Helen

Helen is a classic conditioning workout that mixes running, kettlebell swings, and pull-ups. It trains your hamstrings, glutes, and lats hardest, while also working your quadriceps, shoulders, and core. The goal is to complete three rounds as fast as possible with good form from start to finish.

Set up at a 400 m track, route, or treadmill, plus a kettlebell and a pull-up bar. For the swings, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell roughly a foot in front of your toes. Grab the bar with a full grip, arms shoulder-width apart, and hang with your shoulders active. Brace your midsection before you begin.

Complete 3 rounds for time, in this order: run 400 m, then do 21 kettlebell swings, then do 12 pull-ups. On the swings, hike the bell back between your legs, snap your hips forward to bring it to eye level, and guide it back down. On the pull-ups, start from a dead hang, pull your chin above the bar, and lower under control. Move straight from the swings into the pull-ups, then take a short rest before the next run.

Breathe in before each swing or pull-up, brace your core as if someone is about to press on your stomach, and breathe out during the effort. Pace the run so the swings and pull-ups stay unbroken. To make it easier, reduce the pull-up reps or use a kettlebell you can swing without stopping. To make it harder, use a stricter pull-up variation or add a weight vest if your coach agrees.

Fault: Sprinting the first run and then breaking the swings into tiny sets. Fix: Start at a controlled pace on the run so you can pick up the kettlebell and complete all 21 swings without putting it down.

Fault: Turning the kettlebell swing into an arm raise. Fix: Keep your arms relaxed and generate the lift by snapping your hips forward; your glutes and hamstrings should do the work.

Fault: Pull-ups turning into loose, swinging kips. Fix: Keep your core tight at the top and bottom of each rep, and stay active in your shoulders instead of dropping into a slack hang.

Fault: Overextending the lower back at the top of the swing. Fix: Finish tall with your ribs down and glutes squeezed, and stop the swing before your shoulders drift behind your hips.