New ‘10/20/40’ Workout Involves Sprinting for 10 Seconds, Jogging for 20 Seconds, Re-examining Your Life for 40 Seconds
/
depositphotos.com
Time-crunched runners are flocking to a new workout that alternates intense cardio with periods of recovery and sober self-reflection, Dumb Runner has learned.
The “10/20/40” workout, as it’s called, involves sprinting for 10 seconds, jogging for 20 seconds, and pausing to re-examine your life for 40 seconds—and runners who have tried it say it’s a game changer.
“I work two jobs and I’m training for a half-marathon, and, also, I have real doubts that I’m on the right track, both with my work and personal lives,” said Gary Socrates, 32, an avid runner, barista, and aspiring musician. “So the 10/20/40 workout is perfect for me.”
Socrates described a typical 10/20/40 session this way:
“I jog to a local track, as a warmup, then do six to eight sets of 10/20/40; the sprint segments are, like, 20 seconds per mile quicker than my current 5K race pace, the recovery jogs are just super-chill, and then the 40 seconds of reflection are me sitting on the infield, thinking hard about my life and where, if anywhere, it’s headed.”
“All in, I’m done in about 20 minutes,” he said. “A short time, but lots of benefit.”
Experts say the 10/20/40 method is noteworthy because, unlike most other workouts, it blends physical benefits with metaphysical ones.
“I like 10/20/40 because it delivers a great cardio workout for runners while forcing them to confront the inherently absurd nature of great cardio workouts in an infinite, cold universe,” said Eric Plato, Ph.D., a sports psychologist. “And, within that larger context, to ask themselves, earnestly, I only have a short time here—what the hell am I doing with it?”
“It’s good stuff.”
Socrates, who said he’s been doing the workout once or twice a week for nearly two months, said it’s already paid dividends.
“My mile time has gotten significantly faster,” he said. “And I’ve decided to go back to school for my master’s.”
