Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

EMOM structure forces repeated bouts with almost no rest: two high-skill plyometric efforts each minute spike heart rate and pre-fatigue the legs before max-rep wall balls. Movement interference (lateral/vertical jumps into squatting/throwing) compounds quad/hip fatigue and taxes coordination under fatigue. Over 8 minutes, many average athletes will accumulate 80-110 wall balls - substantial volume at 20/14 - while managing landing mechanics. Short duration keeps it from Very Hard, but it is solidly Hard.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (8/10): Every minute begins with explosive plyometrics: Heidens, single-leg box jumps, and depth-to-broad jumps, then high-velocity wall-ball throws. Emphasis is on rapid force production, reactive stiffness, and vertical/horizontal power expression under fatigue.
• Stamina (7/10): Accumulating wall-ball reps each minute taxes leg and shoulder stamina, especially under pre-fatiguing jumps. Total volume can reach triple digits, challenging sustained output while movement interference limits continuous sets.
• Speed (6/10): EMOM structure urges fast transitions and aggressive wall-ball cycling to maximize reps before the minute turns. However, mandatory jump elements limit pure sprint cadence, creating repeated sprints rather than continuous high-speed turnover.
• Endurance (5/10): Eight-minute EMOM blends brief plyometric efforts with repeated wall-ball bouts. Heart rate elevates and stays high, but short windows and overall duration cap pure aerobic accumulation. Cardio demand is moderate, driven by density and incomplete recovery.
• Flexibility (3/10): Requires functional hip, ankle, and thoracic mobility for deep squat and overhead throw, plus stable knee/hip angles in lateral bounds and landings. However, ranges are standard athletic positions, not extreme end-range demands.
• Strength (2/10): Loads are light and bodyweight-based. Single-leg box jumps and depth jumps demand control but not maximal force. Wall balls use moderate med-balls, emphasizing repetition over heavy lifting.

Movements

• Heiden Jump
• Depth Jump
• Box Jump
• Broad Jump
• Wall Ball

Scaling Options

- Wall ball load/target: • 20/14 lb → 16/12 lb → 14/10 lb as needed. • Target 10'/9' → 9'/8' if height causes misses or cervical extension. • Sub light DB thruster if no wall/target. - Heiden → single-leg box jump: • Lower box: 24/20 → 20/18 → 16/12 inches. • Heiden to stick (no box), then step-up to box. • Two-foot box jump if single-leg takeoff isn’t safe. • Lateral skater hop to low target (plate) instead of box. - Depth jump → broad jump: • Reduce drop to 12–18 inches (stacked plates/low box). • Step off to quick in-place hop, then broad jump. • Remove depth component: regular countermovement broad jump. • If impact-limited: low pogo hops or fast lateral line hops x 6–10 reps. - Volume/time: • Cap WB per minute at 10–15 for newer athletes. • EMOM 6 minutes instead of 8 for beginners, or E90s x 6–8 for more reset time. • If space-limited, replace broad jump with 3 powerful vertical jumps. - Mobility/orthopedic considerations: • Achilles/knee history: remove depth jump, use low skaters or step-ups. • Balance-limited: use support (rig) for single-leg landing sticks before adding height.

Scaling Explanation

- When to scale: You cannot land the Heiden silently with knee tracking; single-leg box jump requires a stutter step or you miss the box; depth jump feels jarring or ground contact is slow (>0.5s); wall balls drop below ~8–10 reps/min by minute 3–4; you miss the target repeatedly or lose squat depth; HR/respiratory rate prevents starting the next minute composed. - Why to scale: Preserve the stimulus—fast, elastic contacts and safe single-leg mechanics feeding into a steady WB density. Poor plyo quality eliminates the power adaptation and increases injury risk. - What to prioritize: Technique and reactive quality on the jumps first, then consistent WB output. Keep landings quiet, knees tracking, trunk stable, and step down off boxes. For WBs, prioritize unbroken, repeatable sets over peak minute scores. - Targets to hit: Each minute, finish the jumps cleanly and accumulate 25–40 seconds of wall-ball work, leaving 5–10 seconds to reset. Total WB for most: 80–150 reps Rx. Effort RPE 8–9 with minimal performance drop-off across minutes.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration interval piece (8 minutes) with repeat 45-40 second efforts each minute. Primary energy systems: alactic bursts for the plyometrics feeding into glycolytic demand on wall balls, with limited oxidative recovery between minutes. Training effect: develop reactive lower-body power and single-leg stability under fatigue while accumulating steady wall-ball density. Primary challenge: power/skill quality on the jumps first, then conditioning and mental composure to hold a consistent wall-ball output.

Coach Insight

- Pacing: Treat the two jumps as non-negotiable quality work (10–15 seconds total), then hit a controlled wall-ball set for 30–40 seconds, stopping 5–10 seconds before the buzzer to reset. Aim to keep minute-to-minute wall-ball count within 10% drop-off. - Targets per minute (Rx): Advanced 18–22 WB; Intermediate 12–18 WB; Beginner 8–12 WB. Choose a number you can hold for all 8 minutes. - Heiden → single-leg box jump (24/20): Land the Heiden softly on the outside foot (midfoot, heel kisses), knee tracks toes, hip hinged; stabilize for a microsecond then drive tall off that same leg to the box. Torso square, arms swing, eyes on box. Alternate lateral direction/lead leg each round. Step down from the box. - Depth jump → broad jump (24/20): STEP off the box (do not jump), land under hips, minimize ground contact (quick, elastic), swing arms and project forward, land quietly with knees and hips absorbing. If ground contact feels slow or jarring, the box is too high. - Wall balls (20/14 to 10'/9' target): Tall chest, full depth, drive from legs, release at eye level with relaxed hands, catch softly into the next squat. Breathe every rep or every other rep. Keep the ball close—don’t let it pull you forward. - Common mistakes: Rushing the plyos and losing mechanics; valgus knee collapse; two-foot takeoff on the single-leg jump; jumping down from the box; depth jump ground contact that’s long and sticky; chasing max WB early and crashing; holding the ball low on the catch. - Strategy cues: Quality then quantity. If you bobble a landing, take the extra beat—don’t force the jump. On WBs, pick a number (e.g., 15) and stick to it every minute, stopping early rather than failing late.

Benchmark Notes

Workout parsing: - Format: 8-minute EMOM. Each minute: (1) Heiden to single-leg box jump (24/20), (2) Depth jump to broad jump (24/20), then MAX REPS wall balls (20/14). Score = total wall balls. - Only wall balls count toward score. The jump complex is a fixed time tax each minute. Type decision: - Scored as Reps → type = reps (total wall-ball reps). Time model per minute (buy-in + transitions): - Heiden+SL box jump time: Elite 4–6s | Intermediate 6–9s | Recreational 9–12s - Depth jump + broad jump time: Elite 3–5s | Intermediate 4–6s | Recreational 5–8s - Transition to wall and settle each minute (different equipment, same area): Elite ~5s | Intermediate ~9s | Recreational ~15s - End-of-minute buffer to reset for next buy-in: Elite ~2s | Intermediate ~3s | Recreational ~4s → Available wall-ball time per minute (avg): • Elite: 60 − (≈10 + 5 + 2) ≈ 43s • Intermediate (median): 60 − (≈14 + 9 + 3) ≈ 34s • Recreational: 60 − (≈22 + 15 + 4) ≈ 19s Wall-ball cycle rates and fatigue: - Fresh WB cycle (20/14): Elite ~2.1 s/rep, Intermediate ~2.5 s/rep, Recreational ~3.0 s/rep - Leg/interference from jumps → +8–15% slower cycle (use: Elite +8%, Int +10%, Rec +15%) - Round-based fatigue multipliers per minute: M1–2 = 1.0x, M3–4 = 1.1x, M5–6 = 1.25x, M7–8 = 1.35x (Rec slightly harsher in calc below) Minute-by-minute estimates (rounded down to whole reps): - Elite (WB time ~43s; base pace 2.1s → with interference 2.27s): M1–2: 43/2.27 ≈ 18 each → 36 M3–4: 43/(2.27*1.1) ≈ 17 each → +34 = 70 M5–6: 43/(2.27*1.25) ≈ 15 each → +30 = 100 M7–8: 43/(2.27*1.35) ≈ 14 each → +28 = 128 → Elite total ≈ 128 reps - Intermediate/Median (WB time ~34s; base 2.5s → with interference 2.75s): M1–2: 34/2.75 ≈ 12 each → 24 M3–4: 34/(2.75*1.1) ≈ 11 each → +22 = 46 M5–6: 34/(2.75*1.25) ≈ 9 each → +18 = 64 M7–8: 34/(2.75*1.35) ≈ 9 each → +18 = 82 → Median total ≈ 82 reps - Recreational (WB time ~19s; base 3.0s → with interference 3.45s; fatigue slightly harsher M3–4=1.2x, M5–6=1.3x, M7–8=1.5x): M1–2: 19/3.45 ≈ 5 each → 10 M3–4: 19/(3.45*1.2) ≈ 4 each → +8 = 18 M5–6: 19/(3.45*1.3) ≈ 4 each → +8 = 26 M7–8: 19/(3.45*1.5) ≈ 3 each → +6 = 32 → Recreational total ≈ 32 reps Deriving benchmark thresholds: - Anchor points: Rec ≈ 32 reps, Median ≈ 82 reps (L5), Elite ≈ 128 reps (~L9/L10 border). - Medium WOD (8 min): use ~10–20% step-ups between adjacent levels, tighter near the median. - Final thresholds (L1→L9): [20, 30, 45, 65, 80, 92, 105, 118, 128]. L10 = any score > 128. Notes: - Assumes EMOM buy-in must precede wall balls each minute and transitions occur within the minute, reducing WB time. - Assumes mostly unbroken WB sets inside each minute; fatigue is modeled via slower cycle time rather than breaks. - Minor gym layout differences can shift totals ±5–10 reps; thresholds account for that spread.

Modality Profile

Bodyweight plyometrics (Heiden, Single-Leg Box Jump, Depth Jump, Broad Jump) = 4 movements (G). Wall Ball uses external load = 1 movement (W). No cyclical cardio (M). Thus 4/5 G = 80%, 1/5 W = 20%, 0% M.