Cardio is Hardio: An ode to fitness.

Coach Michael | 04/16/2020 | 3

Howdy y’all, with the spring weather being as crazy as the rest of this dumpster fire of a year, Friday looks ok so lets take it outside a bit (safely and observing the new Social Distancing World Order).

Although our WFH (WOD From Home) Programming has been steady, I feel like the one thing suffering above all else is the ‘engine’. Cardiovascular endurance takes work to build and goes away quickly, so today let’s put in some effort on that critical aspect of our fitness with some interval training.

First for Mobility: Pick 4-5 of the stretches you now know and love:
Runner’s Stretch R/L, Pigeon R/L, Squat Hold Reach, Calf Stretch, Quad Stretch (Front Fold/Standing Foot Hold), Knee Rotations, Ankle Rotations, Good Mornings, Up/Down Dog, etc….
Do these stretches religiously, sitting inside all day is NOT helping your flexibility either! Hold each stretch on each side (where required) for 30-60 seconds. Don’t groan, you have the time.

WFH: We will do an EMOM 20 where each minute, you will run at a pace that is above your comfort zone for 20 Seconds, then slower to recover for 40 seconds. This threshold should get the heart pumping and you will need the 40 second recovery time to get ready for the next minute.

The RX for this will be to go outside and run fast/run slow, but with the way the world is and knowing we’re all in our own place with running, I will suggest some other options as well:
1) Sprint / Run (20/40)
2) Run / Jog (20/40)
3) Jog / Brisk Walk (20/40)
4) If you have a bike: Bike hard / Recover Spin (20/40)
5) If you want to stay indoors you can 20/40 split
a. Double Unders / Single
b. Mtn Climber / Jog in place
c. High Knees in place / Jog in place
d. Row high intensity / recovery row

Again, the intent is simple: For 20 minutes, stress the engine (HR and Breathing) for 20 seconds, recover for 40. This is interval training 101 and the key to engine building. This is your work, so do your work. You will thank me later.

EMOM 20
High Intensity Movement (See list above) 20 Seconds
Recovery Movement (See list above) 40 Seconds

THE KEY IS TO KEEP MOVING!

In these uncertain times, we all feel like we’ve lost some control. We can’t go outside, see the people we care about, hell, we can’t drink a beer in a bar even alone. BUT YOU DO CONTROL YOUR BODY! It is yours and you are now in the middle of a HUGE choice. Sit around and wonder if your pants will fit in the future, or grab the opportunity to keep moving forward. I know what I’m going to do and I can’t wait to see you on the other side!

Peace and love and burpees!