Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

Two squat-dominant minutes back-to-back for six rounds creates severe local leg fatigue and a sky-high heart rate. The front squat load (160/105) is about 50-60% 1RM for many, making sustained "max reps" sets punishing, especially if cleaning from the floor each minute. With no built-in rest across 12 continuous minutes, capacity plummets and barbell cycling suffers. Many average athletes will need to scale the load.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Both movements pound the legs for six minutes each across intervals, accumulating high time-under-tension and reps. Front rack fatigue and repeated squatting challenge sustained output and set-to-set recovery, emphasizing muscular endurance over maximal strength.
• Strength (6/10): 160/105 front squats for max reps in minute windows demand significant absolute strength to cycle effectively; wall balls add load overhead but are lighter. It tests submaximal strength capacity more than true max effort.
• Speed (6/10): One-minute max efforts incentivize fast cycling and minimal transition, particularly on wall balls. Heavy front squats constrain cadence, so top scores balance quick initial bursts with sustainable rep speed to avoid early blow-up.
• Endurance (5/10): Twelve continuous minutes alternating one-minute max-rep efforts taxes breathing, especially during wall balls. However, heavy front squats shift limitation toward local muscular fatigue rather than pure aerobic capacity, keeping the cardio stimulus moderate.
• Power (5/10): Wall balls are ballistic, using hip extension to drive the throw, and front squats require powerful stands from the hole. Yet minute-long sets dilute peak explosiveness in favor of repeatable power production.
• Flexibility (4/10): Full-depth squats with a loaded front rack require ankle, hip, thoracic, and wrist mobility; wall balls need overhead range and good front rack posture. Demands are notable but not extreme for healthy athletes.

Movements

• Front Squat
• Wall Ball

Scaling Options

- Load: Choose a front squat weight you can perform 8–12 sound reps unbroken when fresh and 5–10 reps in a minute under fatigue. As guidelines: Men 135/115/95/75 lb; Women 95/85/75/55 lb. Or use ~60–70% of 1RM front squat. If cleaning from floor, ensure you can power clean the load repeatedly and safely. - Movement substitutions: • Front Squat: Double DB front squat 2x50/35 (or lighter), goblet squat 53/35 (or lighter), box squat to target for depth consistency. • Wall Ball: Lighter ball (14/10 lb), lower target (9/8 ft), med-ball thrusters, single DB thrusters, or fast air squats if needed (prioritize speed and depth). - Volume modifications: • 5 or 4 rounds instead of 6. • 45 sec work / 15 sec transition each minute. • Cap reps each minute (e.g., 6 front squats, 15 wall balls) to preserve quality and consistency. - Time adjustments: Beginners or deconditioned athletes can run a 10-minute version (5 rounds total) or alternate 40 sec work / 20 sec rest to maintain mechanics.

Scaling Explanation

- When to scale: If you cannot maintain at least 3–5 technically sound front squats per minute with upright posture and stable elbows; if you’re missing cleans; if wall balls drop below ~10 reps per minute or you’re accumulating frequent no-reps; if bracing or depth is inconsistent; or if RPE is 9–10 in round 1–2. - What to prioritize: Mechanics and range of motion first (stable front rack, full depth, accurate targets), then consistency of output per minute. Preserve intensity by keeping reps per minute steady; do not chase load at the expense of posture or speed. - Effort targets: Aim to hold within 2–3 reps of your first-minute output across all rounds with ≤20% total drop-off by the end. You should finish breathing hard with significant leg fatigue but still able to control positions. - Outcome cues: If you scale correctly, you’ll average 5–10 front squats and 12–25 wall balls per minute with clean movement and short, planned breaks. If you’re grinding singles early, missing targets, or dumping the bar, reduce load, ball weight/target, or total rounds.

Intended Stimulus

Moderate-duration interval piece (12 total minutes of work: 1-minute bouts x 12) with repeated high-power efforts. Primary energy system: glycolytic with aerobic support. Intended challenge: leg stamina and midline bracing under fatigue, plus cyclical breathing and accuracy on wall balls. You should sustain strong, repeatable minutes rather than a single all-out spike, finishing with a small performance drop-off (≤20%) from first to last round.

Coach Insight

- Structure: Alternate 1 minute max reps Front Squats, 1 minute max reps Wall Balls for 6 total rounds (12 minutes). Use a rack if available; if from floor, ensure the clean is not the limiter. - Pacing: Start at a sustainable pace you can hold within 2–3 reps across all rounds. Aim to finish each minute with 3–5 seconds to transition and reset breathing. - Targets per minute (Rx guidance): Front Squats 5–10; Wall Balls 15–25. Advanced athletes can push the upper end; most should live near the middle and hold steady. - Front Squat cues: Solid front rack (bar on shoulders, elbows high), big breath and brace 360, controlled descent with deliberate bounce out of the bottom, drive through mid-foot, stand tall before re-breathing. Keep sets submaximal (e.g., 3–5 reps, quick breath, 2–3 more) to avoid failing under fatigue. If from floor, one clean to start the minute, then keep bar racked as long as possible; avoid excessive re-cleans. - Wall Ball cues: Use legs for the throw, full hip/knee extension, eyes on target early, catch high at face level and ride into the squat, breathe rhythmically (one breath per rep or every other rep). Choose a cadence you can repeat every round; short, planned breaks (e.g., 12-8 or 10-10-5) beat one long, grinding set to failure. - Common mistakes: Oversprinting minute 1, losing front rack and collapsing torso, pausing too long with the bar racked, missing target height leading to no-reps, letting knees cave, skipping bracing between reps, and not leaving time to transition. - Rep scheme examples: Front Squat 4-3-3 each minute; Wall Ball 12-8 or 10-10-5. Keep breaks intentional and brief (3–5 seconds).

Modality Profile

Two unique movements: Front Squat (barbell) and Wall Ball (medicine ball) are both external-load movements, so both are Weightlifting. 0 Gymnastics, 0 Monostructural, 2 Weightlifting → 100% W.