Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines two highly demanding elements: heavy squat cleans (185/125 is 80-85% 1RM for most) with handstand push-ups under severe fatigue accumulation. The ascending rep scheme creates exponential difficulty - by round 4, athletes face 12 HSPUs followed immediately by heavy cleans with compromised shoulders. The 8-minute time cap forces aggressive pacing, preventing adequate recovery between high-skill movements. Most athletes will hit failure on HSPUs or be forced to significantly scale the clean weight.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Handstand push-ups will quickly exhaust shoulder and tricep stamina, while squat cleans add posterior chain fatigue in an escalating ladder format.
• Endurance (7/10): Eight minutes of continuous work with escalating volume creates significant cardiovascular demand, though shorter duration limits pure aerobic stress.
• Strength (7/10): Heavy squat cleans at 125/185 lbs require significant strength, while handstand push-ups demand considerable relative strength for overhead pressing.
• Flexibility (6/10): Handstand push-ups require good shoulder and thoracic mobility, while squat cleans demand ankle, hip, and wrist flexibility for proper positioning.
• Power (6/10): Squat cleans are inherently explosive movements requiring rapid force production, though handstand push-ups are more strength-endurance focused.
• Speed (4/10): While transitions matter, the technical nature of both movements and escalating fatigue will slow cycling speed significantly.

Movements

• Squat Clean
• Handstand Push-Up

Benchmark Notes

This is an 8-minute AMRAP with an ascending ladder pattern: handstand push-ups increase by 3 each round (3,6,9,12,15,18,21...) while squat cleans increase by 3 every 3 rounds (3,3,3,6,6,6,9...). The workout combines high-skill gymnastics with heavy barbell work. Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1: 3 HSPU + 3 squat cleans (125/185) = 6 reps Round 2: 6 HSPU + 3 squat cleans = 9 reps (15 total) Round 3: 9 HSPU + 3 squat cleans = 12 reps (27 total) Round 4: 12 HSPU + 6 squat cleans = 18 reps (45 total) Round 5: 15 HSPU + 6 squat cleans = 21 reps (66 total) Round 6: 18 HSPU + 6 squat cleans = 24 reps (90 total) Round 7: 21 HSPU + 9 squat cleans = 30 reps (120 total) Round 8: 24 HSPU + 9 squat cleans = 33 reps (153 total) Movement analysis: - Handstand push-ups: 8-12 sec per rep in complex workouts, requiring significant shoulder endurance - Squat cleans at 125/185: 3-4 sec per rep for males, heavier load creates more fatigue - Transitions between movements: 3-6 sec Fatigue considerations: - HSPU volume increases dramatically (3→6→9→12→15→18→21→24), causing severe shoulder fatigue - Heavy squat cleans compound the fatigue, especially grip and posterior chain - By round 4-5, HSPU will require significant breaking (sets of 3-5) - Squat cleans will slow from 3-4 sec to 5-7 sec per rep due to accumulated fatigue Time estimates: - Elite athletes: Complete 7-8 rounds (285-315 reps) - Advanced: Complete 5-6 rounds (195-255 reps) - Intermediate: Complete 3-4 rounds (105-165 reps) - Novice: Complete 1-2 rounds (45-75 reps) This workout is similar to high-volume gymnastics benchmarks but with added barbell complexity. The ascending ladder creates exponential difficulty as HSPU volume becomes prohibitive for most athletes. Final targets - L10: 285 reps, L5: 165 reps, L1: 45 reps

Modality Profile

Two movements: Handstand Push-Up (bodyweight gymnastics) and Squat Clean (barbell weightlifting). Equal 50/50 split between Gymnastics and Weightlifting with no monostructural component.