• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

The 31.5 Minute Workout

You are here: Home / Training / The 31.5 Minute Workout
2
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

January 15, 2007 by Jimson Lee 4 Comments

Last Updated on May 4, 2011 by Jimson Lee

They say Roger Banister, the first man to break the 4 minute mile in 1954, used to train hard 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week while in medical school. While training methods have advanced in the last 50 years, the one thing remains constant: time.

Some of us can only train 1 hour a day at lunch or 45 minutes before work. And some of us say “we have no time”, which is a pathetic excuse.

This workout is not to replace running if you want to be a good runner. In order to run well, you have to run. If you want to be a good high jumper, you need to train to jump 7 feet once. Not 7 times 1 foot jumps.

However, looking at energy systems, we see:

  • 0-1 sec – ATP/CP (i.e. shot put)
  • 1-7 sec – Anaerobic (i.e. 60 meters)
  • 7-40 sec – Anaerobic Alactic (i.e. 100-200m)
  • 40 sec – 2 min – Anaerobic Lactic (i.e. 400-800m)
  • 2 min – 4 min – Anaerobic Aerobic (i.e. 800-mile)
  • 4min + – Aerobic (i.e. mile, 5K and up)

Since I was training for the 400m, about 48 seconds in my prime, I needed to improve my “lactate tolerance” (actually, acidosis). That is, the ability to handle large amounts of lactic acid in the body, and the ability to flush it out after a race.

So this workout is not to replace track workouts but acts a good complementary training 2-3 times a week.

SET NUMBER
ABS
LEGS
UPPER BODY
1
60 crunches
50 squats
40 push ups
2
60 cross crunches
40 lunges
15 chin ups*
3
60 med ball twist
25 squat jumps
40 dips on bench
4
60 crunches
50 squats
40 push ups
5
60 cross crunches
40 lunges
15 chin ups*
6
60 med ball twist
25 squat jumps
40 dips on bench
7
60 crunches
50 squats
40 push ups


Every station is 90 seconds. A bell or buzzer should go off every 90 seconds so if you complete one station in 40 sec, you get 50 sec rest before the next station begins. The faster you go, the more recovery you get. As you can see, this workout takes 31.5 minutes long.

You can have 3 people working out at the same time, with person A starting on Abs, person B on Legs, and person C on Upper Body.

This workout is great in a hotel room while traveling, as all you need is a towel on a carpet for padding. You can even do it barefoot if you forget your gym shoes. The grunting and heavy breathing may leave your next door neighbour wondering what you are doing.

Another variance is 4 to 6 sets of 5 minute stations. 2.5 minutes on (fast and alternating body parts), followed by 2.5 minutes off. However, you could do one complete station in 3 minutes, followed by 2 minutes recovery every 5 minutes.

Exercises described on this article and website can be strenuous. Before you take on any new exercise program please consult with a physician. Speedendurance.com and myself are not responsible for any injuries incurred while attempting the exercises on this website.

*UPDATE: if you are interested in increasing your maximum repetitions in chin ups, read this post.

See also  Relaxation - The Key to Victory and Success

Category iconTraining,  Weight Loss,  Weight Training Tag iconcircuit training,  High Intensity Interval Training,  HIIT,  Interval Training

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris Adams says

    June 17, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    Are all of these exercises based on only body weight?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}