Work Capacity 101



By Ross Enamait - Published in 2005





Work Capacity 101 is one of many routines contained within the Infinite Intensity training manual.


This workout consists of four exercises, performed as a circuit, with the intention of enhancing the athlete's work capacity.


Mel Siff offers the following definition of work capacity in his informative text Supertraining:


“Work capacity refers to the general ability of
the body as a machine to produce work of different intensity and
duration using the appropriate energy systems of the body” (Siff, 2003).


All athletes can benefit from improved work capacity. This is
particularly true for combat athletes. You must be prepared to fight
hard, round after round. By improving general work capacity, you will
be prepared to endure more intense work, while quickly recovering
between workouts (or rounds).

Recovery is extremely important. Many competitive fighters train 2 or 3
times per day, often pushing their body to the limit. A poorly
conditioned athlete will be unable to keep pace with such a vigorous
training schedule. The fighter must be in shape to train hard, while
possessing the ability to recover quickly. You cannot train hard one
day, and then be out of action due to 3 days of extreme muscle
soreness.

Improving work capacity is one important step to enabling the body to train harder and more often.


The following routine is just one of many options. Variety is extremely
important when training for improved condition. We are not looking to
adapt to a particular routine or training style. It is important to
incorporate variety into the conditioning regimen to prevent staleness
and adaptation to a particular drill/style. For example, swinging a
sledgehammer is an excellent conditioning drill, but you are not
training for the Sledgehammer Olympics.
You are training for improved performance in a given athletic event.
Incorporate variety to continue a positive training response.


The Routine



The following routine consists of four movements. Each movement will
be performed non-stop, with no rest between exercises. You will
continue this workout for 20-minutes. Your goal is to perform the
circuit 10 times in 20-minutes. You will begin a new circuit on every
2nd minute (ex. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 minutes). The
circuit will average approximately 75 seconds (+/- 10 to 15 seconds).
This will allow approximately 45 seconds of rest before starting the
next cycle.


For example:

• Start the routine at time 0:00
  
• Circuit lasts 75 seconds (ending at 1:15)
  
• Rest 45 seconds (until 2:00)
  
• Begin second pass through circuit at 2:00
  

This will continue for 20-minutes, or until you have completed 10
circuits. The circuit may not feel too difficult after the first few
cycles, but becomes more and more challenging as you approach the
20-minute mark.

The Exercises

1. Pull-ups x 5
   
2. Medicine Ball Slams x 10
   
3. Burpees x 15
   
4. Jumping Jacks x 20
   

Perform each movement as fast as possible. Move from one exercise to the next without stopping.


Below I have provided a video demonstration of one pass through the routine.








Workout Summary

• If this circuit is too difficult to begin on every second minute,
  you can alter the routine with one of two options. The first option is
  to increase the length of rest between circuits. Simply perform as many
  circuits as possible within 20-minutes. Do the best that you can. The
  second option is to reduce the number of burpees from 15 to 10. Burpees
  are the most difficult portion of the routine.
  
• When performing burpees, it is important to explode from the
  ground. Burpees are as intense as you make them. You can either explode
  upward, or execute a half ass jump. You must decide.
  
  
  In addition, be sure to drop the chest to the ground during
  each repetition. You will essentially perform a pushup within the
  burpee. Burpees are not the same as squat thrusts.
  
• When performing the medicine ball slam, a non-bouncing
  medicine ball is recommended. You must slam the ball downward with a
  max-effort. If you use a bouncing medicine ball, be sure to move your
  head out of the way to avoid being smashed in the face with the
  rebounding ball.
  
• If you do not need 45 seconds of rest before starting a second
  pass through the routine, go for it! Challenge yourself to perform more
  than 10 complete circuits within 20-minutes. As long as you move as
  fast as possible, you will benefit from the routine.
  

This workout can be performed 1 to 3 days per week depending on your
condition and weekly workload. This workout is just one of many that is
featured in the Infinite Intensity text. A complete 50 day program is also included, with details on how to construct a routine specific to your goals.

---

About the Author - Ross Enamait is an innovative athlete and
trainer, whose training style is among the most intense that you will
find. Ross is committed to excellence and advancements in high
performance conditioning and functional strength development. He has a
sincere interest in helping today's athlete in their quest for
greatness.

Ross has authored several training manuals, and is available for private training in the New England area. You may contact him directly at





ross@rosstraining.com
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/workcapacity101.html