Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

A long vested run (6 km) immediately into 60 burpee pull-ups blends extended aerobic strain with demanding gymnastics under fatigue. The vest magnifies breathing and shoulder fatigue, and the pull-up requirement elevates skill and grip demands. Most trained athletes will land near 40–60 minutes, with pacing and movement efficiency determining outcome.

Benchmark Times for Smykowski

• Elite: <30:00
• Advanced: 35:00-40:00
• Intermediate: 45:00-50:00
• Beginner: >70:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Endurance (9/10): A vested 6 km run dominates the timeline, demanding steady aerobic output and heat management for 30–45 minutes before the gymnastics finisher. Cardiorespiratory endurance largely determines overall pace and finish time.
• Stamina (7/10): Sixty burpee pull-ups under fatigue challenge repeated pushing, hinging, jumping, and pulling. Forearms, lats, and midline must sustain quality reps with minimal rest after a long run while wearing a vest.
• Speed (4/10): This is primarily steady pacing with limited transitions. Speed appears in efficient, low-rest burpee pull-up cycling, but sprint efforts early will backfire given the workout length.
• Power (3/10): Burpee pull-ups need quick floor-to-bar transitions and a crisp jump, but the overall effort is a grind. Some explosiveness helps maintain rep quality as fatigue accumulates.
• Strength (2/10): There’s no heavy loading. The vest adds modest resistance, and success relies more on relative bodyweight strength to pull and jump efficiently when tired rather than maximal strength.
• Flexibility (2/10): Requires only basic mobility: stable overhead hang, full hip and knee flexion for burpees, and comfortable running stride. No end-range or complex mobility positions are required.

Movements

• Run
• Burpee Pull-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: 4 km run + 40 burpee pull-ups (no vest) • 6 km run (no vest) + 60 burpee jump-to-target (6 in) • 6 km run (20/14 lb) + 60 burpee pull-ups jumping to a low bar

Scaling Explanation

These options adjust load, distance, and skill to preserve the long monostructural stimulus and a pulling-focused burpee variation while keeping intensity and movement quality high.

Intended Stimulus

Steady cardio grind into a controlled but relentless gymnastics finisher. Hold a sustainable run pace that keeps breathing in check with the vest, then transition immediately to burpee pull-ups in short, consistent sets. It should feel tough but methodical—minimal standing around, focus on rhythm, and avoid redlining early so you can finish strong.

Coach Insight

Pace the run just slower than your open-road 10 km effort; tall posture, quick cadence, and relaxed shoulders with the vest. The big key: pre-plan small, repeatable burpee pull-up sets (3–5) with 5–10 seconds between to protect grip and breathing. Avoid sprinting the first kilometer or choosing a bar too high; both spike heart rate and destroy consistency.

Benchmark Notes

These times represent finishing the full work under a 70-minute cap. Newer athletes will pace the run and perform singles or small sets on burpee pull-ups; elites maintain a steady vested run and quick, repeatable sets. Use the same vest weight and bar height to compare.

Modality Profile

Time is overwhelmingly spent on the monostructural element (vested run), making this primarily a cardio piece. Burpee pull-ups are a pure gymnastics finisher. There is no traditional weightlifting, though the vest increases the difficulty of both movements slightly.

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