Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Back squats at 70% 1RM for 60-second AMRAPs create significant leg fatigue with minimal recovery time. The 30-second rest periods are insufficient for full recovery between sets, forcing athletes to work in a highly fatigued state. While the shoulder press provides some reprieve for the legs, the squat component will quickly become limiting. Most athletes will need to reduce load or take additional rest to maintain form through four rounds.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): AMRAP format with 70% back squats and shoulder presses will heavily tax muscular endurance across multiple muscle groups over four rounds.
• Strength (7/10): Back squats at 70% 1RM demand significant strength, while DB shoulder press at 8-12RM range also requires substantial force production.
• Endurance (4/10): Short work intervals with brief rest create moderate cardio demand, but the focus on heavy lifting limits pure aerobic challenge.
• Flexibility (3/10): Back squats require hip and ankle mobility, shoulder press needs overhead range of motion, but demands are moderate for experienced athletes.
• Speed (3/10): Short rest periods demand efficient transitions, but heavy loads prevent rapid cycling; pacing strategy important but not speed-dominant.
• Power (2/10): Heavy loads and AMRAP format prioritize grinding strength over explosive movement; minimal power component in this strength-endurance workout.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Scaling Options

Back squat: Reduce to 60-65% of 1RM or use goblet squats with heavy DB/KB. DB shoulder press: Use 10-15 RM weight instead of 8-12 RM, or substitute with strict press using barbell at lighter load. Reduce rounds to 3 if unable to maintain movement quality. Extend rest to 45 seconds if needed for safety.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if back squat form breaks down after 5-6 reps at 70%, or if shoulder mobility limits overhead range of motion. Priority is maintaining proper spine position and full depth on squats. Athletes should complete at least 6-8 back squats per round and 10+ shoulder presses to preserve stimulus. Scale weight before reducing volume.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity strength endurance workout targeting the phosphagen and glycolytic systems. Challenges athletes' ability to maintain power output and movement quality under fatigue across 16 total minutes. Primary focus is building muscular endurance at higher loads while developing work capacity in compound movements.

Coach Insight

Pace conservatively in round 1 to establish baseline - aim for 8-12 back squats and 15-20 shoulder presses. Maintain consistent breathing pattern during back squats; exhale at top, inhale at bottom. For DB shoulder press, keep core tight and avoid excessive back arch. Rest periods are short so transition quickly but safely. Expect rep counts to drop 10-20% each round. Focus on full range of motion over speed - partial reps defeat the purpose.

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 4 rounds of 60-second AMRAPs alternating between back squats at 70% 1RM and DB shoulder press at 8-12RM weight. Round 1: Back squat - elite athletes can hit 8-10 reps in 60 seconds at 70% (2-3 sec per rep with setup), DB press - 12-15 reps possible (3-4 sec per rep). Round 2: Fatigue starts - back squat drops to 7-9 reps, DB press to 10-13 reps due to shoulder fatigue. Round 3: Significant fatigue - back squat 6-8 reps (grip and leg fatigue), DB press 8-11 reps (shoulder endurance limiting). Round 4: Maximum fatigue - back squat 5-7 reps, DB press 6-9 reps. Elite total: ~88 reps (32 back squat + 56 DB press). Recreational athletes perform 60-70% of elite numbers due to lower strength endurance and longer rest periods between reps. The 30-second rest periods are insufficient for full recovery, creating cumulative fatigue throughout.

Modality Profile

Both Back Squat and Dumbbell Shoulder Press are external load weightlifting movements, making this 100% Weightlifting with no gymnastics or monostructural components.