4 Intervals, alt A1/A2

A1. AMRAP 4
Buy-in: 30/24 (cal) Air bike @ fast
+
AMRAP in the remaining
8 DB Snatches, alt @ 22.5/15kg (50/35lbs)
35 Double-unders

A2. AMRAP 4
Buy-in: 30/24 (cal) Row @ fast
+
AMRAP in the remaining
12 Box jump overs, 24/20″
3 Wall walks

– Rest 3:00 between intervals –

Flow. A1-A2-A1-A2

Overview. We’re dropping the volume slight this week by moving to 4 x 4 (classic “Norwegian” intervals). We’ll keep the “hard start” format: the air bike/row buy-in is a sprint designed to spike your heart rate. You then have ~2-2.5 minutes of mixed-modal work to complete while trying to manage that fatigue.
Effort. RPE 9/10 (Maximal Sustainable). You are looking for the highest pace you can hold for 4 minutes, repeated 4 times. The hard start on the machines will make these challenging. The rest is long enough to recover your breathing, but not long enough to fully clear the fatigue. That being said, you want to finish the session feeling like you could’ve done one more interval.
Feel. You might find yourself in the “pain cave.” The hard buy-in sets the stage for hard intervals. The challenge is not the sprint itself, but the “fight” to keep moving when you are already breathing heavy from the start.
Adaptation. Aerobic power and lactate tolerance. The sprint buy-in builds lactate; the AMRAP forces you to rely on your aerobic engine to “buffer/utilize” it while doing work. This expands the ceiling of your engine.
Debrief. Take 2–3 minutes after the workout to reflect
– Did your output (reps) drop significantly in the final intervals?
– How fast was your “transition” from the machines to the couplet?
– Did you maintain movement quality despite the fatigue?
– Were you able to keep moving through the full interval each time?
– Name two (2) things that went well and one (1) you’d improve next time.
Movement options.
Air bike/Row → SkiErg or BikeErg for same calories or Run 400m
DB Snatches → lighter DB 15/10kg (35/20lbs), weight you can keep moving fast with
Double-unders → Speed rope steps
Box jump overs → Lower box → Box step overs
Wall walk → reduce reps (1 or 2/round) → 8 Burpees