Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While the tempo front squats at 65% are moderately challenging, the 30-second cap with rest breaks prevents excessive fatigue accumulation. The piked DB shoulder press uses manageable weight (50/35) for most athletes. The 10-second rest between exercises allows partial recovery, and the alternating movement pattern prevents one muscle group from being completely overwhelmed. Total workout duration is manageable at around 10 minutes with built-in recovery periods.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume tempo squats and continuous shoulder pressing will heavily tax muscular endurance in legs and shoulders.
• Endurance (7/10): Ten rounds with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, though short intervals prevent pure aerobic dominance.
• Flexibility (7/10): Front rack position and piked shoulder press demand significant ankle, thoracic spine, and shoulder mobility throughout.
• Strength (6/10): Front squats at 65% provide moderate strength stimulus, while overhead pressing challenges upper body strength endurance.
• Speed (4/10): Short work intervals require quick transitions, but tempo squats limit overall movement speed and cycling.
• Power (2/10): Tempo squats eliminate explosive component; shoulder press has minimal power demand due to sustained nature.

Movements

• Front Squat
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Scaling Options

Front Squats: Drop to 55% or use goblet squats with DB. Remove tempo if athlete struggles with timing. Shoulder Press: Reduce to 35/25 lbs or use regular standing DB press instead of piked position. Volume: Consider 8 rounds instead of 10, or extend work periods to 40 seconds with 15-second rest if athlete moves slowly.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if athlete cannot maintain tempo on front squats or complete at least 6 shoulder presses per round. The goal is consistent output across all 10 rounds without form breakdown. Athletes should finish each round with 5-10 seconds to spare rather than working to the buzzer. If someone is new to tempo work or overhead pressing, prioritize movement quality over intensity.

Intended Stimulus

Anaerobic power and muscular endurance with strength-endurance focus. This is a moderate time domain workout (10-12 minutes) primarily targeting the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems. The tempo front squats challenge strength under time pressure while the shoulder presses test upper body endurance. Mental resilience is key as fatigue accumulates across 10 rounds.

Coach Insight

For tempo squats, commit to the 6-second descent and 2-second pause - this builds strength and control. Use 30 seconds wisely: aim for 3-4 quality reps rather than rushing. On shoulder presses, establish a sustainable rhythm immediately - likely 8-12 reps per round depending on weight. Keep elbows forward in piked position to maximize shoulder engagement. Rest periods are short so move quickly between stations but prioritize good positioning over speed.

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 10 rounds alternating between 30-second tempo front squats and 30-second AMRAP dumbbell shoulder press with 10-second rests. Since scoring is 'Reps', this counts total shoulder press repetitions only (front squats are tempo-based, not rep-focused). Tempo front squats at 65% with 6-second eccentric, 2-second pause take 8+ seconds per rep, limiting to 3-4 reps per 30-second window - these maintain strength/positioning but don't contribute to score. Piked DB shoulder press (50/35 lb) in fresh state: 1.5-2 sec per rep. Round-by-round breakdown: Rounds 1-2 (fresh): 12-15 reps per 30-sec window. Rounds 3-4: Shoulder fatigue from pressing + core fatigue from front squats reduces to 10-12 reps. Rounds 5-6: Cumulative shoulder pump and grip fatigue drops to 8-10 reps. Rounds 7-8: Significant shoulder endurance decline, 6-8 reps per window. Rounds 9-10: Near failure state, 4-6 reps per window. Total calculation: Elite (L9-L10): 115+ reps (avg 11.5 per round), Advanced (L7-L8): 95-115 reps, Intermediate (L5-L6): 75-85 reps, Novice (L3-L4): 55-65 reps, Beginner (L1-L2): 35-45 reps. The 10-second rests are insufficient for full recovery, creating cumulative fatigue that significantly impacts later rounds.

Modality Profile

Two movements: Tempo Front Squat (barbell weightlifting) and Piked Dumbbell Shoulder Press (dumbbell weightlifting with bodyweight positioning). The piked position adds a gymnastics element to what is primarily a weighted movement, creating a 50/50 split between gymnastics and weightlifting modalities.