Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

The 9-minute AMRAP keeps volume manageable, and 15/10kg is light. However, SA devil's presses pre-fatigue the shoulder before SA DB OHS — a skill-demanding movement requiring mobility and stability that many average athletes struggle with. The assault bike provides cardio pressure without shoulder relief. Shoulder endurance is the continuous limiting factor, but short reps and light load prevent it from escalating beyond medium difficulty.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (6/10): The 9-minute AMRAP with assault bike or ski erg calories as a regular component drives consistent cardiovascular demand. Repeated transitions keep heart rate elevated throughout the entire workout.
• Stamina (6/10): Continuous cycling through devil's presses, OHS, and machine calories accumulates significant shoulder and full-body muscular endurance fatigue over multiple AMRAP rounds with no prescribed rest.
• Flexibility (6/10): Single-arm dumbbell overhead squats demand meaningful shoulder mobility, thoracic extension, and ankle/hip flexibility. Devil's presses also require hip hinge depth and lat length under load.
• Power (6/10): Devil's presses combine a burpee with an explosive single-arm snatch, making each rep a full-body power output. Repeated cycling of this movement is the primary power stimulus.
• Speed (5/10): A 9-minute AMRAP rewards efficient transitions and a sustainable pace. Assault bike sprint efforts and quick dumbbell cycling matter, but pacing over power output is the strategic priority.
• Strength (3/10): Load is intentionally light at 15/10kg, prioritising movement quality and cycling speed over maximal force production. SA OHS demands postural strength but not peak effort.

Movements

• Single-Under
• Double-Under
• Air Bike
• Ski Erg
• Single-Arm Bent-Over Row

Scaling Options

Weight: Scale to 10/7kg or 7.5/5kg if full shoulder stability cannot be maintained overhead. Movement subs: Replace SA OHS with SA DB press (standing) or SA DB front squat if overhead mobility or stability is a limiting factor — the goal is keeping the shoulder working, not compromising the spine. For the devil's press, scale to a SA DB clean and press if the burpee component is too demanding (injury, fatigue). Calorie target: Scale bike/ski to 7/5 cals, or sub 200m row or 12/9 cal bike for athletes who find the machine disproportionately gassing. Volume: Newer athletes can reduce to 2 SA devil's presses and 4 SA OHS to keep transitions smooth and form intact throughout.

Scaling Explanation

Scale weight immediately if you cannot lock out the SA OHS with a stacked wrist, active shoulder, and neutral spine — a wobbly overhead position under fatigue is a shoulder injury waiting to happen. If you're resting more than 15-20 seconds between movements by round 2, the load or reps are too high for the intended stimulus. The goal is 4-6 solid rounds with consistent movement quality — prioritise technique over load every time here, especially given the shoulder stability accessory work immediately following the WOD. Athletes newer to unilateral training should treat this as a skill day and go lighter than they think they need to.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity AMRAP lasting 9 minutes — expect a hard, sustained effort that sits comfortably in that 'uncomfortably aerobic' zone. The single-arm loading is intentional: it demands full-body stability and core bracing on every rep, turning what might feel like a 'lighter' dumbbell into a serious shoulder and trunk challenge. Primary adaptation is unilateral shoulder stability under fatigue combined with aerobic conditioning. Think steady engine with spicy shoulder burn — not a sprint, but never fully comfortable.

Coach Insight

Pick a pace you can hold from round one — the SA devil's press and OHS will tax your shoulder stabilisers cumulatively, so going out hot will cost you badly in minutes 6-9. On the devil's press, keep the DB close to your body on the clean and use your hips aggressively to drive the press — this is not an arm exercise. For the SA OHS, set your shoulder blade before you press up: think 'pack it down and back,' keep your armpit facing forward, and use your free arm out wide for counterbalance. Alternate arms each round or split 3/3 within the OHS — just stay consistent. On the bike or ski, use these calories as active recovery: settle into a strong, rhythmic pace rather than sprinting. Don't chase fast calories and blow your shoulders up before the next round. Most common mistakes: rushing the OHS without a stable overhead position, letting the core go soft during the devil's press floor phase, and going too hard on the machine early. Aim for smooth, unbroken rounds with minimal rest.

Benchmark Notes

The SA devil's press is the dominant limiter here — it combines a burpee with a single-arm snatch, so technique, shoulder strength, and breath management all collide. At 15kg, most intermediate athletes will need to break these or rest at the top/bottom. SA DB OHS adds a second shoulder stability demand that compounds fatigue quickly, especially as rounds accumulate. The bike/ski provides a brief breathing reset but adds leg and aerobic load. L1 athletes are assumed to be heavily scaling load and movement (e.g., two-arm devil's press, goblet squat in place of OHS) and may rest significantly between movements — realistic at ~3+ min/round. L5 intermediates move steadily at ~100-110s/round with brief pauses on devil's presses and occasional rests at the bike transition. L10 athletes are fluent with unilateral barbell mechanics, push pace on the bike, and minimize transition time, sustaining ~60-70s rounds. Female targets are higher due to the lighter DB (10kg vs 15kg) and lower calorie target (6 vs 9), both of which substantially reduce per-round time at equivalent skill levels.

Modality Profile

Gymnastics (7 movements): Single-Under, Double-Under, Tibialis Raise, Single Leg Matrix, Dead Bug, Child's Pose, Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch, Deep Squat. Monostructural (3 movements): Air Bike, Ski Erg. Weightlifting (5 movements): Barbell Windmill, Single Arm Devil's Press, Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squat, Single-Arm Bent-Over Row, Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Hold. Total: 15 movements. G: 7/15=47%, M: 3/15=20%, W: 5/15=33%