The 5 x 5 is a simple speed workout you can repeat through a training block without overthinking it. Coach and writer Mario Fraioli, host of The Morning Shakeout podcast, says it’s a favourite he often uses with his athletes.
This workout has a lot of appeal, especially once you have tried it. The reps are long enough that you have to work, but not so long that you feel like you’re hanging on for dear life. It’s also flexible, and you can do it on the road, on dirt, on a loop in the park or anywhere you can run steadily for five minutes without constantly dodging stoplights.
Your overall fitness is getting tested here. “It’s really hard to fake your way through 25 minutes of work at this intensity,” Fraoli says. “Nailing this simple-but-not-easy session will give your fitness a nice boost and also help you develop the mental toughness to keep running hard when you’d otherwise let yourself off the hook.”
The workout
Warm up with 15–30 minutes of easy running.
Drills: Run 20-second strides (accelerate for 5 seconds, spend the next 10 seconds at near-top speed and then gradually decelerate to a jog over the final 5 seconds). Catch your breath for 40-60 seconds and then repeat 3-5 more times.
Main set: Run 5 x 5 minutes at 8K-10K effort/pace, with 2-3 minutes of easy running in between. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy running.
Feeling like this is a bit much to take on? Just take out a few reps, and add them back in as you get stronger.
Where to do it
Roads, trails or grass are all surfaces for this one, especially since the effort stays the same even if the terrain changes. Fraioli notes it works just as well on a track or treadmill.
Follow this session with a recovery day—either very easy running or full rest.
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