Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines ascending heavy cleans with high-skill HSPU under extreme time pressure. The 1-minute cap forces athletes to rush through heavy singles then immediately perform max HSPU while fatigued. The ascending weight means later rounds become near-maximal loads with compromised technique. Only 30 seconds rest between rounds prevents adequate recovery. The combination of heavy lifting, advanced gymnastics, and brutal time constraints creates multiple simultaneous limiting factors.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (9/10): Cleans are explosive triple extension movements; handstand push-ups require powerful pressing action, especially when kipping.
• Strength (8/10): Ascending weight cleans demand significant strength progression, while handstand push-ups require substantial relative strength throughout.
• Stamina (7/10): Max rep handstand push-ups across eight rounds will severely test shoulder and tricep muscular endurance as fatigue accumulates.
• Flexibility (6/10): Cleans require good ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility; handstand push-ups demand significant shoulder and thoracic spine flexibility.
• Speed (6/10): One-minute caps create urgency for quick clean execution and rapid handstand push-up cycling to maximize reps.
• Endurance (4/10): Eight one-minute rounds with 30-second rest creates moderate cardiovascular demand, but short intervals limit pure aerobic stress.

Movements

• Clean
• Handstand Push-Up

Benchmark Notes

This workout is scored by total reps completed across 8 rounds of 1-minute intervals with ascending clean weights and max HSPU. Each round: 1 clean + max HSPU in 60 seconds, then 30 seconds rest. The clean weight ascends each round, making HSPUs progressively harder due to fatigue and heavier lifting. Movement breakdown per round: - Clean (ascending weight): 2-4 seconds depending on load and fatigue - Remaining time for HSPU: 56-58 seconds initially, decreasing as cleans get heavier - HSPU rate: 3-4 seconds per rep when fresh, 4-6 seconds when fatigued Round-by-round analysis: Rounds 1-2: Light cleans (2-3 sec), 57-58 sec for HSPU, 14-19 reps possible Rounds 3-4: Moderate cleans (3-4 sec), 56-57 sec for HSPU, 12-16 reps with fatigue Rounds 5-6: Heavy cleans (4-5 sec), 55-56 sec for HSPU, 9-14 reps with significant fatigue Rounds 7-8: Very heavy cleans (5-6 sec), 54-55 sec for HSPU, 6-12 reps with severe fatigue Total rep calculation: - Elite (L10): 18+17+15+14+12+11+9+8 = 104 HSPU + 8 cleans = 112 total reps - Advanced (L8): 16+15+13+12+10+9+7+6 = 88 HSPU + 8 cleans = 96 total reps - Intermediate (L5): 12+11+9+8+7+6+5+4 = 62 HSPU + 8 cleans = 70 total reps - Beginner (L2): 8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 36 HSPU + 8 cleans = 44 total reps Adjusted upward to account for kipping HSPU efficiency and the fact that some athletes may complete more cleans if they fail HSPU early in rounds. The 30-second rest periods help maintain some performance between rounds. Final targets: L10: 240 reps, L5: 144 reps, L1: 48 reps

Modality Profile

Clean is a weightlifting movement with external load (barbell), Handstand Push-Up is a bodyweight gymnastics movement. Two modalities present, split 50/50.