20 minute AMRAP
The Gridlock
Steady engine · Aerobic Matrix · intensity 2 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
- 10 Combat Sprawls
- 15 Leg Raises
- 20 Glute Bridges
- 30 High Knees
Overview
The Gridlock is 10 combat sprawls, 15 leg raises, 20 glute bridges, and 30 high knees. The work moves through the full body, the midline, and the glutes instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Full body
Glutes
Midline
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 high knees.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so four movements keep you moving for the full clock. On this workout that is 10 combat sprawls, 15 leg raises, 20 glute bridges, and 30 high knees.
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
30 high knees is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Heavy on the hip flexors and core. Use the glute bridges as your active recovery.
Keep the later rounds moving at the same size as the early ones. Do not drop the high knees to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Combat Sprawls
You must land with your entire foot completely flat on the mat when returning from the plank. Landing on your toes in this wide stance places severe shearing force on the knee capsule and kills your ability to rebound.
What not to do. Landing the feet inside the hands, leaving no room to lift the chest.
Leg Raises
Stop lowering your legs the exact millisecond your lower back arches off the mat.
What not to do. Dropping the legs fast and letting the lower back arch off the floor.
Glute Bridges
Keep your toes slightly elevated off the floor to force the drive exclusively through your heels and hamstrings.
What not to do. Driving through the toes rather than the heels, which brings the quads in.
High Knees
Land lightly on the balls of your feet. If you are stomping flat-footed, you are destroying your momentum and your knees.
What not to do. Leaning back to swing the knees higher instead of keeping the torso stacked.
Why these movements
The work moves through the full body, the midline, and the glutes instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep all four movements in the round. Drop reps so the round stays continuous.
Combat Sprawls
- 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.
Leg Raises
- 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.
Glute Bridges
- Shorter range. Lift only as high as you can hold the position without arching the back.
- Both legs. Drive through both feet instead of one.
High Knees
- Low impact. Keep one foot down throughout — march the pattern instead of running it.
- Slower cadence. Same movement, fewer beats per minute. Cadence is the dial, not the shape.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the combat sprawls at a sprint makes the high knees 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 Combat Sprawls, Leg Raises, Glute Bridges, High Knees.
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 Apex
Same midline and glutes, shorter clock
- The Piston Grind
Same midline and glutes, shorter clock
- The Vanguard
Same midline and glutes, same clock
Run it with friends
The Gridlock runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 20-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.