Day 10: Strength & Speed
Add two minutes to Part A — now you’re going for as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes. For the sprints, increase from 20 to 25 strides at the top of each minute, and make the first two bouts easy, the next three moderate, and the final five all-out intense.
WARM-UP
Perform two rounds of the following without resting.
Fold-Over Walk
Stand with knees slightly bent. Hinge forward to press palms into floor; rise back up a few inches to step feet forward, and press palms down again. Continue 30 seconds.
Pause Push-Ups
Start in push-up position with back flat, abs engaged. Lower until chest hovers over floor, and pause three full beats; push up to return to start. Do five reps.
Hands-Free Step-Ups
Stand in front of a low box or bench, hands behind head. Step up, pushing through heel to stand. Step down with same foot; switch sides. Do five reps on each leg.
WORKOUT (Part A)
In 10 minutes, do as many rounds of these moves as you can, in order, with little to no rest.
- 5 push-ups
- 10 sit-ups
- 15 squats
Push-Ups
“Before you lower into that first push-up,” says Danny Arnold, “tense your core to keep your spine straight.” This should be a mental check you do each time you start a rep. As your chest and arms get fatigued, try varying hand position. “Do some with elbows tight to your body, some with elbows wide,” he says. If the push-ups feel too easy, “try raising one leg off the ground as you lower down, then switching to raise the other leg as you push back up.”
Sit-Ups
Do reps with hands behind head — this prevents your arms from swinging to propel you up — and make sure feet stay glued to floor. Breathe out as you sit up, rising all the way so back is flat and chest is up. Lower back to floor with control; don’t flop.
Squats
Don’t get sloppy. Squat as low as possible each time, and stand to lock hips at the top of every rep. There’s no such thing as too low if chest is up and back is flat.
WORKOUT (Part B)
Every minute on the minute for 10 total minutes: Sprint 20 strides, then walk the remainder of the minute to recover. The first three sprints, go easy. Sprints four through seven should be moderately hard. Then go all out for the final three (on a scale from 1 to 10, you should be at 9 or 10).
Lean In
For high-intensity sprints, your body position should be tipped forward, forming a straight line from heel up to head.
Relax Hands
Keep palms open and light. Clenching fingers or balling hands into fists creates energy-sapping tension.
