Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The death-by format creates relentless conditioning demands with decreasing recovery as volume increases. While movements are simple bodyweight only, the CONTEXT of racing a 2-minute clock with progressively harder work creates significant fatigue accumulation. Average athletes will likely reach failure around rounds 5-6 (completing 60+ burpees total plus ~1500m of running in 10-12 minutes), representing serious aerobic/anaerobic challenge. The time pressure and psychological demand of knowing each round gets harder elevates this above Medium, though lack of heavy loads or technical skills keeps it from Very Hard territory.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Progressive burpee overload (5, 7, 9, 11...) accumulates massive volume over multiple rounds, testing upper body, core, and leg muscular endurance until complete exhaustion.
• Endurance (8/10): The continuous 2-minute EMOM format with repeated runs and burpees maintains an elevated heart rate throughout, creating significant cardiovascular demand until failure.
• Speed (7/10): The 2-minute time cap creates urgency to complete work quickly, allowing minimal rest. Fast transitions and efficient movement cycling are crucial for advancing rounds.
• Power (4/10): Each burpee includes an explosive jump component, and the run requires power output, but fatigue accumulation shifts focus toward sustained effort.
• Flexibility (3/10): Burpees require moderate hip flexion, shoulder extension for chest-to-deck, and overhead reach. Running demands basic hip and ankle mobility throughout.
• Strength (1/10): Bodyweight-only movements with no external load. Tests relative strength endurance rather than maximal force production capacity.

Movements

• Run
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Run: Reduce distance to 175m or 150m if 225m takes over 90 seconds. Burpees: Sub step-back burpees (no jump), elevated burpees on box, or remove push-up. Volume: Start at 3 reps increasing by 2, or start at 5 but increase by only 1 rep per round. Time: Extend window to 2:30 per round. Consider starting round 1 at top of each 2 minutes as written but allow 2:30 for completion if needed.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot run 225m in under 90 seconds consistently, or if you cannot complete 5 burpees with good form in 30 seconds. Goal is completing 5-8 rounds minimum to maintain intended stimulus. Athletes should reach failure due to conditioning limits, not movement inability. If failing before round 4, scale immediately. Prioritize maintaining run pace and burpee quality over grinding to one more round with terrible form. Target is feeling like each round becomes progressively more challenging but achievable until you hit your true capacity limit.

Intended Stimulus

Progressive interval workout testing lactate threshold and mental resilience. Time domain is 12-20 minutes total with individual 2-minute sprint intervals. Primarily glycolytic energy system with oxidative recovery between efforts. Combines aerobic capacity (run) with anaerobic capacity (burpees) under accumulating fatigue. Primary challenge is sustaining pace as volume increases and managing the psychological pressure of knowing each round gets harder.

Coach Insight

Run at 80-85% effort (not all-out sprint) - aim for 60-90 second pace leaving 30-60 seconds for burpees. Keep run pace consistent across all rounds; don't slow down significantly or you'll fail early. For burpees, prioritize efficiency over speed: smooth step-back, chest-and-thighs down together, explosive hip extension on jump. Break burpees strategically once you hit 9-11 reps (quick 3-2-2 breaks work well). Common mistake is going unbroken too long early and hitting failure later. The mental game intensifies around round 4-5 when burpee volume becomes challenging - this is where the workout truly tests you. Don't waste transition time.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is limited by burpee capacity under accumulating fatigue and the athlete's ability to maintain a consistent run pace. L1 athletes (90s run, ~6 burpees/min) will complete rounds 1-2 before failing on the 9-burpee round. L5 athletes (60s run, ~12-15 burpees/min with fatigue) can sustain through round 5 and partially into round 6 (15 burpees becomes the wall). L10 elites (45s run, ~20+ burpees/min) have 75+ seconds per round for burpees and can push through round 9 (21 burpees) into round 10, though round 10's 23 burpees in the remaining time is extremely taxing.

Modality Profile

Run is a monostructural cardio movement (50%), and Burpee is a gymnastics bodyweight movement (50%). Two modalities present with equal representation.