15 minute AMRAP
Tension Span
Core under fatigue · Midline Tension · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
- 15 Strict Sit-ups
- 15 Superman Raises
- 20 Combat Sprawls
Overview
Tension Span is 15 strict sit-ups, 15 superman raises, and 20 combat sprawls. The work moves through the midline, the upper back, and the full body instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Full body
Midline
Upper back
Superman Raises
Energy systems
These are overlapping contributions. This workout is not assigned to one energy system.
- Glycolytic: Moderate
- Oxidative: Moderate
- Neuromuscular: Moderate
Training effect
Immediate demand
15 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the combat sprawls.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so a trunk position has to survive the moving reps. On this workout that is 15 strict sit-ups, 15 superman raises, and 20 combat sprawls.
Repeated practice
Repeat the same workout and compare the score. What can change over weeks is how long that pace lasts. One time through does not produce that change.
Body-composition context
Body weight changes with the rest of how you eat and train. This workout is one piece of work on one day.
Expected feel
20 combat sprawls is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Perfectly balanced anterior and posterior work. Do not throw your arms to generate momentum on the sit-ups.
Keep the later rounds moving at the same size as the early ones. Do not drop the combat sprawls to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Strict Sit-ups
Do not throw your arms forward to generate momentum; force the core to pull the weight.
What not to do. Anchoring the feet under something to pull yourself up.
Superman Raises
Aggressively squeeze the glutes before lifting the chest to protect the lower back from hyperextension.
What not to do. Throwing the chest up and letting it drop straight back down.
Combat Sprawls
You must land with your entire foot completely flat on the mat when returning from the plank. Landing on your toes in this wide stance places severe shearing force on the knee capsule and kills your ability to rebound.
What not to do. Landing the feet inside the hands, leaving no room to lift the chest.
Why these movements
The work moves through the midline, the upper back, and the full body instead of sitting on one muscle.
Scaling
Keep a brace or a hollow position in every round. Drop the moving reps before you drop the position that makes the trunk work.
Strict Sit-ups
- Knees bent. Bend the knees to shorten the lever. The shorter it is, the lighter it is.
- Partial range. Move only through the range where you can keep the lower back on the floor.
Superman Raises
- Shorter range. Lift only as high as you can hold the position without arching the back.
- Both legs. Drive through both feet instead of one.
Combat Sprawls
- Step the feet. Step back and step in instead of jumping. Same shape, no impact.
- Hands elevated. Hands on a bench or step so the floor never comes all the way up to you.
- No jump at the top. Stand tall and reach instead of leaving the floor.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the strict sit-ups at a sprint makes the combat sprawls the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Spending the first minutes hard leaves the later rounds as a different, slower workout.
Suited to someone who wants 15 minutes through Strict Sit-ups, Superman Raises, Combat Sprawls.
Scoring and progression
Work through the movements in the order listed, then start the next round. Your score is the number of complete rounds plus any reps of the round you were partway through when the clock hit zero — written as rounds plus reps, so seven full rounds and twelve reps is7+12.
Progression is repeating this workout and comparing that score. The page does not promise a change from one time through.
Related workouts
- Atmosphere
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
- The Cross-Draft
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
- Active Sonar
Same midline and upper back, shorter clock
Run it with friends
Tension Span runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 15-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.