Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

While the individual elements (KB thrusters, burpees) aren't extreme in isolation, the descending rep scheme with no built-in rest creates significant cardiovascular fatigue. The double KB thrusters become increasingly challenging as shoulder fatigue accumulates, and burpees compound this fatigue. The average athlete will need to break up sets early and face increasing rest requirements. Expect 12-15 minutes of sustained effort.

Benchmark Times for Nasty Bells

• 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:

• Endurance (8/10): High-rep thrusters combined with burpees create significant cardiovascular demand through sustained effort across multiple rounds with decreasing rep schemes.
• Stamina (7/10): The combination of 69 total thrusters and burpees challenges muscular endurance in legs, shoulders, and core through compound movements.
• Speed (7/10): For time format with decreasing reps encourages quick transitions and fast cycling of movements, especially in later rounds.
• Flexibility (6/10): Thrusters demand good mobility in ankles, hips, and shoulders. Burpees require decent hip flexion and shoulder mobility.
• Power (5/10): Kettlebell thrusters have a power component in the drive, but fatigue will limit explosive output as rounds progress.
• Strength (4/10): Moderate kettlebell load requires some strength, but the focus is more on sustaining output than maximal force production.

Movements

• Burpee
• Kettlebell Thruster

Scaling Options

Reduce kettlebell weight to 16/12kg or 12/8kg. Step-back burpees instead of jumping. Single kettlebell thruster option at higher weight. Volume options: reduce to 15-12-9-6-3 or 12-9-6-3. Time cap at 15 minutes. For beginners: goblet squats with single KB + regular burpees.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 8+ unbroken KB thrusters or if form deteriorates significantly when fatigued. Athletes should maintain quick but controlled pace throughout - if burpees take more than 3 seconds each or thrusters require multiple breaks per round, reduce load/volume. Target time is 8-12 minutes with consistent movement quality. Prioritize full range of motion and proper loading patterns over speed.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (8-12 minutes) combining loaded overhead work with full-body explosive movements. Primary challenge is maintaining power output while managing shoulder fatigue and breathing rhythm. Tests both strength-endurance and cardiovascular capacity.

Coach Insight

Break up thrusters early to preserve shoulders - consider sets of 7-7-7, 6-6-6, 4-4-4, 3-3-3, 3-3, 2-1 reps. Keep burpees controlled but consistent. Quick transitions between movements are crucial. Stand kettlebells on end between sets for easier pickup. Maintain good rack position with elbows high on thrusters. Breathe at top of thruster, bottom of burpee.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a descending rep scheme (21-18-12-9-6-3) similar to Fran but with more total volume (69 vs 45 reps per movement) and slightly lighter load on the thrusters using kettlebells. Breakdown using Fran as anchor: 1. Base time from Fran (L10 ~2:00-2:20 male) 2. Adjustments: - Volume increase: 69/45 = 1.53x reps → multiply by ~1.4x (some economy of scale) - Lighter load: KB thrusters slightly faster than barbell → -10% - Burpees vs pull-ups: burpees take ~4-5s vs 1.5-2s for kipping pull-ups → +25% Calculation: - Elite (L10) round breakdown: 21 reps: 105s (KB thruster sets 12-9, burpees 12-9) 18 reps: 90s (KB thruster sets 10-8, burpees 10-8) 12 reps: 60s (KB thruster sets 7-5, burpees 7-5) 9 reps: 45s (KB thruster sets 5-4, burpees 5-4) 6 reps: 30s (KB thruster sets 6, burpees 6) 3 reps: 15s (unbroken) Total for elite: ~5:00 (300s) with transitions L5 (median) approximately 9:00 (540s) L1 (scaled) approximately 15:00 (900s) Female times about 10-20% slower due to relative KB weight impact. Recap: Male - L10: 5:00 / L5: 9:00 / L1: 15:00 Female - L10: 6:00 / L5: 10:00 / L1: 16:00

Modality Profile

Burpee is a gymnastics (bodyweight) movement, while Kettlebell Thruster is a weightlifting movement with external load. With two movements split across two modalities, we use a 50/50 split.

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