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
Every 4 minutes, for 32 minutes (8 sets) for times:
Run 500 Meters @ 85-95% of your 400m PR pace
For the sake of clarity, if your 400m PR was 70 seconds, 90% is 78 seconds (70/.9).
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Every 8 minutes, for 32 minutes (4 sets) for distances of:
5 Minutes of Running @ 1-Mile PR Pace
(walk or jog during the 3-minute rest period)
You’re holding the same paces this week, but for only five minutes and an extra set. So you’ll be running a total of 20 minutes this week instead of the 18 minutes of running your ran last week.
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
For distance:
12 Minutes of Running @ 70-75% effort
12 Minutes of Running @ 80-85% effort
12 Minutes of Running @ 75-80% effort
If you have a heart-rate monitor, start to note heart-rates at your various effort levels to ensure that your perceived rate of exertion is aligned with your physiological exertion. This can be a great learning tool for athletes with a little bit of awareness and note-taking.
Rowing Sessions
Session 1 – VO2 Max Priority
Every 6 minutes, for 36 minutes (6 sets) for distances:
3 Minutes of Rowing
Be aggressive on these sets, but try to maintain a consistent pace. That will mean that you need to increase your RPE over the course of the eight sets.
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Five sets for times of:
Row 1650 Meters
Rest 4 minutes
Goal is to hold your fastest paces from the week of February 17-23, 2020. If you didn’t perform that session, your goal should be to maintain consistent pacing across all five sets.
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
For distance:
12 Minutes of Rowing @ 70-75% effort
12 Minutes of Rowing @ 80-85% effort
12 Minutes of Rowing @ 75-80% effort
Cyclical & Mixed-Modal Sessions
Session 1 – VO2 Max Priority
Thirty (30) sets of:
30 seconds of Assault Bike
Rest 60 seconds
Be consistent across the 30 sets. A good goal would be to maintain 12-14/8-10 calories every 30 seconds.
Session 2 – Lactate Threshold
Two sets of:
Against a 3-minute running clock…
30/22 Calorie Row or Ski-Erg
Max Calorie Assault Bike or Bike Erg in remaining time
Rest 2 minutes
Immediately followed by. . .
Three sets of:
Against a 2-minute running clock…
20/15 Calorie Row or Ski-Erg
Max Calorie Assault Bike or Bike Erg in remaining time
Rest 90 seconds
Immediately followed by. . .
Four sets of:
Against a 3 minute running clock…
15/10 Calorie Row or Ski-Erg
Max Calorie Assault Bike or Bike Erg in remaining time
Rest 60 seconds
Session 3 – Aerobic Threshold
Five rounds for time:
30/20 Calories of Assault Bike
20 Kettlebell Swings
10 Box Step Overs with Kettlebell
Rest 60 seconds, and then…
Two rounds for time:
Row 500 Meters
25 Burpees Over the Erg
Rest 60 seconds, and then…
Three rounds for time of:
100 Double-Unders
50 Air Squats
Swimming Technique Session
Warm-Up Technique Drills
Four sets of:
25 Meter Finger Tip Drag
25 Meter Stroke Count – count the number of strokes, be long and efficient
Rest 20-30 seconds
Followed by…
Four sets of:
25 Meter Kick
(try one set on each side/one on your back and one on your front)
Rest 10-20 seconds
Followed by…
Four sets of:
25 Meter Finger Tip Drag
25 Meter Stroke Count – count the number of strokes, be long and efficient
Rest 20-30 seconds
Main Set
Sprint Focus – Note your times. As the season goes on we will repeat this workout and you should see your times becoming faster and more tightly grouped.
Every 3 minutes, for 18 minutes (6 sets):
Swim 100 Meters
Goal is to have all six sets within 2-3 seconds of each other.
Followed by…
One set of:
100 Meter Pull @ recovery pace
Rest 30 seconds
100 Meter Kick @ recovery pace
Followed by…
Every 2 minutes, for 10 minutes (5 sets):
Swim 50 Meters
Goal is to have all five sets within 1-2 seconds of each other.
Cool Down Technique Work
200 Meters Finger Tip Drag and focus on body position – waterline at the crown of your head
(If your head is lowered into the water, then the hips and feet rise towards the surface. Rather than having the water line at your eyebrows, forehead or hair line, drop your head so that the water line connects with the crown of the head.)