Workout Description
For Time
10-20-30-40-50 Reps of:
Calorie Assault Bike
Russian Kettlebell Swings (30/12 kg)
Why This Workout Is Hard
The ascending rep scheme (10-20-30-40-50) creates significant cumulative fatigue, with each round getting progressively longer. The assault bike's full-body demand combined with Russian KB swings targets similar muscle groups (posterior chain, grip). The lack of built-in rest and increasing volume means athletes will be forced to break up later rounds substantially, typically taking 15-20 minutes with significant metabolic stress.
Benchmark Times for Assault Bells
- Elite: <12:00
- Advanced: 13:00-14:00
- Intermediate: 16:00-18:00
- Beginner: >30:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (9/10): High volume of both movements (150 reps each) challenges muscular endurance, particularly in posterior chain, grip, and cardiovascular system.
- Endurance (8/10): Ascending rep scheme with 150 total calories on assault bike plus kettlebell swings creates significant cardiovascular demand and tests aerobic capacity extensively.
- Speed (7/10): Quick transitions and maintaining high RPMs on assault bike are crucial; increasing rep schemes demand smart pacing.
- Power (5/10): Kettlebell swings are inherently a power movement, while assault bike can be explosive but is typically steady-state.
- Flexibility (4/10): Kettlebell swings require decent hip hinge mobility and shoulder flexibility, but movements are not extremely technical.
- Strength (3/10): Moderate kettlebell weight requires some strength, but focus is more on endurance than maximal force production.
Scaling Options
Reduce kettlebell weight to 20/8kg or 12/6kg based on capacity. Can substitute air bike for rower (same calories) or med ball cleans. For volume reduction, use 8-15-20-25-30 rep scheme or cap workout at 30 minute time limit. KB scaling progression: Russian KB swing → KB deadlift → DB deadlift. Maintain full hip extension in all variations.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if unable to perform 15+ unbroken KB swings at prescribed weight or maintain 45+ RPM on assault bike when fresh. Priority is maintaining consistent movement and intensity throughout - technique should not break down in final rounds. Target completion time is 15-25 minutes. Scale load/volume if projected finish time exceeds 25 minutes. Athletes should feel significant but manageable fatigue by round of 30, not complete exhaustion.
Intended Stimulus
Moderate-to-long glycolytic workout (15-25 minutes) that builds in intensity through ascending rep scheme. Primary energy system focus is glycolytic with oxidative endurance needed in later rounds. The main challenge is maintaining consistent power output as fatigue accumulates, especially in the 40 and 50 rep rounds.
Coach Insight
Break up the assault bike calories early - even in the 10 and 20 cal rounds. Suggested bike breaks: 5/5, 7/7/6, 10/10/10, 15/15/10, 20/15/15. For KB swings, focus on hip drive and maintain Russian swing height (eye level). Common mistake is rushing early rounds then hitting severe fatigue wall. Keep transitions under 10 seconds. Consider alternating between movements (5 cals/5 swings) in later rounds to manage fatigue.
Benchmark Notes
This workout is structurally similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 rep scheme) but with higher total volume (150 reps per movement vs 100 in Annie) and more demanding movements. Using Annie's anchor points as a base:
Assault Bike Analysis:
- 10 cals: 15-20s
- 20 cals: 35-45s
- 30 cals: 55-70s
- 40 cals: 80-100s
- 50 cals: 110-135s
Total: 295-370s fresh state
KB Swings (30/12kg):
- 10 reps: 15-20s
- 20 reps: 35-45s
- 30 reps: 60-75s
- 40 reps: 85-105s
- 50 reps: 115-140s
Total: 310-385s fresh state
Factoring transitions (5-10s between movements) and fatigue multipliers (1.2x for later rounds), projected elite times are ~12-13 minutes, compared to Annie's ~5-6 minutes.
Final Targets:
Male:
L10: 12:00 (720s)
L5: 18:00 (1080s)
L1: 30:00 (1800s)
Female (adding 15-20% due to KB weight impact):
L10: 14:00 (840s)
L5: 22:00 (1320s)
L1: 35:00 (2100s)
Modality Profile
Bike is Monostructural (M), Russian Kettlebell Swing is Weightlifting (W). With two movements split across two modalities, each represents 50% of the total.
