Warm Up and Steady State
First Steady State
Your first steady state is 3 minutes long and designed to gradually get you up to Level 2 or your Green Zone which is about a medium intensity or 65% to 75% of your maximum heart rate (if you're using a heart rate monitor). Sean reminds you to use the entire 3 minutes to get into your Green Zone gradually and then makes you feel good about what you're doing by talking about aerobic enzymes, boundless energy and the ability to breathe deeply. Breathe now while you can.First and Second Challenge
- 4-Minute Hill-Level 3 Effort. Get and stay at 75-85% of max.
- 2 Minutes Recovery.
- 4-Minute Hill. Another one? Absolutely! Once again, use your speed/resistance to get to a Level 3 effort.
- 2 Minutes Recovery. This is starting to feel more like 10 seconds.
- 4-Minute Hill.
Steady State 2
Next you'll spend about 3 minutes at Level 1/2 effort. Enjoy this break and get ready for the next challenge.
Challenge 2
The 2nd challenge involves alternating sprints with short (and I do mean short) recovery intervals.
- 1-Minute Sprint (Level 3). Adjust your speed to find the right amount of effort without going too far.
- 30-Second Rest. This goes by fast, y'all.
- 1-Minute Sprint.
- 30-Second Rest. This one goes by even faster.
- 1-Minute Sprint. Slow down if you need to to keep your effort at Level 3.
- 30-Second Rest. Is this really 30 seconds? Seems more like 10.
- 1-Minute Sprint.
- 30-Second Rest. This is approximately an eye-blink.
- 1-Minute Sprint.
- 30-Second Rest. Breathe!
- 1-Minute Sprint. Right now you may feel like a turtle.
Final Challenge and Cooldown/Stretch
- 30-Second Sprint (Level 4). Go all out to get into your anaerobic zone (85-95% of max).
- 90-Second Rest. Use the full 90 seconds to get your heart rate down.
- 30-Second Sprint. All out.
- 90-Second Rest. Always keep moving, even if you feel like stopping.
- 30-Second Sprint.
- 90-Second Rest.
- Last 30-Second Sprint. Make the last sprint your fastest!
Cooldown and Stretch
The cooldown comes after a good 48 minutes of intense cardio intervals, the longest workout in the Cardio Coach series. You always have the option to end the workout wherever you like, but make sure you enjoy the 5-minute cooldown to give your heart time to slow down gradually. Get hydrated and head over to the stretching segment where you'll slowly stretch your hamstrings, quads and lower back. Enjoy this part!
The Music and Your Coach
This is one of Sean's toughest interval workouts, if you really work hard at it, and finishing it can be very rewarding. The music is an energetic mix of guitars, drums, flutes and probably some other instruments I can't pick out and it's always right on, speeding up for the sprints and smoothing out a little during the steady state segments. Sean cues throughout the workout with his usual laid-back style, often encouraging you to keep going just when you want to quit. Sean is motivating without being overly enthusiastic or annoying, piping up at just the right moments with reminders that winners don't stop short. This workout can be done on any cardio machine--treadmill, bike, elliptical etc. and it can also be done outside (although you may not get the same effect during the hill challenges). For the intermediate/advanced exerciser, this makes a great addition to your weekly workouts for those who really want a challenge!
