10 minute AMRAP
Anterior Retreat
Local muscle burn · Localized Trap · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
Overview
Anterior Retreat is 12 commando planks and 15 superman pull-downs. The work moves through the midline and the upper back instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Midline
Upper back
Energy systems
These are overlapping contributions. This workout is not assigned to one energy system.
- Glycolytic: High
- Oxidative: Low
- Neuromuscular: Moderate
Training effect
Immediate demand
10 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the superman pull-downs.
Intended stimulus
The round spreads the work across more than one region. On this workout that is 12 commando planks and 15 superman pull-downs.
Repeated practice
Repeat the same workout and compare the score. What can change over weeks is how long that pace lasts. One time through does not produce that change.
Body-composition context
Body weight changes with the rest of how you eat and train. This workout is one piece of work on one day.
Expected feel
15 superman pull-downs is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
On the supermans, pull the elbows down to the ribs as if pulling a heavy lat bar.
Keep each round about the same length. Do not drop the superman pull-downs to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Commando Planks
Widen your feet. A wider base of support kills the rotation in the hips, making the core work harder but the movement faster.
What not to do. Always leading with the same arm, so one shoulder does most of the work.
Superman Pull-downs
You must create artificial tension. If you just wave your arms in the air, you are wasting your time.
What not to do. Letting the chest drop toward the floor as the elbows pull back.
Why these movements
The work moves through the midline and the upper back instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep every movement in the round. Drop reps on the hardest piece before you drop a movement.
Commando Planks
- From the knees. Knees down, straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Hands elevated. Hands on a bench or step. The higher the surface, the less you carry.
Superman Pull-downs
- Shorter range. Lift only as high as you can hold the position without arching the back.
- Both legs. Drive through both feet instead of one.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the commando planks at a sprint makes the superman pull-downs the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Letting the superman pull-downs shrink so the rest of the round can speed up changes the workout on the page.
Suited to someone who wants 10 minutes through Commando Planks, Superman Pull-downs.
Scoring and progression
Work through the movements in the order listed, then start the next round. Your score is the number of complete rounds plus any reps of the round you were partway through when the clock hit zero — written as rounds plus reps, so seven full rounds and twelve reps is7+12.
Progression is repeating this workout and comparing that score. The page does not promise a change from one time through.
Related workouts
- The Posterior Triad
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
- Active Sonar
Same midline and upper back, same clock
- Global Retraction
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
Run it with friends
Anterior Retreat runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 10-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.