Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout targets upper body pushing muscles exclusively with no rest between movements. The combination creates significant muscular fatigue - bench press transitions directly into ring dips (both triceps/chest dominant), then into push-ups. The descending rep scheme (21-15-9) means the heaviest volume comes when fresh, but muscle endurance becomes the limiting factor by the final round.

Benchmark Times for William Wren

• Elite: <4:00
• Advanced: 4:30-5:00
• Intermediate: 5:45-6:30
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume pushing movements targeting similar muscle groups creates significant local muscular endurance challenge in chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Strength (6/10): 65% bench press provides meaningful load, while ring dips and hand release push-ups test relative strength under fatigue.
• Speed (5/10): 21-15-9 format encourages quick transitions, but pushing movements naturally limit cycling speed due to fatigue.
• Endurance (4/10): Moderate cardiovascular demand from descending rep scheme, but pushing movements allow natural rest periods between sets as fatigue builds.
• Flexibility (4/10): Ring dips require shoulder mobility and stability, hand release push-ups demand full range chest extension.
• Power (2/10): Primarily grinding strength-endurance movements rather than explosive power production.

Movements

• Ring Dip
• Bench Press
• Hand-Release Push-Up

Scaling Options

Bench Press: Scale to 55% 1RM if unable to complete sets of 8+ at 65%. Ring Dips: Sub to box dips or negative ring dips (3-second descent). Hand Release Push-ups: Elevate hands on box/rack or perform from knees while maintaining hand release. Rep scheme can be modified to 15-12-9 or 12-9-6 for newer athletes.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if unable to perform 15+ unbroken push-ups, 5+ strict ring dips, or if bench press sets require multiple breaks. Prioritize maintaining consistent movement patterns over speed. Target time domain should remain under 12 minutes - if projected longer, reduce volume or modify movements. Form breakdown or significant rest periods indicate need for scaling.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-intensity upper body pushing workout targeting the glycolytic energy system, typically lasting 8-12 minutes. Primary focus is on pushing strength endurance and local muscular fatigue. The descending rep scheme allows for initial power output before accumulated fatigue sets in.

Coach Insight

Break up bench press sets early (12-9, 8-7, 5-4) to maintain quality movement. Minimize transition time between movements. For ring dips, establish false grip early and maintain tight core. On hand release push-ups, focus on full extension at top, complete chest contact at bottom, and explosive push. Watch for form degradation in final round when fatigue peaks.

Benchmark Notes

This workout follows a 21-15-9 rep scheme similar to Elizabeth (which uses squat cleans + ring dips), but with bench press and hand release push-ups added. Using Elizabeth as our primary anchor (L10: 160-200s, L5: 360-420s, L1: 540-720s). Breakdown: - Bench Press (65% 1RM): 2-3s/rep at moderate load - Ring Dips: 2-3s/rep when fresh - Hand Release Push-ups: 1.5-2s/rep Round 1 (21 reps each): - Bench Press: 21 × 2.5s = 53s - Ring Dips: 21 × 2.5s = 53s (slight fatigue) - Push-ups: 21 × 1.75s = 37s - Transitions: 2 × 5s = 10s Total: ~153s Round 2 (15 reps each): - Bench Press: 15 × 2.75s = 41s (fatigue) - Ring Dips: 15 × 3s = 45s (significant fatigue) - Push-ups: 15 × 2s = 30s - Transitions: 2 × 6s = 12s Total: ~128s Round 3 (9 reps each): - Bench Press: 9 × 3s = 27s - Ring Dips: 9 × 3.5s = 32s - Push-ups: 9 × 2.25s = 20s - Transitions: 2 × 7s = 14s Total: ~93s Projected elite time: ~374s (6:14) Adding 15% vs Elizabeth anchor due to extra movement. Final targets: Male - L10: 4:00-4:30, L5: 6:30-7:00, L1: 12:00-13:00 Female - L10: 4:30-5:00, L5: 7:15-7:45, L1: 13:00-14:00

Modality Profile

Of the 3 movements: Ring Dip and Hand-Release Push-Up are gymnastics (G), while Bench Press is weightlifting (W). With 2 gymnastics movements and 1 weightlifting movement, this yields a 70/30 G/W split.

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