day 4 - The High Intensity Speed Circuit

You’ll do the workouts in the order they’ve been listed, quickly moving from workout to workout (aim for no rest time between exercises). You will do 10 repetitions of each exercise, doing as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.

There’s a decent amount of detail in here, so if you don’t want to read everything at first, look through the pictures for the workouts (advanced intensity is demonstrated in the video links), and follow these basic principles:

Maintain stability (note that stability cues, and everything else, will be expanded on below).
Do reps as quickly as possible while maintaining fluid and controlled movement.
Push yourself to absolute failure. Move with extreme urgency. We’re aiming for speed so do as many rounds as you can in the 10 minutes (shoot for 5 rounds minimum.)

Alright, now we dive into the details:

Each rep should be done as quickly as you possibly can while maintaining control. Fully exert yourself. This technique is critical so you’re working each part of your targeted muscle group throughout the entire range of motion.
Focus on the stability cues provided for each movement. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself, so focus on maintaining strong, stable positions that will help you get stronger and move toward your goals instead of damaging yourself and going backwards.
Stability cues include the following:
- Spine braced
- Lower abs engaged
- Glutes activated
- Shoulders externally rotated
- Feet anchored to floor (screw your feet outward into the floor)
- Chin perpendicular to the chest, a straight line from head to tailbone

Alright, now for the High Intensity Speed Circuit:

Burpees

Start standing and brace your spine.
Reach your butt back and hinge forward at your waist reach your palms to the floor. Keep your low back flat.
Jump your feet back and lower into the bottom of the pushup, keeping your elbows in near your ribs. Remember to maintain a stable externally rotated shoulder, lower abs engaged and glutes activated.
In one fluid explosive movement push up with your arms as you jump your feet toward your hands, landing in a low squat. Your knees should be out and your lower back flat.
From the bottom of the squat jump straight up reaching your arms overhead.

Mountain Climbers

Assume a high plank position in the top of a pushup.
Keeping lower abs engaged, glutes activated and shoulders externally rotated bring one knee toward your chest and return it next to the other foot. Repeat with the other leg.
When you’ve brought each leg to your chest it counts as 1 rep.

Squat

Start out with feet out slightly wider than shoulder width, toes pointed out at 45 degrees outward (this will put less strain on hamstrings while you’re building up your flexibility/mobility).
Reach your butt back as you drive your knees out.
Go down far enough to when your quads are parallel to the floor, or even slightly deeper. Keep your knees out!
Keep your chest up and look straight ahead.
Push through your heels as you drive your hips forward. Focus on moving your hips forward as you stand and stabilize your lower abs and glutes again. Repeat!

Leg Raises

Lying on the floor, engage your glutes and lower abs so that your lower back is in contact with the floor. Maintain this contact throughout the entire exercise
Place your hands at your hips or underneath your butt
Raise your legs toward your face as you keep your legs straight
Stop before your feet are over your hips so you keep tension in your abs
Lower the legs back down, stopping before your feet touch the floor and repeat

III. High Intensity Speed Circuit

I. EXERCISE PROTOCOL OVERVIEW (START HERE!)

II.1. STARTING WEIGHTS - HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH CIRCUIT

II.2 HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH CIRCUIT