Workout Description
3 Rounds for Time
20 Dumbbell Lunges (2x50/35 lb)
20 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb)
Why This Workout Is Medium
While the dumbbell weights are moderately challenging, the workout's structure allows natural breaks between movements. The lunges and snatches target different movement patterns, reducing interference. Three rounds creates meaningful volume but isn't overwhelming. Most athletes will complete this in 8-12 minutes, making it intense but manageable with strategic pacing. The alternating snatches prevent excessive fatigue on one side.
Benchmark Times for Hotel Workout 4
- Elite: <5:00
- Advanced: 6:00-7:00
- Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
- Beginner: >15:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Stamina (7/10): High rep dumbbell movements tax local muscular endurance, particularly in shoulders, core, and legs across 120 total reps.
- Power (7/10): Dumbbell snatches are explosive power movements. Even with moderate weight, proper technique demands acceleration and power production.
- Endurance (6/10): Three rounds of continuous dumbbell work creates sustained cardiovascular demand, though the load and movement complexity allow for natural micro-breaks during transitions.
- Flexibility (6/10): Lunges and snatches require good hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility. Overhead position in snatch tests thoracic mobility.
- Strength (5/10): Moderate dumbbell loads require decent strength, especially for the snatches, though not maximal. Weight is significant enough to demand respect.
- Speed (5/10): Transitions between sides and movements matter, but weight and complexity prevent all-out cycling. Measured pace is optimal.
Movements
- Dumbbell Lunge
- Dumbbell Snatch
Scaling Options
Weight reductions: 35/25 lb dumbbells for intermediate, 25/15 lb for beginners. Movement substitutions: Walking lunges without weight, single-arm dumbbell clean and press instead of snatch. Volume options: Reduce to 15 or 12 reps per movement, or drop to 2 rounds. Time cap at 15 minutes if needed.
Scaling Explanation
Scale if unable to maintain proper lunge depth/stability or if snatch technique deteriorates significantly under fatigue. Athletes should be able to perform 10+ unbroken lunges and 5+ smooth snatches at prescribed weight before attempting Rx. Priority is maintaining control and proper mechanics throughout. Target completion time is 8-12 minutes with consistent movement quality. Scale load or volume to achieve this time domain while preserving intended stimulus of moderate-intensity strength endurance work.
Intended Stimulus
Moderate-length glycolytic workout targeting 8-12 minutes. Primary focus is on unilateral strength endurance and explosive power. The combination of lunges and snatches challenges both lower and upper body while maintaining a steady elevated heart rate. This tests work capacity and coordination under fatigue.
Coach Insight
Break up lunges into sets of 10+10 to maintain form. For snatches, consider 5-5-5-5 or 8-7-5 depending on capacity. Keep dumbbell close to body during snatch pull. Common mistakes include rushing lunges with poor knee tracking and swinging dumbbell away from body on snatches. Rest as needed between movements but minimize transition time between rounds. Aim for consistent round times.
Benchmark Notes
This workout is most similar to Isabel (30 Snatch 135/95) but with 3 rounds and lighter dumbbells. Analysis:
Per Round:
- 20 DB Lunges: 2 sec/rep × 20 = 40 sec
- 20 DB Snatches: 2.5 sec/rep × 20 = 50 sec
- Transition: 3-5 sec
Base round time: ~95 sec
Fatigue multipliers:
- Round 1: 95 sec (1.0x)
- Round 2: 105 sec (1.1x)
- Round 3: 120 sec (1.25x)
Total raw time: 320 sec for elite
Comparing to Isabel anchor (L10 90-130s / L5 260-320s / L1 480-660s):
- This workout has 120 total reps vs Isabel's 30 reps
- But using lighter DBs (50/35 vs 135/95)
- More transitions between movements
Final targets:
Men:
L10: 300-360s (5:00-6:00)
L5: 540s (9:00)
L1: 900s (15:00)
Women:
L10: 420-480s (7:00-8:00)
L5: 660s (11:00)
L1: 1020s (17:00)
Modality Profile
Both movements (Dumbbell Lunge and Dumbbell Snatch) are weightlifting movements as they involve external loads. Since all movements fall into the weightlifting category, it's 100% weightlifting.
