Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 100/70lb sandbag power cleans are moderately heavy for most athletes, requiring significant posterior chain and grip strength. The 21-15-9 rep scheme creates substantial fatigue accumulation without built-in rest. Ring dips demand upper body strength and stability that becomes increasingly difficult as shoulders fatigue from the cleans. The combination of moderate-heavy loading with continuous high-intensity work and movement interference between pulling and pressing creates a challenging workout requiring scaling for many.

Benchmark Times for 30:00 - 50:00

• Elite: <4:00
• Advanced: 4:40-5:20
• Intermediate: 6:00-7:00
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of upper body pressing and pulling combined with posterior chain work will severely test muscular endurance across multiple muscle groups.
• Endurance (7/10): The 21-15-9 format with heavy sandbag cleans and ring dips creates significant cardiovascular demand through sustained high-intensity work with minimal rest.
• Power (7/10): Sandbag power cleans are inherently explosive movements requiring rapid hip extension and force production, even when fatigued in later rounds.
• Strength (6/10): 100/70lb sandbag power cleans require substantial strength, while ring dips demand significant upper body and core strength throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): The descending rep scheme encourages fast transitions and quick cycling of movements to maintain intensity and minimize total workout time.
• Flexibility (4/10): Power cleans require good hip and ankle mobility, while ring dips demand shoulder flexibility and thoracic extension for proper positioning.

Movements

• Sandbag Power Clean
• Ring Dip

Benchmark Notes

This workout is nearly identical to the Elizabeth benchmark (21-15-9 squat clean 135/95 + ring dip), with the key difference being sandbag power cleans (100/70) instead of squat cleans (135/95). Using Elizabeth as the primary anchor: L10: 160-200 sec, L5: 360-420 sec, L1: 540-720 sec. Movement breakdown: Sandbag power cleans are slightly easier than barbell squat cleans due to lower weight (100 vs 135 for men, 70 vs 95 for women) and simpler movement pattern (power vs full clean). Ring dips remain identical. Round-by-round analysis: Round 1 (21 reps each): Sandbag cleans ~1.5-2 sec/rep fresh, ring dips ~2-3 sec/rep = 63-105 sec. Round 2 (15 reps each): 1.2x fatigue multiplier = 57-95 sec. Round 3 (9 reps each): 1.3x fatigue multiplier = 35-61 sec. Total movement time: 155-261 sec. Adding transitions (3 per round, 3-8 sec each): 27-72 sec. Total estimated range: 182-333 sec for elite to intermediate. Given the lighter sandbag load compared to Elizabeth's barbell weight, I'm adjusting Elizabeth's benchmarks down by approximately 15-20%: L10 becomes ~160 sec, L5 becomes ~360 sec, L1 becomes ~600 sec. Final targets: L10: 160 sec, L5: 390 sec, L1: 600 sec.

Modality Profile

Two movements: Sandbag Power Clean (weightlifting with external load) and Ring Dip (gymnastics bodyweight movement). Equal split between weightlifting and gymnastics modalities.