Train Like Spartan Champ Alyssa Hawley for a Week
We all want to know: What makes the best-of-the-best Spartan athletes out there tick? How do they keep their edge? In our Train Like A Champ series, we dig into the details of the training, nutrition, mindset, and more that keeps our most epic athletes on top.
The One-Week Train Like Alyssa Hawley Plan
We tapped Alyssa Hawley for an inside look at what a week-long "Alyssa Hawley training plan" looks like, so you can follow along — and learn to train like a champ yourself.
Related: Train Like a Champion: Q&A with Champ Alyssa Hawley
Note: Begin all workouts with a warm-up—and end all with a cool-down.
Considering that Hawley doesn’t have a traditional running background like a lot of other elite Spartan competitors, for the most part, her programming skews towards high volumes of endurance training.
Hawley’s training focuses on balancing longer-duration, lower-intensity cardiovascular work with shorter, high-intensity threshold exercise, along with routines specific for muscular strength and muscular endurance.
Related: Dynamic Warm-up to Start Every Workout
Monday: Bike
AM - working on building volume and endurance
45min easy bike (Any time I say this it means: Spin bike in the gym - I keep it around 90rpms at <75% Heart Rate)
PM - hard, long tempo race-like effort. Mondays are usually hard because Sunday is a day of rest
20 min bike warm up, 30 min bike cool down
"Red Cell" DWEP (Anytime I say this I mean my coach, Dennis Welch programmed, hard efforts) 2000m row 6:30 min Assault Bike 1000m row 6:30 min Assault Bike 500m row 6:30 min Assault Bike 35:35 total
Finished with:
Pull-ups: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Push-ups: 20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10
Tuesday: Bike and Upper-Body Strength
AM - working on building volume and endurance
40-minute easy bike
PM - upper body strength and endurance and grip to give the legs a little break
20 min bike warm up, 30 min bike cool down
DWEP: 6 rounds: 90 sec arms only Assault Bike 2 min Heavy bucket 2 min Rope climbs 12 Landmine Press 35# 10 BB Clean and Press 65#
Wednesday: Lifting & Recovery
20 min Bike warm-up
DWEP Lift (working on just pure leg strength)
Single-arm Barbell Deadlift DL 5x8reps @ 95# (+10 single leg box jumps in between) Front Squat 5x8 @ 95# (+5 weighted box jumps in between) Leg Curl 5x12 @ 70# (+ 15 barbell hip thrusts in between) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat 5x5-7 reps each leg @ 2x30# KB's, ended with 2x40# KB/s 100 DB Snatches for time @ 45# (7:55 min)
*Cryotherapy session
Thursday: Climb & Nap for Recovery
Rock Climb for 2 hours (grip training)
Nap 1.5 hours
Friday: Lifting & Assault Bike
Tire Pull warm up - 20 min <75% HRM
DWEP: working on lactate threshold 10 min Assault Bike EMOM - every minute on the minute do 10 calories all out and then rest the remainder of the minute.
Then, 5 rounds of: 15 Landmine press 35# + 2" heavy bucket
5 rounds of: 10 Landmine rows + max farmers carry with 45# pinch grip plates
Then, 10 min Assault Bike 30 sec all out/30sec rest
Total - 43min
Finish with 10 pull ups, 25 glute bridge x5 rounds
Related: What a Week of Spartan Pro Nicole Mericle's Workouts Looks Like
Saturday: Road Bike & Hike
AM - working on endurance
Long road bike ride keeping HR <155bpm; 2:03 hours
10 pull ups + 1 spear throw x5
PM - just for fun because it's what I like to do!
Easy hike - 2 hours, 4mi, 1700ft gain
Nap 1.5 hours
Sunday: Recovery day
Easy tire pull 20 min
Test run - 1 mi easy @ 9:00 pace
5 rounds:
Assault Bike - 4 min easy/1 min hard 10 pull ups
