Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines three upper body pushing movements in a high-volume descending ladder with no built-in rest. The handstand push-ups require significant skill and shoulder strength, while the continuous nature prevents recovery between movements. Most athletes will hit failure on HSPUs early, forcing extended rest periods. The movement interference creates cumulative shoulder fatigue that makes even the final push-ups challenging despite being the 'easiest' movement.

Benchmark Times for 30:01 - 50:00

• Elite: <4:00
• Advanced: 4:40-5:20
• Intermediate: 6:00-7:00
• Beginner: >12:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): High volume of upper body pressing movements will severely test shoulder, tricep, and chest muscular endurance, especially with grip fatigue from rings.
• Strength (6/10): Handstand push-ups require significant relative strength, while ring dips demand upper body strength. Push-ups provide moderate strength challenge in fatigued state.
• Speed (5/10): Fast transitions between movements and efficient cycling becomes crucial as fatigue sets in, especially managing grip fatigue from rings.
• Endurance (4/10): The 21-15-9 format creates moderate cardiovascular demand through continuous upper body work, but the relatively low total volume limits pure aerobic stress.
• Flexibility (4/10): Handstand push-ups require good shoulder mobility and wrist flexibility. Ring dips demand shoulder flexibility for full range of motion.
• Power (2/10): Minimal explosive demand as all movements are grinding strength patterns, though some athletes may attempt faster cycling when fresh.

Movements

• Handstand Push-Up
• Ring Dip
• Push-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout is a 21-15-9 rep scheme with three upper body pushing movements: handstand push-ups, ring dips, and push-ups. I'll analyze this by comparing to similar benchmark workouts and calculating movement-by-movement times with fatigue. Movement Analysis: - Handstand Push-Ups: 8-12 sec per rep in complex workouts (high skill, overhead positioning) - Ring Dips: 2-3 sec per rep (requires stabilization, grip strength) - Push-Ups: 1-1.5 sec per rep (fastest of the three) Round-by-Round Breakdown: Round 1 (21 reps each): - HSPU: 21 × 10 sec = 210 sec (likely broken into sets of 3-5) - Ring Dips: 21 × 2.5 sec = 53 sec (sets of 5-8) - Push-Ups: 21 × 1.2 sec = 25 sec (larger sets possible) - Transitions: 10 sec total - Round 1 Total: ~300 sec Round 2 (15 reps each, 1.2x fatigue): - HSPU: 15 × 12 sec = 180 sec (more frequent breaks) - Ring Dips: 15 × 3 sec = 45 sec - Push-Ups: 15 × 1.4 sec = 21 sec - Transitions: 8 sec - Round 2 Total: ~254 sec Round 3 (9 reps each, 1.3x fatigue): - HSPU: 9 × 13 sec = 117 sec - Ring Dips: 9 × 3.2 sec = 29 sec - Push-Ups: 9 × 1.5 sec = 14 sec - Transitions: 6 sec - Round 3 Total: ~166 sec Total Elite Time: ~720 sec (12:00) This workout is significantly more challenging than typical benchmarks due to the high volume of handstand push-ups (45 total), which are extremely taxing and require frequent breaks. The combination of three pushing movements creates severe shoulder and tricep fatigue. Compared to Elizabeth (21-15-9 squat clean 135/95 + ring dip) which has L10 times of 160-200 sec, this workout is much longer due to: 1. Handstand push-ups being much slower than squat cleans 2. Push-ups adding a third movement 3. All three movements targeting the same muscle groups Final Targets: - L10 (Elite): 240 sec (4:00) - L5 (Average): 420 sec (7:00) - L1 (Beginner): 720 sec (12:00)

Modality Profile

All three movements (Handstand Push-Up, Ring Dip, Push-Up) are bodyweight gymnastics movements with no external load or cyclical cardio components.