Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout progressively increases deadlift weight while decreasing reps, creating significant cumulative fatigue. The lateral barbell burpees between deadlift sets maintain elevated heart rate and grip fatigue. By the final rounds, athletes face 285/185lb deadlifts with compromised grip and breathing from continuous work. The 30-second rests are insufficient recovery for the increasing loads. Most average CrossFitters will need to scale the heavier deadlift weights significantly.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Strength (9/10): Progressive loading from 135/95 to 285/185 pounds on deadlifts represents a true test of maximum strength across multiple weight increments.
• Stamina (8/10): High-volume deadlifts combined with burpees across multiple rounds will severely test posterior chain and full-body muscular endurance capacity.
• Endurance (7/10): Five 2-minute AMRAPs with minimal rest creates significant cardiovascular demand, requiring sustained aerobic output throughout the entire workout.
• Speed (6/10): AMRAP format demands quick transitions between movements and efficient cycling to maximize rounds within each 2-minute window.
• Power (4/10): Lateral burpees provide explosive hip extension and jumping components, while deadlifts become more power-focused at lighter weights.
• Flexibility (3/10): Deadlifts require hip hinge mobility and burpees demand basic shoulder and hip flexibility, but nothing extreme or limiting.

Movements

• Lateral Burpee Over Bar
• Deadlift

Benchmark Notes

This is a progressive ladder workout with 5 rounds of 2-minute AMRAPs, each with increasing deadlift weight and decreasing reps per round, plus lateral barbell burpees. Let me break down each round: Round 1 (10 DL @ 135/95 + 5 burpees): At moderate weight, deadlifts take ~2 sec/rep, lateral barbell burpees ~4 sec/rep. One cycle = 20+20 = 40 seconds. Elite athletes can complete 3 cycles (45 reps) in 2 minutes. Round 2 (8 DL @ 185/120 + 4 burpees): Heavier deadlifts ~2.5 sec/rep, cycle time = 20+16 = 36 seconds. Elite: 3+ cycles (36+ reps). Round 3 (6 DL @ 225/155 + 3 burpees): Heavy deadlifts ~3 sec/rep, cycle = 18+12 = 30 seconds. Elite: 4 cycles (36 reps). Round 4 (4 DL @ 255/165 + 2 burpees): Very heavy deadlifts ~3.5 sec/rep, cycle = 14+8 = 22 seconds. Elite: 5+ cycles (30+ reps). Round 5 (2 DL @ 285/185 + 1 burpee): Max effort deadlifts ~4 sec/rep, cycle = 8+4 = 12 seconds. Elite: 10 cycles (30 reps). Total elite projection: 45+36+36+30+30 = 177 base reps. However, the 30-second rests between rounds allow partial recovery, and the decreasing volume per cycle in later rounds actually makes them more sustainable despite heavier weight. Elite athletes should achieve 200+ total reps. This workout has similarities to strength-endurance chippers but with the AMRAP format creating a rep-based score. The progressive loading creates a unique fatigue pattern where later rounds become more about power output than volume. Final targets: L10: 360+ reps, L5: 240 reps, L1: 120 reps

Modality Profile

Two movements: Deadlift (Weightlifting) and Lateral Burpee Over Bar (Gymnastics bodyweight movement). Equal split between G and W modalities.