Partner Power: A 90-Minute Journey Through Conditioning and Gymnastics Mastery
By Paul Roberts | Sand and Steel Fitness
🏋️♀️ OnRamp Workout PreviewSunday OnRamp sessions at Sand and Steel Fitness are about to get a serious upgrade. Today’s 90-minute experience isn’t just another session—it’s a carefully crafted journey that will challenge your conditioning, refine your gymnastics skills, and test the strength of your partnerships.
🎯 The Blueprint: What We’re Building
This partner-based EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) session operates on 90-second intervals, creating the perfect storm of aerobic stamina, gymnastic volume, and static core demand. The goal? Build muscular stamina and midline integrity while reinforcing proper mechanics for fundamental gymnastics movements.
90 minutes
Partner EMOM-style
Conditioning + Skills
🔥 Phase 1: Priming the Engine (4 Minutes)
We begin with a diagnostic warm-up that serves dual purposes—preparing your body for work and giving coaches valuable intel for scaling decisions.
Round 1:
- 4 incline push-ups on a box → Scapular engagement and elbow tracking
- 6 reverse lunges → Glute activation and hip stability
- 8 scap shrugs on pull-up bar → Shoulder awareness and pull-up prep
Round 2:
- 4 incline or regular push-ups → Progression check
- 6 box step-ups → Balance and foot placement
- 8 kip swings → Rhythm and grip strength
💪 Phase 2: The Main Event (30 Minutes)
Here’s where partnerships are forged and limits are tested. Every 90 seconds, partners switch between working and holding challenging isometric positions.
🔥 RX Version: For the Fearless
- 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups
- 10 push-ups
- 10 box step-ups (20″/24″)
Partner holds: Handstand (Rx+) or plank (Rx)
⚡ Intermediate Version: Building Towards Excellence
- 6 pull-ups
- 8 push-ups
- 10 box step-ups (20″/24″)
Partner holds: Plank
🌟 Beginner Version: Foundation First
- 5 ring rows
- 5 elevated push-ups
- 5 box step-ups (12″/20″)
Partner holds: Knee plank or active rest
🧠 The Science Behind the Suffering
Pull-up Progression:
We scale intelligently—strict pull-ups to banded assistance to ring rows. Every athlete finds their sweet spot.
Push-up Precision:
Elevation for newer athletes ensures full range of motion without compromising form. Quality over ego, always.
Box Step-ups:
These aren’t just cardio—we’re demanding full hip extension at the top, building posterior chain strength with every rep.
Isometric Holds:
The secret weapon. While your partner grinds through reps, you’re building anti-rotational core stability and shoulder integrity. This isn’t rest time—it’s work time.
Expected Stimulus: What You’re Getting Into
Expect heart rates to climb steadily as muscle endurance becomes your primary limiter. This unique combination of aerobic stamina, gymnastic volume, and static core demand creates a training effect that’s both immediately challenging and profoundly beneficial for long-term development.
🧘 Phase 3: The Road to Recovery (10-12 Minutes)
Recovery isn’t passive—it’s active and intentional:
- Hip stretch on box (90 seconds each side)
- Hamstring stretch on box (90 seconds each side)
- Butterfly stretch (2 minutes)
- Standing calf stretch (1 minute per side)
✅ Why This Workout Works
Inclusive Scaling
Every fitness level finds their challenge without compromising safety or effectiveness.
Time Efficiency
90-second intervals keep class pace sharp and energy high throughout the full 90-minute session.
Skill Development
Gymnastics fundamentals get reinforced under fatigue—where real learning happens.
Community Building
Partner format creates accountability, encouragement, and shared suffering that builds lasting bonds.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t just another workout—it’s a comprehensive 90-minute training experience that develops multiple energy systems simultaneously while building the movement skills that make you a more capable athlete. Whether you’re chasing your first pull-up or your hundredth, this session meets you where you are and pushes you toward where you want to be.
Ready to test your limits and strengthen your partnerships?
Your Sunday OnRamp challenge awaits.
Join us for OnRamp classes at Sand and Steel Fitness, where 15 years of expert coaching meets world-class facilities. Because getting stronger shouldn’t mean going alone.
🚀 Book Your Trial Class Today