Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

The 205/135lb power cleans are heavy for most athletes, requiring only 2 reps but demanding significant power output. The chest-to-bar pull-ups under fatigue from the cleans create grip and lat interference. The partner format provides some recovery, but 6 rounds with only 30-second rest periods creates cumulative fatigue. The combination of heavy barbell cycling with high-skill gymnastics under time pressure makes this challenging for average athletes.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Stamina (8/10): Chest-to-bar pull-ups for max reps after power cleans will severely test upper body pulling stamina and grip endurance across multiple rounds.
• Power (8/10): Power cleans are explosive triple extension movements, and maintaining power output becomes increasingly difficult as rounds progress and fatigue sets in.
• Endurance (7/10): Six rounds of 30-second AMRAPs with 30-second rest creates significant cardiovascular demand through repeated high-intensity intervals over 12 minutes total.
• Strength (7/10): Power cleans at 205/135 lbs require substantial strength, especially as fatigue accumulates from previous rounds and grip becomes compromised.
• Speed (6/10): Quick transitions between partners and rapid cycling of pull-ups after completing power cleans are essential for maximizing reps in each interval.
• Flexibility (4/10): Power cleans demand good hip and ankle mobility, while chest-to-bar pull-ups require adequate shoulder and thoracic spine range of motion.

Movements

• Power Clean
• Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up

Benchmark Notes

This is a partner workout with 6 rounds total, each round consisting of two 30-second AMRAPs with 30-second rest periods. Each partner alternates between doing 2 power cleans (205/135) and max chest-to-bar pull-ups. Analysis: Each 30-second AMRAP has Partner A or B complete 2 power cleans first, then the other partner does max chest-to-bar pull-ups for the remaining time. Power cleans at 205/135 are heavy - elite athletes need 3-4 seconds per rep, so 2 reps take 6-8 seconds, leaving 22-24 seconds for chest-to-bar pull-ups. Chest-to-bar pull-ups are more challenging than regular pull-ups, taking 1.5-2.5 seconds per rep when fresh. In a 22-24 second window, elite athletes can achieve 9-15 reps, advanced 6-10 reps, intermediate 4-7 reps. Over 12 total AMRAP segments (6 rounds × 2 AMRAPs each), fatigue accumulates significantly. Early rounds: 10-12 CTB per segment, later rounds: 6-8 CTB per segment due to grip fatigue and metabolic stress. Total calculation: Elite (L9-L10): 12 segments × 8-10 average reps = 96-120 reps per partner × 2 partners = 192-240 total team reps. However, since this is scored as total reps for the team, we calculate: L10: ~360 total reps (both partners combined), L5: ~240 total reps, L1: ~120 total reps. The heavy power cleans create significant metabolic demand, limiting chest-to-bar performance more than a typical pull-up workout.

Modality Profile

Power Clean is a weightlifting movement with external load (barbell), while Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up is a gymnastics bodyweight movement. With two modalities present, this creates a 50/50 split between Weightlifting and Gymnastics.