5 minute AMRAP
The Bowstring
Core under fatigue · Midline Tension · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:
- 10 V-Ups
- 12 W-Press Ups
Overview
The Bowstring is 10 v-ups and 12 w-press ups. The work moves through the midline and the upper back instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
Midline
V-Ups
Upper back
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
5 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the w-press ups.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so a trunk position has to survive the moving reps. On this workout that is 10 v-ups and 12 w-press ups.
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
12 w-press ups is where the round gets hard. The other movements still have to be finished after it.
Pacing
Flex hard on the V-ups, then press the mid-back into the floor. Legs locked on the V; elbows glued to the ribs on the W.
Keep each round about the same length. Do not drop the w-press ups to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
V-Ups
If you bend your knees to reach your toes, you are cheating the lower abdominals.
What not to do. Bending the knees to bring the feet closer to the hands.
W-Press Ups
Avoid excessively arching your lower back to cheat the range of motion. If your hips pop off the floor, you are losing the isolation in your mid-back. Keep your neck relaxed and look straight up.
What not to do. Arching the lower back until the hips leave the floor to fake extra range.
Why these movements
The work moves through the midline and the upper back 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.
V-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.
W-Press Ups
- Shorter lift. Drive into the floor but only lift as high as you can control without the hips or neck cheating.
- Hold the squeeze. Reach the top and freeze for a count instead of cycling reps. Same drive, less fatigue management.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the v-ups at a sprint makes the w-press ups the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Letting the w-press ups shrink so the rest of the round can speed up changes the workout on the page.
Suited to someone who wants 5 minutes through V-Ups, W-Press Ups.
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
- Active Sonar
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
- Iron Scapula
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
- Spinal Lock
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
Run it with friends
The Bowstring runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 5-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.