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START STRONG
The best way to warm up for the FitBrit Challenge, and your training sessions before it, is to get your pulse raised and test yourself on each exercise. It’s important to keep your warm-ups specific to the task in hand. So once you’ve got your heart rate up on the treadmill, bike or rower, perform the challenge’s resistance moves with around 40-50% of the weight for half the reps. This will keep your pulse up, as well as preparing both your mind and your muscles so you’re ready to start strong.
UP THE EFFORT
To ensure you give yourself the best odds of setting a red-hot time, practise doing the full challenge but halving the reps for the resistance moves and halving the distances for the cardio parts. This will allow you to go all-out for the duration of the session to build speed and stamina. Next time, do 75% for each part of the event. Not only will this help you perform physically, but it will also give you confidence and belief in your ability.
PACE YOURSELF
The biggest mistake people make when trying to set a good FitBrit time is setting off too fast. It’s tempting to hit the 800m run hard – because it’s the first exercise, you start it feeling strong and fresh. But going too hard too soon will empty your tank. Start at 70% of the effort you’d normally exert for 800m, then perform the next three moves (30 24kg kettlebell swings, 20 20kg ViPR tilts and 10 burpee box jumps) at a steady pace. Then you can really push hard on the 1.5km bike – this is where you can make up the most time, so focus on a high RPM to eat up the clock.
USE YOUR HEAD
Ask anyone who has ever completed the FitBrit Challenge and they will tell you how tough they found it. Not just physically, but also mentally. Even though you’re likely to be doing it in the middle of a busy gym, you’ve got to stay focused on what you’re doing and not allow mental fatigue to set it. Stick to your plan and concentrate only on the event at hand. Thinking about the next event or how much you still have to do before the finish will only harm your chances of setting a new best time.
FINISH FAST
Once you get off the bike, you have three resistance exercises to get done quickly: 10 parallette shooters, 20 20kg kettlebell sumo deadlift to high pull and 30 7kg sandbell rainbow slams. These are tough, especially after a hard ride, but it’s a good idea to keep each move fast but consistent to get to the final event – the 500m row – in good shape. The row is your opportunity to empty your tank and really go for your best possible time. Leave nothing on the gym floor – this is where you can make or break your FitBrit Challenge.