5 minute AMRAP
The Contrast
Core under fatigue · Midline Tension · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:
- 8 Tuck Jumps
- 12 Dead Bugs
Overview
The Contrast is 8 tuck jumps and 12 dead bugs. The work moves through the quads 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: Moderate
- Oxidative: Moderate
- Neuromuscular: Moderate
Training effect
Immediate demand
5 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the dead bugs.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so a trunk position has to survive the moving reps. On this workout that is 8 tuck jumps and 12 dead bugs.
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
12 dead bugs is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Maximum chaos moving to maximum control. Breathe out sharply as the opposite arm and leg extend.
Keep each round about the same length. Do not drop the dead bugs to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Tuck Jumps
This is incredibly demanding neurologically. Do these in small, unbroken bursts (e.g., 5 reps) and take a two-second reset.
What not to do. Landing flat-footed with the knees locked.
Dead Bugs
Speed is your enemy here. Move deliberately to maximize time under tension.
What not to do. Letting the extended arm and leg drop fast rather than lowering slowly.
Why these movements
The work moves through the quads and the midline instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep a brace or a hollow position in every round. Drop the moving reps before you drop the position that makes the trunk work.
Tuck 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.
Dead Bugs
- 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.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the tuck jumps at a sprint makes the dead bugs the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Letting the dead bugs shrink so the rest of the round can speed up changes the workout on the page.
Suited to someone who wants 5 minutes through Tuck Jumps, Dead Bugs.
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
- Core Suspension
Same quads and midline, longer clock
- Static Lock
Same quads and midline, longer clock
- The Iron Cross
Same quads and midline, longer clock
Run it with friends
The Contrast runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 5-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.