Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While both movements are moderately challenging in isolation, the 5-minute time cap creates urgency without being overwhelming. The strict press weight is manageable but will cause upper body fatigue, while KB swings provide a natural transition. The short time domain allows athletes to push intensity while the rep scheme permits brief natural breaks between rounds.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (7/10): Kettlebell swings demand significant power output, while strict press is more strength-focused.
• Strength (6/10): Strict press at 75/55 lb and heavy kettlebell create significant strength demands, especially in shoulders and posterior chain.
• Stamina (5/10): Moderate rep scheme tests local muscular endurance in shoulders, posterior chain, and grip across multiple rounds.
• Speed (5/10): Quick transitions between movements and maintaining steady pace important for maximizing rounds in short time domain.
• Endurance (4/10): Short 5-minute AMRAP creates moderate cardiovascular demand through continuous movement, but duration limits overall endurance challenge.
• Flexibility (4/10): Overhead position in strict press and hip hinge in kettlebell swings require moderate mobility.

Movements

• Strict Press
• Kettlebell Swing

Scaling Options

Strict Press: Scale to 55/35 lbs or 40-60% of 1RM. Sub push press if shoulder strength limiting. KB Swings: Scale to 16/12 kg kettlebell, maintain hip hinge pattern. Can reduce to 8 strict presses and 12 swings if needed. For beginners, consider 4-minute time cap to maintain intensity.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ unbroken strict presses at prescribed weight or if form deteriorates significantly by round 3. Maintaining vertical pressing mechanics and full hip extension on swings is priority. Athletes should be able to complete at least 3 full rounds while keeping rest periods under 15 seconds. Scale load or reps to achieve this stimulus.

Intended Stimulus

Short, intense glycolytic effort targeting upper body pushing power and hip drive. 5-minute time domain creates urgency while maintaining quality movement. Primary challenge is maintaining strict press technique under fatigue while maximizing power output on swings. Aims to build shoulder strength endurance and posterior chain power.

Coach Insight

Start aggressive but controlled - aim for unbroken strict press sets of 5-5 or 7-3 early on. Keep strict press setup consistent: tight core, neutral spine, full lockout. For KB swings, focus on explosive hip drive to float the bell, not arms. Common mistakes include rushing strict press setup and turning swings into front raises. Rest 2-3 breaths between movements as needed. Target 4-6 rounds for experienced athletes.

Benchmark Notes

This is a 5-minute AMRAP with moderate-load strict press and kettlebell swings. Breaking down the movements: Strict Press (75/55 lb): - Per rep: 2-3 seconds - Set of 10: ~25-30 seconds for elite, likely broken into 2 sets for most Kettlebell Swings (24/20 kg): - Per rep: 1.5-2 seconds - Set of 15: ~25-30 seconds unbroken Transitions: 3-5 seconds between movements Total time per round: ~60-65 seconds for elite athletes Using Cindy as a reference anchor (since it's also an AMRAP format with similar time domain), but scaling down significantly since this is only 5 minutes vs 20 minutes and has heavier loading. Cindy L10 is 25-30 rounds in 20 minutes = ~1.25-1.5 rounds per minute This workout should be slightly slower pace due to loading, estimating 1.1 rounds per minute for elite. L10 (elite): 5.5+ rounds L5 (intermediate): 3.5 rounds L1 (beginner): 1.5 rounds Female levels adjusted down ~0.5 rounds across the board due to heavier relative loading on the strict press.

Modality Profile

Both movements (Strict Press and Kettlebell Swing) are weightlifting (W) movements as they involve external loads. Strict Press uses a barbell and Kettlebell Swing uses a kettlebell. No gymnastics or monostructural movements present.