20 minute AMRAP
The Ground War
Steady engine · Aerobic Matrix · intensity 2 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
- 10 Surrenders
- 10 Down-Ups
- 15 Strict Sit-Ups
- 20 Double-Tap Jumps
Overview
The Ground War is 10 surrenders, 10 down-ups, 15 strict sit-ups, and 20 double-tap jumps. The work moves through the quads, the full body, and the midline instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Full body
Glutes
Midline
Quads
Energy systems
These are overlapping contributions. This workout is not assigned to one energy system.
- Glycolytic: Low
- Oxidative: High
- Neuromuscular: Low
Training effect
Immediate demand
20 minutes, intensity 2 of 5. Today the limiter is the double-tap jumps.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so four movements keep you moving for the full clock. On this workout that is 10 surrenders, 10 down-ups, 15 strict sit-ups, and 20 double-tap jumps.
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
20 double-tap jumps is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Heavy transition tax. Getting off the floor repeatedly will slowly drain the central nervous system.
Keep the later rounds moving at the same size as the early ones. Do not drop the double-tap jumps to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Surrenders
Alternate your lead leg every round, not every rep, so you don't have to waste mental energy remembering which leg goes first.
What not to do. Letting the hands come off the head to help you stand.
Down-Ups
This movement is all about hip-hinge efficiency. Minimize the time spent with your hands on the floor.
What not to do. Popping the chest up before the hips, so the body peels off the floor in sections.
Strict Sit-Ups
Do not throw your arms forward to generate momentum; force the core to pull the weight.
What not to do. Anchoring the feet under something to pull yourself up.
Double-Tap Jumps
This perfectly simulates the neurological timing of a double-under with a jump rope. Keep the torso completely hollow and rigid in the air.
What not to do. Bending forward to reach the thighs instead of jumping higher.
Why these movements
The work moves through the quads, the full body, and the midline instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep all four movements in the round. Drop reps so the round stays continuous.
Surrenders
- Hold a support. One hand on a wall or chair for balance. The legs still do the work.
- Shorter range. Drop only as far as you can stand back up from without pushing off your hands.
Down-Ups
- Step the feet. Step back and step in instead of jumping. Same shape, no impact.
- Hands elevated. Hands on a bench or step so the floor never comes all the way up to you.
- No jump at the top. Stand tall and reach instead of leaving the floor.
Strict Sit-Ups
- Knees bent. Bend the knees to shorten the lever. The shorter it is, the lighter it is.
- Partial range. Move only through the range where you can keep the lower back on the floor.
Double-Tap Jumps
- Step instead of jump. Same pattern, same range, no flight. Keeps the pace without the landing.
- Lower and slower. Keep the jump but cut the height and take the landing softly.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the surrenders at a sprint makes the double-tap jumps the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Spending the first minutes hard leaves the later rounds as a different, slower workout.
Suited to someone who wants 20 minutes through Surrenders, Down-Ups, Strict Sit-Ups, Double-Tap Jumps.
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 Endurance Engine
Same quads and midline, same clock
- Global Warning
Same quads and midline, shorter clock
- Iron Spine
Same quads and midline, shorter clock
Run it with friends
The Ground War runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 20-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.