Tag: Tabata

Wednesday, May 28th, 2025, was another session focused on building specific capacities with Hyrox in mind. The day was split into three main parts: a strength session focused on legs with some interesting squat variations and unilateral work, a classic Tabata metcon from the CrossFit Birch Bender WOD, and a 10km trail run to round things out.

My legs actually weren’t complaining too much today; I felt nicely recovered from last week’s hard training and was ready to hit the gym. That said, I decided to keep the overall intensity a bit reduced again, with the plan to hit a big session on Sunday after a few days of work coming up. So, while I felt good, it was still a day for smart training rather than an all-out assault.

Workout 1: Leg Strength Focus – Endurance & Time Under Tension

This part of the session was designed to build leg endurance through lots of time under tension, working through a variety of squat patterns and unilateral movements. Building this kind of muscular endurance is crucial when dealing with challenges like the sled push in Hyrox, which keeps your quads under tension for a significant duration.

The Workout Blueprint:

• Squat:
  • 135 lbs x 20 reps
  • 135 lbs x 20 reps
  • 135 lbs x 20 reps
• Slant Board Goblet Pause Squat:
  • 35 lbs x 20 reps
  • 52 lbs x 20 reps
  • 52 lbs x 20 reps
• Slant Board KB Clean Pistol Squat (alternating legs):
  • 26 lbs x 10 reps (per leg)
  • 17 lbs x 10 reps (per leg)
  • 17 lbs x 10 reps (per leg)
• DB Bulgarians:
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (right leg)
  • Rest 1:00
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (left leg)
  • Rest 1:00
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (right leg)
  • Rest 1:00
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (left leg)
  • Rest 1:00
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (right leg)
  • Rest 1:00
  • 30 lbs dumbbells x 20 reps (left leg)
  • Rest 1:00

Movement Breakdown & Rationale:

Squats: The foundation for lower body strength, targeting quads, glutes, and hamstrings. High reps at a moderate weight build muscular endurance, critical for sustained efforts like the Hyrox sled push.
Why I chose them: To build a solid base of leg strength and work capacity with a significant volume of repetitions, focusing on time under tension.

Slant Board Goblet Pause Squat: Using a slant board can reduce the demand on ankle dorsiflexion in the lower ranges of the squat, allowing for a deeper position and often more quad emphasis. It can also be a bit gentler on the knees for some individuals. The goblet hold engages the core, and the pause at the bottom eliminates momentum and builds strength out of the hole.
Why I chose them: To target the quads more specifically, work on depth, and build isometric strength in the bottom position.

Slant Board KB Clean Pistol Squat: This is a challenging unilateral movement. The slant board can make it easier to get out of the hole in a pistol squat and can be gentler on the knees. It’s not a replacement for a full pistol squat but serves as a good progression when working towards weighted pistols or aiming for higher reps with load. The kettlebell clean aspect adds a coordination and balance component, rather than focusing on explosive power with the lighter weights used.
Why I chose them: I opted for the slant board for this movement because I wanted to hit a higher rep range than normal while still working loaded pistols, focusing on balance and single-leg stability.

DB Bulgarians (Split Squats): An excellent unilateral exercise for targeting quads, glutes, and hamstrings independently, while also improving balance and hip stability. Doing 20 reps in a row, one leg at a time, with a total load of 60lbs (30lbs per hand) is very challenging. The 1:00 rest also kept recovery relatively low, which increased the intensity.
Why I chose them: These were the hardest part of this strength workout but are one of my favorite exercises for building robust single-leg strength and endurance.

Scaled Options for Leg Strength:

• Squats: Bodyweight squats, goblet squats with lighter weight, reduce reps/sets.
• Slant Board Goblet Pause Squat: Regular goblet pause squats, or slant board squats without the pause/lighter weight.
• Slant Board KB Clean Pistol Squat: Scale to assisted pistol squats (e.g., holding onto a rig, using bands), pistol squats to a box (limited range of motion), or DB Bulgarians can also serve as a progression towards pistols.
• DB Bulgarians: Bodyweight Bulgarian split squats, or use lighter dumbbells/reduce reps.

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Workout 2: Metcon – Tabata Finisher (CrossFit Birch Bender WOD)

To cap off the strength work, I jumped into a quick but intense Tabata interval session, which was part of the CrossFit Birch Bender WOD for the day. Interestingly, this was the inverse of the Tabata structure from a workout earlier in the week (20s work / 40s rest vs. 40s work / 20s rest).

Tabata Structure:

• 10 Minutes Total (5 Rounds):
  • 20 seconds Max Reps Strict Pull-ups
  • 40 seconds Rest
  • 20 seconds Max Cals BikeERG
  • 40 seconds Rest

Movement Rationale & My Experience:

Max Reps Strict Pull-ups (Tabata): A classic test of upper body pulling strength and endurance. The strict nature emphasizes true strength over kipping momentum.
My experience with this movement: Performing these in short, intense 20-second bursts with limited recovery is a great way to build pulling capacity and grip endurance. My reps per round were: 11, 10, 10, 8, 10.

Max Cals BikeERG (Tabata): A full-out sprint for calories on the BikeERG.
My experience with this movement: This is all about pushing for maximal cardiovascular output and anaerobic power in short windows. My calories per round were: 14, 14, 12, 12, 13.

This Tabata was a tough 10 minutes! The longer 40-second rest period (compared to a traditional 20s on / 10s off Tabata) allowed for a slightly better recovery between efforts, but the max effort nature of each 20-second window still made it very challenging.

Scaled Options for Tabata:

• Strict Pull-ups: Banded Pull-ups, Jumping Pull-ups, Ring Rows, or Bodyweight Rows. Aim for max quality reps in the 20 seconds.
• BikeERG Cals: Use any cardio machine (Rower, SkiErg, Air Bike) and aim for max effort. Alternatively, perform a bodyweight cardio movement like burpees, high knees, or jumping jacks for the 20-second intervals.

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Workout 3: 10km Trail Run

Later in the day, I headed out for a 10km trail run. The intention here was an easy pace, a “short run” for me, but it’s important to remember that “easy” and “short” are relative to an individual’s current fitness and training volume. A 10km run is a significant effort, and just because it might feel manageable for one person doesn’t mean everyone should go out and tackle that distance without appropriate preparation.

Trail Run Key Metrics & Splits (May 28, 2025)

Metric	Value
Activity Name	Bendor And Graves Trail Running
Total Distance	10.38 km
Total Duration	1:10:41 (hh:mm:ss)
Average Pace	~6:49 min/km
Average HR	153 bpm
Max HR	165 bpm
Calories	878 C
Average Power	302 W
VO2 Max	51
Training Effect	Aerobic Base (Aerobic: 3.3)
Elevation Gain	203.8 m
Fastest 1km Split	6:19
Fastest 5km Split	33:41
Fastest 10km Split	1:08:09

My Experience (Trail Run):

This was a really enjoyable run through Bendor And Graves. I focused on maintaining a comfortable, conversational pace, enjoying the scenery and just getting time on my feet. It served as a good mental reset and a way to build my aerobic base further without overly taxing the system after the morning’s sessions. The watch glitch from earlier in the week (lap 9 of my previous run) thankfully didn’t repeat itself today!

Overall Reflections:

Today I was feeling great, nicely recovered from last week’s hard training and ready to hit the gym. I decided to keep the overall intensity a bit more controlled, with the plan to hit a big session on Sunday after a few days of work coming up. This multi-part day, with its focus on leg endurance, a sharp Tabata, and a steady trail run, felt like a productive way to maintain momentum while still managing overall load. It’s all about making smart choices based on how you feel each day, while still chipping away at those larger Hyrox goals.

How do you approach training when your body is feeling good but you’re planning for a bigger upcoming session? Share your strategies in the comments!

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Workout Summaries (May 28, 2025)

Strength Session (Leg Focus):

• Focus: Lower Body Strength & Unilateral Stability for Endurance
• Notes: Emphasis on volume, time under tension, and movement quality. Watch issue at start of this block meant precise timing per exercise not logged.
• Exercises Performed:
  • Squat: 3 sets of 20 reps @ 135 lbs
  • Slant Board Goblet Pause Squat: 1 set x 20 @ 35 lbs; 2 sets x 20 @ 52 lbs
  • Slant Board KB Clean Pistol Squat (alternating): 1 set x 10/leg @ 26 lbs; 2 sets x 10/leg @ 17 lbs
  • DB Bulgarians: 3 sets x 20/leg @ 30 lbs dumbbells (1:00 rest between legs & sets)

Metcon (Tabata Finisher – CFBB WOD):

• TOTAL TIME: 10:00
• Structure: 5 Rounds of (20s Max Reps Strict Pull-ups, 40s Rest + 20s Max Cals BikeERG, 40s Rest)
• Pull-up Reps per Round: 11, 10, 10, 8, 10
• BikeERG Cals per Round: 14, 14, 12, 12, 13
• Focus: High-Intensity Interval Training, Upper Body Pulling Strength, Anaerobic Capacity

Trail Run (10km):

• Activity Name: East Gwillimbury Trail Running
• TOTAL TIME: 1:10:41 (hh:mm:ss from Garmin data)
• MOVING TIME: 1:10:08 (hh:mm:ss from Garmin data)
• DISTANCE: 10.38 km (from Garmin data)
• AVG PACE: Approx. 6:49 min/km (Calculated: Duration/Distance)
• AVG HR: 153 bpm (from Garmin data)
• MAX HR: 165 bpm (from Garmin data)
• CALORIES: 878 C (from Garmin data)
• AVG POWER: 302 W (from Garmin data)
• VO2 MAX: 51 (from Garmin data)
• TRAINING EFFECT: Aerobic Base (Aerobic: 3.3, Anaerobic: 0.0 – from Garmin data)
• ELEVATION GAIN: 203.8 m (from Garmin data)