Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines extreme volume (500 reps) with continuous loading (15kg backpack) and significant height (50cm box) creating a brutal endurance challenge. The unilateral stepping motion under load will cause severe unilateral fatigue, while the backpack adds spinal loading throughout. Expected time is 45-60+ minutes of continuous work with no built-in rest. The combination of volume, duration, and loading makes this exceptionally demanding for average athletes.

Benchmark Times for Step Brothers

• Elite: <15:00
• Advanced: 20:00-25:00
• Intermediate: 30:00-35:00
• Beginner: >60:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (10/10): Extremely high volume of 500 repetitions will completely exhaust leg muscular endurance, especially with the 15kg load.
• Endurance (9/10): 500 step ups with added weight creates massive cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic capacity over an extended duration.
• Strength (4/10): The 15kg backpack adds moderate resistance beyond bodyweight, creating strength endurance demands but not maximal strength.
• Flexibility (3/10): Step ups require hip flexion and ankle mobility, with some additional range of motion from the 50cm box height.
• Speed (3/10): Pacing becomes important over 500 reps, but transitions are minimal with single movement pattern throughout.
• Power (2/10): Minimal explosive demand as step ups are typically performed at a controlled, steady pace rather than explosive movements.

Movements

• Step-Up

Scaling Options

Reduce weight to 10kg or 5kg backpack, or use weighted vest. Lower box height to 40cm or 30cm. Reduce volume to 300-400 step ups. Remove weight entirely and focus on bodyweight movement. Consider alternating step ups with other movements in EMOM format.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to maintain consistent pace for first 100 reps, if knee pain develops, or if form significantly deteriorates. Priority is movement quality and aerobic development over load. Target 20-35 minute completion time. Athletes new to step ups should start with bodyweight only.

Intended Stimulus

Long aerobic capacity workout lasting 25-40 minutes. Primarily oxidative energy system with significant muscular endurance component. Tests mental resilience, unilateral leg strength, and ability to maintain consistent pace under sustained load.

Coach Insight

Pace conservatively - aim for 12-15 step ups per minute to avoid early burnout. Alternate legs every 10-20 reps to prevent unilateral fatigue. Drive through heel, full hip extension at top. Keep torso upright, avoid leaning forward. Break into sets of 50-100 reps with 30-60 second rests. Secure backpack tightly to prevent shifting. Focus on breathing rhythm and mental chunking.

Benchmark Notes

This workout involves 500 step-ups on a 50cm (20-inch) box while wearing a 15kg (33lb) backpack. This is a high-volume, single-movement endurance challenge with significant load carriage. Step-up analysis: Each step-up with bodyweight typically takes 1.5-2 seconds. The 15kg backpack adds substantial load, increasing time per rep to 2.5-3 seconds for elite athletes, 3.5-4 seconds for intermediate, and 4.5-5.5 seconds for beginners. The 50cm box height is challenging but manageable. Fatigue progression: Reps 1-100 (2.5-3 sec/rep), 101-200 (3-3.5 sec/rep), 201-300 (3.5-4 sec/rep), 301-400 (4-4.5 sec/rep), 401-500 (4.5-5.5 sec/rep). Set breaking becomes necessary: Elite athletes might break into sets of 25-50 early, then 15-25, then 10-15. Rest periods: 5-10 seconds between sets early, increasing to 15-30 seconds in later stages. No direct anchor matches this workout, but it's similar to high-volume single-movement endurance like Karen (150 wall balls). Karen L10 is 420-480 seconds for 150 reps. Scaling for 500 reps with added load: 500/150 = 3.33x volume, plus load penalty of 1.3-1.5x = approximately 4.2-5x Karen times. This gives L10 around 1800-2400 seconds (30-40 minutes), L5 around 2500-3600 seconds, L1 around 3600-4800 seconds. Final targets: L10: 15 minutes, L5: 35 minutes, L1: 60 minutes.

Modality Profile

Step-Up is a bodyweight movement that falls under the Gymnastics modality, similar to lunges and air squats. Since it's the only movement type, it represents 100% Gymnastics.