3×20s sprint
Ten minutes with one minute of real work: three 20-second all-out sprints with two minutes easy between. From McMaster University (Gillen, 2016), where it lifted fitness in untrained men as much as 45 minutes of steady cycling. Best on a bike.
- Time
- 10 min
- Main set
- 3 × 0:20 all-out
- Good for
- Bike, Rower
Warm-up3 × 0:20 all-outCool-down
The session
- 2:00Warm-upEasy
- 0:20WorkAll out. Everything you haveAll-out
- 2:00RecoveryEasy
- 0:20WorkAll out. Everything you haveAll-out
- 2:00RecoveryEasy
- 0:20WorkLast one. All outAll-out
- 3:00Cool-downEasy
How to pace it
The sprints are truly all out, as hard as you can from the first second. The two minutes between are easy spinning, not stopping. With only one minute of hard work in the whole session, there is nothing to save it for.
Who it’s for
Anyone short on time, on a bike or rower that responds at once. The study used previously untrained men, three sessions a week for twelve weeks. A sprint is still a sprint, so warm up properly.
Running it as a group
Short and sharp enough for the end of a class or a team session. Everyone sprints on the same call and recovers together.
Source
Gillen JB, et al. Twelve weeks of sprint interval training improves indices of cardiometabolic health similar to traditional endurance training despite a five-fold lower exercise volume and time commitment. PLOS ONE, 2016; 11(4): e0154075.
Host the 3×20s sprint in PacePack
Pick it from the program library, share the code, and every phone in the group runs it on the same second, with a voice calling every interval and its effort.
The program library is part of Pro, with a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. On Free, you can host Quick sessions of work and recovery with up to three runners.
iPhone only for now. Android is coming soon.
