Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout combines high-skill movements (strict HSPU) with continuous work under fatigue. The 20-second AMRAPs with only 10-second rest create significant accumulation across 12 rounds (16+ minutes). Strict handstand push-ups are challenging for most athletes, and performing them repeatedly while fatigued from holds and goblet work makes scaling likely. The partner format adds pressure to maintain pace, elevating difficulty beyond individual capacity.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Strict handstand push-ups and goblet holds will heavily tax upper body and core stamina over multiple rounds with minimal recovery.
• Flexibility (7/10): Handstand positions require excellent shoulder mobility and thoracic extension, while goblet squats demand good ankle and hip flexibility for proper positioning.
• Strength (6/10): Strict handstand push-ups require significant pressing strength, while 50/35lb goblet holds demand moderate strength endurance throughout the workout.
• Endurance (4/10): Twelve rounds of 20-second work with 10-second rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but short intervals limit pure aerobic stress.
• Speed (3/10): Partner format with defined work periods limits speed emphasis; transitions between partners provide natural pacing rather than rapid cycling.
• Power (2/10): Strict movements and isometric holds minimize explosive demands; focus is on controlled strength and endurance rather than power output.

Movements

• Handstand Hold
• Reverse Lunge
• Squat Hold
• Dumbbell Goblet Hold
• Handstand Push-Up

Benchmark Notes

This is a 12-round partner workout with alternating 20-second AMRAPs and 10-second rests. Each partner performs two different movements per round, switching roles every round. Movement analysis: Strict handstand push-ups are highly demanding - elite athletes might achieve 8-12 reps in 20 seconds when fresh, but this drops significantly with fatigue. By rounds 6-12, expect 3-6 reps per 20-second window. Reverse lunges with goblet hold (50/35 DB) allow for higher rep counts - elite athletes might start with 12-15 reps per 20 seconds, maintaining 8-12 reps in later rounds. Total workout time is exactly 6 minutes (12 rounds × 30 seconds). Fatigue accumulation is severe due to the strict HSPU demand and continuous nature with minimal rest. Each athlete performs 6 rounds of each movement. For strict HSPU: Round 1-2 average 10 reps, rounds 3-4 average 8 reps, rounds 5-6 average 6 reps = 48 total HSPU per athlete. For reverse lunges: Round 1-2 average 14 reps, rounds 3-4 average 12 reps, rounds 5-6 average 10 reps = 72 total lunges per athlete. Combined per athlete: 120 reps. Team total: 240 reps. However, the holds (handstand hold and goblet squat hold) don't contribute to rep count but significantly impact the working partner's performance through shared fatigue and motivation. Adjusting for this partnership dynamic and the extreme difficulty of maintaining strict HSPU output, elite teams (L10) might achieve 360 total reps, while recreational teams (L1) might manage 120 total reps. The benchmark spreads account for the exponential difficulty curve of strict gymnastics movements under fatigue.

Modality Profile

4 out of 5 movements are bodyweight gymnastics (Handstand Push-Up, Handstand Hold, Reverse Lunge, Squat Hold), while 1 movement uses external load (Dumbbell Goblet Hold)