Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This chipper-style workout creates significant fatigue through the combination of KB taters (a complex movement requiring coordination) and burpees in an ascending/descending rep scheme. While neither movement is extremely heavy or technical in isolation, the continuous nature and opposing rep schemes (one decreasing while other increases) creates a sustained high intensity with minimal natural break points. Most athletes will take 15-20 minutes with significant cardiovascular and shoulder fatigue.

Benchmark Times for Taters ‘N’ Burpees

• Elite: <5:00
• Advanced: 6:00-7:00
• Intermediate: 8:00-9:00
• Beginner: >15:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High total volume (220 reps) challenges muscular endurance, particularly in the posterior chain, shoulders, and core through repeated KB work and burpees.
• Endurance (7/10): The descending/ascending rep scheme creates sustained cardiovascular demand through continuous movement between kettlebell work and burpees, with minimal natural rest points.
• Speed (7/10): The opposing rep schemes create a strategic pacing challenge, requiring quick transitions and efficient movement patterns to maintain intensity.
• Power (6/10): Kettlebell taters have a significant power component in the hip drive and overhead finish, while burpees require repeated power output.
• Flexibility (5/10): Kettlebell taters require good shoulder mobility and hip hinge, while burpees test overall movement capacity through multiple planes.
• Strength (4/10): Kettlebell weight provides moderate load stimulus, but focus is more on repeated submaximal efforts rather than maximal strength.

Movements

• Kettlebell Tater
• Burpee

Scaling Options

Reduce KB weight to 20/12kg or 16/8kg if unable to cycle 5+ reps unbroken when fresh. Step-out burpees instead of jumping. Option to reduce total volume by starting at 16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 for KB taters and 2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16 for burpees. For significant scaling, substitute KB taters with DB push press or single-arm DB snatch. Time cap at 20 minutes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 5+ unbroken KB taters when fresh or if burpees take longer than 3-4 seconds each. Priority is maintaining power output and proper overhead position with KB - scale weight before compromising form. Target time domain is 12-18 minutes - if athlete projects over 20 minutes, reduce volume or modify movements. Look for signs of shoulder fatigue in KB taters or loss of lumbar position in burpees as indicators to scale.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-length glycolytic workout (12-18 minutes) with oxidative system contribution. Primary challenge is maintaining power output while managing accumulating fatigue. The descending/ascending rep scheme creates a mental challenge as burpees increase while KB taters decrease. Tests both upper body pulling endurance and full-body explosive power.

Coach Insight

Break KB taters into manageable sets early (sets of 5-7) to avoid burning out. Quick but controlled transitions between movements. For burpees, start conservative as reps increase - aim for consistent pace rather than sprinting early sets. Consider breaking KB taters as: 7-7-6, 6-6-6, 6-5-5, etc. Watch for form degradation in KB taters as fatigue sets in - maintain full hip extension and stable overhead position. Common mistake is rushing first 2-3 rounds then hitting severe wall.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a descending/ascending rep scheme with 110 total KB taters and 110 total burpees. Analysis: 1. Movement breakdown: - KB Taters (24/16kg): ~2.5s/rep fresh, increasing with fatigue - Burpees: ~3.5s/rep fresh, increasing with fatigue 2. Using Annie (50-40-30-20-10 double-unders + sit-ups) as primary anchor since it has similar total volume and descending rep scheme. Annie benchmarks are L10: 300-360s, L5: 480-600s, L1: 780-960s. 3. Round-by-round calculation: Round 1 (20/2): 20×2.5s + 2×3.5s = 57s Round 2 (18/4): 18×2.7s + 4×3.7s = 63s Round 3 (16/6): 16×2.9s + 6×3.9s = 69s Round 4 (14/8): 14×3.1s + 8×4.1s = 76s Round 5 (12/10): 12×3.3s + 10×4.3s = 83s Round 6 (10/12): 10×3.5s + 12×4.5s = 89s Round 7 (8/14): 8×3.7s + 14×4.7s = 95s Round 8 (6/16): 6×3.9s + 16×4.9s = 102s Round 9 (4/18): 4×4.1s + 18×5.1s = 108s Round 10 (2/20): 2×4.3s + 20×5.3s = 115s Base time: ~857s Transitions (~3-5s between rounds): +40s Total projected elite time: ~300s (5:00) L10 target: 5:00 (matches Annie anchor) L5 target: 9:00 (slightly faster than Annie due to simpler movements) L1 target: 15:00 (scaled movements likely needed) Female times adjusted 10-20% slower due to heavier relative KB weight.

Modality Profile

Burpee is a gymnastics (bodyweight) movement, while Kettlebell Tater is a weightlifting movement using external load. With two movements split across two modalities, this results in a 50/50 split between G and W.

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