Movement fatigue accumulates (jumping lunges affect wall balls, burpees slow everything), 3) Bike output decreases as athletes fatigue from other work, 4) Team coordination crucial. Strong teams complete 8-12 full rounds (through 16-24 rep rounds), elite teams may reach 20+ rep rounds. Bike calories per round decrease: early rounds 8-12 cal, mid rounds 6-9 cal, late rounds 4-7 cal due to accumulated fatigue. Total estimate: Elite teams 250+ cal, competitive 200-225 cal, intermediate 150-175 cal, beginner 50-100 cal.

Modality Profile

6 movements total: 3 Gymnastics (Alternating Jumping Lunge, Burpee, Front Plank), 1 Monostructural (Bike), 2 Weightlifting (Wall Ball, Sandbag Hold). Breakdown: 3/6=50% G, 1/6=17% M, 2/6=33% W