Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

120 strict pull-ups and 400 push-ups represents extreme upper body pushing/pulling volume with significant muscle endurance demands. The continuous format without built-in rest means severe accumulation of fatigue, particularly in the anterior deltoids and triceps which are taxed in both movements. Most athletes will need to break sets early and rest periods will increase dramatically in later rounds.

Benchmark Times for Aplin

• Elite: <17:00
• Advanced: 19:00-21:00
• Intermediate: 24:00-27:00
• Beginner: >45:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high volume of upper body pushing and pulling (520 total reps) creates intense muscular endurance demands, particularly in the chest, shoulders, and back.
• Endurance (7/10): Twenty rounds of high-volume upper body work creates significant cardiovascular demand through sustained effort, though movement complexity is low allowing some recovery between sets.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between movements and maintaining consistent rep speed becomes crucial across 20 rounds for optimal time.
• Strength (4/10): Strict pull-ups require significant relative strength, but the high volume shifts focus to endurance rather than maximal force production.
• Flexibility (3/10): Full range of motion required for strict pull-ups and push-ups, but movements don't demand exceptional mobility.
• Power (1/10): Strict movements performed at steady pace with minimal explosive component. Focus is on control and endurance.

Movements

• Pull-Up
• Push-Up

Scaling Options

Pull-ups: Reduce to 3-4 reps per round, use negative pull-ups (3-count descent), or switch to ring rows. Push-ups: Elevate hands on box/bench, reduce to 10-15 reps per round, or perform from knees. Volume options: Cut to 10-15 rounds total, or use 15-12-9-6-3 rep scheme for 5 rounds. Time cap suggestion: 45 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ strict pull-ups when fresh or 15+ standard push-ups unbroken. Maintaining strict form is crucial - scale to preserve movement quality rather than compromising for speed. Target time domain is 30-45 minutes; scale volume if projected to go beyond this. Success metric is consistent movement quality across all rounds rather than time.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration stamina test (30-45 minutes) targeting muscular endurance and mental toughness. Primary energy system is oxidative with significant upper body strength-endurance demand. Volume (120 pull-ups, 400 push-ups) creates substantial accumulative fatigue while strict movement standards test true pulling and pushing strength.

Coach Insight

Break sets early and consistently - consider 3-3 on pull-ups and 5-5-5-5 on push-ups from the start. Rest before movements deteriorate rather than going to failure. Quick but controlled transitions between movements. Focus on full range of motion: dead hang to chin over bar on pull-ups, chest to deck with locked elbows on push-ups. Common failure point is rounds 8-12 when cumulative fatigue hits - having a consistent break pattern is crucial here.

Benchmark Notes

This is a high-volume gymnastics workout with 120 strict pull-ups and 400 push-ups total across 20 rounds. Using Angie (100 pull-ups + 100 push-ups + more) as our primary anchor. Per-round breakdown (elite pace): - 6 Strict Pull-ups: 2.5s/rep × 6 = 15s - 20 Push-ups: 1.5s/rep × 20 = 30s - Transition: 3s Base round time: 48s Fatigue multipliers: - Rounds 1-5: 1.0x (48s) - Rounds 6-10: 1.2x (58s) - Rounds 11-15: 1.4x (67s) - Rounds 16-20: 1.6x (77s) Total elite time: 240s + 290s + 335s + 385s = 1250s (~21 min) Comparing to Angie anchor (15-19 min for elite), this should be slightly slower due to: 1. Strict vs kipping pull-ups (+20%) 2. More total volume (520 vs 400 reps) 3. Greater grip fatigue from round format Final targets (M/F): L10: 17-19 min / 20-22 min L5: 27-30 min / 30-33 min L1: 45-50 min / 50-55 min

Modality Profile

Both Pull-Ups and Push-Ups are pure bodyweight/gymnastics movements, making this workout 100% gymnastics modality