Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Very Hard

This combines heavy power clean & jerks (225/155) with high-skill ring muscle ups across 4 rounds with minimal rest. The 400m runs don't provide recovery - they're active work that accumulates fatigue. Most athletes will hit failure on either the heavy barbell cycling or muscle ups under fatigue. The combination of strength, power, skill, and endurance demands with no built-in recovery makes this accessible only to experienced athletes.

Benchmark Times for WOD

• Elite: <8:00
• Advanced: 9:00-10:00
• Intermediate: 11:00-12:00
• Beginner: >20:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (9/10): Power clean & jerks are explosive Olympic lifting movements requiring maximum power output. Ring muscle ups require explosive pulling power.
• Stamina (8/10): Heavy power clean & jerks followed by ring muscle ups for four rounds severely tests upper body and posterior chain muscular endurance.
• Strength (8/10): 225/155 lb power clean & jerks require substantial strength, while ring muscle ups demand significant relative strength in pulling and pressing.
• Endurance (7/10): Four rounds of 400m runs with minimal rest between movements creates significant cardiovascular demand and aerobic capacity challenge.
• Flexibility (6/10): Power clean & jerks require good shoulder, hip, and ankle mobility. Ring muscle ups demand shoulder flexibility and thoracic extension.
• Speed (4/10): Limited by heavy loads and technical movements, but transitions between running and strength movements require efficient pacing and quick recovery.

Movements

• Ring Muscle-Up
• Run
• Power Clean and Jerk

Scaling Options

Reduce weight to 185/125 or 155/105 lbs for power clean & jerks. Substitute ring muscle-ups with 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups or 15 regular pull-ups. Consider 300m runs if running fitness is limited. Advanced athletes can add a 5th round.

Scaling Explanation

Scale if you can't perform 2+ unbroken power clean & jerks at Rx weight or lack ring muscle-up proficiency. Athletes should complete each round in 3-5 minutes. If taking longer than 25 minutes total, reduce volume or load. Priority is maintaining movement quality under fatigue rather than grinding through poor reps.

Intended Stimulus

High-intensity glycolytic workout lasting 15-20 minutes. Tests ability to maintain technical proficiency on complex movements under fatigue. Primary challenge is skill-strength endurance with heavy power movements and advanced gymnastics while managing cardiac output from running intervals.

Coach Insight

Treat each round as a mini-sprint with strategic rest. Run at 85% effort to preserve shoulders for lifting. Break power clean & jerks into singles from round 1 - don't attempt touch-and-go. Focus on full hip extension and active shoulders in receiving position. For ring muscle-ups, maintain hollow position and transition aggressively. Rest 30-45 seconds between rounds to prevent total failure on gymnastics movements.

Benchmark Notes

This is a challenging workout with heavy power clean & jerks (225/155) and high-skill ring muscle ups. Round-by-round breakdown: Round 1 (fresh): 400m run = 90 sec, 3 PC&J at 225 = 21 sec (7 sec per rep for heavy load), 5 ring muscle ups = 50 sec (10 sec each including setup), transitions = 15 sec, total = 176 sec. Round 2 (10% fatigue): 400m = 99 sec, PC&J = 25 sec (fatigue + grip issues), RMU = 60 sec (grip fatigue, failed attempts), transitions = 18 sec, total = 202 sec. Round 3 (20% fatigue): 400m = 108 sec, PC&J = 30 sec (singles now), RMU = 75 sec (significant grip failure), transitions = 22 sec, total = 235 sec. Round 4 (35% fatigue): 400m = 122 sec, PC&J = 35 sec (rest between singles), RMU = 90 sec (multiple failed attempts), transitions = 25 sec, total = 272 sec. Total time for average athlete: 885 seconds (14:45). Elite athletes can maintain better pacing and technique, while recreational athletes will experience severe grip fatigue and movement breakdown. The heavy barbell work combined with grip-intensive gymnastics creates a perfect storm for performance degradation.

Modality Profile

Three movements from three different modalities: Run (monostructural cardio), Power Clean & Jerk (weightlifting with barbell), and Ring Muscle-Up (gymnastics bodyweight movement). Standard three-modality split.