This “Fitness Challenge Series” is a compilation of “challenges” that I have either tried or have seen others try as fun ways to test current levels of fitness. It is NOT intended for use on a large scale with a team of athletes. Additionally I am NOT telling you that you NEED to try these. Some of these challenges will be easy and some will be quite difficult, but almost all will require some level of prior training (meaning if you don’t train frequently now and/or have never trained you should not attempt these challenges “just to try” or “just for fun” as they may lead to serious injury). However, if you are well-trained and want a fun way to test your current fitness and/or want to throw something new in to spice up your training, this series may be worthwhile for you to read.

With all that out of the way, let’s get into this challenge: 300 yd Shuttles x 3. This is one that so many strength coaches hate. Again, I am not recommending this for your entire team of athletes. But if you yourself want a good way to challenge your conditioning a bit then this is a good one (generally speaking you will rarely see someone who is “out of shape” pass this one).

For this challenge you need to place two cones 50 yards apart from each other. Run down and back three times (300 yards total). Rest 3:00. Repeat this for three rounds (Run 300 yards, rest 3:00, run 300 yards, rest 3:00, run 300 yards). A good goal for this one is to have all three 300 yard shuttle runs be under 1:00 (although an “Elite” goal would be for all three to be under :55). You may need a day or two to allow your legs to recover after this one (you’ll most certainly feel that third rep), but overall these should not put too big of a damper on your training plan. If you are training for something specific it may be best to hold off on these, but if you are looking for a way to challenge your heart, lungs, and legs give these shuttles a shot!