Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While 135/95lb power cleans and burpees are both challenging movements, the relatively low volume (10 reps each) and natural break between rounds allows for recovery. The workout should take 8-12 minutes for average athletes. The movements don't significantly interfere with each other, and while fatigue accumulates, it's manageable with the built-in rest opportunities between rounds.

Benchmark Times for Black and Blue

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 6:30-7:00
• Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
• Beginner: >16:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Repeated rounds of moderate-weight power cleans combined with burpees challenges muscular endurance across multiple muscle groups, particularly posterior chain and shoulders.
• Speed (8/10): For-time format with moderate weight encourages quick transitions and fast cycling of both movements to achieve best time.
• Endurance (7/10): Five rounds of combined power cleans and burpees creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially with the full-body nature of both movements and minimal rest.
• Power (7/10): Power cleans are inherently explosive movements. Even burpees require power to transition from floor to standing repeatedly.
• Flexibility (6/10): Power cleans demand good mobility in ankles, hips, and shoulders. Burpees require decent hip flexion and shoulder mobility.
• Strength (5/10): 135/95lb power cleans represent moderate loading that requires decent strength, but not maximal effort. Burpees add bodyweight demands.

Movements

• Power Clean
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Weight reductions: 95/65 lb or 75/55 lb based on ability to maintain form. Sub hang power clean or power clean from blocks if mobility limits from floor. For burpees, step-back variation or eliminate push-up portion if needed. Volume options: reduce to 4 rounds or 8 reps each. Target same stimulus with modifications.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ unbroken power cleans at prescribed weight with good form, or if burpees take more than 15-20 seconds per set. Proper clean technique must be maintained - this is not meant to be sloppy high-pulls. Athletes should finish between 8-12 minutes while keeping intensity high. Scale load/volume to achieve this time domain while preserving movement quality.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout targeting the 8-12 minute time domain. Primary focus is on power endurance and lactate tolerance. The couplet combines explosive power movements (cleans) with full-body bodyweight work (burpees) to create significant metabolic stress while managing moderate loads.

Coach Insight

Break power cleans into sets of 5+5 or 4-3-3 early to preserve position. Quick reset between reps but maintain hook grip and proper setup. For burpees, focus on efficiency - straight line down and up, minimal pause at bottom. Transitions should be crisp but controlled. Aim for consistent round times with no more than 15-20 seconds variance between fastest and slowest round. Most athletes break down in rounds 4-5 - plan your strategy accordingly.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is most similar to Grace (30 C&J at 135/95) but with added burpees and split into 5 rounds. Analysis: 1. Base movement times: - Power Clean (135/95): 2.5s per rep - Burpee: 3.5s per rep 2. Round breakdown (male): Round 1: (10 cleans × 2.5s) + (10 burpees × 3.5s) + 5s transition = 65s Round 2: 1.1× fatigue = 72s Round 3: 1.2× fatigue = 78s Round 4: 1.25× fatigue = 81s Round 5: 1.3× fatigue = 84s Total theoretical: 380s Comparing to Grace anchor (L10 male: 90-120s): - Grace has 30 cleans, this has 50 cleans + 50 burpees - Load matches Grace exactly - Volume roughly 3× Grace when including burpees - L10 target should be ~3× Grace but slightly faster due to breaks between rounds Final L10 target: 360s (6:00) L5 target: 540s (9:00) L1 target: 960s (16:00) Recap: Male - L10: 6:00, L5: 9:00, L1: 16:00 Female - L10: 7:00, L5: 10:30, L1: 18:00

Modality Profile

The workout contains two movements: Power Clean (Weightlifting) and Burpee (Gymnastics). With two movements split across two modalities, this results in an even 50/50 split between G and W, with no M component.