I realise the following is much more a test of strength-endurance and VO2max than of strength, but was interested to get your opinions on this. I’m entering a gym competition on 19 March. I have to do the following in the least possible time with a running clock:
Stationary bike - 1.5km
Squat thrust - 200 reps
Shoulder press - 25kg x 40
Full sit-ups - 60 reps
Rowing machine - 500m
Bench press - 40kg x 40
Bench jumps - 100 reps
Box steps - 10kg each hand x 50 reps per leg
Lat pulldowns - 42kg x 50
Treadmill run - 800m @ 6% incline
The top guys will finish in a little over 20 minutes. Would be interested to hear how you might structure a training programme for a competition like this.
I was thinking of something like this:
I’d train 6 days per week and take the 7th off:
Day 1
Bike - 8x500m, 1min rest
Bench press - 40kgx20repsx7sets, 1 min rest
Squat thrust - 5x50, 1 min rest
Run - fartlek 20-30min
Day 2
Row - 4x1k, 1min rest
Lat pulldown - 45kgx20repsx7sets, 1 min rest
Sit-ups - 5x50, 1 min rest
Bike - fartlek 20-30min
Day 3
Run(6% incline) - 5x400m, 1min rest
Shoulder press - 25kgx20repsx7sets, 1 min rest
Box steps - 10kgx20repsx7sets, 1 min rest
Bench Jumps, 5 x 50, 1 min rest
Row - fartlek 20-30min
Day 4
Bike - 4x3k, 1min rest
Bench press
Squat thrust
Run - fartlek 20-30min
Day 5
Row - 8x400m, 1min rest
Lat pulldown
Sit-ups
Bike - fartlek 20-30min
Day 6
Run(6% incline) - 5x1k, 1min rest
Shoulder press
Box Steps
Bench Jumps
Row - fartlek 20-30min
The weights for days 4, 5 and 6 will be the same as on the first 3 days. Once I can complete all the reps on all the sets, I’ll increase the reps by 5 and go from there. A fartlek is basically an unstructured interval session with active rest. So I might do a 20min run like this: 3min easy, 3 min hard, 4 min easy, 4 min hard, 2 min easy, 4 min hard. I won’t go all-out on these, but keep it at a “comfortably tough” pace.
