If you do just about anything enough times, it gets easier. Even when "anything" is running up and down the 80-plus steep steps at a college football stadium.
So it's actually a good thing that football season is alive and kicking - because it gives me an excuse to push my Badass Boot Camp recruits in new ways. This weekend, while the Florida State Seminoles prepared for their afternoon game, this Badass and her soldiers moved our Badasses to the local high school track.
We hadn't been there in several months, and it was time. The weather was warm but gorgeous, and we kicked our butts for a good hour - speed drills, pushups, step-ups, burpees, etc.
Try this one on for size:
Warmup
- One 400 (once around the track) at a jog pace
- 30 seconds of running in place, high knees
- 10 burpees
- 30 seconds of shuffles back and forth, in a squat position
- 30 seconds of running in place, high knees
Track Time
- Two 400s at a fast, 5k speed: The goal is to finish within 90 seconds. Your heart will, guaranteed, be pumping as you round that last curve
- One minute "rest" walking the track
- Four 100s at sprint pace, with 30-second "rests" walking the track in between each 100
Strength Circuit 1
- 10 regular pushups
- No rest
- 10 close-grip pushups: Move your hands in close, keeping the elbows close to your sides. You should feel this in the triceps.
- Stand up and do running in place with high knees for 30 seconds
- 10 frog pushups: Place your hands in a regular pushup position. Bend both knees, bringing the feet up under your torso like a frog. Now slowly go down and push up, feeling this in your arms and shoulders.
- No rest
- 10 pike pushups: Get into a pike position, butt straight up in the air and weight right over your shoulders as you go down and push back up. You should feel this in your shoulders.
- Stand up and do running in place with high knees for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this circuit two more times, for a total of three.
Strength Circuit 2 (on stadium bleachers/stairs or a bench)
- Dropsies, 15 on each side: Plant the right foot on the bench and the left leg back off the bench. Slowly lower down, feeling the weight come through the right side as you squeeze back up, the left leg staying back. Switch after 15 reps and do the left side. (Pictured, at right)
- Step-ups, 15 on each side: Plant the right foot on the bench and the left foot on the ground (or the stadium step below). Lift up, weight coming through the right glutes and quads as you lift the left knee up. Lower the left leg back down, tapping the toe on the ground and then coming right back up. After 15 reps, switch and do 15 reps on the other side.
- Tricep dips, 25 reps
- No rest in between these sets.
- Repeat two more times, for a total of three
- Do two sets of 25 calf raises
Abs Circuit
- Knee pull-ins, two sets of 20
- Knee pull-ins with knees pointed toward the left (working the right obliques), one set of 10
- Knee pull-ins with knees pointed toward the right (working the left obliques), one set of 10
- Crunches with knees at 90 degrees, 20 reps
- Crunches with knees tilted toward the left (working the right obliques), one set of 20
- Crunches with knees tilted toward the right (working the left obliques), one set of 20
