The Sonic Workout

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Character Breakdown: Sonic the Hedgehog
The Sonic Workout
The Skills of Sonic
The Optimism of Sonic

So, Sonic the Hedgehog is really famous for one, major thing(hint: it’s not his love of chili cheese dogs)…Running!   As such, we’re going to build our sprinting muscles!  Keep in mind, this is not a distance running guide, this is a sprinting guide.  If you’re interested in being a more well-rounded runner, check out the Ezio Workout, and if you want to run long distances like a boss, check out the Link Workout.

We’re obviously going to be doing a lot of running, but we’re also going to be doing some cross-training and strength training to boost our muscles and our explosiveness.  I recommend going with the Fighter Diet for this workout plan, and take the training slow at first.  This is high impact stuff, and you don’t want to ramp up too quickly and end up hurting yourself.

Also, make sure you always warm up before exercising!  I did a video tutorial on how to warm up properly, so check it out!

Normally we split our workouts into strength and cardio, but we’re going with a purpose-driven approach here, so we’re just going to have a Workout A, Workout B, and Sprint day.

Note: This workout is split into four levels, so it can be easily plugged into the RPG Fitness system!

Equipment Needed:
A good pair of lightweight running shoes.
Stairs.

Workout A:
Level 1(beginner):
3×10 Calf Raises
3×10 Step Ups(each leg)(just find a stair, step a leg up one or two steps, stand on the step, and go back down)
3×5-10 Bodyweight Squats
3×5 Knee-Drives(each leg)(shuffle forward with a few small steps, staying on the balls of your toes.  On the fourth step, instead of shuffling forward with that leg, drive the knee up a hard and high as you can)
3×10 Mountain Climbers
3×10 Twist Crunches

Level 2(intermediate):
3×10 Calf Bounces
3×10 Step Ups(each leg)(go one stair higher than you did at the beginner level)
3×10-20 Bodyweight Squats
3×10 Knee-Drives
3×20 Mountain Climbers(start going for real speed on these)
3×20 Twist Crunches

Level 3(advanced):
3×10 Calf Jumps(Now instead of bouncing in place, you keep your feet together, and, while bending your knees as little as possible, jump as far forward as you can, ten times)
3×10 Jumping Step-Ups(same as before, but instead of bringing your leg up to stand on the step, you jump as high in the air as you can, and switch legs in mid-air, so your feet end up in opposite positions when you land)
3×10 Tuck Jumps(squat down, jump as high as you can, bringing your knees to your chest)
3×10 Knee-Drives
3×25 Mountain Climbers(as fast as you can, time them if possible)
3×25 Bicycle Crunches

Level 4(Supersonic):
3×15 Calf Jumps(just try to increase your distance on these)
3×20 Jumping Step-Ups
3×15 Stair Jumps(like tuck jumps, but jumping up stairs and landing on as high a stair as you can reach)
3×15 Knee-Drives
3×35 Mountain Climbers
3×50 Bicycle Crunches

Workout B:
Level 1(Beginner):
3×5 Seated Arm Swings(each side)(keep your arms locked at a 90 degree elbow bend, hands open, and swing them as hard as you can, as though you were running really fast, but sitting on the ground)
3×5-10 Pushups(can be from knees if necessary)
3×5 Standing Arm Swings(each side)(Same as before, but standing)
3×5 Windmills(spread legs, arms out straight to the side, bend over and touch one foot with the opposite hand, come back up, repeat)
3×10 Side crunches(both sides)(lie on your side, one hand behind your head, and your knee bent 90 degrees, with your foot in the air, crunch up and drive your arm and your knee towards each other)

Level 2(Intermediate):
3×10 Seated Arm Swings(each side)
3×10-15 Pushups
3×10 Standing Arm Swings(each side)(Same as before, but standing)
3×10-15 Windmills
3×20 Side crunches(both sides)

Level 3(Advanced):
3×20 Seated Arm Swings(each side)(start doing these for speed)
3×20 Pushups(start doing these for speed, but don’t sacrifice range of motion)
3×20 Standing Arm Swings(each side)(start doing these for speed)
3×20 Windmills(fast as you can without sacrificing form)
3×30 Side crunches(both sides)

Level 4(Supersonic):
3×30 Seated Arm Swings(each side)(start doing these for speed)
3×20 Clap Pushups
3×30 Standing Arm Swings(each side)(start doing these for speed)
3×30 Windmills(fast as you can without sacrificing form)
3×40 Side crunches(both sides)

Sprint Day:
Lay out a set distance in a flat area that you can run.  Typical distances are 100,200, and 400 meters.
3-5 Sprints(full distance)
5-10 Sets of suicide sprints(divide the sprinting distance in thirds for your suicide sprint markers)
1-5 Hill sprints(do as many as you can without risking injury)
Make sure to give yourself some time to rest and recoup between each set.

Schedule:
Day 1: Workout A
Day 2: Sprint Day
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Workout B
Day 5: Sprint Day
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest

Notes:
Make sure you warm up before each workout(joints and muscles), and cooldown stretch after each workout.  Pay close attention to your joints, too, they’re going to take a hammering, especially when you start out.  That’s part of the reason the workouts are divided up with the extra rest as they are.  If you’re feeling okay on Day 7, feel free to go do some light cardio of some kind, like a jog or a brisk walk or something.  You could also do cross-training like biking or swimming if you’re feeling up to it, just don’t overdo it.

Sorry this post was a bit late, folks, had kind of a weird day.  Tomorrow we’re looking at the Skills of Sonic!  Until then, make sure to like the Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, and go follow the Tumblr as well.  As always, keep being awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace