MWF - Stair Sprints!

Strength Training
3 x 5's

Metcon

MWF - Stair Sprints
Main gym, external stairwell.  From the first landing to the top.

5 rounds - all out effort.
Approximately 15 seconds up.
1 minute rest between rounds.
Sounds easy on paper.  Brutally challenging in reality.

Commentary

Here's a bit more from a subsequent email exchange with the athletes who ran 'em:

"Glad you both enjoyed it!

Stair sprints are great for us older folks, because they put much less stress on the hamstrings, compared to all-out flat-ground sprinting.  I speak from experience, having pulled both hamstrings several times running on turf, and never having once felt the slightest twinge while sprinting stairs.

That difference is especially important when doing conditioning at the end of a practice.  The hamstrings are primarily Type II fast-twitch muscle fibers that fatigue quickly.  Flat-ground, max-effort sprints should come at the beginning of a practice, just after a warm-up.  Stair sprints, on the other hand, are a perfect finisher!

Next time we do ‘em, we’ll shorten the distance by a flight or two.  I really do want you to be able to maintain fast turn-over until the very end.

Again, impressive work, you two."