Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Extremely Hard

A brutal, Kalsu-style grind: 100 back squats at bodyweight with 5 burpees every minute throttles pacing and forces many small sets. The barbell load is heavy for high volume, while the persistent burpee tax spikes heart rate and limits recovery. Expect significant leg and systemic fatigue, long duration, and high mental stress.

Benchmark Times for Birchall

• Elite: <31:00
• Advanced: 33:00-35:00
• Intermediate: 37:00-40:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Very high total lower-body volume under load coupled with minute-by-minute burpees taxes muscular endurance heavily.
• Endurance (7/10): Sustained heart rate and breathing from burpees every minute with limited recovery creates steady aerobic demand over a long time frame.
• Strength (6/10): Bodyweight back squats demand significant absolute strength to maintain quality reps as fatigue mounts.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires standard squat mobility: hips below parallel, solid rack and shoulder position, and ankle dorsiflexion. No extreme ranges.
• Power (3/10): Movements are largely grinding; minimal need for explosive output compared to Olympic lifts or sprints.
• Speed (2/10): Burpees and heavy squats prevent sprint cycling; pace is controlled, with deliberate reps and managed transitions.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Scale to: 75% bodyweight back squat + 5 burpees EMOM • 50% bodyweight back squat + 4 burpees EMOM • 100 air squats + 3 burpees EMOM

Scaling Explanation

Reducing barbell load or burpee count preserves the intended relentless pacing and squat volume while matching each athlete’s current strength and conditioning capacity.

Intended Stimulus

A long, grinding test that blends strength endurance and aerobic tolerance. You should feel constant pressure from the burpees and be forced into small, repeatable squat sets with brief rests. Breathing should be controlled but elevated, legs should burn, and mental discipline matters more than big sets.

Coach Insight

Open with very small, consistent squat sets (e.g., 3–5 reps), then step right into burpees. Avoid failure at all costs. The one tip: break early and often. Keep every minute predictable. Common mistakes: starting with big squat sets, sloppy depth under fatigue, and pausing too long before burpees. Keep transitions tight.

Benchmark Notes

Times reflect a wide ability range. Newer athletes may push toward a 60-minute cap, while advanced athletes manage disciplined small sets and steady burpees to finish closer to 31–35 minutes. Use these levels to guide loading and burpee volume when scaling.

Modality Profile

Most of the session time accrues in gymnastics via the recurring burpees. The loaded component is a single barbell movement—the back squat—which, while slower per rep, comprises fewer total reps than burpees. There’s no monostructural element.

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