Workout Explainer

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Workout Explainer

This workout explainer helps you to read workouts, events or races’ building blocks, understand them and use each in your advantage while working out or racing.

Introduction to Workouts

Before diving into the way workouts (races and events are workouts too!) are build, we should look at the big(ger) picture. This helps us better understand the various workout there are and what the idea is behind this variations.

We as athletes set goals, even if this means maintaining our current fitness to stay healthy. To achieve our goals we need training, lots of training. Each time we go training we will be doing a workout. This workout must fit our needs at that specific moment in our training journey. Therefore each workout is balanced with what is previously done and what is coming up next.

For example, doing a hard workout the day before or after a race is not recommended. This principle applies to all our workouts, all have a relation to what lies behind and ahead. This is why there are workout specific goals. Think of interval, fartlek, or recovery workouts. All with different training intensities. By using these different workout goals we can balance the overal o benefit you in the long run.

With this in mind, we can look

In short workouts are part or you total training routine over a much longer period.

From the top (or widest view) an overall view of working out in general is a Each of Eevvoo’s workouts are build with a variaty of sets. Each set is build with blocks. They can be supplemented by extras.

Workouts are your (daily) activities, races and events. It can be a single workout or one which is part of a full training plan. All workouts are build with a specific idea in mind and can help you take the next step towards your personal goal(s). A next step, since you will need practice and training over a longer period to steadily prepare your body.

Of course with one training you are not are designed to help you train for your goal(s).

danger of getting injured and therefore there is a balance between what you can handle and what the but each workout we write at Eevvoo has some fun in it. To variaty to you workouts and training plan

Therefore balancing between what you can handle and steadily heading to your goal and getting injured is key to keep on going.

Each blocks has a different purpose to help you along the way. You can do them next to your existing routines like getting dressed, fueling your body with energy, pumping your tires for a ride or tying your shoe laces for a run/walk.

Training can be serious and dangerous business. Sports and injuries are unfortunately bound together. Getting to your goal is walking a thin thread between maximum gains and getting injured.

“There is in most cases a little twist to it, just to add some fun at the start of your workout.”

Plans
Workouts
Set
- Pre Warm Up
- Warm Up – Part I &II
- Activation
- Core
- Cool Down
- Post Cool Down
Block
- Exercise
- Duration
- Intensity
Skip
Have you finished this block part with some time left? Then take a little extra breath, relax for the time being. Or push the lap button, if you can’t wait any longer for your workout to start, to finish the Pre Warm Up Block(s).

Pre Warm Up

The Pre Warm Up block can differ in duration and exersize. The intensity is low in every case. Possible exercises can be flexers, grabbing a preparation drink like a coffee or watch a video for inspiration. You name it. So there is in most cases a little twist to it, just to add some fun at the start of your workout.

Now you are ready to get started with the next block: Warm Up – Part I.

All blocks can be part of the routine you need to get the most out of everything you do. Can be part, since no workout is build the same and differentiation and variability keeps working out as fun as possible.

Warm Up - Part I

With the Warm Up block the fun begins and truely start working out. This cardiovascular activity helps your body and muscles to gradually prepare for the physical demands it is about to face. It also helps prevent injuries while doing your workout.

This block is where you get ready to perform the magic needed to reach your goal in your workout or event/race or training plan in general! Hold back and enjoy this easiest block to get ready.

This block is done in the lowest zone (0) possible for the sport in which you do your workout. Therefore it is truely easy going. During this block you can gradually build the effort, but you should always stay in the lowest zone.

Warm Ups are almost always part of your workouts, except from short recovery workout. Recovery workouts are in your lowest possible zone and doing a Warm Up as a separate block would be a bit strange.

The first set is called Pre Warm Up. This part helps you to prepare even better for your workout. This block can give you mentally or physically a little push to get into sport mode. It is always gentle, easy and fun!

Warm Up - Part II

Warm Up – Part II adds to Part I and helps your body and mind get ready. Part II can be build with one or multiple blocks. These sub-blocks help you to get physically and mentally ready. It helps you to be flexible and agile to move through your workout. A technique part helps you to help your body and muscles memorize the way movements should be done perfectly. Finally getting ready mentally can help you tackle the core with more ease and focus.

Flexibility
To perform during your workouts core, flexibility is crucial as it allows you to perform movements more efficiently and with reduced risk of injury. Dynamic stretching exercises and routines are commonly used to enhance flexibility, enabling you to reach, bend, and move your bodies optimally during your workout.
Possible exercises are rotations, flexers, stretchers.
Agility
Agility is your ability to change direction quickly, maintain balance, and move swiftly while maintaining control. It involves a combination of speed, coordination, balance, and reflexes. As soccer, basketball or tennis player, but also in running and cycling, you can rely on agility to maneuver around opponents effectively or take on the uneven road/course more easily.
Possible exercises are often lateral movements.
Technique
Your technique encompasses the proper execution of movements, skills, or actions specific to your sport. It involves your to use correct form, posture and mechanics to maximize performance efficiency. Mastering technique is vital for your as it enhances your abilities and reduces the risk of injuries associated with improper form. In some sports, like in swimming and speedskating, technique is even more essential than having endurance.
Possible exercises are technique drills for (parts) of your sports movements.
Strength
In your sports, strength refers to the ability of your muscles to generate force to power yourself forward through or maintain the right body posture during the workout. It’s crucial to you for various athletic activities, providing the foundation for power, endurance and overall performance. Strength training involves exercises aimed at building your muscles, increasing power and improving your body’s ability to withstand physical demands, leading to better athletic performance and in the end to progress to your goal more easily.
Possible exercises can be squads, core stability or sport specific.
Mental Prep
In addition to your physical readiness after all of the above blocks, there is time to prepare mentally for the main block of your workout, the Core. You get some time to focus, think of what part the Core contains, visualize it, rehearse your strategy or techniques need to get the best out of your Core block.

With all or some of these blocks done you are now ready for some real action. Time to get your engine into sport mode and do the next block: Activation.

Activation

With some or all previous blocks done you are almost ready to get to rock the core or main set of your workout. It is now time to get your engine properly warm for the ride. You can compare this block with the warm up lap before a Formule 1 race starts. In this lap they get the tires heated, the engine warm and just feel the track by doing sharp turns and some sprint. Exactly what you can do to get your engine pumping, warm and ready to rock.

“You can compare this block with the warm up lap before a Formule 1 race starts.”

Depending on the core of your workout, the activation block consists of some ‘sprints’. Where the sprints gradually build from low to high zones and over the sprints seperately. The first is the ‘easiest’ and the last is the hardest/fastest.

Core

The core is the main block of each workout and the part where the magic happens. This means that the core is the goal for all single workouts. In a plan the core adds to the overall goal of the training plan. All exercised around this part of your workout is to help you perform (pre core) or recover (post core).Cores can have a single or multiple goal(s) like you can read below.

The core of your workout can also be an event/race you planned. If so, the warming up part of your workout is to get ready to race.

Core blocks can have various setups. Below you can read what possiblities there are.

Endurance Training
This type of training aims to improve your aerobic capacity and endurance/stamina (zone 1-2) over extended periods. It involves sustained, moderate-intensity activities, performed for longer durations to enhance the body’s ability to endure prolonged exercise.
Tempo Endurance Training
This method involves sustaining your effort at a comfortably hard pace (often around a person’s lactate threshold or zone 2-3) for an extended period. It helps you improve both aerobic capacity and the ability to sustain higher speeds for longer periods.
Interval Training
This consists of alternating periods of high-intensity (zone 3-4) exercise with periods of lower-intensity activity or rest. It’s an effective way for you to improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and speed by pushing the body’s limits in shorter, intense bursts.
Fartlek Training
A more unstructured form of training, “fartlek” means “speed play” in Swedish. It involves varying the pace and intensity throughout a workout (zone 1-4), combining periods of fast and slow within your workout’s sport. It’s flexible and can be adapted to different terrains or fitness levels.
Sprint Training
This type of training focuses on short bursts of maximum effort (zone 4-5b). It helps you in improving speed, explosiveness, and muscle power. Sprint training often involves doing your activity at maximum intensity for short distances or durations.
Hill Repeats
This training involves up hill training, in which you exercise repeatedly at a high intensity (zone 3-5b), followed by a recovery period. It’s effective for building strength, power, and endurance, targeting specific muscle groups used for incline activities.
Recovery Workout
A light, low-intensity (zone 0-1) exercise session performed after you had a challenging workout or event the day(s) before. It helps you in reducing muscle soreness, aiding in the body’s recovery process, and promoting blood flow to facilitate healing.
Technique Training
This focuses on improving the form, skills, and efficiency in your particular sport or activity. It involves drills, practice sessions, and targeted exercises to refine movements, optimize performance, and prevent injuries by ensuring proper technique execution.
Note that this can be a core block or warm up block depending on the workout.

This block is present in each workout.

Cool Down

A cool down in sports is a crucial phase that occurs at the conclusion of your workout (or competitive event). It serves to gradually transition the body from the heightened intensity from the core exercise to a state of rest. The primary objectives of a cool down are to promote recovery, enhance flexibility, and reduce the risk of post-exercise soreness or injury. Here’s a comprehensive description:

A well-executed cool down is not only physically beneficial, but also aids in the mental transition from the intensity of exercise to a state of relaxation. It contributes to overall recovery, helping athletes maintain flexibility, prevent injuries, and prepare for subsequent training sessions or competitions.

The cool down serves as a proactive measure against potential injuries by allowing the muscles to return to their optimal length-tension relationship. This aids in preventing stiffness and soreness in the post-exercise period.

Cool Downs, in contrast to the Warm Up, have fewer blocks.

Gentle Cardiovascular Activity
The cool down typically begins with a gradual reduction in intensity and in the lowest zone possible. This helps to gradually lower the heart rate and blood circulation, preventing abrupt cardiovascular stress.
Often it involves light aerobic exercises like slow jogging or brisk walking.
Static Stretching:
At the end of your workout and in contrast to the Warm Up, you can do some easy static stretching. Static stretching helps improve flexibility, reduces muscle tension, and aids in the prevention of muscle imbalances.
This could involves holding stretches for specific muscle groups in a stationary position.
Mental Cool
For (competitive) sports, the cool down may also include a period of reflection and review. You (and your Eevvoo coaches) might look back on your performance, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for future training sessions or competitions.

Post Cool Down

At the very end or your workout you can

Possible options for the post cool down part of your workout are grabbing a drink, food or do some relaxing to get back on your feet.

This block is optinal for workouts.

Hydration
Adequate hydration is emphasized during the cool down to replenish fluids lost through sweating during the exercise. Proper hydration is essential for the body’s recovery processes.