15 minute AMRAP
The Posterior Triad
Local muscle burn · Localized Trap · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
- 12 Wide Push-ups
- 12 W-Press Ups
- 15 V-Ups
Overview
The Posterior Triad is 12 wide push-ups, 12 w-press ups, and 15 v-ups. The work moves through the chest, the upper back, and the midline instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Chest
Midline
V-Ups
Upper back
Energy systems
These are overlapping contributions. This workout is not assigned to one energy system.
- Glycolytic: Moderate
- Oxidative: Moderate
- Neuromuscular: High
Training effect
Immediate demand
15 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the v-ups.
Intended stimulus
The round spreads the work across more than one region. On this workout that is 12 wide push-ups, 12 w-press ups, and 15 v-ups.
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 v-ups is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Anterior push, mid-back press, hip flexion. Chest to the deck on the wides; elbows glued to the ribs on the W.
Keep the later rounds moving at the same size as the early ones. Do not drop the v-ups to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Wide Push-ups
This angle completely isolates the chest and removes the triceps from the equation. When pectoral failure hits, it hits instantly. Break your sets into 3s or 4s before the muscle completely shuts down.
What not to do. Setting the hands so wide that the elbows cannot reach a right angle.
W-Press Ups
Avoid excessively arching your lower back to cheat the range of motion. If your hips pop off the floor, you are losing the isolation in your mid-back. Keep your neck relaxed and look straight up.
What not to do. Arching the lower back until the hips leave the floor to fake extra range.
V-Ups
If you bend your knees to reach your toes, you are cheating the lower abdominals.
What not to do. Bending the knees to bring the feet closer to the hands.
Why these movements
The work moves through the chest, the upper back, and the midline instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep every movement in the round. Drop reps on the hardest piece before you drop a movement.
Wide Push-ups
- Hands elevated. Hands on a bench, chair or step. The higher the surface, the easier the rep.
- From the knees. Knees down, hips in line with the shoulders — do not let the hips pike up.
- Partial range. Lower as far as you can control and press back. Depth grows as you do.
W-Press Ups
- Shorter lift. Drive into the floor but only lift as high as you can control without the hips or neck cheating.
- Hold the squeeze. Reach the top and freeze for a count instead of cycling reps. Same drive, less fatigue management.
V-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.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the wide push-ups at a sprint makes the v-ups 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 15 minutes through Wide Push-ups, W-Press Ups, V-Ups.
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
- Crossfire
Same chest and upper back, longer clock
- Scapular Shift
Same chest and upper back, longer clock
- Active Sonar
Same upper back and midline, shorter clock
Run it with friends
The Posterior Triad runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 15-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.