Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Easy

A single, simple movement with no equipment or complex skills keeps the barrier to entry low. Volume is minimal and duration is short—typically one to three minutes—so the primary challenge is executing a hard, controlled sprint. There’s no heavy loading or advanced gymnastics, making it accessible to all levels, though the sprint effort will feel intense.

Benchmark Times for Run 400m

• Elite: <1:10
• Advanced: 1:20-1:30
• Intermediate: 1:45-2:00
• Beginner: >4:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (9/10): Success hinges on sustaining high speed without imploding. Quick turnover, efficient strides, and a sharp acceleration into and out of turns drive performance.
• Power (7/10): A 400-meter sprint needs high power output for 60–120 seconds. Explosive start and a strong final kick matter, though it’s not a single maximal burst like a lift.
• Endurance (6/10): Cardio emphasis is high, but the short distance limits pure aerobic demand; expect strong anaerobic contribution and a quick heart rate spike. Useful for building capacity at higher heart rates and transitions.
• Stamina (2/10): Limited muscular endurance demand; legs and lungs will burn, but volume is too low to challenge repeatability or big rep counts. It’s about sustaining speed under rising fatigue.
• Flexibility (1/10): Only basic mobility is required. Adequate ankle, hip, and thoracic range of motion supports better mechanics, but no extreme positions are needed.
• Strength (1/10): No external load and minimal force demands beyond bodyweight propulsion. Strength is not the limiter; efficient mechanics and posture matter more than maximal force.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 200–300 m run • 400 m easy jog (no sprint) • 500 m row or 1,000 m bike erg

Scaling Explanation

These options keep the short, monostructural sprint stimulus while adjusting distance or modality for fitness level, joints, weather, or equipment availability.

Intended Stimulus

A controlled sprint—fast and intense without a blow-up. Open strong, settle into a hard pace by 100 meters, and kick aggressively in the final 100. Expect sharp breathing, leg burn, and a big heart-rate spike. You should finish spent but not stagger to a stop.

Coach Insight

Pace it like a long sprint: 90–95% off the line, relaxed and quick through the middle 200 meters, then surge in the final 100. The one tip: Keep your shoulders loose and shorten your stride with faster turnover—overstriding kills speed and wastes energy. Avoid blasting the first 100, skipping a proper warm-up, or neglecting a short cooldown jog/walk afterward.

Benchmark Notes

These tiers gauge sprint capacity and pacing. Newer runners will likely be at 2:30–4:00, while experienced athletes target sub-1:30. Open fast but controlled, avoid a huge fade in the final 100 meters, and retest periodically to track speed and anaerobic improvement.

Modality Profile

This is purely monostructural: one run, no equipment, no gymnastics or weights. All effort is directed toward cardiovascular output and running mechanics. The short time domain frames it as a high-intensity sprint rather than an extended aerobic piece.

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