Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Hard

This workout demands sustained high-intensity running with minimal recovery across 7 rounds. The ladder format (10/20/30/40m sprints) creates progressive fatigue while the 1:3 work-to-rest ratio provides insufficient recovery for maintaining sprint quality. The combination of anaerobic power demands, lactate accumulation, and volume over 7 rounds will significantly challenge most athletes' ability to maintain pace and form throughout.

Benchmark Times for Ladder Sprints

• Elite: <12:00
• Advanced: 14:00-16:00
• Intermediate: 18:00-20:00
• Beginner: >30:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Power (9/10): Extremely high power demand with explosive sprinting at maximum effort, particularly on the longer 30m and 40m distances within each ladder.
• Speed (8/10): Pure speed work with maximum velocity sprints, though rest periods between efforts prevent this from being continuous speed cycling.
• Endurance (7/10): Seven rounds of ladder sprints with 1:3 work-to-rest ratio creates significant cardiovascular demand, testing aerobic power and recovery capacity between high-intensity efforts.
• Stamina (4/10): While each sprint is short, the cumulative effect of 28 total sprints (4 per round x 7 rounds) challenges muscular endurance in the legs.
• Flexibility (2/10): Basic running mechanics require standard hip, ankle, and leg mobility but no extreme range of motion demands.
• Strength (1/10): Minimal strength demand as this is purely bodyweight running with no external load or resistance training components.

Movements

• Ladder Sprint

Benchmark Notes

This workout consists of 7 rounds of ladder sprints with distances of 10/20/30/40 (likely yards or meters) with roughly 1:3 work-to-rest ratio. Breaking this down: Each round involves 4 sprints totaling 100 units of distance. For 10-yard sprints: ~2-3 sec, 20-yard: ~4-5 sec, 30-yard: ~6-7 sec, 40-yard: ~8-9 sec. Total sprint time per round: ~20-24 sec for elite athletes, ~30-36 sec for recreational. With 1:3 rest ratio, rest periods would be 60-72 sec for elite, 90-108 sec for recreational. Total time per round: 80-96 sec elite, 120-144 sec recreational. Over 7 rounds with cumulative fatigue: Round 1-2 at base pace (1.0x), rounds 3-4 at 1.1x, rounds 5-6 at 1.2x, round 7 at 1.3x. Elite athletes: 7 rounds × ~85 sec average = ~595 sec (10 min). Advanced: 7 rounds × ~100 sec = ~700 sec (11:40). Intermediate: 7 rounds × ~120 sec = ~840 sec (14 min). Recreational: 7 rounds × ~150 sec = ~1050 sec (17:30). This is primarily an anaerobic power and recovery workout. The benchmark spreads reflect the significant variation in sprint speed and recovery capacity across fitness levels. L10 represents elite sprinters who can maintain pace with minimal degradation, while L1 represents those who may need extended rest periods between efforts.

Modality Profile

Ladder Sprint is a monostructural cardio movement involving running in a ladder pattern, making it 100% monostructural with no gymnastics or weightlifting components.