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Advanced Workout Series 4

by Jocko Fuel ·
  April 08, 2026  

This is the last series. The end of the program. Everything you've built — from 8 sets of max pull-ups in Beginner Series 1 to weighted muscle-ups and 180% body weight MetCon deadlifts — comes together here. Pull and Push days run max-rep circuits through six variations with minimal rest for 5 rounds. The clean and jerk builds to heavy working sets again, and the MetCon is a 30-20-10 barbell complex without putting the bar down. And then there's Squat day. Build overhead squats to failure, drop back for 3 more max sets, then add 20% and do 20 back squats without racking the bar. The book calls this what it is: the most brutal set of squats you have ever done. From rep 12 on, every rep requires total focus, concentration, grit, and pure will. That's the final test.

Previous series: Advanced Workout Series 3. New to the program? Start with Start Here: The Jocko Workout Program.

Quick Reference

Pull

Push

Lift

Squat

Primary

5 rounds: muscle-ups / L-sit / L-tuck / dead-hang / kipping / chin-ups (max reps, minimal rest)

5 rounds: ring-dips / ring push-ups / bar-dips / clap push-ups / deep push-ups / push-ups (max reps, minimal rest)

Clean and jerk: build to 4 sets of 2–4 reps

Overhead squat build to failure + 20-rep back squat

Secondary

6 sets hang cleans

6 sets hang snatches

—

—

Tertiary

5 sets reverse curls/curls

—

—

—

Gut

100 V-ups + 100 Russian twists + 100 sit-ups + 100 reverse crunches

5 max sets ring L-sits

5 sets hanging windshield wipers

100 sit-ups (~20% BW on chest)

MetCon

EMOTM: 5 burpees + max pull-ups x 6 min

EMOTM: 5 burpees + max ring-dips x 6 min

C&J (~60% BW): 30-20-10 unbroken

2-mile run

 

Pull Day

The Workout

  • Primary Work: 5 rounds — muscle-ups, L-sit pull-ups, L-tuck pull-ups, dead-hang pull-ups, kipping pull-ups, chin-ups (max reps each, minimal rest)

  • Secondary Work: 6 sets of hang cleans

  • Tertiary Work: 5 sets of reverse curls followed by curls

  • Gut: 100 V-ups, 100 Russian twists, 100 sit-ups, 100 reverse crunches

  • MetCon: Every Minute On The Minute — 5 burpees then max pull-ups, for 6 minutes

Directions

Perform as many muscle-ups as you can in one set. Next do a set of max L-sit pull-ups, then max L-tuck pull-ups, max dead-hang pull-ups, max kipping pull-ups, and finally max chin-ups. Repeat this circuit 5 times, taking minimal rest between sets.

Do 6 sets of dead-hang chin-ups, with a weight that allows you to do 3–6 repetitions per set while maintaining good form.

Complete 5 sets of reverse curls followed by curls, with a weight that allows you to complete 8–12 repetitions.

Gut: Perform 100 each of V-ups, Russian twists, sit-ups, and reverse crunches.

MetCon: On the minute, perform 5 burpees and then maximum pull-ups for a total of 6 minutes.

What's Different from Series 3

Series 3 used 3-minute timed blocks per variation with 1 minute rest. Series 4 strips away the clock — you do max reps of each variation back to back with minimal rest, then move straight to the next one. Five rounds through six variations means 30 max-effort sets of pulling work with barely any recovery. There's no prescribed rest period to hide behind. The gut work also escalates to 400 total reps across four variations. And the EMOTM MetCon — 5 burpees then max pull-ups every minute for 6 minutes — tests what you have left after everything else.

Scaling Summary

Your Level

What to Do

Strong across all variations

Full circuit: muscle-ups → L-sit → L-tuck → dead-hang → kipping → chin-ups, 5 rounds, minimal rest

Some variations very low

Even 1–2 reps per set contributes — the circuit format means you're never stuck on one weakness

400 gut reps

Break each 100 into sets, keep moving through all four variations

EMOTM pull-ups after 30 sets

Do the 5 burpees, get on the bar, get as many as you can before the next minute

Fuel This Workout

Thirty sets of max-rep pulling work across six variations, 6 sets of heavy cleans, 5 sets of curls, 400 gut reps, and a 6-minute EMOTM finisher. This is the most complete Pull day in the entire program.

Push Day

The Workout

  • Primary Work: 5 rounds — ring-dips, ring push-ups, bar-dips, clap push-ups, deep push-ups, regular push-ups (max reps each, minimal rest)

  • Secondary Work: 6 sets of hang snatches

  • Gut: 5 max sets of ring L-sits

  • MetCon: Every Minute On The Minute — 5 burpees then max ring-dips, for 6 minutes

Directions

Perform as many ring-dips as you can in one set. Next do a set of max ring push-ups, then max bar-dips, max clap push-ups, max deep push-ups, and finally max regular push-ups. Repeat this circuit 5 times, taking minimal rest between sets.

Do 6 sets of hang snatches, with a weight that allows you to do 3–6 repetitions per set while maintaining good form.

Gut: Complete 5 max sets of ring L-sits.

MetCon: On the minute, perform 5 burpees and then maximum ring-dips for a total of 6 minutes.

What Are Ring L-Sits?

Ring L-sits are new in this final series — and they're one of the most demanding core exercises in the program. Support yourself on gymnastic rings with arms locked out and your body off the ground. Raise your legs straight out in front of you until they're parallel to the floor, forming an L shape. Hold that position. The instability of the rings combined with the core demand of the L-sit makes this dramatically harder than an L-sit on parallel bars or the ground. If you can't hold the L position on rings, start with a tuck position and work toward straight legs.

Scaling Summary

Your Level

What to Do

Strong across all variations

Full circuit: ring-dips → ring push-ups → bar-dips → clap push-ups → deep push-ups → push-ups, 5 rounds

Ring L-sits are new

Start with ring tuck holds, progress to straight-leg L-sits

EMOTM ring-dips after 30 sets

Do the 5 burpees, get on the rings, get as many quality reps as possible

Fuel This Workout

Thirty sets of max-rep pushing work across six variations, 6 sets of snatches, ring L-sit core work, and a 6-minute EMOTM ring-dip finisher. Your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core are tested from every angle.

Lift Day

The Workout

  • Primary Work: Clean and jerk — build to 4 heavy sets of 2–4 reps

  • Gut: 5 sets of hanging windshield wipers

  • MetCon: Clean and jerks at ~60% BW — 30, 20, 10 without putting the bar down

Directions

Form and technique are absolutely critical. Sacrificing proper form will not make you stronger — it will only make you injured. Attending a live, hands-on coaching program by a professional for these lifts is highly recommended prior to these workouts. If you cannot perform these lifts with strict technique and form, DO NOT DO THEM. YOU WILL GET INJURED.

Perform 8–10 sets of the clean and jerk, building up to 4 sets with a weight that allows you to complete 2–4 repetitions.

Gut: Complete 5 sets of hanging windshield wipers.

MetCon: Perform 30 repetitions of clean and jerks with approximately 60% body weight without putting the bar down, rest 2 minutes. Perform 20 repetitions with the same weight, rest 2 minutes. Perform 10 repetitions.

What Are Hanging Windshield Wipers?

Hanging windshield wipers are the final core progression in the program. Hang from a pull-up bar and raise your legs straight up until your feet are near the bar (like a toes-to-bar). From that top position, keeping your legs straight, rotate them side to side like a windshield wiper. This demands extreme core strength, hip flexor endurance, oblique control, and grip. If you can't reach toes-to-bar, raise your legs as high as possible and rotate from there. Build toward full range.

The 30-20-10 Unbroken MetCon

This MetCon is deceptively simple in description and brutally demanding in execution. Thirty clean and jerks at 60% body weight without putting the bar down. Rest 2 minutes. Twenty more. Rest 2 minutes. Ten more. That's 60 total clean and jerks — a full Olympic lift — at a moderate-to-heavy weight, with the constraint that you don't release the bar during each set. By rep 20 of the first set of 30, your grip, your legs, your back, and your shoulders are all screaming. The only thing keeping the bar moving is discipline. This is a fitting MetCon for the final series.

Scaling Summary

Your Level

What to Do

Experienced with heavy C&J

Build over 8–10 sets to 4 working sets of 2–4 reps

30 unbroken C&J at 60% BW

This is the challenge — if you must put the bar down, do so briefly and get back to work

Windshield wipers are new

Start with a smaller rotation range, build toward full side-to-side movement

Fuel This Workout

Heavy clean and jerk work sets followed by 60 clean and jerks at 60% body weight in a 30-20-10 format. The combination of heavy strength work and high-rep barbell conditioning is the most complete Lift day in the program.

Squat Day

The Workout

  • Primary Work: Overhead squat — build to failure, then 3 more max sets at last successful weight. Then 20-rep back squat.

  • Gut: 100 sit-ups with approximately 20% body weight on chest

  • MetCon: 2-mile run

Directions

Maintain strict form when doing these exercises. Failure to do so can and will result in serious injury. Do not let your ego dictate the weight you use.

Perform 8–10 overhead squats, increasing weight each set until you reach failure. Rest 2–3 minutes between sets. Once failure is reached, drop the weight back down to the last weight you made and perform 3 more max sets.

Once overhead squats are complete, add approximately 20% to that weight. This weight should be a weight that you can back squat about 10 times. Now perform 20 back squats without racking the bar. This should be the most brutal set of squats you have ever done. From repetition 12 on, each rep should require total focus, concentration, grit, and pure will.

Gut: With a plate on your chest of approximately 20% body weight, perform 100 sit-ups.

MetCon: Run 2 miles at a decent pace.

The 20-Rep Back Squat

This is the final test. Not just of Squat day, not just of Advanced Series 4 — of the entire program. Here's what it looks like in practice:

You've already built overhead squats to failure across 8–10 sets and done 3 more max sets at your last successful weight. Your legs are loaded. Your core is fatigued. Now you add 20% to your last overhead squat weight. This gives you a weight you could back squat about 10 times fresh. But you're not fresh. And you're not doing 10 reps. You're doing 20. Without racking the bar.

The first 10 reps will be hard but manageable. Reps 11 and 12 will feel like a wall. From rep 12 on, you are in a place where the weight on your back, the fatigue in your legs, and the voice in your head are all telling you to stop. You don't stop. You breathe at the top. You descend. You drive. You do it again. And again. Until you hit 20.

This is discipline equals freedom in a single set. The program began with 8 sets of max pull-ups. It ends with 20 reps under a heavy bar, alone with the weight and your will.

Scaling Summary

Your Level

What to Do

Experienced with heavy overhead squats

Build to failure across 8–10 sets, then 3 max sets at last successful weight

20-rep back squat

Add ~20% to your last OH squat weight. Do 20 reps. Do not rack the bar. Breathe at the top. Keep going.

Form breaking under fatigue

Stop. Rest briefly at the top with the bar on your back. Then continue. But do not rack the bar.

20 feels impossible

It's supposed to feel impossible. That's the point. The reps after 12 are what this program has been building toward.

Fuel This Workout

The overhead squat build plus the 20-rep back squat is the defining physical challenge of the program. Recovery from this session is critical.

What Comes Next

You finished. All four levels. All sixteen series worth of workouts. Beginner through Advanced.

But this isn't the end. The program is designed to be repeated — with heavier weights, faster times, higher rep counts, and deeper discipline. Go back to What Comes Next: Beyond the Program for guidance on continued improvement, or revisit any series that exposed a weakness and attack it again.

The workouts don't get easier. You get stronger.

This workout is from the Advanced Series Four appendix of Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink. Adapted for jockofuel.com with fuel pairing recommendations.

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