Welcome to Invictus Engine! – You’ll see below that the format of our program provides you with 10 different training options categorized by modality and energy system and puts the power in your hands to structure your training schedule around your priorities. For example, a three-day/week training schedule might look like this:
- Monday – Running Session – VO2 Max Priority
- Wednesday – Rowing Session – Lactate Threshold Priority
- Saturday – Running Session – Aerobic Threshold Priority
Or if you want to train just 3x/week but really focus on an energy system instead of a modality, you may choose to do just the VO2 Max, Lactate or Aerobic Threshold sessions – one each from the running, rowing and mixed-modal options.
Alternatively, if you would like to train 6 days/week, your training schedule might look something like this:
- Monday – Running Session – VO2 Max Priority
- Tuesday – Mixed-Modal Session – Aerobic Threshold Priority
- Wednesday – Rowing Session – Lactate Threshold Priority
- Thursday – Swimming Technique Session
- Friday – Mixed-Modal Session – VO2 Max Priority
- Saturday – Running Session – Aerobic Threshold Priority
The power to choose is yours, but your coaches are here to help! Please let us know how we can best guide you in the comments, and via the private Facebook page – which is titled “Invictus Engine.” Please also continue to post workout results to comments, simply noting the sessions as “VO2 Max Running Session” or “Lactate Threshold Mixed-Modal Session” followed by your results (times or distances). We look forward to following your progress and helping you get the most benefit from this program!
Running Sessions
Session 1 – VO2 Max Priority
Six sets for times of:
Run 800 Meters @ 100% of 1-Mile Pace
Rest 2-3 minutes
Your rest period should be sufficient enough to keep your paces, so take your full three minutes of rest unless you know you’re capable of maintaining your paces.
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Four sets of:
Run 400 Meters @ 90% of 1-Mile PR Pace
Run 400 Meters @ 100% of 1-Mile PR Pace
Run 400 Meters @ 80% of 1-Mile PR Pace
Run 400 Meters @ 95+% of 1-Mile PR Pace
Rest 4 minutes
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
For distance:
30 Minutes of Running
Pace by feel…if you feel good today, push your paces; if you feel sore or tired from the week’s training, focus more on mechanics and breathing than on your speed.
Rowing Sessions
Session 1 – VO2 Max Priority
For warm-up:
Row 500 Meters @ 60-65%
Row 500 Meters @ 65-70%
Row 500 Meters @ 70-75%
Rest as needed, and then…
For time:
Row 500 Meters @ 100%
Compare results to the week of April 6-12, 2020. This should be treated as a maximal effort test. We will come back to this effort in future weeks to monitor progress.
Rest 60-90 seconds, and then…
For cool down:
Row 500 Meters @ 65-70%
Row 500 Meters @ 70-75%
Row 500 Meters @ 70-75%
Row 500 Meters @ 65-70%
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Four sets of:
Row 500 Meters @ 90% of 2k PR Pace
Row 500 Meters @ 100% of 2k PR Pace
Row 500 Meters @ 80% of 2k PR Pace
Row 500 Meters @ 95+% of 2k PR Pace
Rest 4 minutes
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
For distance:
30 Minutes of Rowing
Pace by feel…if you feel good today, push your paces; if you feel sore or tired from the week’s training, focus more on mechanics and breathing than on your speed.
Cyclical & Mixed-Modal Sessions
Session 1 – VO2 Max Priority
Every 3 minutes, for 30 minutes (10 sets), for Max Calories:
30 seconds of Assault Bike
(these should be maximal efforts every set)
30 seconds of Air Squats
If you have a weighted vest wear it!
Don’t be scared to push the pace on these and trust that you can maintain an aggressive pace and be able to recover in 2 minutes.
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Against a 2-minute running clock…
30/22 Calorie Assault Bike
Max Reps of Front-Racked Kettlebell Squats (24/16 kg KBs)
Rest 60 seconds, and then. . .
Against a 2-minute running clock…
20/15 Calorie Assault Bike
Max Reps of Air Squats in remaining time
Rest 3 minutes after the Air Squats and repeat the full 5 minute piece for a total of FIVE sets.
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
15 Calories of Rowing, Ski Erg or Assault Bike
12 Dumbbell Deadlifts
9 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans
6 Dumbbell Push Presses
Rest 2 minutes, and when the running clock reaches 12:00…
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
15 Calories of Rowing, Ski Erg or Assault Bike
5 Dumbbell Devil’s Presses
Rest 2 minutes, and when the running clock reaches 24:00…
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
15 Calories of Rowing, Ski Erg or Assault Bike
12 Front-Racked Dumbbell Lunges
9 Dumbbell Push Presses
Swimming Technique Session
Warm-Up Technique Drills
Four sets of:
50 Meter Finger Tip Drag
Rest 20-30 seconds
Followed by…
Four sets of:
50 Meter Catch-Up Drill
Rest 30 seconds
Main Set
Do your 100’s on a pace that will allow you about 10 seconds of rest at about 70% effort- then maintain that pace for your 200’s. You need to maintain this same pace at 400 so you are probably going to feel very relaxed and slow as you start out.
Four sets of:
100 Meter Freestyle on one of the following intervals: 1:25/1:30/1:35/1:40/1:45/1:50/1:55/2:00
Followed by…
Two sets of:
200 Meter Freestyle on one of the following intervals: 2:50/3:00/3:10/3:20/3:30/3:40/3:50/4:00
Followed by…
One set of:
400 Meter Freestyle on one of the following intervals 5:40/6:00/6:20/6:40/7:00/7:20/7:40/8:00
(the goal is to try to maintain the same pace throughout)
Cool Down Technique Work
One set of:
100 Meter Kick-Only
Followed by…
One set of:
100 Meter Pull-Only