5 minute AMRAP
The Coil
Core under fatigue · Midline Tension · intensity 3 of 5
The workout
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:
- 10 Plank Jacks
- 10 Superman Raises
Overview
The Coil is 10 plank jacks and 10 superman raises. The work moves through the midline and the upper back instead of sitting on one muscle.
Muscles worked
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
5 minutes, intensity 3 of 5. Today the limiter is the sets being the same size.
Intended stimulus
The style is built so a trunk position has to survive the moving reps. On this workout that is 10 plank jacks and 10 superman raises.
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
The sets are the same size. The round gets hard when one of them breaks.
Pacing
Remember the posterior core. Lift the chest and thighs off the floor simultaneously, squeezing the lower back.
Keep each round about the same length. Do not drop the plank jacks to keep the other sets moving.
The movements
Plank Jacks
Keep the jumps small and fast. A massive lateral jump slows down the transition and compromises the spine.
What not to do. Shuffling the feet out rather than jumping them.
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.
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.
Plank Jacks
- From the knees. Knees down, straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Hands elevated. Hands on a bench or step. The higher the surface, the less you carry.
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.
Mistakes and who it is for
- Opening the plank jacks at a sprint makes the plank jacks the piece that falls apart.
- Resting until you feel fresh between movements removes the point of keeping them in one round.
- Letting the plank jacks shrink so the rest of the round can speed up changes the workout on the page.
Suited to someone who wants 5 minutes through Plank Jacks, Superman Raises.
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
- The Oarsman
Same midline and upper back, longer clock
Run it with friends
The Coil runs on a shared countdown: share a rally link, everyone gets the same 5-minute clock, and the leaderboard updates as people log rounds.