Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout creates significant grip and cardiovascular fatigue through continuous work with no built-in rest. The 55 total pull-ups distributed throughout will challenge most athletes' grip strength, while the high-volume bodyweight movements (27 double-unders repeated 5 times, 100 air squats, 79 sit-ups, 95 burpees total) create substantial metabolic demand. The combination of grip-intensive pull-ups interspersed with cardio-intensive movements prevents recovery and will force most athletes to break up the pull-up sets significantly.

Benchmark Times for Harvey Milk

• Elite: <12:00
• Advanced: 13:30-15:00
• Intermediate: 17:00-19:00
• Beginner: >33:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Extremely high rep counts (100 air squats, 79 sit-ups) combined with repeated pull-ups and burpees heavily taxes muscular endurance systems.
• Endurance (8/10): High volume bodyweight movements with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic capacity throughout the workout.
• Speed (6/10): Fast cycling through movements and efficient transitions between exercises are crucial for maintaining intensity throughout the high-volume workout.
• Power (4/10): Double unders and burpees require explosive hip extension and coordination, though not the primary focus of this endurance-based workout.
• Flexibility (3/10): Double unders require ankle mobility, sit-ups need hip flexion, and pull-ups demand shoulder range of motion for full movement execution.
• Strength (2/10): Primarily bodyweight movements with pull-ups being the most strength-demanding element, but focus is on endurance rather than maximal force.

Movements

• Air Squat
• Burpee
• Sit-Up
• Pull-Up
• Double-Under

Scaling Options

Reduce pull-ups to 7-8 reps or substitute banded pull-ups/ring rows. Scale double unders to 54 single unders. Reduce burpees to 13-15 reps. Consider step-up burpees for those with knee issues. Reduce air squats to 75 and sit-ups to 60 if needed to maintain intensity.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you cannot perform 5+ consecutive pull-ups or if double unders success rate is below 70%. Priority is maintaining movement quality and consistent pace throughout. Target completion should be under 30 minutes scaled. Focus on steady work capacity rather than maximal effort sprints.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration glycolytic workout lasting 15-25 minutes. Tests muscular endurance across multiple movement patterns with emphasis on upper body pulling strength and cardiovascular conditioning. The descending ladder format creates psychological challenge as fatigue accumulates.

Coach Insight

Break pull-ups early and often - aim for sets of 3-5 throughout. Pace double unders at 80% effort to avoid tripping when fatigued. Use steady rhythm on burpees and sit-ups rather than sprinting. Transition quickly between movements. The constant 11 pull-ups will be the limiting factor - manage grip fatigue by alternating grips or using chalk liberally.

Benchmark Notes

This workout is very similar to the Angie benchmark (100 pull-ups + 100 push-ups + 100 sit-ups + 100 air squats), but with modifications: 55 pull-ups instead of 100, 79 sit-ups instead of 100, 100 air squats (same), 19 burpees instead of 100 push-ups, and 135 double-unders added. Using Angie as the primary anchor: L10 900-1080 sec, L5 1320-1500 sec, L1 1980-2400 sec. Movement breakdown: Pull-ups (55 total): Elite athletes can do these in sets of 10-15 early, breaking down to 5-8 later. Fresh time ~1.5 sec/rep = 82.5 sec base, with fatigue and set breaks adding 50-60 sec = ~140 sec total. Double-unders (135 total): At 0.5 sec/rep when in rhythm = 67.5 sec base, but with 5 separate sets and transitions, expect 90-120 sec total. Burpees (19 total): At 3.5-4 sec/rep = 66-76 sec. Sit-ups (79 total): At 1 sec/rep = 79 sec base, minimal fatigue = ~90 sec. Air squats (100 total): At 1.2 sec/rep = 120 sec base, some fatigue = ~140 sec. Transitions between 5 rounds: ~30 sec total. Total estimated time for elite: 140 + 120 + 76 + 90 + 140 + 30 = ~596 sec. However, this significantly underestimates the cumulative fatigue and grip/shoulder interference from the pull-up volume combined with double-unders. The workout structure creates substantial upper body fatigue that compounds across rounds. Adjusting upward to align with Angie anchor patterns and accounting for the high pull-up volume creating similar fatigue to Angie's 100 pull-ups, I'm setting L10 at 720 sec (12:00), which is faster than Angie due to fewer total reps but accounts for the double-under coordination challenge and burpee metabolic demand. L5 at 1140 sec (19:00) reflects the average CrossFitter struggling with pull-up volume and double-under efficiency. L1 at 1980 sec (33:00) accounts for significant scaling needs and rest periods. Final targets - L10: 720 sec (12:00), L5: 1140 sec (19:00), L1: 1980 sec (33:00).

Modality Profile

4 out of 5 movements are gymnastics (Pull-Up, Burpee, Sit-Up, Air Squat), 1 is monostructural (Double-Under), and 0 are weightlifting. This gives an 80/20/0 breakdown.