Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

The combination of 85% squat cleans (very heavy for most athletes) with continuous AMRAP format creates extreme difficulty. Most athletes' 85% clean is 185-225lbs, requiring near-maximal effort every 2 reps. Ring dips under heavy barbell fatigue become increasingly challenging. The 8-minute time cap forces sustained high intensity with no built-in recovery, making this accessible only to experienced athletes who can handle heavy Olympic lifting under severe fatigue.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Ring dips will quickly exhaust triceps and chest stamina, while squat cleans tax posterior chain endurance throughout the AMRAP.
• Strength (8/10): Squat cleans at 85% demand near-maximal strength, while ring dips require significant relative strength for bodyweight pressing movement.
• Endurance (7/10): Eight minutes of continuous work with heavy squat cleans and ring dips creates significant cardiovascular demand and aerobic stress.
• Power (7/10): Squat cleans are inherently explosive, requiring rapid force production from floor to front rack position with heavy loading.
• Flexibility (6/10): Squat cleans require good ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility for proper receiving position and front rack flexibility.
• Speed (4/10): Heavy squat cleans limit cycling speed, though efficient transitions between movements become important for maximizing rounds.

Movements

• Squat Clean
• Ring Dip

Benchmark Notes

This 8-minute AMRAP consists of 2 squat cleans at 85% 1RM and 9 ring dips per round. I'll analyze this using the Elizabeth benchmark (21-15-9 squat clean 135/95 + ring dip) as the closest anchor, then adjust for the AMRAP format and higher loading. Movement Analysis: - Squat Clean at 85% 1RM: This is significantly heavier than Elizabeth's 135/95 (typically 60-70% for most athletes). At 85%, expect singles with 8-12 seconds rest between reps, totaling 25-35 seconds per round - Ring Dips: 9 reps will likely be broken into 5+4 or 6+3 sets after round 2, taking 15-25 seconds including brief rests - Transition time: 3-5 seconds between movements Round Breakdown: - Round 1: 25 + 15 + 5 = 45 seconds (fresh state) - Round 2: 28 + 18 + 5 = 51 seconds (slight fatigue) - Round 3: 32 + 22 + 5 = 59 seconds (increased fatigue, more set breaking) - Round 4: 36 + 26 + 5 = 67 seconds (significant fatigue) - Round 5: 40 + 30 + 5 = 75 seconds (heavy fatigue) - Round 6+: 45+ seconds per round (if achievable) Elite athletes (L9-L10) might complete 12-13 rounds (132-143 reps), managing the heavy cleans efficiently and maintaining ring dip capacity. Advanced athletes (L6-L8) would likely achieve 8-10 rounds (88-110 reps), while intermediate athletes (L3-L5) might complete 6-8 rounds (66-88 reps). Beginners (L1-L2) would struggle with the heavy loading and complete 4-5 rounds (44-55 reps). The 85% loading significantly limits round completion compared to typical AMRAP benchmarks, making this more of a strength-endurance test than a pure conditioning piece. Final targets: L10: 143 reps, L5: 88 reps, L1: 44 reps

Modality Profile

Two movements: Squat Clean (weightlifting with barbell) and Ring Dip (gymnastics bodyweight movement). Equal split between weightlifting and gymnastics modalities.