Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The ascending rep scheme creates significant cumulative fatigue with no built-in rest. Devil press is a full-body explosive movement that becomes very taxing when combined with increasing wall ball reps. The 9-minute time cap creates urgency, preventing strategic breaks. Most athletes will struggle with the combination of shoulder fatigue and increasing volume, especially in later rounds.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High-rep scheme with compound movements challenges muscular endurance, particularly in shoulders, legs, and core through continuous work.
• Endurance (7/10): Nine-minute AMRAP with ascending reps creates sustained cardiovascular demand. Devil press and wall balls both tax the cardio system significantly when combined.
• Power (7/10): Both movements are explosive: devil press involves full-body power generation, wall balls require coordinated triple extension.
• Flexibility (6/10): Devil press demands good hip hinge and overhead mobility. Wall balls require thoracic extension and hip/ankle flexibility.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions and fast cycling of movements is crucial for maximizing reps in short time domain.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate loads in both movements require some strength, but not maximal. Devil press with dumbbells and wall balls use submaximal weights.

Movements

• Devil Press
• Wall Ball

Scaling Options

Devil Press: Reduce to 35/25 lbs or single dumbbell. Sub burpee to press if needed. Wall Balls: Drop to 14/10 lb ball and/or reduce target height by 6-12 inches. For significant scaling, cap the ladder at 5-6 rounds or use fixed rounds (3-3-3 devil press, 6-6-6 wall balls) instead of ascending. Time remains 9 minutes but expect 4-6 rounds at scaled weights.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ unbroken devil press or 10+ unbroken wall balls at Rx weight. Form deterioration on devil press (especially in landing phase) or inability to consistently hit target height on wall balls indicates need for scaling. Priority is maintaining consistent movement and intensity throughout - better to scale and keep moving than go Rx and face long breaks. Target is steady work with no more than 10-15 seconds rest between sets.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length (9 min) glycolytic workout with increasing volume. Primary focus is power endurance and work capacity. The ascending ladder creates a steady build in intensity while testing mental fortitude. Devil press targets explosive hip drive and full-body coordination, while wall balls develop posterior chain strength and overhead stability.

Coach Insight

Start controlled - this is not a sprint. The increasing reps will catch up quickly. Break devil press into sets of 2-3 early to preserve shoulders. For wall balls, aim for sets of 5-6 initially, then smaller sets as fatigue builds. Common mistake is rushing first 3-4 rounds then hitting a wall. Transition quickly between movements but maintain full range of motion. Consider breaking wall balls before complete failure to avoid long rest periods.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 9-minute AMRAP with an ascending ladder of devil presses and wall balls. Analysis: 1. Devil Press timing (2x50/35lb): - Fresh: 4-5s per rep - Fatigue multiplier increases with ladder progression - Set breaks needed after 3-4 reps at higher numbers 2. Wall Ball (20/14lb): - Fresh: 2-3s per rep - Fatigue compounds with devil press - Set breaks likely after 8-10 reps in later rounds 3. Round progression: Round 1: 1 DP + 2 WB = ~9s Round 2: 2 DP + 4 WB = ~20s Round 3: 3 DP + 6 WB = ~35s Round 4: 4 DP + 8 WB = ~55s Round 5: 5 DP + 10 WB = ~80s Round 6: 6 DP + 12 WB = ~110s Round 7: 7 DP + 14 WB = ~145s Compared to Cindy (closest benchmark), this is more intense due to heavier loading and compound movements. Elite athletes (L10) should complete 8-9 rounds, while L5 athletes around 6 rounds. Recap: Male - L10: 8.5+ rounds, L5: 6.0 rounds, L1: 3.5 rounds Female - L10: 7.8+ rounds, L5: 5.5 rounds, L1: 3.2 rounds

Modality Profile

Both Devil Press (dumbbell movement) and Wall Ball (weighted implement) are classified as Weightlifting (W) movements since they involve external loads. With both movements in the same modality category, this results in 100% Weightlifting.