Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines moderate-heavy squat cleans (225/155) with high-skill handstand push-ups under significant fatigue from sandbag work. The 40-second cap creates time pressure while the 30ft carries and rope pulls pre-fatigue grip and shoulders before HSPU attempts. Though 80 seconds rest helps recovery, the combination of heavy lifting, grip demands, and inverted pressing under fatigue will challenge most average athletes and require scaling.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (8/10): Heavy squat clean at 225/155 and handstand push-ups require significant absolute and relative strength, making this a strength-dominant workout.
• Stamina (7/10): Continuous movement for 40 seconds across multiple demanding exercises tests muscular endurance, especially grip and shoulder stamina from carries and HSPU.
• Power (7/10): Squat clean is highly explosive, rope pulls require power generation, and handstand push-ups demand powerful pressing from inverted position.
• Flexibility (6/10): Squat clean demands ankle and hip mobility, while handstand push-ups require substantial shoulder flexibility and overhead positioning.
• Speed (6/10): 40-second cap creates urgency for quick transitions and rapid cycling through movements to maximize handstand push-up volume.
• Endurance (4/10): Six 40-second rounds with 80-second rest provide moderate cardiovascular stress but substantial recovery between efforts limits pure endurance demands.

Movements

• Squat Clean
• Sandbag Carry
• Sandbag Rope Pull
• Handstand Push-Up

Scaling Options

Reduce sandbag to 70/50 lbs or use a dumbbell. Scale squat clean to 185/135 lbs or power clean + front squat. Substitute pike push-ups, elevated push-ups, or regular push-ups for HSPUs. Consider 5 rounds instead of 6 for newer athletes. Extend cap to 50 seconds if movements are significantly scaled.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 5+ strict HSPUs or if the squat clean weight exceeds 75% of your 1RM. Priority is maintaining high intensity throughout all 6 rounds. Athletes should be able to complete the rope pull and carry within 20-25 seconds to allow meaningful HSPU work. Goal is 6+ HSPUs per round for competitive athletes, 2-4 for scaled versions.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic intervals targeting muscular power endurance and grip strength. Each 40-second round creates severe metabolic stress while testing ability to maintain power output across multiple demanding movement patterns. The 80-second rest allows partial recovery while keeping heart rate elevated, creating a challenging lactate threshold workout.

Coach Insight

Move fast on the sandbag rope pull - use a hand-over-hand technique and engage your lats. Hit the squat clean early in each round while fresh; focus on a clean catch position and smooth stand. Carry the sandbag high on your shoulder to engage core. Attack HSPUs aggressively in the remaining time - every rep counts toward your score. Transition quickly between movements. Expect grip to be limiting factor by round 3-4.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 6-round workout with a 40-second work cap and 80-second rest. Each round includes: 30ft sandbag rope pull, 1 squat clean (225/155), 30ft sandbag carry, max handstand push-ups. Since it's scored by total reps and only handstand push-ups count as reps, I calculated handstand push-up capacity per round. Round 1-2: 8-12 HSPUs possible (fresh state), Round 3-4: 6-10 HSPUs (1.2x fatigue), Round 5-6: 4-8 HSPUs (1.5x fatigue due to cumulative shoulder/tricep fatigue from heavy carries and cleans). The other movements (rope pull, clean, carry) take approximately 25-30 seconds total per round, leaving 10-15 seconds for max HSPUs. Elite athletes can maintain higher output across all rounds while recreational athletes experience significant dropoff. Total range: L1 (8 reps/round avg) = 48 total reps to L10 (32 reps/round avg) = 192+ total reps.

Modality Profile

4 movements total: Handstand Push-Up (G), Sandbag Rope Pull, Squat Clean, and Sandbag Carry (all W). 1 gymnastics movement = 25%, 3 weighted movements = 75%