Here we go! This is the big one of the Killer K-Rep series! And what level are you up for? Impressive (50 burpees total), Epic (75 burpees) or the mind-numbing Ludicrous (100 burpees)?

WHAT?

Killer K-Reps #4

5x 1k @ Your 10k Race Pace

w/ 10, 15 or 20 burpees immediately before each rep

90 seconds active/jog recovery after each rep

Terrain: Flat, measurable pathway or fartlek terrain.

Choose your poison with this workout. Will it be the impressive 50 burpees (10 per rep), the epic 75, or the ludicrous 100?

It’s recommended you start off conservatively (as you can always make up extra burpees at the end if you really want to). Also, break the sets of burpees into groups of 5, giving yourself short rests to keep the heart rate somewhat under control.

WHY?

Burpees are the ultimate full body exercise because they require you to move a lot of mass through a lot of space. Therefore, they are great for inducing intensity. So when you do 50, 75 or 100 of them you’ve got a solid workout on your hands. Add to that 5x 1k reps (plus warm up and warm down jogs) and things get full on very fast.

A good way to look at this workout is much like what a triathlete is trying to do when they do a brick session (which is a workout that includes swim, bike and run all in a row). Triathletes use these to teach their body and mind to run well while seriously fatigued from the swim and bike.

HOW?

I’d suggest choosing wisely what level of burpees you do. Opt on the side of conservative if you’re in doubt as you can always make up extra burpees at the end if you really want to.

• Impressive: 10 burpees every rep (50 total)
• Epic: 15 burpees every rep (75 total)
• Ludicrous: 20 burpees every rep (100 total)

Also, do the burpees in sets of 5 to give yourself a short break as 15 or 20 burpees is majorly taxing when done without rest!

Finally, feel free to mix up the press up technique:

• Alternate between elbows in and elbows out to target different muscle groups (and therefore save the shoulders).
• Do the press ups from the knees if needed.
• If your press up strength isn’t great, feel free to drop the press up element altogether from the burpees and just go as far down as the top plank position.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
HOW TO SLAY GIANTS

By Hayden Shearman

It can be incredibly daunting looking down the barrel of a big workout or big race. So, even if we’ve done all the physical training, how should we go about mentally preparing ourselves to take down the Goliaths that stand between ourselves and our fitness goals?

1. Bite-Sized Pieces: How do an army of ants take down an elephant? In very small bite-sized pieces. We need to take the same approach as the ants when confronted with a big endurance workout or race. Focus on each kilometre, 5k block, or terrain-based section of the race. This workout is a great example because you can focus on one set of five burpees at a time and then one KM rep at a time. This makes it far easier to tackle it mentally and it helps us to stay process-orientated.
2. Focus on Processes: Those ants taking down that elephant will each have their job. They just focus on doing that one job in front of them and don’t get distracted by the bigger picture. It’s the same when we’re neck deep in a tough session. Focus on the things that can improve your current situation—cadence, posture, arm drive, relaxing the breathing, taking another set of 100 strides, hitting the next split. They’re small course corrections that, when done consistently, add up to massive accomplishments in the long run.
3. Make it to Halfway: There’s something magical about the halfway mark in a race or workout. Suddenly, there’s less work in front of you than what you’ve already done, and every step makes that situation even better.
4. “I don’t DNF!”: No matter what you’ve done in the past, make the decision today to be one of those runners that never, ever gets a “did not finish” next to their name. Sure, there’s “retired hurt” or “retired sick” and there’s slowing down to a jog, walk or crawl. But don’t entertain that thought that finishing mid race is even an option. If you do, there’s actually a decision fatigue in the tough parts of races that can negatively impact your performance. If the only option is to finish, you will find a way through!

 

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