Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines moderate loads with significant volume (104 deadlifts, 136 wall balls) and running that prevents full recovery. The deadlifts aren't maximal but will accumulate fatigue over 8 rounds, especially with wall balls taxing the same muscle groups. The 400m runs eliminate rest opportunities, creating sustained cardiovascular demand. Most athletes will take 25-35 minutes, making it a challenging test of muscular and cardiovascular endurance.

Benchmark Times for Saman

• Elite: <14:00
• Advanced: 15:00-16:00
• Intermediate: 18:00-20:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (8/10): Eight rounds with 400m runs creates significant cardiovascular demand. The combination of lifting and running tests both local and systemic endurance capacity.
• Stamina (7/10): Moderate-volume deadlifts and wall balls challenge muscular endurance, especially in posterior chain and shoulders across multiple rounds.
• Speed (7/10): Quick transitions between movements and fast running intervals are crucial. Efficient cycling of wall balls impacts performance significantly.
• Power (6/10): Wall balls demand explosive hip and shoulder drive. Deadlifts at moderate weight allow for power development if cycled quickly.
• Strength (5/10): 185/125lb deadlifts represent moderate loads, requiring decent strength but not maximal effort. Wall balls add lighter resistance work.
• Flexibility (4/10): Hip and ankle mobility for deadlifts, shoulder mobility for wall balls, but no extreme ranges of motion required.

Movements

• Deadlift
• Wall Ball
• Run

Scaling Options

Deadlift: Reduce to 135/95 lb or 65-75% of 1RM. Sub dumbbell deadlifts if needed. Wall Ball: Drop to 14/10 lb ball and/or reduce target height by 6-12 inches. Run: Reduce to 200-300m or sub row/bike. Volume options: 6 rounds, or 10-15 reps each movement. Time cap at 35 minutes. For beginners, consider 4-5 rounds with lighter loads and built-in rest periods between rounds.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 8+ unbroken deadlifts at prescribed weight with solid form, or if wall balls consistently miss target height after 10 reps. Primary goal is maintaining intensity while moving safely - form deterioration on deadlifts is non-negotiable. Elite athletes should finish around 20-25 minutes; scale to hit similar time domain. Better to reduce weight/volume and keep moving than to grind through heavy singles. Success is measured by consistent movement and minimal rest periods, not prescribed loads.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic/oxidative workout targeting the 20-30 minute time domain. Primary focus is on maintaining consistent power output across multiple domains while managing cumulative fatigue. The combination of heavy deadlifts, explosive wall balls, and running creates a full-body conditioning challenge that tests both strength endurance and cardiovascular capacity.

Coach Insight

Break deadlifts into 2-3 sets early (7-6 or 5-5-3) to preserve back position. Quick singles are better than grinding reps. For wall balls, aim for sets of 8-9 in early rounds, adjusting as fatigue builds. Run at 70-80% effort - resist sprinting early rounds. Rest briefly at transitions but keep moving. Most athletes break down in rounds 5-6 - focus on maintaining deadlift form and wall ball height here. Consider alternating between fast and moderate rounds to manage fatigue.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is most similar to Kelly (5 rounds of 400m run + box jumps + wall balls) but with 8 rounds and deadlifts instead of box jumps. Analysis: Per round (fresh state): - 13 Deadlifts at 185/125: ~35s (including transitions) - 17 Wall Balls: ~45s (including transitions) - 400m Run: ~90s Base round time: 170s Fatigue multipliers: - Rounds 1-2: 170s - Rounds 3-4: 190s (1.1x) - Rounds 5-6: 205s (1.2x) - Rounds 7-8: 230s (1.35x) Total projected time: - Rounds 1-2: 340s - Rounds 3-4: 380s - Rounds 5-6: 410s - Rounds 7-8: 460s Total: ~1590s for median athlete Comparing to Kelly benchmark (L10: 930-1050s for 5 rounds): - This workout has 3 more rounds - Deadlifts are more taxing than box jumps - Projects ~20% slower than Kelly per round Final targets (M/F): L10: 840s/960s (14:00/16:00) L5: 1200s/1380s (20:00/23:00) L1: 1800s/2100s (30:00/35:00)

Modality Profile

Deadlift (W) and Wall Ball (W) are both weightlifting movements as they involve external loads. Run (M) is monostructural cardio. With 2 weightlifting movements and 1 monostructural movement, the split is approximately 70/30 weighted to mono.

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