Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This workout combines two high-skill, high-fatigue movements with no built-in rest over 8 minutes. The 185/125lb cleans are heavy for cycling, while handstand push-ups become exponentially harder as reps increase (21+ HSPU is brutal). The ascending rep scheme creates massive shoulder fatigue that compounds between movements. Most athletes will hit failure on HSPU well before the time cap, requiring significant scaling of both weight and movements.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (9/10): Handstand push-ups require exceptional shoulder stamina while heavy cleans tax posterior chain endurance throughout the ascending rep scheme.
• Strength (8/10): Heavy cleans at 125/185 lbs demand significant strength, while handstand push-ups require substantial pressing strength and core stability.
• Endurance (7/10): Eight minutes of continuous work with escalating volume creates significant cardiovascular demand, though shorter duration limits pure aerobic stress.
• Flexibility (7/10): Handstand push-ups require excellent shoulder mobility and thoracic extension, while cleans demand ankle, hip, and shoulder flexibility for proper positioning.
• Power (6/10): Cleans are inherently explosive movements requiring hip drive and speed under the bar, though fatigue may reduce power output.
• Speed (4/10): AMRAP format encourages steady pacing rather than sprint cycling, with transitions between floor and standing positions limiting speed.

Movements

• 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 cleans increase by 3 every 3 rounds (3,3,3,6,6,6,9...). The rep scheme creates: Round 1: 3 HSPU + 3 cleans = 6 reps, Round 2: 6 HSPU + 3 cleans = 9 reps, Round 3: 9 HSPU + 3 cleans = 12 reps, Round 4: 12 HSPU + 6 cleans = 18 reps, etc. Using base movement times: HSPU 3-4 sec each (complex WOD), cleans (125/185) 2-3 sec each. Round-by-round analysis: Round 1 (6 reps): 3 HSPU (12 sec) + 3 cleans (9 sec) = 21 sec. Round 2 (9 reps): 6 HSPU (24 sec) + 3 cleans (9 sec) = 33 sec. Round 3 (12 reps): 9 HSPU (36 sec) + 3 cleans (9 sec) = 45 sec. Round 4 (18 reps): 12 HSPU (48 sec) + 6 cleans (18 sec) = 66 sec. Round 5 (21 reps): 15 HSPU (60 sec) + 6 cleans (18 sec) = 78 sec. Round 6 (24 reps): 18 HSPU (72 sec) + 6 cleans (18 sec) = 90 sec. Applying fatigue multipliers: rounds 1-2 at 1.0x, rounds 3-4 at 1.2x, rounds 5-6 at 1.3x. Total time through 6 rounds: 21+33+(45×1.2)+(66×1.2)+(78×1.3)+(90×1.3) = 21+33+54+79+101+117 = 405 seconds. This gives 84 total reps in ~6.75 minutes, leaving 1.25 minutes for partial round 7. Elite athletes could complete 6 full rounds (84 reps) plus significant progress into round 7 (27 reps), targeting ~285 total reps. Intermediate athletes might complete 4-5 rounds (~165 reps), while beginners might only finish 2-3 rounds (~45-75 reps). The heavy clean loading (125/185) and high-skill HSPU create significant bottlenecks. No direct anchor match, but this resembles high-skill AMRAP patterns with ascending volume. Final targets: L10: 285 reps, L5: 165 reps, L1: 45 reps.

Modality Profile

Two movements: Handstand Push-Up (bodyweight/gymnastics) and Clean (barbell/weightlifting). Equal split between gymnastics and weightlifting modalities.