"soul crusher" workouts are why i really like my coaches

last week i missed our team's coached track workout on wednesday evening because i was in chicago for work.  instead of making up my own workout and doing it on the treadmill or at the crack of dawn before my flight, i opted for an additional day of rest.  in retrospect i think it was a good move because me and planes don't mix (i feel all puffy and tired after flying) & i was logging my 14th hour of air travel in a week by Thursday evening.

i'm loving the track workouts we do on the ironteam!  they are a great mix of track running at intensity and crushing core workouts.  below is the one i missed last week and it sounds so good i'm going to do it as a make-up run next week during some of the on my own training days.  the coach affectionately has named this one the "new year's resolution soul crusher workout."  oh man, he's such a great coach!

Warm-up

• 10 minutes or 4 laps
• 10 minutes active stretching (i.e. high knees, butt kickers, leg swings, windmills)

Main set

• 800 meters build up
• All reps to be performed as such:  400 meters at level 5 (of 10) intensity, 300 meters slow build to level 7 intensity, 100 meters at level 5
• 60 seconds - plank from hell front
• 800 meters build up
• 45 seconds - plank crunches right side
• 800 meters build up
• 45 second - plank crunches left side
• Repeat the above circuit 2 more times
• 800 meters build up
• 90 second - standard plank

Cool down

• 2 laps
• 10 minutes static stretches (i.e. calf stretch, hamstring stretch, quad stretch, glute stretch)

So what is a "plank from hell" you ask?  you mean a regular old run of the mill plank isn't hellish enough?  nope.  it's not.  that's why the ab crushing super cut jillian michael's of the world created the plank from hell.  it's essentially doing a plank and then raising your knee to the oppositie elbow without raising or dropping your hips.  sounds easy in theory but it is anything but.

For the side plank crunches, there are two options you can do.  if you have any sort of issues with your back opt for the augmented version where you are balanced on your knees instead of your feet.