Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

While each movement individually is manageable, the combination creates moderate but sustainable fatigue. Double-unders require skill but 25 reps allow quick recovery. The KB swings (24/16kg) are light enough for most athletes to break into 2-3 sets. Air squats, though high volume, don't interfere significantly with other movements. Most athletes will complete this in 12-15 minutes with natural rest between rounds.

Benchmark Times for Raymond Murphy

• Elite: <6:00
• Advanced: 7:00-8:00
• Intermediate: 9:00-10:00
• Beginner: >16:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): 525 total reps challenges muscular endurance, particularly in posterior chain and legs. Volume is substantial without built-in rest periods.
• Endurance (7/10): High-rep scheme across 5 rounds creates significant cardiovascular demand, especially with double-unders and continuous movement patterns requiring sustained effort.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between movements and fast cycling of double-unders are key to performance, especially early in the workout.
• Power (5/10): Kettlebell swings and double-unders require power output, but fatigue will limit explosive capacity as rounds progress.
• Flexibility (4/10): Hip mobility for squats and kettlebell swings requires moderate flexibility, but movements are within normal range of motion.
• Strength (3/10): Moderate kettlebell weight provides some strength stimulus, but movements are more endurance-focused than strength-focused.

Movements

• Kettlebell Swing
• Air Squat
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Double-unders: Scale to 50 single-unders or 25 single-unders + 10 double-under attempts. Kettlebell: Reduce to 20/12kg or 16/8kg, maintaining explosive hip drive. Air squats: Reduce to 30-35 reps or scale to box squats if mobility is limited. For beginners, consider 3-4 rounds total or cap time at 20 minutes. Advanced athletes can add weight vest (10/5 lbs) or increase KB weight.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 15+ double-unders unbroken when fresh, if KB swings cause excessive back rounding, or if air squat depth/form deteriorates significantly under fatigue. Prioritize maintaining power output in swings and full range of motion in squats over speed. Target finish time is 12-18 minutes - if projected over 20 minutes, reduce volume or load. Intensity should allow continuous movement with brief breaks, not grinding reps.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout targeting muscular endurance and posterior chain power, typically lasting 12-18 minutes. The double-unders add skill work under fatigue while kettlebell swings and air squats create sustained lower body burn. Primary challenge is maintaining power output and proper mechanics through high-volume leg-dominant movements.

Coach Insight

Break double-unders into manageable sets (10-15) early to avoid excessive fails when fatigued. For KB swings, sets of 10-12 with quick breaks maintain power and hip drive. Air squats can be broken into sets of 15-20 initially, adjusting as needed in later rounds. Focus on full hip extension in swings and maintaining squat depth throughout. Common faults include rushing early rounds, losing swing height, and shallow squats when tired. Aim for consistent round times rather than sprinting round 1.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is most similar to Annie (50-40-30-20-10 double-unders + sit-ups) in terms of rep scheme and movement patterns. Key analysis: 1. Movement breakdown per round: - 25 Double-Unders: ~12.5s (0.5s/rep) - 35 KB Swings: ~70s (2s/rep) - 45 Air Squats: ~67.5s (1.5s/rep) Base time per round: ~150s 2. Fatigue multipliers: - Rounds 1-2: 1.0x - Rounds 3-4: 1.2x - Round 5: 1.3x 3. Transitions between movements: ~5s x 2 per round Round-by-round breakdown (elite): Round 1: 160s Round 2: 160s Round 3: 180s Round 4: 180s Round 5: 195s Total: ~6:00 (360s) for elite performers Compared to Annie benchmark (L10: 300-360s), this workout is slightly longer due to higher total volume and more taxing movements (KB swings vs sit-ups). The L10 target of 360s aligns with the upper end of Annie's elite range. Final targets (M/F): L10: 360s/480s (6:00/8:00) L5: 600s/720s (10:00/12:00) L1: 960s/1080s (16:00/18:00)

Modality Profile

Double-Under and Air Squat are gymnastics (G) movements as they are bodyweight/coordination skills. Kettlebell Swing is a weightlifting (W) movement as it uses external load. With 2 G movements and 1 W movement, rounded to nearest 10%, we get 70/0/30 split.

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