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Cardio & conditioning

5K intervals: 3-minute repeats at 5K effort

The Tuesday session of our 5K training plan from week 3, and of our Hyrox training plan in weeks 9 and 10. 5K effort is hard but controlled: a few words at most, about 8 out of 10, the pace you could hold for a whole 5K race. In pooled trials, repeats of 2 minutes or more, with at least 15 minutes of hard work in a session, raised fitness more than steady training. The player times five repeats; the plan's phases set how many, and the counts are our editorial starting point.

50 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine · A wallQuads · Calves · Hamstrings · Glutes · Hip flexors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Treadmill walking3 min
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoBrisk walkHarder: Treadmill jogging
  2. Treadmill jogging10 min
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoEasy, full sentencesEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  3. Front-to-back leg swings10 swings each leg
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold a wall or tree; let the leg swing, don't kickHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
  4. Walking lunge6 steps each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoUpright, knee over the middle toes. Reverse lunges if your knees are sensitiveEasier: Split squatHarder: Split squat with dumbbells
  5. Skipping2 × 20 m
    Beginner · Calves, Hip flexors, Quads · 3D demoLight and springy. Leave it out with a suspected stress fractureEasier: Ankle bounces (mini pogo)Harder: Alternate-leg bounding
  6. Treadmill running4 × 20 s
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoStrides: build to fast but relaxed, then walk back. Not a sprintEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals

Intervals

5 rounds

  1. Treadmill running3 min
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demo5K effort: hard but controlled, a few words at most, about 8 out of 10. Keep them even: the last should match the first. 5K plan: 4, 3, 5 and 6 repeats in weeks 3 to 6, 4 × 4 min with 3-min jogs in week 7, and 3 × 2 min in race week. Hyrox plan: 5 × 3 min, then 4 × 4 minEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Treadmill jogging2 min
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoEasy jog, or walk, until your breathing settlesEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals

Cool-down

  1. Treadmill jogging5 min
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoEasyEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Treadmill walking3 min
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoWalkHarder: Treadmill jogging
  3. Wall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)30 s each side
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoOptional, for comfortEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  4. Soleus wall stretch30 s each side
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoOptional. Bent knee, for the deeper calfEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)

Tips

  • Couldn't hold the pace for the last repeat? Start the next session a little slower: even repeats beat a fast first one.
  • A flat path, a track or a treadmill at 1% incline suits it best.
  • Not the day before a long run or a tempo run. Lift 3 or more hours later, or the next day.
  • Sore Achilles or calf? Run easy that week and see our Achilles tendinopathy and calf pain guides.
  • Over 45 and not used to hard efforts? The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) asks you to check with a qualified exercise professional first.
  • If a racing heart or fast breathing tends to set off panic, build up over several sessions: these feelings are normal with hard effort and settle as you recover.
  • Chest pain, fainting or palpitations that don't settle need urgent help: call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US.
  • With numb feet from diabetes, wear well-fitting shoes and check your feet for redness or blisters afterwards; with an open sore or ulcer, don't run until your foot team says so.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Part of these weekly plans

Follow the whole week: which session on which day, and how to progress.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More cardio & conditioning

HIIT workout at home

A 20-minute no-equipment HIIT workout: jumping jacks, jump squats, mountain climbers, burpees, skips and bear crawls.

20 minIntermediate10 movesNo equipment

Plyometric workout

An advanced jump training session: pogo hops, box jumps, split squat jumps, broad jumps and depth jumps.

30 minAdvanced8 movesA bench or box, A step

Easy cardio workout

A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.

40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wall

Questions people ask

How long does the 5k intervals: 3-minute repeats at 5k effort take?

About 50 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 6 of its 8 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.