FREE TRAINING SESSIONS

During this time of restricted group activities, we are offering free at home training to keep you focused and continuing to build your fitness. Please reach out if there is anything else we can do to help.

At Home

1) Movement Flow
2) Skill Work
3) Conditioning
4) Finisher / Muscle Endurance

You can do these either all together in a single session or spread them through the day.

Home sessions older than 3 weeks available to members.

C2 Bike

If you have a C2 bike at home, now is a good time to learn how to use it to its full capacity.

C2 Bike Week 1

C2 Bike Week 2

C2 Bike Week 3

The entire 9-week plan is available to members.

Assault Bike

If you have an Assault bike at home, learn how to use it to its full capacity.

Assault Bike Week 1

Assault Bike Week 2

Assault Bike Week 3

The entire 9-week plan is available to members.

Running

Since most gyms are closed this is a good time to work on your running (if you’re allowed out).

Running Week 1

Running Week 2

Running Week 3

The entire 8-week plan is available to members.

If you want the full home sessions or want to continue the bike or run plans past week 3, please log in to the members area. If you’re not yet a member, check out our new At Home membership level.

Free Home Workouts – October 18th- 24th 2021

FREE SESSIONS

We provide 3 free training sessions and a sample from our supplemental mobility plan. For the full At Home program including our new supplemental mobility sessions, please go to the members area or sign up here.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Monday – Conditioning (Intervals)
Tuesday – Workout
Wednesday – Run (Intervals or easy run) OR Gymnastics
Thursday – REST
Friday – Workout
Saturday – Conditioning (Intervals)
Sunday – REST

We are experimenting with a slightly different week structure this week. Looking forward to hearing your feedback on how it worked out for you.

As is shown on Monday, a full day consists of four parts:

1) Movement Flow
2) Skill work
3) Conditioning
4) Finisher / Muscle endurance piece

You can do these either all together in a single session or spread them through the day. We hope these sessions will help you continue to train during these difficult times.

Wednesday and Friday include one part of the full session that is available to members.

MOBILITY 8-WEEK PLAN

Overview

This program includes two training sessions per week, each session contains 3 mobility drills for shoulder, hip and ankle respectively, plus a short movement flow. Over a 2 week block, you’ll be exposed to 4 different movements for each joint, and 4 flows. These will then repeat for weeks 3 and 4. Then some new movements to learn across weeks 5 and 6, which again repeat weeks 7 and 8.

The main focus for progression should be range of motion and body control rather than load. Keep the reps slow, maintain core stability and work to stay connected to the working muscles. In addition to this, the sets and reps will increase each time for a more classic progression, but you should only follow that prescription if you’re sure you can maintain the ROM and connection.

SESSION 1

A1. Prone Shoulder extension (VIDEO)
3 x 5
* Keep your arms straight and ribs down (neutral spine) to ensure your shoulder joint is doing most of the work.

A2. Tall kneeling External Rotation (VIDEO)
3 x 4 each side
* The barbell or other upright is most useful to ensure your torso stays upright and allows your hip to contribute all the work to the range of motion.

A3. Skater to pistol (VIDEO)
3 x 4 each side
* Keep your foot pointing straight ahead and drive your knee forward without letting your heel lift.

B. Flow (VIDEO): Lunge + Diagonal + Couch 2.0 + Perfect Stretch + Down Dog + Bear Squat
4 – 8 rounds, alternating
* Practice each piece in isolation first, then link together.

SESSION 2

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

How can you make the most of these sessions?

– Before you go to the gym, read the session you plan to do and watch the videos to become familiar with the movements.

– A completely separate session would certainly allow you to put the most focus into your movement quality.

– However, your individual schedule will dictate whether this can be a reality or not. You may also struggle to find motivation for ‘stretching’…… it’s only human to avoid the less fun stuff, but on the other hand, to be successful we need to figure out how to get the less fun stuff done in order to become the person we want to be.

– One strategy would be to make these sessions part of your warm up or cooldown.

– They would also be a good complement to an active recovery day.

– You could set your alarm a couple of times per day, and take a ‘movement break’ to work through 1-2 drills.

Another strategy is to alternate mobility drills with your strength training. Two approaches in this scenario:

Antagonist supersets: Pick opposing or non related muscle groups, eg. Between sets of front squats, perform a shoulder mobility drill. This is good for when performance is most important, ie, you’re striving for your best work on the squats and so you would avoid any other work that may interfere with that performance.

Agonist supersets: Pick a mobility drill that works the same muscles/joint as the strength exercise, eg. front squats and ankle mobility. This is good when improving the range of motion or position of a movement is most important to you, or perhaps if the particular movement pattern is a strength for you, literally, so you’re not as concerned with absolute kilos on the bar.

Remember that it all adds up! Even a few minutes performed multiple times per week, will ensure better progress long term than longer but sporadic, infrequent sessions.

FLOW

A) Full Body Flow (VIDEO)
* Work through 4 to 6 rounds

SKILL

A) KB Front rack get-up (VIDEO) – 20 to 30 reps, alternating

CONDITIONING

A) 4 sets (A1 – A2 – A3 – A4)
A1. 3 x (90-second AMRAP : 90-seconds rest)
10 DB hang and jerk, alternating
8 DB goblet squat
6 Burpee over the DB

A2. 3 x (90-second AMRAP : 60-seconds rest)
10 Burpee over the DB
8 DB hang clean and jerk, alternating
6 DB goblet squat

A3. 3 x (90-second AMRAP : 45-seconds rest)
10 DB goblet squat
8 Burpee over the DB
6 DB hang and jerk, alternating

A4. 3 x (90-second AMRAP : 30-seconds rest)
Repeat each of the above intervals once (with the shorter rests)

Rest 3-minutes between each part (A1-A2-A3-A4)

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

MUSCLE ENDURANCE / FINISHER

A) 3 Rounds of:
8-12/side DB seated strict press @ tempo 3011
Rest 30-seconds
8-12/side DB row @ tempo 3011

Rest 90-seconds between rounds

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

Tempo. 30×1 = 1-second up : 1-second pause : 3-seconds down : no pause @ bottom

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Today’s short intervals repeat the same theme in variations across each interval set. Work hard to maintain your reps across the variations.

The key physiological driver for adaptations in these sessions is time spent at HR > 90%VO2max (meaning your HR should and will be high). You can think of the pace as a “repeatable/recoverable red zone”. These sessions will be challenging but you should leave knowing that you could have done one more interval in each set if needed.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

CONDITIONING (OPTION #1)

Warm-up

800m Jog
+
2 Rounds of:
10 Hip extension/abduction (VIDEO)
10 Banded squats (VIDEO)
10 e/side Banded lateral steps (VIDEO)
10 e/side Band rotations, change stance each round (VIDEO)
+
2 Rounds of:
10m A-march + jog back (VIDEO)
10m B-march + jog back (VIDEO)
10m “Frankenstein” + jog back (VIDEO)
200m Run
+
400m Run @ progressively faster pace

RUN OPTION #1 – INTERVALS

A) Run intervals
3 Sets of
500m @ 3km pace or faster
300m @ 3km pace or faster

Rest 60-seconds between repeats
Rest 4-minutes between sets

Pace. These should all be hard efforts that are repeatable.

RUN OPTION #2 – LONG RUN

A) 30 to 45-minute Run @ easy pace

Take an opportunity for some easier aerobic work after the hard 5km last weeks. Focus on maintaining a good posture and arm swing as you run. Your aim is to do nose breathing only (in + out) and if you’re tracking your HR, this should be a “Z2” effort (it should feel like an easy effort, although nose breathing might present a challenge of its own).

Option. If you cannot run, you could do the same with any “cardio” equipment you have available (row, ski, air bike, C2 Bike etc.)

GYMNASTICS (OPTION #2)

This is a repeat from 2-weeks ago. Aim to improve on all drills.

A) Wrist warm-up (VIDEO)
* Follow along with the video, spend more time on any of the drills that feel challenging to you

B) HSPU Skill circuit – 2 to 3 rounds of
10-sec bent leg tripod headstand hold (against the wall) + 5 pulses of the knees (VIDEO)
10 to 15-sec bent leg tripod headstand away from wall (VIDEO)
1-3 tuck tripod headstand kip extension to handstand (against the wall) (VIDEO)
1-3 tuck tripod headstand kip extension to handstand (away from the wall) (VIDEO)

(Rest as needed b/t exercises)
Rest 60 to 90-seconds between rounds

C) Ring Muscle up (strength circuit) – 3 rounds of:
30-seconds Table top pulses (VIDEO)
8 back support slide throughs (2-sec pause each position – VIDEO)
8m Reverse Seal walk (VIDEO)
8 Russian v-snaps (VIDEO)
8 Muscle-up push-ups (VIDEO)
30-second ring front support hold (VIDEO) or if you don’t have any rings then complete an 30-second planche lean hold (VIDEO)

(Rest as needed b/t exercises)
Rest 60-seconds between each round

Note. Use a towel on the floor for sliding

D) HSW Strength Circuit – 2 or 3 rounds of:
5 single arm elevation leans in the box pike* or tuck position (VIDEO)
5 controlled straight arm hollow sit-ups (3-seconds down, hold for 3-seconds) (VIDEO)
8 handstand shrugs (back facing wall, hold the top for 2-seconds each rep) (VIDEO)
8 straight arm weighted wall PPT reps (VIDEO)
30-seconds of sideways handstand walking – back facing the wall (accumulate 15-seconds of walking to the left and 15-seconds to the right) (VIDEO)

* Hamstring Mobility Test (VIDEO): Before choosing the box pike position, make sure you have sufficient hamstring mobility. If not, the box tuck position (knees on edge of box) may be a better option for you.

(Rest as needed b/t each exercise)
Rest 90-seconds between each round

SESSION NOTES

Today’s running options are:

1) 800m sets split into 500 + 300m repeats with 60-second rest in-between. Aim to run each repeat @ mile to 3km time trial pace (hard efforts).

2) The easy run is 30 to 45-minutes at a conversational/nose breathing pace, ideally somewhere interesting and perhaps in good company.

Today’s gymnastics is a mix of HSPU, muscle up and HSW conditioning. We did the same session 2-weeks ago. Aim to improve how well you do each drill this week.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

CONDITIONING

A) 10 down to 1 For time
DB power clean
DB squat
Handstand push up

DBs. 2 x 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

Flow. 10 reps of each, 9 reps of each, etc. until done

Movement options
Handstand push up → Standing HSPU variation of choice (VIDEO) → Push ups

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your goal with this workout is to keep each movement unbroken as much as possible, taking appropriate rest between your sets on the bigger rounds to sustain your pace (The power clean should be 1 rep short of the prescribed set number on the higher rep rounds, as you will need to power clean the DB’s up to the shoulders for your squats, so make that your final rep up each set).

If you know that your handstand push up capacity will not allow for unbroken sets, plan your breaks and stick to them so you can avoid getting stuck or needing excess rest.

As you get to the smaller rounds, try to go right from the power cleans into the squats and begin to push your transitions in order to finish out strong.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

Free Home Workouts – October 11th – 17th 2021

FREE SESSIONS

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Monday – Conditioning (Intervals)
Tuesday – Strength Circuit
Wednesday – Conditioning
Thursday – REST
Friday – Competition Workout
Saturday – Run (Intervals or easy run) OR Gymnastics
Sunday – REST

As is shown on Monday, a full day consists of four parts:

1) Movement Flow
2) Skill work
3) Conditioning
4) Finisher / Muscle endurance piece

You can do these either all together in a single session or spread them through the day. We hope these sessions will help you continue to train during these difficult times.

Wednesday and Friday include one part of the full session that is available to members.

MOBILITY 8-WEEK PLAN

Overview

SESSION 1

A1. Pike Thoracic extension (VIDEO)
3 x 6
* As you press your chest towards the box, also elevate your shoulders to your ears, pressing actively into the floor.

A2. Hip Airplane (VIDEO)
3 x 3 each side
* Your free leg should externally rotate such that the toes are pointing 90 degrees away from you. It’s recommended to hold a support, for the best range of motion without losing your balance.

A3. Monkey crawls (VIDEO)
3 x 10m each way
* Sit as low into the squat as possible, keep your feet fairly straight and move slowly and deliberately to maximise the time and tension on the ankle joints.

B. Flow (VIDEO): Diagonal + lunge to half split + Cossack
4 – 8 rounds, alternating sides
* Practice each piece in isolation first, then link together.

SESSION 2

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

How can you make the most of these sessions?

– You could set your alarm a couple of times per day, and take a ‘movement break’ to work through 1-2 drills.

Another strategy is to alternate mobility drills with your strength training. Two approaches in this scenario:

Remember that it all adds up! Even a few minutes performed multiple times per week, will ensure better progress long term than longer but sporadic, infrequent sessions.

FLOW

A) Full Body Flow (VIDEO)
* Work through 4 to 6 rounds

SKILL

A) Handstand walk circuit – 3 rounds
1, ½ or ¼ rotation (each way) of Box pike handstand steps (VIDEO)
2 Kick to handstand with immediate walking on the same spot close to wall* (VIDEO)
3 Kick to handstand (at least 1-5 meters) away from the wall and walk to the wall (VIDEO)

* Aim to get as many hand placements as you can before your feet touch the wall

CONDITIONING

A) 3 Sets of 6 or 9 intervals, alternating
A1. 45-second AMRAP
30 Double unders
AMRAP DB Devil’s press

Rest 15-seconds before A2

A2. 45-second AMRAP
6 DB thruster
AMRAP Burpee

Rest 15-seconds before A3

A3. 45-second AMRAP
6 DB deadlift
6 DB hang power clean
AMRAP alternating lunge jump

Rest 15-seconds before A1

Rest 3-minutes between sets

DB. 2 x 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available
# of intervals. Choose either 6 or 9 intervals for each set depending on your capacity (your aim is to have consistent, hard efforts).

Movement options
Double unders → Speed rope (VIDEO) → Single unders → Jumping jacks (30)

MUSCLE ENDURANCE / FINISHER

A) 8-minute EMOM
1) Right arm DB/KB carry (suitcase, front rack or overhead)**
2) Left arm DB/KB carry (suitcase, front rack or overhead)

** You can choose how to hold the DB/KB and you are free to switch throughout the minute between the 3 options, however the DB/KB cannot be put down for the entire 8-minutes

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

We’ll progress the short intervals to 45-seconds work : 15-seconds rest this week. You’ll have the option to do 2 or 3 “rounds” of intervals in each set. Choose according to your capacity (each interval should be a hard, repeatable effort). Do your best to keep or improve your score on each interval repeat.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

CONDITIONING

A) 4 to 5 Rounds, each for time
400m Run
20 DB snatch, alternating
10m DB overhead walking lunge
20 Push ups
10m DB overhead walking lunge

Rest 2-minutes between rounds

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Find a hard 400m pace to begin each interval that still allows you to get straight to the work on the DB each time. Aim to move through the rest of the movements in as few sets as possible, keeping any rest and transition time short. Avoid rushing through reps on the DB, but find a steady cadence and do your best to keep your breathing under control.

If you feel confident in your push ups, you can go for big or even unbroken sets, but otherwise plan your breaks to avoid getting stuck in the later rounds, just keep the rest short between your sets. Be sure to use the opposite arm on your second set of overhead walking lunges. Because this is the last movement before your rest, you can push the pace a little faster on these lunges, so it might be smart to save your dominant arm for this 10m walk.

These intervals should be tough, but repeatable where you could do 1 more round in the end if needed.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

CONDITIONING

A) For time
3 – 6 – 9 – 12 – 15
DB burpee deadlift
DB hang squat clean
Wall walk

DBs. 2 x 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

Movement options
Wall walk → Reduce reps (2 – 4 – 6 – 8 – 10 OR 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5) → Wall walk as far up as you can control before returning back to the floor

CFG 2021 Event #4 (VIDEO) for reference to wall walks

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your goal on this workout will be to split the DB work into appropriate sets and to manage your rest throughout so you can sustain a threshold pace all the way through. The smaller rounds will go quickly, so avoid the temptation to rush through your sets early on. Find a tough, but sustainable pace and stick to it.

Target to move through each set of DB burpee deadlifts with as minimal rest as possible. Find a rhythm that allows you to just keep chipping away at each set. In the bigger rounds, you may feel the need to rest, but rather than take your hands off the DB’s, rest for an extra second or two at the bottom of the rep before hopping up and finishing.

Have a game plan for how to split your DB hang squat cleans. You can begin with unbroken sets, but may need to break them into at least a couple of sets once you get to the round of 9 or 12. If you feel very confident in this movement, you can remain unbroken the whole way, so long as it doesn’t negatively impact your strategy for the wall climb.

The wall climbs in the bigger rounds is all about managing your rest properly. Use the clock or a breath count to keep you on track as you begin to fatigue and get deeper into the workout. You might need a little longer between reps in the latter part of the workout, so be sure to factor that in. Find that line between resting too long, and rushing back up the wall and risking a failed rep.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

Free Home Workouts – October 4th – 10th 2021

FREE SESSIONS

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

As is shown on Monday, a full day consists of four parts:

1) Movement Flow
2) Skill work
3) Conditioning
4) Finisher / Muscle endurance piece

You can do these either all together in a single session or spread them through the day. We hope these sessions will help you continue to train during these difficult times.

Wednesday and Friday include one part of the full session that is available to members.

MOBILITY 8-WEEK PLAN

Overview

SESSION 1

A1. Trap raise (VIDEO)
3 x 6 e/side
* Knees slightly bent, neutral spine, you could hold onto a rig upright with the free hand for more stability. Avoid being too dynamic; we want full control up and down, do not let momentum overcome control.

A2. Kang squat (VIDEO)
3 x 10
* Hold a plate in a Zercher hold, weight is not really important, it’s more of a prompt to cue you into a deeper position.

A3. Tactical Ankle Rocks (VIDEO)
3 x 8, alternating
* Work to keep the foot pointing straight ahead to maximise the flexion through the ankle and forefoot.

B. Flow (VIDEO): (Seiza & Hip Extension & T-rotation + Down & Up & Bad Dog)
3 – 5 rounds
* Practice each piece in isolation first, then link together.

SESSION 2

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

How can you make the most of these sessions?

– You could set your alarm a couple of times per day, and take a ‘movement break’ to work through 1-2 drills.

Another strategy is to alternate mobility drills with your strength training. Two approaches in this scenario:

Remember that it all adds up! Even a few minutes performed multiple times per week, will ensure better progress long term than longer but sporadic, infrequent sessions.

FLOW

A) Warm up Flow #1 (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) and repeat for 7 to 10-minutes

SKILL

A) Handstand walk skill (VIDEO) – 3 Rounds of:
3 Front support to elevated downward dog stretch
10-second Pike handstand hold
5 – 10 Pike handstand shoulder shrugs
2 Pike handstand with single-leg extensions (5-second holds)
10 Pike handstand shoulder taps

CONDITIONING

A) 2 or 3 Sets of 4 intervals, alternating
A1. 70-second AMRAP
8 DB snatch, alternating
4 Burpee over the DB

Rest 20-seconds before A2

A2. 70-second AMRAP
4 DB hang squat clean
8 Push ups

Rest 20-seconds before A1

Rest 3-minutes before the next set

1 DB for snatch in A1, 2 DBs for hang squat clean in A2
DB. 2 x 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

MUSCLE ENDURANCE / FINISHER

A) V-up conditioning complex (VIDEO)
10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 reps & 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 sec hold
Single leg v-up pulses + hold
Single leg straddle up pulses + hold
L-sit pulses + hold
V-up snaps + hold (Straight or tuck)

(aim for minimal rest b/t exercises)

Rest 30-seconds between each round

Flow. 10 reps w/ 10-sec hold at the end on each exercise, 8 reps w/ 8-sec hold etc. until done

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

We’ll continue with the short intervals this week, now with 70-sec on : 20-sec rest. The short rest will keep the HR high and will require you to find a more sustainable intensity than previous weeks. Do your best to keep or improve your score on each interval repeat.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

CONDITIONING

A) 3 to 4 Rounds, each for time
400m Run
20 KB/DB swing
40 Air squat
20 KB/DB Swing
400m Run

Rest 2-minutes between rounds

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Run at a tough 400m pace to start each interval, but where you can get right onto the DB/KB to begin the swings. Target to keep your swings unbroken on both sets of 20 every time. Find a cadence on your air squat where you can consistently move through all 40 reps with minimal to no breaks between reps.Finish out each interval with a 400m run, aiming to repeat or improve your pace from your initial run.

These intervals should be tough, but repeatable where you could do 1 more round in the end if needed.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

CONDITIONING

A) 12-minute AMRAP
4 – 8 – 12 – 16 – 20 – etc
DB hang clean and jerk, alternating
Pistols, alternating
Double unders (4x reps = 16 – 32 – 64 – 80 – etc)

DB. 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs) or what you have available

Movement options
Pistols → Pistol to a box/couch or similar OR with support (hold on to something) OR Skater pistol squat (VIDEO). On the skater variation, use as much or as little assistance from the back foot as needed.
Double unders → Speed rope (VIDEO) → Single unders → Jumping jacks (16 – 32 – 64 – etc)

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

This workout is an ascending ladder for 12-minutes. It’s very easy to go out too fast when the rounds are quick, and then struggle to hold on as you get deeper into the workout. Aim to find a hard, but consistent pace you can keep throughout the whole 12-minutes.

Avoid trying to rush through sets on the DB hang clean and jerk, but rather find a good rhythm and breathe. Look to keep sets big/unbroken for as long as you can, but take a quick break as needed in the later rounds in order to sustain your pace.

Your speed on the pistols will be dictated by your proficiency with the movement. Find a cadence where you can keep rest to a minimum between reps and can consistently move through the bigger sets. The double unders, especially for the first few rounds, are your opportunity to get your breathing under control if you can stay relaxed. Like the hang clean and jerk, go for big/unbroken sets until you feel you need to take a break to maintain your pacing.

For the full At Home program, please go to the members area or sign up here.

RECOVERY FLOW

A) Hip Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your hips some love.

A) Shoulder Recovery Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to give your shoulders some love.

C2 Bike – Week 1

Welcome to the 1st week of your new C2 bike conditioning plan!

If you have a bike at home, now is a good time to really learn how to use it to its full capacity.

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Learn how to set your bike up for good mechanics
2) Improve your pedalling efficiency
3) Get used to working at 90rpm and above
4) Develop a feel for different paces on the bike
5) Prepare for baseline testing on WK2

If you’re not used to working with a higher cadence (rpm) on the bike, this week will offer some new challenges. You will most likely be riding most sessions at lower damper settings than you might have been using so far.

With that in mind, each session has two options for the cadence and you can drop them down another 5 rpms where needed (do your best to stick with them though as this will help you build up your efficiency and mechanics).

SESSION OVERVIEW

#1 – Long HIIT, 3-4 x 6-minute intervals
#2 – Easy ride, 45+minutes
#3 – Short HIIT, 30:15 intervals
#4 – “FTP” intervals, 3 x 10-minute intervals

Do the training in this order if possible and leave a rest day between sessions #2, #3 and #4.

A few terms to know:

FTP. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power output you can maintain for 60-minutes. A common test for FTP is a 20-minute max effort (with some simple math). It is a useful metric to track your bike-specific endurance and to prescribe training sessions (see below).

FTP Rx. Intended power output in % of FTP. If you have not yet tested your FTP (we will do that on week #2), you can think of it as about 95% of the hardest pace you could keep for a 20-minute effort (or 100% of a full hour, see above). Our focus this week is on exploring the cadence (rpm, see below) so it is fine for you to base the intervals on this and effort based Rx.

Rpm. Your pedalling cadence is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Low cadence (high resistance) pedalling relies on muscle endurance while higher cadence (lower resistance) pedalling is considered generally more efficient. Being able to maintain 90 rpm is a good first reference point to work towards.

#1 – FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

#2 – WARM-UP

Damper setting. 3 – 5, Adjust down as needed for higher rpm parts

#3 – CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3 to 4 Intervals
6-minutes @ hard pace (90-100rpm / 80-90rpm)
2-minutes @ easy recovery pace

FTP (Rx). 104 – 110% FTP for “hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 4 intervals
Damper setting. Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 5 range)

Feel. The first interval should feel controlled then each one will be incrementally harder until you have to really fight on the last one to keep your pace (there might be a small drop off here but not a big one).

# of intervals. If you’re new to C2 bike, 3 intervals will be plenty. Do the 4th one if you feel you’ll be able to maintain the same output as in the previous ones.

#4 – COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your heart rate should end up high (90+% max HR on a bike), especially on the final two sets. The key is to not overdo the 1st interval but set the tone for a hard but repeatable pace (so that the final interval will give you a good fight).

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

#1 – FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

#2 – WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

#3 – CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 45+ minute ride @ 85-95rpm / 70-85rpm

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP
Damper setting. Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 3 range)

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be mainly to maintain the cadence while going at an easy enough pace.

#4 – COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to bike for at least 45-minutes but you can go up to 75-minutes today.

This low-intensity session will improve your efficiency on the bike and help build your aerobic base. Working on staying above 85rpm will also improve your technique and make it easier for you to stay relaxed when pedalling at higher intensities.

#1 – FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

#2 – WARM-UP

Damper setting. Adjust down as needed for higher rpm, baseline setting: 3 – 5

#3 – CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3 sets of 10 – 12 intervals
30-seconds @ very hard pace (90-105rpm / 80-95rpm)
15-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

FTP (Rx). 120-140% FTP for “hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 4 intervals
Damper setting. Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (3 – 5 range)

#4 – COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

The short “30:15” intervals have been getting a lot of attention in the research over the last 5-years for their success in improving well-trained athletes VO2max and work capacity at LT (lactate threshold).

The key physiological driver for adaptations in these sessions is time spent at HR > 90%VO2max (meaning your HR should and will be high). You can think of the pace as “repeatable/recoverable red zone”. These sessions will be challenging but you should leave knowing that you could have done one more interval in each set if needed.

#1 – FLOW

A) Warm up Flow #2 (VIDEO) – Work through the sequence once, pausing for a bit longer in tight positions

#2 – WARM-UP

A) C2 Bike
8-minutes @ easy
+
4 rounds of:
30 sec @ 45-65 rpm w/ damper at 8 – 10 (go as high as you can)
30 sec @ 70-90 rpm w/ damper at 1
+
3-minutes @ easy

Damper setting: 3 to 5 for “easy” pace

#3 – CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3 x 10-minute sets
1-min @ Hard pace (90rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ Moderate pace (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)
1-min @ Harder pace (90-95rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ Moderate pace (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)
1-min @ Hardest pace (90-100rpm / 85+rpm)
3-min @ Moderate pace (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

Rest 5-minutes between sets

FTP (Rx).
Moderate = 90-95% FTP
Hard = 100-105% FTP
Harder = 102-107% FTP
Hardest = 105-110% FTP

Damper setting. Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (2 – 5 range)

Feel. These should feel more controlled than the 6-minute or 30:15 intervals (you should finish the session feeling that you could have done a 4th set if needed). Focus on the changes in pace by adjusting your cadence and the damper setting.

#4 – COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

In this session we want to work on staying slightly above and below your FTP (the highest average power output you can maintain for one hour max effort). A common test for FTP is a 20-minute max effort (estimated FTP is about 95% of avg. watts here).

This is relevant because 20-minutes is long enough to force you to find a pace where there is balance between production and elimination of lactate. Being able to move at a fast pace without accumulating lactate is important for all longer endurance events.

We will be testing your FTP next week to give you some more precise numbers. We’ll use those numbers to better prescribe the training intensities and to measure progress in the upcoming weeks.

C2 Bike – Week 2

Welcome to week two of your C2 bike conditioning plan!

Last week was about getting a good bike set up, improving your efficiency and exploring the higher cadences. This week we’ll establish some baselines that we’ll use to personalise your training sessions and to track your progress over the next weeks.

Here’s what we are going to do this week:

1) 20-minute “field test” for FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
2) 1-minute max calories for AnCap (Anaerobic Capacity)
3) 3000/2500m for time (Max Aerobic Power)

Each test is a maximal effort in different time domains and looking at three different metrics: avg. watts (20-min test), calories (1-minute test) and pace/time (3000/2500m test).

Separate the tests by at least one day (e.g., do them on Monday, Wednesday, Friday). You want to feel as fresh as possible for each one of them.

Make sure to check out how to align your feet, knees and hips for efficient mechanics in this weeks video.

A few terms to know:

FTP. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power output you can maintain for 60-minutes. A commonly used test for FTP is a 20-minute max effort, which you’ll be doing this week.

AnCap (Anaerobic Capacity). AnCap refers to the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the anaerobic energy system. This system is used to produce high power output during shorter work periods, and relies on burning carbohydrates (without oxygen) as fuel. The anaerobic system is the dominant energy system for work periods shorter than 60 to 90-seconds.

Max Aerobic Power (MAP). Max aerobic power is the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the aerobic energy system. This system burns carbohydrates (using oxygen) as fuel. It is limited by the amount of oxygen your body is able to transport to the working muscles. The aerobic system will be the most important for work periods longer than 90-seconds.

Rpm. Your pedalling cadence is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Low cadence (high resistance) pedalling relies on muscle endurance while higher cadence (lower resistance) pedalling is considered generally more efficient. Being able to maintain 90/85+ rpm is a good first reference point to work towards.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Damper setting. 3 – 5, Adjust down as needed for higher rpm parts

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – Maximal (steady) 20-minute effort for average watts/pace

Brief. Your goal is to test the highest STEADY pace (avg. watts) you can maintain for 20-minutes.
Setup. Work through the PM monitor on the bike as follows:
1) “Select workout”
2) “New workout”
3) “Single time (20:00, split time 4:00)”

Damper setting. 3 to 5 range

Feel. This should feel like an all out effort. Try to empty the tank completely in the last few minutes to get the best score possible

Strategy. Aim to maintain the same pace from 0:00 to 18:30/19:00 then push with what you have in the end. See “checkpoints” for details. Remember that we are looking for consistent effort (same watts through the 20-minutes). Start too hard and you’ll die out, too easy and you are not testing your actual limits. You can pace your effort by focusing on RPMs or the watts (set your screen accordingly)

Checkpoints.
@ 0:00 – 08:00: Start at a pace where you feel like you are in control. You should be breathing hard but the legs should not yet feel heavy in this first part.
@ 08:00 – 15:00: This might be the toughest part mentally. It is normal to start to feel tired here and it’s easy to slow down because there is a lot of time left. Try to not think too far ahead but work to keep the pace you started at.
@ 15:00 – 19:00: Hang in there! You’ve come a long way now, hold your pace!!!
@ 19:00 – 20:00: This is the final sprint. Try to increase your cadence and push all the way through the last minute.

4. COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Tracking. After the test you should take note of the following:
– Average watt for the 20-minutes
– Average pace in for the 20-minutes
– Average RPM for the 20-minutes
– Total distance covered in 20-minutes
– Total amount of calories in 20-minutes

– If you have a heart rate monitor you should wear it and note you average heart rate for the 20-minutes (remember to start and stop the watch when you start and stop the test to only get the heart rate during the 20-minutes of work)

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) C2 Bike
9-minutes @ easy pace
+
30 sec @ 100-105 rpm / 85-90rpm
30 sec @ 80-90rpm / 70-80rpm
25 sec @ 100-110 rpm / 85-95rpm
35 sec @ 80-90rpm / 70-80rpm
20 sec @ 100-115 rpm / 85-100rpm
40 sec @ 80-90rpm / 70-80rpm
+
3-minutes @ easy pace with a 10-second standing acceleration every minute @ damper 5-7 for men and 3-5 for women.
+
2-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 2 to 4 range, except for final 3-minutes of 10-sec accelerations (5-7/3-5)

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 1-minute for max calories

Damper setting. 5-7 for men or 3-5 for women.

Feel. This should be your BEST effort and feel extremely uncomfortable.

Brief. Your goal is to test your MAXIMAL output for 1-minute effort. You MUST go hard from the beginning and then hold on (whatever you do, DO NOT STOP!). While we are testing for calories (and not average watts) the intent is very much to continue to put in effort (suffer) through the whole minute!

Setup. Work through the PM monitor on the bike as follows:
1) “Select workout”
2) “New workout”
3) “Single time (01:00)”

Strategy. 1) Sprint, 2) Don’t die, 3) Die a little, 4) it’s ok JUST DON’T STOP!!!!!. See checkpoints for details.

Checkpoints.
@ 0:00 – 0:20: HARD EFFORT, PUSH (You might start standing to ramp the bike up, then shift to sitting @ 0:10 – 0:15)
@ 0:20 – 0:40: It’ll start to really suck, FIGHT to keep as high a pace as possible!!!
@ 0:40 – 1:00: You’ll feel like running through mud, YOU MUST KEEP PUSHING AS HARD AS YOU CAN!!!! Whatever you do, DO NOT STOP!!!! Show what you’re made off and FINISH STRONG!!!!

Rest 3-minutes then carry on to part B

B) C2 Bike – 30 to 45-minute recovery ride @ 80-90rpm / 65-85rpm

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP
Damper setting. Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 3 range)

Feel. You should be able to relax and watch a movie while doing this.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Tracking. After the test you should take note of the following:
– Total amount of calories in 1-minute
– Average watts for the 1-minute
– Average pace in for the 1-minute
– Average RPM for the 1-minute
– Total distance covered in 1-minute

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Damper setting. Adjust down as needed for higher rpm, baseline setting: 2 – 4

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3000 (men) / 2500m (women) for time

Damper setting. 3-5 for men or 2-4 for women.

Feel. This should be your BEST effort and feel extremely uncomfortable.

Brief. Your goal is to test your MAXIMAL output for a 4 to 7-minute effort. You have to go hard from the beginning and then hold on.

Setup. Work through the PM monitor on the bike as follows:
1) “Select workout”
2) “New workout”
3) “Single distance (3000 or 2500m)”

Strategy. Start @ a pace you think you might be able to keep for the entire distance. Remember that we are looking for consistent effort (same watts/RPMs), too hard and you’ll die out, too easy and you are not testing your actual limits. You can pace your effort by focusing on RPMs or directly with watts.

Checkpoints.
@ 1500/1250m – You should feel like you might just be able to keep the pace until the end but it’s going to suck. If it’s feeling a bit easy, pick up your pace by few RPM
@ 2000/1600m – You should be digging deep to maintain, if you can pick up the pace at this point, you started too slow, time to make up for it!
@ 2400/2000m – You should be barely holding on to your pace, time to FIGHT for it. Put your head down and increase the pace.

4. COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting. 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

The distance is adjusted for men / women to keep the efforts in a similar time range.

Tracking. After the test you should take note of the following:
– Time to complete the distance
– Average pace
– Average watts
– Average RPMs

C2 Bike – Week 3

(CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR TEST RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK)

Welcome to week #3 of your new C2 bike conditioning plan!

If you missed weeks 1 and 2, go back and start from the beginning as some of the sessions in this week are based on the previous two weeks.

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Improve your pedalling efficiency
2) Improve your cadence (rpms – pedalling speed)
3) Develop a feel for different paces on the bike
4) Keep building volume at both high and low intensities

We will keep working on higher cadence and lower damper setting to further improve your efficiency on the bike.

Each session still has two options for the cadence and you can drop them down another 5 rpms where needed (do your best to stick with them though as this will help you build up your efficiency and mechanics).

A few terms to know:

FTP Rx. Intended power output in % of FTP (avg. watts from last week’s 20-minute max effort bike).

FTP. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power output you can maintain for a 60-minute all out effort. It is a useful metric to track your bike-specific endurance and to prescribe training sessions. A common test for FTP is a shorter, 20-minute max effort test (which we did last week). In this program, the term “FTP” will then refer directly to your average power output (avg. watts) from the 20-minute test (instead of your estimated 60-minute output that is commonly used).

RPM. Your pedalling cadence is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Low cadence (high resistance) pedalling relies on muscle endurance while higher cadence (lower resistance) pedalling is considered generally more efficient. Being able to maintain 90/85+ rpm is a good first reference point to work towards.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up before getting on the bike.

2. WARM-UP

Damper setting: 2 – 4, Adjust down as needed for higher rpm parts

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3 to 4 Intervals
7-minutes @ 103 – 108%FTP (90-100rpm / 80-90rpm)
2-minutes @ easy recovery pace

FTP (Rx). 103 – 108% FTP for “hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 4 intervals
Damper setting: Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 5 range)

Feel. The first interval should feel controlled. Then each one will be incrementally harder until you have to really fight on the last one to keep your pace (there might be a small drop off here but not a big one).

# of intervals. If you’re new to C2 bike, 3 intervals will be plenty. Do the 4th one if you feel you’ll be able to maintain the same output as in the previous ones.

4. COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting: 1 to 3

B) Hip Rotation Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence)

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

This week we are offering specific FTP Rx based on the test you did last week. Do your best to stay within the prescribed %FTP and cadence (rpm).

Your heart rate should end up high (90+% max HR on a bike), especially on the final two sets of these intervals. The key is to not overdo the 1st interval but set the tone for a hard but repeatable pace (so that the final interval will give you a good fight).

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to loosen your hips up before you get on the bike

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 60+ minute ride @ 55-70%FTP (85-95rpm / 70-85rpm)

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP, adjust the cadence down as needed but only if your pace is still too fast at damper setting 1
Damper setting: Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 3 range)

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be mainly to maintain the cadence while going at an easy enough pace.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO)
Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to bike for at least 60-minutes but you can go up to 90-minutes today.

1. FLOW

A) Squat Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to loosen your hips up before you get on the bike

2. WARM-UP

Damper setting: Adjust down as needed for higher rpm, baseline setting: 3 – 5

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 3 sets of 6 – 8 intervals
40-seconds @ 115-135%FTP (90-105rpm / 80-95rpm)
20-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

FTP (Rx). 115-135% FTP for “hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 4 intervals
Damper setting: Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (3 – 5 range)

4. COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting: 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (VIDEO)
Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

The short “40:20” intervals (and their cousin, 30:15) have been getting a lot of attention in the research over the last 5-years for their success in improving well-trained athletes VO2max and work capacity at LT (lactate threshold).

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (VIDEO)
Follow along (pause the video where needed as you’re learning the sequence) to loosen your hips up before you get on the bike

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 60+ minute ride @ 55-70%FTP (85-95rpm / 70-85rpm)

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP, adjust the cadence down as needed but only if your pace is still too fast at damper setting 1
Damper setting: Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (1 – 3 range)

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be mainly to maintain the cadence while going at an easy enough pace.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (VIDEO)
Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to bike for at least 60-minutes but you can go up to 90-minutes today.

1. FLOW

A) Warm up Flow #2 (VIDEO) – Work through the sequence once, pausing for a bit longer in tight positions

2. WARM-UP

A) C2 Bike
8-minutes @ easy
+
4 rounds of:
30 sec @ 45-65 rpm w/ damper at 8 – 10 (go as high as you can)
30 sec @ 70-90 rpm w/ damper at 1
+
3-minutes @ easy

Damper setting: 3 to 5 for “easy” pace

3. CONDITIONING

A) C2 Bike – 2 x 15-minute sets
1-min @ 100-105% FTP (90rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ 90-95% FTP (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

1-min @ 102-107% FTP (90-95rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ 90-95% FTP (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

1-min @ 105-110% FTP (90-100rpm / 85+rpm)
2-min @ 90-95% FTP (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

1-min @ 102-107% FTP (90-95rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ 90-95% FTP (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

1-min @ 100-105% FTP (90rpm / 80+rpm)
2-min @ 90-95% FTP (85-90rpm / 70-80rpm)

Rest 8-minutes between sets

FTP (Rx).
Moderate = 90-95% FTP
Hard = 100-105% FTP
Harder = 102-107% FTP
Hardest = 105-110% FTP

Damper setting: Adjust to maintain prescribed RPM (2 – 5 range)

Feel. These should feel more controlled than the 7-minute or 40:20 intervals (you should finish the session feeling that you could have done a 3rd set if needed). Focus on the changes in pace by adjusting your cadence and the damper setting.

4. COOLDOWN

A) C2 Bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

Damper setting: 1 to 3

B) Lunge Flow (VIDEO)
Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

We are progressing from 12-minutes on WK1 to 15-minutes. In this session we want to work on staying slightly above and below your FTP. Building volume at these intensities will improve your FTP over time.

Assault Bike – Week 1

Welcome to the 1st week of your new Assault bike conditioning plan!

If you have an Assault bike at home, now is a good time to really learn how to use it to its full capacity.

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Learn how to set your bike up properly for good mechanics (Video coming…)
2) Develop a feel for different paces on the bike
3) Prepare for baseline testing on WK2

A few terms to know:

FTP. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power output you can maintain for 60-minutes. A common test for FTP in cycling is a 20-minute max effort (with some simple math). It is a useful metric to track your bike-specific endurance and to prescribe training sessions (see below).

FTP Rx. Intended power output in % of FTP. If you have not yet tested your FTP (we will do that as part of our testing on week #2), you can think of it as about 95% of the hardest pace you could keep for a 20-minute effort (or 100% of a full hour, see above). Our focus this week is on exploring different paces to give you some idea on what you can hold for the tests next week.

RPM. Your pedalling cadence is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Air bikes use air as resistance, and because they don’t have any gears, both the resistance and power output increase with increasing RPMs.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Air bike
5-minutes @ easy pace, nose breathing only
+
5 rounds of:
10-second acceleration to a pace you think you could keep for 5-minute max effort
50-seconds @ easy pace
+
2-minutes @ easy pace

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 3 to 4 sets of:
3x
1:30 @ Hard pace (see notes)
0:30 @ 5 RPM lower than the hard pace

Rest 2-minutes between sets

FTP (Rx). 100 – 105% FTP for “Hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 3 or 4 intervals

Feel. The first interval should feel controlled then each one will be incrementally harder until you have to really fight on the last one to keep your pace.

# of intervals. 3 sets of intervals is a good dose. Do the 4th one if you feel you’ll be able to maintain the same output as in the previous ones.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Air bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your heart rate should end up high (88+% max HR on a bike), especially on the final two sets. The key is to not overdo the 1st interval but set the tone for a hard but repeatable pace (so that the final interval will give you a good fight).

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 8 Rounds of:
4-minutes @ easy pace
15-seconds left leg only
15-seconds right leg only
15-seconds legs only
15-seconds arms only

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP on the “easy pace” parts. On the legs and arms only you should try to stay within 0-5 RPM lower than the pace you kept on the easy part.

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be to keep moving well on the legs and arms only parts.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

You might have never spent this long on an air bike in a single go before. Hang in there! There are lessons to be learned that can only be learned by putting in the time on the seat.

This low-intensity session will improve your efficiency on the bike and help build your aerobic base. Working on using legs and arms only will also improve your technique and make it easier for you to stay relaxed when pedalling at higher intensities.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Air bike
5-minutes @ easy pace, nose breathing only
+
2 rounds of:
15-seconds left leg only
15-seconds right leg only
15-seconds arms only
15-seconds @ 5RPM above 5-minute pace
60-seconds @ easy pace
+
3-minutes @ easy pace

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 3 sets of
10 – 12x
30-seconds @ very hard pace
15-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

FTP (Rx). 120-140% FTP for “hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all intervals on all 3 sets

4. COOLDOWN

A) Air bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Assault Bike – Week 2

Welcome to the 2nd week of your new Assault bike conditioning plan!

If you have an Assault bike at home, now is a good time to really learn how to use it to its full capacity.

We’ll start this week by establishing some baselines that we’ll use to personalise your training sessions and to track your progress over the next weeks.

Here’s what we are going to do this week:

1) 5-minute MAP (Max Aerobic Power) test
2) 20-minute “field test” for FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
3) 1-minute max calories for AnCap (Anaerobic Capacity)

The twist here is that we’ll do all of those tests in a single session (it’ll be great!). We can then dedicate the rest of the week to training.

Make sure to read the notes for the testing session carefully so you can 1) record the correct data/results, 2) perform at your best!

A few terms to know:

AnCap (Anaerobic Capacity). AnCap refers to the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the anaerobic energy system. This system is used to produce high power output during shorter work periods and relies on burning carbohydrates (without oxygen) as fuel. The anaerobic system is the dominant energy system for work periods shorter than 60 to 90-seconds.

Max Aerobic Power (MAP). Max aerobic power is the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the aerobic energy system. This system burns carbohydrates (using oxygen) as fuel and is therefore limited by the amount of oxygen your body is able to transport to the working muscles. The aerobic system will be the most dominant energy system for work periods longer than 90-seconds.

MAP/FTP Rx. Intended power output in % of MAP or FTP (avg. watts from 5-minute (MAP) and 20-minute (FTP) max effort bike tests).

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Air bike
7-minutes @ easy pace, nose breathing only
+
5 rounds of:
15-second acceleration to a pace you think you could keep for 5-minute max effort
45-seconds @ easy pace
+
3-minutes @ easy pace

3. TESTING

Your goal is to give your BEST effort in each one of the tests, independent of the others = Focus on one thing at a time, you’ll have some time to recover between each test.

Part #1 – Max Aerobic Power (MAP)

A) Assault bike – Max steady 5-minute effort for average watts

Brief. Your goal is to test the highest STEADY pace (avg. watts) you can maintain for 5-minutes.
Setup. Set your Assault bike to “Target time” of 5:00, the test starts when you press “ENTER”

Strategy. Start @ a pace you think you might be able to keep for the whole 5-minutes. Remember that we are looking for consistent effort (same watts/RPMs through the 5-minutes), too hard and you’ll die out, too easy and you are not testing your actual limits. You can pace your effort by focusing on RPMs or directly with watts.

Data (collect this).
Watts. Your average watts (NOT total watts) for the 5-minutes
RPMs. Your average RPMs
Calories. Your total calories

Checkpoints.
@ 2:30 – You should feel like you might just be able to keep the pace until the end but it’s going to suck. If it’s feeling a bit easy, pick up your pace by 1 – 2 RPM
@ 3:00 – You should be digging deep to maintain, if you can pick up the pace at this point, you started too slow, time to make up for it.
@ 4:00 – You should be barely holding on to your pace, time to FIGHT for it

After you finish the 5-minutes (what to do before the next test):
1. Record your results (take a photo of your AB screen, make sure it’s displaying the avg. watts, NOT max watts, when taking the photo).
2. Walk around for 5-minutes to recover
3. Pedal @ easy pace for 2-minutes
4. Recover for 1-minute THEN move to part #2 for the next test

Part #2 – Functional Threshold Power (FTP)

B) Assault bike – Max steady 20-minute effort for average watts

Brief. Your goal is to test the highest STEADY pace (avg. watts) you can maintain for 20-minutes.
Setup. Set your Assault bike to “Target time” of 20:00, the test starts when you press “ENTER”

Data (collect this).
Watts. Your average watts (NOT total watts) for the 20-minutes
RPMs. Your average RPMs
Calories. Your total calories
Average HR (optional – if you have an HR monitor). This is a rough estimate of your HR @ your LT (Lactate Threshold)

Strategy. Aim to maintain the same pace from 0:00 to 19:00 then push with what you have in the end. See “checkpoints” for details. Remember that we are looking for consistent effort (same watts/RPMs through the 20-minutes), too hard and you’ll die out, too easy and you are not testing your actual limits. You can pace your effort by focusing on RPMs or directly with watts.

Checkpoints.
@ 0:00 – 10:00: Start with and maintain 80% of your 5-minute pace (watts), for example: if you got avg. 395 watts, your pace here would be 316 watts (approximately).
@ 10:00 – 12:00: Adjust your pace as needed to where you feel like you can maintain it for the remaining time
@ 15:00 – 19:00: Hang in there! You’ve come a long way now, hold your pace!!!
@ 19:00 – 20:00: Try to increase the pace and finish strong!

After you finish the 20-minutes (what to do before the next test):
1. Record your results (take a photo of your AB screen, make sure it’s displaying the avg. watts, NOT max watts, when taking the photo).
2. Walk around for 2-minutes to recover
3. Pedal @ easy pace for 2-minutes
4. Recover for 1-minute THEN move to part #3 for the next test

Part #3 – Anaerobic Capacity

C) Assault bike – Max ALL OUT 1-minute effort for average watts

Brief. Your goal is to test your MAXIMAL output for 1-minute effort. You MUST go hard from the beginning and then hold on (whatever you do, DO NOT STOP! This will kill your average watt output and invalidate the test)
Setup. Set your Assault bike to “Target time” of 1:00, the test starts when you press “ENTER”

Data.
Watts. Your average watts (NOT total watts) for the 1-minute
RPMs. Your average RPMs
Calories. Your total calories

Strategy. 1) Sprint, 2) Don’t die, 3) Die a little, 4) it’s ok JUST DON’T STOP!!!!!. See checkpoints for details.

Checkpoints.
@ 0:00 – 0:20: HARD EFFORT, PUSH (You might start standing to ramp the bike up, then shift to sitting
@ 0:20 – 0:40: It’ll start to really suck, FIGHT to keep as high a pace as possible!!!
@ 0:40 – 1:00: You’ll feel like running through mud, YOU MUST KEEP PUSHING AS HARD AS YOU CAN!!!! Whatever you do, DO NOT STOP!!!! Show what you’re made off and FINISH STRONG!!!!

After you finish the 1-minute:
1. Record your results (take a photo of your AB screen, make sure it’s displaying the avg. watts, NOT max watts, when taking the photo).
2. Walk around for 2 to 5-minutes to recover
3. Pedal @ easy pace for 3 to 5-minutes to cooldown
4. You’re done! Congrats!!!

SESSION NOTES

Today, we will test your grit, your conditioning and ability to suffer (productively) on the Assault bike. We have three tests (5-minutes, 20-minutes and 1-minute), each done for max average watts.

We use the watts as
1) they allow for an athlete to athlete comparison (both absolute and adjusted to bodyweight)
2) Can be used for % based prescriptions for conditioning (unlike calories and RPMs which don’t work so well).
3) Force a more steady effort on all tests (short sprints won’t work here as they might do with calories)

We, of course, will also want you to track your total calories for each effort (as this will further help you think about pacing in workouts).

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 9 rounds of:
4-minutes @ 55-70% FTP
20-sec left leg only
20-sec right leg only
20-sec arms only

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP should feel like an “easy pace”. On the legs and arms only you should try to stay within 0-5 RPM lower than the pace you kept on the easy part. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 20-minute max effort test ( = your FTP, Functional Threshold Power).

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be to keep moving well on the legs and arms only parts.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

You might have never spent this long on an air bike in a single go before. Hang in there! There are lessons to be learned that can only be learned by putting in the time on the seat.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 3 sets of
6 – 8x
40-seconds @ 98-103%MAP (watts)
20-seconds @ rest

3-minutes rest between sets

MAP (Rx). 98-103% MAP should feel like a “very hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all intervals on all 3 sets. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 5-minute max effort test ( = your MAP, Max Aerobic Power)

4. COOLDOWN

A) Air bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Assault Bike – Week 3

Welcome to the 3rd week of your Assault bike conditioning plan!

If you have an air bike at home, now is a good time to really learn how to use it to its full capacity.

Now that we have established some baselines last week, it’s time to get to work to push those numbers up over the next 5-weeks.

Here’s what we are going to do this week:

1) Keep Improving your pedalling efficiency
2) Get used to applying the paces from the test results to training (to find the right intensities for each session)
3) Continue developing the feel for different paces on the bike
4) Keep building volume at both high and low intensities

Make sure to have your testing results for 5-minutes (MAP) and 20-minutes (FTP) handy and read the notes for each session carefully (so you can find the right intensity and intent for each one).

A few terms to know:

FTP. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the highest average power output you can maintain for a 60-minute all-out effort. It is a useful metric to track your bike-specific endurance and to prescribe training sessions. A common test for FTP is a shorter, 20-minute max effort test (which we did on the 2nd week of this plan). In this program, the term “FTP” will then refer directly to your average power output (avg. watts) from the 20-minute test (instead of commonly used 60-minute output).

AnCap (Anaerobic Capacity). AnCap refers to the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the anaerobic energy system. This system is used to produce high power output during shorter work periods and relies on burning carbohydrates (without oxygen) as fuel. The anaerobic system is the dominant energy system for work periods shorter than 60 to 90-seconds.

Max Aerobic Power (MAP). Max aerobic power is the highest amount of energy you are able to produce using the aerobic energy system. This system burns carbohydrates (using oxygen) as fuel and is therefore limited by the amount of oxygen your body is able to transport to the working muscles. The aerobic system will be the most dominant energy system for work periods longer than 90-seconds.

MAP/FTP Rx. Intended power output in % of MAP or FTP (avg. watts from 5-minute (MAP) and 20-minute (FTP) max effort bike tests).

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Air bike
5-minutes @ easy pace, nose breathing only
+
5 rounds of:
15-second acceleration up to 100%MAP
45-seconds @ easy pace
+
2-minutes @ easy pace

MAP (Rx). 100% MAP should feel like a “very hard pace”. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 5-minute max effort test ( = your MAP, Max Aerobic Power)

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air Bike – 3 to 4 sets
3x
2:00 @ 100%FTP
0:30 @ 5rpm slower

Rest 2-minutes between sets

FTP (Rx). 100 – 105% FTP for “Hard pace”, aim for a pace you can repeat (with effort) on all 3 or 4 intervals. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 20-minute max effort test ( = your FTP, Functional Threshold Power).

Feel. The first interval should feel controlled then each one will be incrementally harder until you have to really fight on the last one to keep your pace.

# of intervals. 3 sets of intervals is a good dose. Do the 4th one if you feel you’ll be able to maintain the same output as in the previous ones.

SESSION NOTES

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 10 rounds of:
3:30 @ 55-70% FTP
30-sec left leg only
30-sec right leg only
30-sec arms only

FTP (Rx). 55-70% FTP should feel like an “easy pace”. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 20-minute max effort test ( = your FTP, Functional Threshold Power). On the legs and arms only you should try to stay within 0-5 RPM lower than the pace you kept on the easy part.

Feel. You should be able to watch a movie while doing this. The challenge should be to keep moving well on the legs and arms only parts.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

You might have never spent this long on an air bike in a single go before. Hang in there! There are lessons to be learned that can only be learned by putting in the time on the seat.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Air bike
5-minutes @ easy pace, nose breathing only
+
2 rounds of:
15-seconds left leg only
15-seconds right leg only
15-seconds arms only
15-second acceleration up to 105%MAP
60-seconds @ easy pace
+
3-minutes @ easy pace

MAP (Rx). 105% MAP should feel like a “very hard pace”. You calculate this off your avg. watts on the 5-minute max effort test ( = your MAP, Max Aerobic Power)

3. CONDITIONING

A) Air bike – 3 sets of
4 – 6x
60-seconds @ 98-103%MAP (watts)
30-seconds @ rest

3-minutes rest between sets

4. COOLDOWN

A) Air bike – 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

The short “60:30” intervals (and their cousins, “40:20” and “30:15”) have been getting a lot of attention in the research over the last 5-years for their success in improving well-trained athletes VO2max and work capacity at LT (lactate threshold).

Running – Week 1

Welcome to the 1st week of your running conditioning plan!

Since most gyms are closed this is a good time to work on your running (if you’re allowed out). This program will help you improve your running efficiency and endurance which will carry over to other workouts.

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Prepare your joints, tendons and muscles for gradually more running over the next 8 weeks
2) Improve your running technique through specific warm-up drills
3) Develop a feel for different paces
4) Work on both short, intense sessions and longer sessions at a lower intensity

If you are not used to running we recommend you start with only two sessions per week. If you have been running consistently for the last month you can start with all three sessions. This first week is an introduction to the plan. Next week we will test your 5km time to establish a starting point for the coming weeks training.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Run
5-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (VIDEO)
10m A-march + jog back
10m B-march + jog back
+
3-minutes @ easy pace
+
2 x 200m @ increasing speed (up to the pace you think you can hold for the intervals in today’s session=

Recover for 1-minute between the 200-meter repeats

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 3 sets of 8 – 10 intervals
30-seconds @ very hard pace
15-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

Feel. The first interval should feel controlled. From there, each one will get incrementally harder until you have to really fight on the last one to keep your pace (there might be a small drop-off here but it shouldn’t be a big one). The pace should be higher than on the other two sessions this week.

Instructions.
– If you are running on a treadmill you should set it to 2% incline and try to find a pace where it is really challenging for you to hold on for all the intervals and sets.
– If you are running outside you should try to find a flat stretch, mark your starting point, run 30-seconds in one direction, mark where you finished, and then use that as a starting point for the next intervals when you run back to where you started the first one. If you do the first interval right it should be challenging (but still doable) to cover the same distance on all intervals and sets for the rest of the session.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

1. FLOW

A) Warm up Flow #2 (VIDEO) – Work through the sequence once, pausing for a bit longer in tight positions

2. WARM-UP

A) Run
6-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (VIDEO)
10m A-march + jog back
10m B-march + jog back
+
2-minutes @ easy pace
+
100m, 200m, 300m @ your 5k-pace (or if you don´t know; a pace you think you could hold for a 5k)

Rest 30-seconds between each effort.

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 3 to 4 sets of:
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace

Rest 3-minutes between sets

Alternative.
If you don’t have access to a track, treadmill or GPS watch, you can do this instead:

3 to 4 sets of:
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace

Rest 3-minutes between sets

Feel. These should feel more controlled than the 30:15 intervals (you should finish the session feeling that you could have done a 4th or 5th set if needed).

Instructions.
– If you are running on a treadmill you should set it to an incline between 2 and 4%.
– This session is a good opportunity to get a feel for your 5k-pace (which we will test next week). If you can run the 400m´s in this session at a 2:00 pace comfortably and still feel like you could have done another interval at the end of this session, then that might be a good pace to start at for next week’s 5k-test. That will give you a 25-minute 5k-time.
– If you already know your 5k-time, the 400m´s in this session should be done at around that pace.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your heart rate should end up high (90+% max HR), especially on the final two sets of these intervals. The key is to not overdo the 1st interval but set the tone for a hard but repeatable pace (so that the final interval will give you a good fight).

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 30 to 45-minutes

Feel. This should feel almost like a warm-up. You should be able to keep a conversation with someone if you had to.

Instructions.
– If possible try to find some soft surface like grass or a track in the woods.
– If you have a heart rate monitor and know your maximum heart rate you should stay below 75% of that in this session.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to run for at least 30-minutes but you can go up to 45-minutes today.

This low-intensity session will improve your efficiency and help build your aerobic base.

Running – Week 2

Welcome to the 2nd week of your running conditioning plan!

This week we will do a 5km time trial to set a baseline for your progress over the next weeks and to help you choose the right paces for the upcoming sessions

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Test your 5k time
2) Improve your running technique through specific warm-up drills
3) Develop a feel for different paces
4) Work on both short, intense sessions and longer sessions at a lower intensity

If you are not used to running we recommend you do only two sessions this week. In this case you should prioritize the 5k-test and the short high intensity interval session. If you have been running consistently for the last month you can do all three sessions.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Recover for 1-minute between the 200-meter repeats

3. 5km Time Trial

A) 5000m run on a track

Instructions:
– 5000m is 12.5 rounds on a normal 400m track
– If you don’t have the opportunity to run on a track you can also do this on a treadmill, air runner or just outside. If you decide to test outside you should find a set starting point and an end point that is close to 5000m, and as flat as possible.

Data (collect this).
Total time for the 5k
Time per round (if you have someone to help you write it down, or you can use a lap function on your watch if you have one)

Checkpoints.
@ 1000m – Focus on running as relaxed as possible while still holding a good pace to hit your target lap times
@ 2000m – You should feel like you might just be able to keep the pace until the end but it’s going to suck. If it’s feeling a bit easy, pick up your pace.
@ 3000m – You should be digging deep to maintain, if you can pick up the pace at this point, you started too slow, time to make up for it.
@ 4000m – You should be barely holding on to your pace, time to FIGHT for it
@ 4600m – Only one round left. Increase your frequency and give it all you got

Strategy/pacing. Start @ a pace you think you might be able to keep for the whole 5k. Remember that we are looking for consistent effort, too hard and you’ll die out, too easy and you are not testing your actual limits. You can pace your effort by looking at your 400m-times. If you have a specific goal in mind you should calculate what your average 400m time should be to reach that goal.

Example: Your goal is 25-minutes.
25-minutes is 1500 seconds (25×60)
That means you have 120 seconds per 400m round (1500 seconds / 12.5 rounds)
Running 2:00 rounds will make you reach your goal.

If you have someone to help you, write down your goal split times for each 400m and have the person tell you each round if you are on pace, in front or behind for your target time. For example: If you pass the 2000m mark at 9:55 you will be 5-seconds in front of your 25-minute goal.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

1. FLOW

A) Transition Flow (VIDEO) – Work through the flow sequence for 6 to 10-minutes to loosen your body up

2. WARM-UP

A) Run
5-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (https://vimeo.com/409174509/7c8a8dd183)
10m A-skip + jog back
10m B-skip + jog back
+
3-minutes @ easy pace
+
2 x 200m @ increasing speed (up to the pace you think you can hold for the intervals in today’s session=

Recover for 1-minute between the 200-meter repeats

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 3 sets of 6 intervals
40-seconds @ very hard pace
20-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

Instructions.
– If you are running on a treadmill you should set it to 2% incline and try to find a pace where it is really challenging for you to hold on for all the intervals and sets.
– If you are running outside you should try to find a flat stretch, mark your starting point, run 40-seconds in one direction, mark where you finished, and then use that as a starting point for the next intervals when you run back to where you started the first one. If you do the first interval right it should be challenging (but still doable) to cover the same distance on all intervals and sets for the rest of the session.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

These types of short intervals have been getting a lot of attention in the research over the last 5-years for their success in improving well-trained athletes VO2max and work capacity at LT (lactate threshold).

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

2-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (https://vimeo.com/409174509/7c8a8dd183)
15m A-skip + jog back
15m B-skip + jog back

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 25 to 40-minutes

Feel. This should feel almost like a warm-up. You should be able to keep a conversation with someone if you had to.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to run for at least 30-minutes but you can go up to 45-minutes today.

This low-intensity session will improve your efficiency and help build your aerobic base.

Running – Week 3

Welcome to the 3rd week of your running conditioning plan!

This week we will keep building your volume on the running sessions, and start laying the foundation for improving your last week’s 5k time.

Here’s what we are going to work towards this week:

1) Improve your running technique through specific warm-up drills
2) Develop a feel for different paces
3) Work on both short, intense sessions and longer sessions at a lower intensity

If you are not used to running we recommend you do only two sessions this week. In this case you should prioritize the long high intensity intervals and the short high intensity intervals. If you have been running consistently for the last month you can do all three sessions.

1. FLOW

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

A) Run
5-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (VIDEO)
10m A-march + jog back
10m B-march + jog back
10m “Frankenstein” + jog back (VIDEO)
+
3-minutes @ easy pace
+
2 x 200m @ increasing speed (up to the pace you think you can hold for the intervals in today’s session)

Recover for 1-minute between the 200-meter repeats

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 3 sets of 4 intervals:
60-seconds @ very hard pace
30-seconds @ rest

2 to 3-minutes rest between sets

Instructions.
– If you are running on a treadmill you should set it to 2% incline and try to find a pace where it is really challenging for you to hold on for all the intervals and sets.
– If you are running outside you should try to find a flat stretch, mark your starting point, run 60-seconds in one direction, mark where you finished, and then use that as a starting point for the next intervals when you run back to where you started the first one. If you do the first interval right it should be challenging (but still doable) to cover the same distance on all intervals and sets for the rest of the session.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

The short intervals have been getting a lot of attention in the research over the last 5-years for their success in improving well-trained athletes VO2max and work capacity at LT (lactate threshold).

1. FLOW

A) Warm up Flow #2 (VIDEO) – Work through the sequence once, pausing for a bit longer in tight positions

2. WARM-UP

A) Run
6-minutes @ easy pace
+
3 rounds of (VIDEO)
10m A-march + jog back
10m B-march + jog back
10m “Frankenstein” + jog back (VIDEO)
+
2-minutes @ easy pace
+
100m, 200m, 300m @ your 5k-pace

Rest 30-seconds between each effort.

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 3 to 4 sets of:
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace
400m @ Hard pace
100m @ Moderate pace

Rest 3-minutes between sets

Pace.
Hard pace = 0 to 10-seconds faster per 400m than your average 5k pace
Moderate pace = 3 to 6-seconds slower per 100m than your average 5k pace

Alternative.
If you don’t have access to a track, treadmill or GPS watch, you can do this instead:

3 to 4 sets of:
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace
2:00 @ Hard pace
0:30 @ Moderate pace

Rest 3-minutes between sets

Feel. These should feel more controlled than the 60:30 intervals (you should finish the session feeling that you could have done a 4th or 5th set if needed).

Instructions.
– If you are running on a treadmill you should set it to an incline between 2 and 4%.
– To calculate your average 400m pace from the 5k test: convert your 5k-time to seconds. If you ran 25-minutes that is 1500 seconds. Then divide by 12.5 (rounds): 1500/12.5 = 120 seconds = 2-minutes per 400m
– To calculate your average 100m pace from the 5k test: convert your 5k-time to seconds. If you ran 25-minutes that is 1500 seconds. Then divide by 50 : 1500/50 = 30 seconds per 100m.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Jog/walk – 5 to 10-minutes @ easy pace

B) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

These sessions will help you push up both your VO2max and power at your threshold.

1. FLOW

A) Hip Rotation Flow (7-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow for 7 to 10-minutes to loosen your hips up

2. WARM-UP

Go straight into the main part of the session

3. CONDITIONING

A) Run – 40 to 50-minutes

Feel. This should feel almost like a warm-up. You should be able to keep a conversation with someone if you had to.

Instructions.
– If possible try to find some soft surface like grass or a forest track.
– If you have a heart rate monitor and know your maximum heart rate you should stay below 75% of that in this session.

4. COOLDOWN

A) Lunge Flow (2-minute VIDEO) – Work through the flow 2 to 3x to restore your hip range of motion

SESSION NOTES FOR CONDITIONING

Your aim is to run for at least 40-minutes but you can go up to 50-minutes today.

This low-intensity session will improve your efficiency and help build your aerobic base.