4-Day Workout

4-Day Balanced Fitness Routine: (3 days of sprints, hills, and swimming and 1 day rest)

DAY 1

DAY 1: TRACK, INTERVAL TRAINING – After walking or jogging for 10-15 minutes, perform dynamic stretches to prevent injury. Take 1 lap at a light jog as additional warm up.

  1. Sprint 1/4 lap at a full-out sprint, then 3/4 lap at a jog to complete 1 full lap.
  2. Repeat 4 times.
  3. Increase by 1 lap per week.

DAY 2

DAY 2: HILL SPRINTS (Level II/Moderate) – It’s important to get your heart rate up to make sure you are ready to perform. After walking or jogging for 10-15 minutes, perform dynamic stretches to prevent injury.

  1. Sprint 30-40 yards up hill.
  2. Complete 10 reps (6-10 depending on fitness level)
  3. Rest periods can vary, between 30 seconds and 5 minutes.
  4. Remember to look straight ahead and not down. Use your glutes to propel yourself up the hill as you sprint.
  5. Add 2 additional sprints per week and decrease rest time between sprints. Keep a log of sprints times, rest times, and quantity.

Advanced Hill Sprints (Level III) – You should only be at this level if you have progressed slowly and steadily for maximum gains versus progressing too fast and risking injury.

  1. Follow the Level II guidelines above for warming up your muscles.
  2. Complete 11 or more reps, sprinting 40 yards up the hill.
  3. Rest periods at this level must be short. When you complete a repetition, walk down the hill as your rest period. Assume the starting position at the bottom of the hill and execute another repetition.
  4. Add 2 additional sprints per week. Keep a log of sprints times and quantity.

DAY 3

DAY 3: SWIMMING – Perform ankle rotations and arm circles as warmup.

  1. Do 10 full laps (down and back) crawl stroke. (watch flutter kick mechanics. running athletes often have trouble with this and tend to look as though running under water and use knees rather than pointing toes. can use flipper to build form and ankle strength)
  2. Add breast stroke (10 laps) when crawl stroke is mastered and endurance increases.
  3. Add 1 lap per week. Keep log of total time and quantity.

DAY 4

DAY 4: REST (If no swim or alternate activity, then make swim day/Day 3 your rest day, but in that case make sure that Day 3 is rest so never 3 hard running days in a row.)