Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines brutal volume (840 total reps) with significant skill requirements (toes-to-bar, pull-ups) and a punishing endurance component (2 miles total with med ball). The med ball runs create accumulated fatigue before AND after the main work, while the burpee penalty adds psychological stress. The high-volume bodyweight movements will create severe muscle endurance challenges, especially in the pulling and pushing patterns that compound throughout.

Benchmark Times for David Marshall

• Elite: <30:00
• Advanced: 35:00-40:00
• Intermediate: 45:00-50:00
• Beginner: >80:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (9/10): Two mile-long runs with med ball carries create significant cardiovascular demand. High-volume bodyweight movements and KB swings between runs maintain elevated heart rate throughout.
• Stamina (8/10): High rep schemes across multiple movement patterns test muscular endurance. Upper body particularly challenged with toes-to-bar, pull-ups, and push-ups in succession.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and efficient cycling of high-volume exercises are crucial. Burpee penalty for dropped med ball adds urgency.
• Flexibility (6/10): Toes-to-bar requires significant hip flexibility and shoulder mobility. Box jumps and air squats demand good hip and ankle range.
• Power (5/10): Box jump overs and kettlebell swings require explosive hip extension. Toes-to-bar also benefits from dynamic power when performed efficiently.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate loads with kettlebell swings and med ball carries. Most movements are bodyweight-focused but volume creates cumulative loading effect.

Movements

• Push-Up
• Kettlebell Swing
• Air Squat
• Box Jump-Over
• Burpee
• Toes-to-Bar
• Run
• Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Med ball: 14/10 lb or 10/8 lb Toes-to-bar: Knee raises or hanging leg raises Box Jump Overs: Step-overs or lower height (24/20") Pull-ups: Jumping pull-ups or ring rows Kettlebell: 53/35 lb or 35/26 lb Push-ups: Hand-release or elevated Air Squats: Reduce to 150 reps Run: 800m instead of mile Overall volume can be reduced by 25-50% for newer athletes

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ unbroken toes-to-bar, 5+ strict pull-ups, or maintain sub-2:00/200m pace with med ball. Priority is maintaining consistent movement with good form throughout. Partners should finish within 2-3 minutes of each other. Target time of 40-45 minutes for intermediate athletes, scaling load/volume to achieve this. Reduce running distance if mile runs would take over 12 minutes each.

Intended Stimulus

Long-duration oxidative workout (35-50 minutes) with glycolytic spikes. Tests muscular endurance, grip strength, and mental fortitude. Partner format allows work-rest intervals but maintains elevated heart rate throughout. Med ball runs create bookend cardiovascular challenges and test core stability.

Coach Insight

Split work evenly between partners - one works while other rests. Break toes-to-bar into sets of 8-10 early to preserve grip. Quick singles on box jump overs with minimal rest at turnaround. Pull-ups in sets of 5-8 with fast transitions. Kettlebell swings in sets of 20-25 while fresh, dropping to 10-15 as fatigue sets in. Push-ups in sets of 15-20 initially, scaling to 10 as needed. Air squats can be larger sets of 25-30. On med ball runs, switch carrying arm every 200m to prevent imbalance. Communication between partners is crucial for pacing.

Benchmark Notes

This is a long chipper-style partner workout with significant volume. Breaking it down: 1. Buy-in mile run with med ball (600-900s base) - Elite: 7-8 min with minimal drops - Intermediate: 9-11 min with 2-3 drops (30s penalty each) - Beginner: 12-15 min with 4+ drops 2. Main work block (840 total reps): - TTB (80): Sets of 10-15, 3-4 min - Box Jump Overs (100): Steady pace, 4-5 min - Pull-ups (120): Heavy volume, significant breakdown, 6-8 min - KB Swings (160): Large sets possible but fatigue from prior work, 5-6 min - Push-ups (180): Very high volume, expect small sets late, 7-9 min - Air Squats (200): Grinding finish, 5-7 min 3. Cash-out mile run with med ball (similar to buy-in but with accumulated fatigue) Using Murph (no vest) as primary anchor since total volume and structure is similar, but adjusting up 15-20% for: - Partner format allowing work sharing - Added complexity of med ball runs - Higher skill movements (TTB vs pull-ups) - Burpee penalties Murph anchor points (no vest): L10: 30-34 min L5: 43-55 min L1: 65-80 min This workout projected times: Male L10: 30 min (1800s) Male L5: 50 min (3000s) Male L1: 80 min (4800s) Female L10: 40 min (2400s) Female L5: 60 min (3600s) Female L1: 90 min (5400s) Female times adjusted up ~20% due to: - Lighter med ball but same distance - Higher relative intensity on gymnastics volume - Similar penalty impact

Modality Profile

Of the 8 movements: 6 are gymnastics (Toes-to-Bar, Box Jump-Over, Pull-Up, Push-Up, Air Squat, Burpee), 1 is monostructural (Run), and 1 is weightlifting (Kettlebell Swing). 6/8=75%, 1/8=12.5%, 1/8=12.5%, rounded to nearest 10% becomes 70/10/20 split.