Workout Description
For Time
10,000 lb Cumulative Back Squats
20 Burpees each time you rack the bar
Why This Workout Is Very Hard
10,000 lbs of back squats represents significant volume (likely 50+ reps at challenging weights) with burpees forcing regular breaks and adding metabolic stress. The combination creates a brutal cycle: heavy squats fatigue legs, then burpees spike heart rate before returning to squats. Most athletes will need 30+ minutes, with leg fatigue and cardiovascular endurance both becoming severe limiting factors.
Benchmark Times for Gregg Atlas
- Elite: <20:00
- Advanced: 23:00-26:00
- Intermediate: 29:00-32:00
- Beginner: >60:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (8/10): High total volume of squats combined with burpee penalties tests muscular endurance extensively, particularly in legs and core.
- Strength (8/10): While not maximal singles, the cumulative load requires significant strength to maintain form and complete the total volume.
- Endurance (7/10): The burpee penalty and cumulative volume creates significant cardiovascular demand, though lifters can pace and rest between sets as needed.
- Flexibility (6/10): Full-depth back squats demand good hip and ankle mobility, while burpees require decent shoulder mobility and core control.
- Speed (4/10): Transitions between movements and burpee speed matter, but pacing is more important than pure speed.
- Power (3/10): Some power needed for burpees and standing up squats, but primarily a strength-endurance challenge.
Scaling Options
Reduce total volume to 7,500 or 5,000 lbs for newer athletes. Scale weight to 40-50% 1RM vs traditional 60-70%. Substitute air squats for every 3rd set to manage fatigue. Reduce burpee penalty to 10-15 reps. Add 15-minute time cap per 5,000 lbs. Option to split volume across front squats and back squats to distribute stress.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if unable to maintain consistent squat depth past 20 reps at working weight, or if 1RM back squat is under 200/150 lbs. Prioritize perfect squat mechanics over load - reduce weight immediately if form deteriorates. Target RPE should stay at 7-8/10 throughout. Scale to preserve intended stimulus of high-volume strength endurance rather than maximal strength test. Workout should be challenging but achievable in 30-45 minutes.
Intended Stimulus
Long-duration strength-endurance workout targeting oxidative and glycolytic systems. Primary challenge is mental fortitude and load management over extended time domain (30-45 minutes). Tests ability to maintain proper squat mechanics under accumulated volume and fatigue.
Coach Insight
Break total volume into manageable sets - suggest starting with sets of 10 at 60-70% 1RM. Example: 225# x 10 reps = 2,250 lbs per round. Rack bar and perform burpees every 2,000-2,500 lbs to maintain movement quality. Keep consistent tempo on squats (2-1-1 timing). Common mistakes: rushing early sets, going too heavy, losing depth as fatigue sets in. Record weights/reps to track progress toward 10,000 lbs.
Benchmark Notes
This is a high-volume strength endurance workout that shares characteristics with Linda ('The Three Bars of Death') but with focused back squat volume.
Breakdown:
1. Total volume 10,000 lbs suggests:
- Elite (L10): ~185-225lb working sets = 45-55 reps total
- Intermediate (L5): ~135-165lb working sets = 60-75 reps total
- Beginner (L1): ~95-115lb working sets = 85-105 reps total
2. Each rack requires 20 burpees (3-4 sec/burpee)
- L10: ~50 racks × 20 burpees = 1000 burpees
- L5: ~70 racks × 20 burpees = 1400 burpees
- L1: ~95 racks × 20 burpees = 1900 burpees
3. Using Linda as primary anchor (10-1 rep scheme at heavy loads):
- L10: 19-22 min
- L5: 25-30 min
- L1: 36-42 min
4. Additional factors:
- Back squat is less technical than Linda's movements (+5%)
- Higher burpee volume creates more fatigue (+15%)
- More frequent transitions between movements (+10%)
Final targets:
Male:
L10: 20-22 min (1200-1320 sec)
L5: 30-32 min (1800-1920 sec)
L1: 55-60 min (3300-3600 sec)
Female:
L10: 22-25 min (1320-1500 sec)
L5: 35-38 min (2100-2280 sec)
L1: 65-70 min (3900-4200 sec)
Modality Profile
The workout contains two movements: Burpee (Gymnastics) and Back Squat (Weightlifting). With two movements split across two modalities, this results in a 50/50 split between G and W.
