Introducing the Shuttle Run!

... aka "suicide runs".

Team!
This is neuroendocrine adaptation at its finest! A modification of a workout from Matt Chan's TrainFTW online programming, this training session will not disappoint! It combines endurance, strength, and skill in just 20 minutes! 
Enjoy! 
-Carla

Neuroendocrine adaptation is the means by which we become fitter! When our brain and nervous system anticipate a physical task, a complex hormonal cascade is initiated recruiting our skeletal muscles, nerves, heart lungs, and many other essential bodily systems to address the physical task. The more bodily systems that are recruited, the greater the adaptive response! You can read more about this complex process in my previous Athletic Aging post Neuroendocrine Adaptation - Your "End-Run" Around the Menopause Transition.

Today’s workout involves 6 “short” 1 minute 15 second intervals of a high-intensity sprint incorporating endurance, strength, and skill with 2 minutes of rest in between each round.

Warm-Up

AMRAP 5 minutes

• 20 high knee runs (right + left = 1 rep)

• 10 air squats

• 5 push-ups (if strict push-ups are too difficult, elevate your hands on a stable bench, box or even against the wall for an easier option).

Movement Practice

Shuttle Run Set-Up: Place cones in an adequate indoor or outdoor space at 5m, 10m, and 20m. To achieve a 60m run, sprint to the 5m cone and back, then sprint to the 10m cone and back, and then to the 20m cone and back. If space is limited, set up a 5m and 10m cone and do 2 rounds at these shorter distances.

Take 5-10 minutes to set up for your shuttle runs and select the weight for your dumbbell thrusters. Because the working intervals are short and the repetitions low, the goal is to complete an unbroken heavy dumbbell thruster. The weight you choose during practice should be challenging, but something you can complete for 5 reps unbroken every round. It may also be helpful to run through a round or two at low intensity to get the flow of moving quickly from the shuttle run to the thruster then to the jump rope/bike. Take 5 min to warm up your jump rope or simulated jump rope.

TIP! Use a custom interval timer to set up your 1:15 work/2:00 rest intervals. There are lots of free apps that have custom intervals - this is well worth it!

Workout

6 Rounds for jump rope reps (or bike output/calories)

In 1:15 perform:

• 60m Shuttle Run

• 5 Dumbbell Thrusters

• max reps single under jump rope (modification: max calories/meters/or kjoules output) on a stationary bike.

  ** If you are a rock star and have double-unders, sub for single unders.

2:00 rest between each round

Modifications for the bad-ass beginner:

• Shorten the shuttle run to 30m instead of 60m

• Do air squats instead of thrusters

• Simulated jump rope if no rope or bike is available.

Your score is the total number of jump rope reps (or bike output) achieved each round.

Note: If you encounter a round where you do not have any additional time in the 1:15 interval to start the rope or the bike reps, the workout is complete.

Cool-Down

Recover and bring your parasympathetic nervous system back to baseline with this 15 Min Post Workout Deep Stretch Yoga Class from Five Parks Yoga