20 minute AMRAP
The Stronghold
Armor Protocol · intensity 4 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
How to run it
Squeeze the glutes at absolute maximum tension during the hold to protect the lower back on the down-ups.
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.
The movements
Glute Bridge Hold
"Crack a walnut." Uncompromising glute tension.
Drive through your heels, not your toes. Pressing through the toes shifts the load to the quads.
Pike Push-ups
"Look at your toes, not the floor." Tucking the chin keeps the cervical spine neutral and targets the deltoids correctly.
Keep your legs straight. If your hamstrings are tight, widen your foot stance to maintain the high hip position.
Down-Ups
"Stand tall and proud." The rep is not complete until your knees and hips are locked out and your shoulders are behind your collarbone.
This movement is all about hip-hinge efficiency. Minimize the time spent with your hands on the floor.
Lateral Line Hops
"Pogo stick tension." The knees remain only slightly bent. All the power is generated from the calves and ankles.
Keep your eyes up. Looking down at the line naturally rounds the shoulders and constricts the airway.
Scaling it
Every movement here is bodyweight, so the scaling lever is volume rather than load. If a round is taking longer than about ninety seconds, halve the reps and keep the round count moving — the point of an AMRAP is continuous work, and a round you grind through in four minutes teaches you less than three rounds at a pace you can repeat.
Run it with friends
The Stronghold runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same20-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.