3 Rounds for Time: 1 Deadlift 455/320 lb, 2 Muscle-Ups, 3 Squat Cleans 250/175 lb, 4 Handstand Push-Ups
Primary movement: Heavy Deadlift
King Kong is the heaviest benchmark in common circulation: 3 rounds for time of 1 deadlift (455/320 lb), 2 muscle-ups, 3 squat cleans (250/175 lb) and 4 handstand push-ups. Only 30 total reps, but the loads are near-maximal for most strong athletes. King Kong is the anti-Fran: instead of light and fast, it asks whether your top-end strength and highest-skill gymnastics coexist. Simply finishing it Rx is a legitimate elite milestone.
| Level (Time) | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 8:00+ (scaled) | 8:30+ (scaled) |
| intermediate | 6:00 | 6:30 |
| advanced | 4:30 | 5:00 |
| elite | sub 3:15 | sub 3:45 |
Completing King Kong Rx at all is an advanced/elite achievement.
Treat it like a heavy lifting session with a clock, not a metcon. Full setup and brace on every deadlift and clean - no rep is worth a back injury at these loads. Rest 20-40 seconds before the big lifts; the score difference is trivial compared to a missed 250 lb clean. Muscle-ups and HSPU are your 'recovery' only if they're automatic for you. Warm up to near-max singles in both lifts before starting.
Scaled: 3 rounds of 1 deadlift at 85% 1RM, 2 chest-to-bar pull-ups + 2 ring dips, 3 squat cleans at 80% 1RM, 4 pike push-ups. The stimulus is heavy singles under mild fatigue - scale by percentage, not to a fixed light weight.
Log every result, see your progress over time, and know exactly where you stand.