McGhee
Heavy deadlifts on repeat for half an hour — a memory scored in reps.
The workout (AMRAP 30 min)
- As many rounds as possible in 30 minutes of:
- 5 Deadlifts — 125 kg (275 lb) / 84 kg (185 lb)
- 13 Push-ups
- 9 Box jumps — 24 in / 20 in
Estimated time: 30 min · score = rounds. This is a long, heavy-pull grinder where the deadlift is the whole workout and everything else is the space between sets. Five reps sounds like nothing, but at 125 kg for thirty minutes each set becomes a decision. Keep a metronome pace from the opening round, reset your setup on every single rep to protect your back, and let the push-ups and box jumps be steady rather than fast.
Standards
- Deadlift: from the floor to full hip and knee extension, 125/84 kg (275/185 lb)
- Push-up: chest to floor, full lockout, rigid body line
- Box jump: two-foot takeoff, full hip extension on a 24/20 in box
- Score is total rounds plus reps in 30 minutes; the 5-13-9 scheme marks the date 5/13/09
Scaling
- Reduce deadlift to 84–102 kg (185–225 lb) men / 61–70 kg (135–155 lb) women
- Push-ups from the knees or to a box; step-ups instead of box jumps
- Cap at 20 minutes to preserve pace and back safety
Coaching tips
- Reset every deadlift rep from a dead stop with a braced, neutral spine.
- Pick a round-per-two-minute target and hold it rather than sprinting early.
- Keep breathing through the push-ups; they are your recovery, not a race.
In honour of
Honours U.S. Army Corporal Ryan C. McGhee, 21, of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, killed in action on May 13, 2009 by small-arms fire in central Iraq. The 5-13-9 rep scheme reflects the date of his death.
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