How to Improve Your Cardio and Work Your Upper Body in the Same Fitness Workout

This fast-running workout of the week, mixed with upper-body calisthenics, pushed our running to new limits. We let a few high-level soccer players do one of their running workouts, such as the Manchester United Run Workout. We started with an uncomplicated upper-body (pull-ups/push-ups x 2) half pyramid from 1-10 with jog/dynamic stretches warm-up:

• 1 pull-up, 2 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches mixed in for 10 yards
• 2 pull-ups, 4 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches
• 3 pull-ups, 6 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches ... up to 10 pull-ups/20 push-ups

We then took an easy one-mile jog to the track, where we started the next part of the workout.

If you are unfamiliar with this fast soccer running workout, check it out. The goal is to do the best you can and see whether you can keep every minute on the minute (EMOM) sets for 10-20 sets:

Manchester United Runs: Repeat 100 yards fast and jog 100 yards back for 20 sets EMOM.

To complete the entire test, you will run 20 100-yard sprints and 100-yard jogs in 20 minutes:

The first 10 sets at the following pace: 100-yard sprint in 25 seconds, 35 seconds to get back.

After the initial set of 10, each round will be run one second faster for the next 10 sets:

• 100-yard sprint in 24 seconds, 36 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 23 seconds, 37 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 22 seconds, 38 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 21 seconds, 39 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 20 seconds, 40 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 19 seconds, 41 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 18 seconds, 42 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 17 seconds, 43 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 16 seconds, 44 seconds to jog back
• 100-yard sprint in 15 seconds, 45 seconds to get back

* The actual Manchester United has the team repeating this last set two more times (22 total sets). We did not do that.

Follow with an easy jog cooldown for one mile or a 10-minute bike ride, followed by the repeat of the pull-ups/push-ups half pyramid/ladder:

• 1 pull-up, 2 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches mixed in for 10 yards
• 2 pull-ups, 4 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches
• 3 pull-ups, 6 push-ups + 50-yard jog with dynamic stretches ... up to 10 pull-ups/20 push-ups

You will run three miles during the warm-up and cooldown with the pyramid jogs and one-mile finishers, 110 pull-ups, 220 push-ups and 4,000 yards (over 2 miles) of 100-yard run sets.

This is not a beginner program, but as with any workout like this, it is entirely scalable. Do what you can on the pull-up/push-up warm-up/cooldown half pyramids. If you continue doing these types of calisthenics warm-ups, I promise the sets of 55 pull-ups /110 push-ups will one day be good warm-ups for you. But if you can only go up to Set 5, stop there and you still get 15 pull-ups/30 push-ups as a warm-up. Not bad, either.

Then, with the run, if you need to rest more than the given one-minute interval, try it at a 1:30 interval. But try out as many sets as you can as written, then resort to more extended rest periods. If you do this type of workout once a week, you will see progress and, in a few months, be able to complete it in full.

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