Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

Back squats at 85% are heavy loads that typically require significant rest between sets, but the 30-second AMRAP format forces continuous work under time pressure. Most athletes will only manage 2-4 reps per round at this percentage, creating intense neuromuscular fatigue. The seated DB press provides some recovery but targets shoulders after heavy squatting. The combination of maximal strength demands with forced pacing makes this challenging for average athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (8/10): High strength demand from back squats at 85% 1RM and heavy dumbbell overhead pressing, requiring near-maximal force production.
• Power (6/10): Moderate power requirement from explosive concentric phases of heavy squats and overhead pressing, though limited by heavy loads.
• Stamina (4/10): Moderate muscular endurance challenge from repeated 30-second AMRAPs, but rest periods prevent significant stamina depletion across the four rounds.
• Flexibility (4/10): Back squats require good hip and ankle mobility, while seated piked position demands moderate shoulder and thoracic spine flexibility.
• Endurance (3/10): Limited cardiovascular demand due to short 30-second work intervals with full 60-second rest periods allowing near-complete recovery between efforts.
• Speed (2/10): Minimal speed component due to heavy loads and rest intervals; focus is on quality reps rather than fast cycling.

Movements

• Back Squat
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 4 rounds alternating between 30-second AMRAPs of Back Squat at 85% 1RM and Seated Piked DB Press (50/35 lb), with 60-second rest periods between exercises. Since it's scored as 'Reps', I'm calculating total repetitions across both movements. Movement Analysis: - Back Squat at 85% 1RM: This is very heavy loading (85% is typically 3-5 rep max territory). In a 30-second window, elite athletes might manage 8-12 reps in round 1, but this will degrade significantly due to the high intensity. Expect 8-6-4-3 pattern across rounds. - Seated Piked DB Press (50/35): This is moderate loading for shoulder press. In fresh state, expect 12-18 reps per 30 seconds, degrading to 12-10-8-6 pattern due to shoulder fatigue. Fatigue Considerations: - Round 1: Fresh performance - Round 2: 1.1x fatigue (10% degradation) - Round 3: 1.25x fatigue (20% degradation) - Round 4: 1.4x fatigue (30% degradation) - The 60-second rest periods provide partial recovery but won't fully restore capacity at these intensities Calculated Performance by Level: - L10 (Elite): Back Squat: 8+6+4+3=21, DB Press: 12+10+8+6=36, Total: 57 reps per movement, 114 total - L5 (Average): Back Squat: 5+4+3+2=14, DB Press: 8+7+6+5=26, Total: 40 reps per movement, 80 total - L1 (Beginner): Back Squat: 2+2+1+1=6, DB Press: 4+4+3+3=14, Total: 20 reps per movement, 40 total No direct anchor matches this specific format, but the intensity and rep scheme suggests moderate total volume with high neuromuscular demand. The 85% back squat loading significantly limits total reps compared to typical CrossFit rep-based workouts. Final targets: L10: ~96 reps, L5: ~64 reps, L1: ~32 reps

Modality Profile

Both Back Squat and Dumbbell Shoulder Press are external load movements using barbells and dumbbells respectively, making this 100% Weightlifting with no Gymnastics or Monostructural components.