Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Donny is a heavy barbell-and-burpee couplet with 180 total reps and 90 deadlifts at 225/155 lb. It blends posterior-chain stamina with high heart rate from burpees. Most athletes will work 12–20 minutes, with grip and back fatigue limiting speed. The repeated 9s in the center punish pacing errors, making consistent sets and smart breaks essential.

Benchmark Times for Donny

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:00-10:00
• Intermediate: 11:00-12:00
• Beginner: >18:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High total reps at meaningful load require repeated submaximal efforts, taxing grip, posterior chain, and general muscular endurance throughout the longer rep scheme.
• Endurance (6/10): Sustained heart rate from continuous burpees and limited rest between deadlift sets creates an aerobic demand across 12–20 minutes without being pure cardio.
• Strength (6/10): Deadlifts at 225/155 lb are heavy enough to challenge midline and posterior-chain strength, especially in later rounds as fatigue accumulates.
• Speed (5/10): Quick cycle time on burpees and efficient barbell touch-and-go matter, but pacing and short, planned breaks are more decisive than pure sprint speed.
• Power (4/10): Explosiveness is useful for strong, crisp deadlift reps and pop off the floor in burpees, but sustained output matters more than peak power.
• Flexibility (2/10): Basic hinge and floor-to-stand ranges of motion; mobility demands are modest and mainly require safe spinal positions and adequate hip and ankle flexion.

Movements

• Burpee
• Deadlift

Scaling Options

Scale to: Deadlift 185/125 or 155/105 • Reduce reps to 15-12-9-9-12-15 • Burpees → up-downs or burpees to a target

Scaling Explanation

These options keep the hinge-and-burpee stimulus while adjusting load and volume so you can move steadily, preserve form, and finish near the intended time domain.

Intended Stimulus

A steady grind that feels fast but controlled. The barbell should allow small, repeatable sets with short rests, never devolving into singles early. Burpees stay smooth and unbroken with consistent breathing. Athletes should finish feeling gassed but mechanically sound, with posterior-chain fatigue and elevated heart rate throughout.

Coach Insight

Pace the early 21s—open with manageable deadlift sets and settle into a sustainable burpee rhythm. One tip: choose a deadlift break strategy (e.g., 7-7-7 or 6-5-5-5) and honor it; don’t chase early big sets. Avoid rounding your back under fatigue, and don’t explode the first burpee set—you’ll pay for it in the middle 9s.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is a 21-15-9-9-15-21 chipper (mirror pyramid) with Deadlifts at 225/155 lb and Burpees, totaling 180 reps of each movement. The mirror structure creates unique fatigue patterns. **ANCHOR REFERENCE**: This workout is most similar to **Angie** (100-100-100-100 of pull-up/push-up/sit-up/air squat) which has L10: 900-1080 sec, L5: 1320-1500 sec, L1: 1980-2400 sec. However, our workout has 180 reps per movement (80% more volume) but uses simpler movements (deadlifts and burpees vs pull-ups/push-ups). I'll also reference **Karen** (150 wall balls) with L10: 420-480 sec as a high-volume single-movement benchmark. **MOVEMENT-BY-MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN**: *Deadlifts (225/155 lb)*: - Moderate load (~60-70% 1RM for most athletes) - Base time: 2-3 sec per rep when fresh - 180 total reps across 6 sets *Burpees*: - Base time: 3-4 sec per rep when fresh - 180 total reps across 6 sets - Significant cardiovascular demand **ELITE (L10) CALCULATION**: Round 1 (21 reps each): - Deadlifts: 21 reps × 2 sec = 42 sec (unbroken or 1 break) - Transition: 3 sec - Burpees: 21 reps × 3 sec = 63 sec (unbroken) - Subtotal: 108 sec Round 2 (15 reps each): - Deadlifts: 15 reps × 2.2 sec = 33 sec (fatigue 1.1x) - Transition: 3 sec - Burpees: 15 reps × 3.3 sec = 50 sec (fatigue 1.1x) - Subtotal: 86 sec Round 3 (9 reps each): - Deadlifts: 9 reps × 2.4 sec = 22 sec (fatigue 1.2x) - Transition: 3 sec - Burpees: 9 reps × 3.6 sec = 32 sec (fatigue 1.2x) - Subtotal: 57 sec Round 4 (9 reps each - mirror begins): - Deadlifts: 9 reps × 2.6 sec = 23 sec (fatigue 1.3x) - Transition: 3 sec - Burpees: 9 reps × 3.9 sec = 35 sec (fatigue 1.3x) - Subtotal: 61 sec Round 5 (15 reps each): - Deadlifts: 15 reps × 2.8 sec = 42 sec (fatigue 1.4x, grip fatigue) - Transition: 4 sec - Burpees: 15 reps × 4.2 sec = 63 sec (fatigue 1.4x, cardiovascular stress) - Subtotal: 109 sec Round 6 (21 reps each - final push): - Deadlifts: 21 reps × 3 sec = 63 sec (fatigue 1.5x, multiple breaks) - Transition: 4 sec - Burpees: 21 reps × 4.5 sec = 95 sec (fatigue 1.5x, frequent breaks) - Subtotal: 162 sec **Elite Total**: 108 + 86 + 57 + 61 + 109 + 162 = 583 sec (~9:43) Adjusted to 480-540 sec (8:00-9:00) for true elite athletes who can maintain better pacing. **INTERMEDIATE (L5) CALCULATION**: - Slower base pace: DL 3 sec/rep, Burpees 4 sec/rep - More frequent breaks: 2-3 breaks per set on later rounds - Higher fatigue multipliers: 1.2x → 1.8x by final round - Longer transitions: 5-8 sec - Estimated total: 660-720 sec (11:00-12:00) **RECREATIONAL (L1) CALCULATION**: - Much slower base: DL 4 sec/rep, Burpees 5-6 sec/rep - Frequent breaks: singles on deadlifts by round 5-6 - Severe fatigue: 1.5x → 2.5x multipliers - Long transitions and rest: 10-15 sec between movements - Estimated total: 1020-1080 sec (17:00-18:00) **COACHING REALITY CHECK**: The mirror pyramid structure is psychologically demanding - athletes hit a low point at round 3-4, then face climbing back up the ladder while maximally fatigued. Key bottlenecks: - Grip fatigue on deadlifts will force singles by round 5-6 for most athletes - Burpees become a cardiovascular grind; expect 3-5 rep sets in later rounds - The 225/155 lb load is moderate but accumulates significant lower back fatigue - Transition times increase as athletes need recovery between movements - Mental fatigue is significant - the mirror structure means no "finish line" relief until the very end Compared to Angie (which has more difficult gymnastics but less total volume per movement), this workout should be faster due to simpler movements but still substantial due to high volume. The 8-18 minute range feels appropriate for the CrossFit community spread. **FINAL TARGETS**: - L10 Male: 480-540 sec (8:00-9:00) - L5 Male: 660-720 sec (11:00-12:00) - L1 Male: 1020-1080 sec (17:00-18:00) - L10 Female: 570-630 sec (9:30-10:30) - L5 Female: 780-840 sec (13:00-14:00) - L1 Female: 1200-1320 sec (20:00-22:00)

Modality Profile

This is a pure couplet of bodyweight and weightlifting. Burpees dominate time-on-task for most athletes, so gymnastics slightly edges the split. The heavy deadlifts still command significant volume and grip/hinge demand. No monostructural elements are present, but the burpees provide a strong cardio component.

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