For time
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Ground to overhead - Intermediate: 30/45 RX: 40/55
Bar facing burpees
TC: 14
2 mile Run
20 Bench Presses - bodyweight
20 Front Squats - bodyweight
20 Rope Climbs - 15 ft
The Pyrrhic Victory workout is a challenging benchmark that combines endurance, strength, and skill. It consists of a 2-mile run followed by 20 bodyweight bench presses, 20 bodyweight front squats, and 20 rope climbs to a height of 15 feet. This workout is designed to test your cardiovascular capacity alongside your muscular endurance and functional movement efficiency. The combination of a long run with the subsequent strength movements requires a strategic approach to pacing and transitions to maximize performance and minimize fatigue.
Begin with a moderate pace on the 2-mile run to conserve energy for the strength components; approximately 70-80% effort is ideal. After the run, aim to complete the bench presses in quick, consecutive sets, managing your breathing to maintain focus. As you transition to front squats, ensure your form remains strict to avoid unnecessary strain. For the rope climbs, practice efficient legless climbs or use your feet to improve speed. In the final stages of this workout, push through any fatigue and maintain a strong mindset. Your finishing time can greatly affect your ranking in the Pyrrhic Victory Memorial Tribute & Holiday Workouts series.
2 mile Run
20 Bench Presses - bodyweight
20 Front Squats - bodyweight
20 Rope Climbs - 15 ft
The Pyrrhic Victory workout is a challenging benchmark that combines endurance, strength, and skill. It consists of a 2-mile run followed by 20 bodyweight bench presses, 20 bodyweight front squats, and 20 rope climbs to a height of 15 feet. This workout is designed to test your cardiovascular capacity alongside your muscular endurance and functional movement efficiency. The combination of a long run with the subsequent strength movements requires a strategic approach to pacing and transitions to maximize performance and minimize fatigue.
Begin with a moderate pace on the 2-mile run to conserve energy for the strength components; approximately 70-80% effort is ideal. After the run, aim to complete the bench presses in quick, consecutive sets, managing your breathing to maintain focus. As you transition to front squats, ensure your form remains strict to avoid unnecessary strain. For the rope climbs, practice efficient legless climbs or use your feet to improve speed. In the final stages of this workout, push through any fatigue and maintain a strong mindset. Your finishing time can greatly affect your ranking in the Pyrrhic Victory Memorial Tribute & Holiday Workouts series.

Begin with a 2 mile run, maintaining a steady pace to ensure you are warmed up for the subsequent exercises. Focus on your breathing and form as you complete the distance.
After the run, transition to bench presses using your body weight. Ensure your back is flat against the bench, and lower the barbell to your chest before pressing it back up, keeping your movements controlled.
Next, perform front squats with your body weight. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, squatting down while keeping your chest up and back straight. Aim for depth in your squat while maintaining balance.
Finally, complete 20 rope climbs up a 15 ft rope. Use your legs to assist in the climb, engaging your core and ensuring smooth, efficient movements to prevent fatigue.


To scale the benchmark workout Pyrrhic Victory, consider adjusting the run distance to 1 mile or even a brisk walk if needed. For the bench presses, reduce the weight to a manageable level, like 50% of your body weight, or substitute with push-ups if necessary.
When tackling the front squats, use a lighter load such as a medicine ball or PVC pipe to maintain form, or perform air squats instead. If you are scaling the rope climbs, opt for 5–10 pull-ups or 10–15 ring rows to target the same muscle groups without requiring the climbing component.
Time caps can also be beneficial; aim for completing the workout within 20–25 minutes to allow for adequate recovery.
Your score for the Pyrrhic Victory workout is calculated based on the completion of the entire round. A full round includes all elements: the 2-mile run, 20 bench presses, 20 front squats, and 20 rope climbs. You need to complete each exercise in sequence to count as one full round.
To determine your score, add the total number of full rounds completed to any additional repetitions performed after your last full round. For example, if you finish 2 full rounds and then complete 10 bench presses, your score would be 2 rounds + 10 additional reps, equating to 2 + 10 = 20 total reps.
Be sure to track your times and repetitions accurately to reflect your performance effectively.


Begin the benchmark workout Pyrrhic Victory with a steady pace for the 2-mile run. Aim for a strong but manageable pace to avoid fatigue early on. Focus on your breathing to maintain endurance.
For the 20 bodyweight bench presses, use a grip that feels comfortable and maintain controlled movements. If needed, take short breaks to ensure form remains intact throughout the set.
As you transition to the 20 front squats, keep your chest up and utilize your core for stability. Consider breaking the squats into smaller sets if fatigue sets in.
Finally, for the rope climbs, practice efficient technique. Use your legs to assist in climbing and conserve upper body strength for the final push.
The workout titled Pyrrhic Victory consists of a 2-mile run, bodyweight bench presses, bodyweight front squats, and rope climbs. Scoring for this workout is based on completing the entire round for time.
A good score would depend on various fitness levels. For intermediate athletes, completing the workout in under 25 minutes would be ideal. Advanced athletes should aim for a time of 20 minutes or less. Elite athletes are expected to finish in under 15 minutes, showcasing exceptional endurance and strength.
Achieving a time under 20 minutes indicates strong pacing and a high level of fitness, particularly in managing both cardiovascular and muscular demands throughout the rounds.


The Pyrrhic Victory workout is designed to test cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and mental fortitude through a series of demanding movements. Athletes will face a long-distance run, coupled with bodyweight bench presses and front squats, which challenge upper and lower body strength simultaneously.
The inclusion of rope climbs adds a functional element, testing grip strength and coordination. With minimal rest, this benchmark workout pushes participants to maintain intensity while managing fatigue. The goal is to balance speed and efficiency, ensuring that athletes can perform high-rep movements effectively under fatigue.
Overall, Pyrrhic Victory encourages a holistic approach to fitness, emphasizing endurance, strength, and tactical pacing to achieve the best possible time.
The official world record for the workout titled Pyrrhic Victory remains unverified, as it consists of a unique blend of running and strength elements. However, anecdotal reports indicate elite competitors can complete this workout in approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
This time frame showcases the exceptional conditioning and strength required to excel in such a demanding routine. Runners must maintain a strong pace during the 2-mile run while efficiently managing the bodyweight bench presses, front squats, and rope climbs.
The combination of endurance and explosive strength makes achieving top times extremely competitive. As more athletes aim to break records, the benchmark for Pyrrhic Victory may continue to evolve and inspire new levels of performance.


The workout "Pyrrhic Victory" honors those who have faced overwhelming challenges and emerged with hard-earned triumphs, often at great personal cost. It symbolizes the resilience and determination of individuals, particularly in military and athletic contexts, where victories can come with sacrifices.
This workout reflects the struggle and tenacity required to achieve success, reminding participants of the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. It serves as a tribute to those who push through difficulties to claim their hard-fought achievements.
bar facing burpee workout, ground to overhead workout
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Ground to overhead - Intermediate: 30/45 RX: 40/55
Bar facing burpees
TC: 14
bar facing burpee workout, clean and jerk workout, for time workout, front squat workout, ring muscle up workout, ring pull-up workout
1 Burpee (jumping) ring pull up / 1 Ring muscle up
2 Clean & Jerk -
3 Front squats
4 Bar facing burpees
Comment: Try to keep a pace of one minute per round.
TC: 12
assault bike workout, dumbbell clean and jerk workout, for time workout, handstand push-up workout, one-arm devil’s press workout, pike push-up workout
12-9-6
OA DB devils press -
Assault bike
Rest 30 sec
12-9-6
Pike push ups/Kipping HSPU/S. HSPU
Assault bike
Rest 30 sec
12-9-6
DB clean & jerk -
Assault bike
TC: 17
burpee to target workout, for time workout, jumping goblet squat workout, knee raises workout, knees to elbows workout, row workout, toes to bar workout, wall ball workout
21-15-9
Knee raises/knees to elbows/T2B
Burpees to target
21-15-9
Wall ball lbs
Cal row
21-15-9
Jumping Goblet squats -
Cal Row
TC: 21
dumbbell box step over workout, power clean workout, running workout, wall walk workout
3 Wall Walks
400m Run
5 Power Cleans
18 DB Box Step Overs
