If You Can't Do This Speed Workout, You're Not as Fit as You Think

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Looking for a cheat code to get pretty fit without suffering? Welcome to the easiest of the hard workout sessions for runners: the 12×400 interval workout. This routine is a favorite of mine because it boosts your VO2 max, improves your running economy, which is your body’s ability to use oxygen as the main fuel source for as long as possible, and prepares your body for the harder and longer work later in the season. Whether you’re training for a 5K, 10K, or even a marathon, 12×400 intervals done at the right pace and time of the season might help you hit your goals. Let’s get into why this workout will give you the business and how you can make it part of your training right now.

Finding the Physiological Flow

The best part about the 12×400 workout? The symmetrical flow state. By the fourth or fifth interval, many runners, Mike Trees and myself included, tend to hit a rhythm that feels almost magical. It makes a tough workout feel like a breeze. The perfect lap rhythmic flow keeps you motivated and focused, making each stride feel smooth and effortless.

Compared to longer intervals like 5×1 mile, 12x400s are easier to handle mentally. Shorter distances and frequent breaks make it feel less daunting. Each 400-meter interval is followed by a rest of two to one ratio.

This rest is critical as it helps you recover quickly, keep your heart rate elevated (what we want) and maintain high intensity throughout the session. It’s a great way to transition from easy runs to speed work.

Right Recovery & Structure

Even though it’s intense, the 12×400 workout is designed to be a bit nicer to your body than other workouts. The rest periods between intervals (discussed below) help you recover fast between hard workout days, potentially reducing the risk of overtraining and injuries if you ease into this and are fit. This means you can do it more often and keep improving without burning out. More often could be once per week instead of once every other week.

Please note—this should be done with a solid base of six weeks, preferably twelve weeks under your best. You also should have been doing strides, short hill sprints, strength work, and plyometrics to prepare for the load. While this is an easy, hard session, it’s still quite hard on your body once you get up to the 12×400.

To get the most out of your 12×400 workout, you need a good structure. For your first one of the season, you should start with 4-6 400m intervals or 6-8 300m intervals. I’m a cautious dude, and in the future, uninjured, you will thank me for being soft initially.

For the workout, start with a solid 10-20-minute warm-up, starting with an easy 5-10 minute jog, followed by dynamic stretching and ending with a few plyometric drills and windups. Aim for a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio—run each 400-meter interval in, say, 80 seconds, then rest for 40 seconds. Keep a steady pace for each interval to stay consistent.

My Heart Rate and RPE Framework

This is very much in your zone four heart rate, pace or power areas. At the start of the season, use your heart rate as a guide to avoid pushing too hard. Keep an eye on your heart rate towards the end of the workout. I like to stay on the lower end of my zone four for most intervals and let it gradually get into the mid-levels. If it spikes and starts going higher at the same pace/effort, I then slow down considerably, or I just stop the workout. Sometimes, my heart rate monitor lies (episode/article for another day) and might read 3-7bpms higher than it really is, so I cross reference and base it on effort and general feel also. Over time, you’ll better judge your effort by feeling, which is super handy.

A quick note about threshold, which gets thrown around a lot in the running world and can be confusing – The goal of the 12×400 workout is to boost and pull up your threshold — which is usually a speed you can maintain for 45-60 minutes. You want to push hard and then rest briefly, which trains your body to handle lactate better. This means better endurance and a faster pace in races from 5k to marathon.

While this won’t directly help ultra runners, I think throwing this in early in your race build block helps with the monotony of ultra running and can also serve as a totally different workout to help you mentally and physically get through those training periods.

Advanced Progressions and the Importance of Variation

As you get stronger, mix up the workout to keep it interesting. Try 300-meter or 500-meter intervals with the same 2:1 rest. For example, if you run for 60 seconds on 300-meter intervals, rest for 30 seconds. These tweaks target different fitness aspects and keep your training fresh.

You can also play with speed early in the interval. Start slow, end faster, or start fast and end slower. The goal isn’t to run all out on this but to start at a seven out of ten effort and then end at an eight or nine out of ten in the repetition and the set. Don’t chase the effort; let the effort come to you.

While the 12×400 workout is amazing, timing is everything. Don’t start it too early in your training cycle, or you might wear yourself out. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: make sure you have a good base of aerobic fitness, plyometrics and strength of six to twelve weeks before diving into these intense intervals.

As you get further into the race season this workout is still beneficial for 800m to 10k runners. If you fall in that camp, you can do one of three things: increase the reps, increase the pace, and decrease the rest. Super advanced runners can try a combination of all three.

800m to 1500m runners could focus on faster pace w
5k runners can focus on a faster pace closer to their goal race pace and less rest
10k runners can focus on more repetitions like 16 or even 20.

Tread lightly, and start easy on the advancing.

Conclusion: Transform Your Run Life 1% Better

The 12×400 interval workout is versatile for any runner and great for 5k best-time seekers. Breaking your race distance into manageable 400m chunks may help you run faster and more efficiently while avoiding injury. Whether you’re chasing a new personal best or want to get better, the 12×400 workout is a great tool to put in the toolbox of continuous improvement one interval (or one percent) at a time.

[00:00:00] Alright, so you heard of the Norwegian four by fours. To improve your VO two max, right? And you do temple runs to improve your threshold. But what if I were to tell you that there’s actually a workout that can do both pretty damn well, and most runners are actually doing it kind of wrong. Lemme show you why in this episode, you’re gonna learn exactly what the 12 x 400 meter workout.

[00:00:21] In the specific way that I would do it. How to do it, why you should do it, when to do it, where to do it, and a mistake that a lot of runners make. Spoiler, it’s the work to rest ratio. They get that totally wrong. Oh, and you’ll actually be doing the run. With me, I’ll show you how to do the workout in real time.

[00:00:40] So I’m Daren D Lake, lifelong runner of almost 30 years certified coach, and I’ve been doing this 12 by 400 workout for almost the last like 20 years, and it’s been absolutely game changer when I first found that out. It works so well with my fast twitch muscles. Also obviously builds up VO two max and I really wanna show you exactly how to do it so you can incorporate in your training right now.

[00:01:01] Let’s get into it.

[00:01:11] All right, we’re starting off this workout pretty good. Eight by 400 half fast in 5K, half rest. Let’s go.

[00:01:53] All right, just finished the first rep. We got 10 seconds left, and the goal of this workout is to invoke VO two max. It’s fun session thrust soul session also. But uh, let’s get back into rep number two.

[00:02:33] I like to start at a, like a seven outta 10 and end at a eight and a half outta 10 effort. So it’s very much riding your upper threshold. Obviously lower 3 0 2 max, but ’cause it’s short, we wanna go faster than 5K pace, but we also have a short rest, which is half, so you can’t go out too hard. Balance.

[00:02:58] Everything’s about balance. So the shoes that I’ll be rocking today are the Mauna Wave Rebellion Pro Twos. These things are aggressive. They keep me on my calves, but I love them for fast workouts outside. They protect my Achilles, which is a huge spot that I need to make sure that I support and be very, very cautious around.

[00:03:16] Alright. I’m definitely feeling this, uh, I haven’t done this workout in almost two months, so makes sense. Alright, five more left.

[00:03:30] Alright. This is the part of the video where you might be like, Hey Daren, I wanna do this too and improve my video two max. Well, I got you. Scan the QR code on the screen or the link below in the description of the video or in the show notes of whatever you’re listening to or watching. Let’s get back to the workout.

[00:03:46] All right. It’s quite humid outside actually, and a bit high. So times aren’t crazy, but my heart rate’s where it needs to be. The heart rate confirms it and the times are just there to make sure I’m running a speed and pace. ’cause this is definitely a posity overview. Two max workout VV O2, where you make sure we’re running a speed.

[00:04:10] To invoke the stresses and the adaptations of the workout so you get stronger and faster.

[00:04:34] All right. That was 81 seconds on the last one, last two, which is good. I’m not trying harder, my body’s easing into it. So heart rate, exactly what needs to be. 10 more seconds.

[00:05:13] All right. Some traps to avoid. Do not stand still. You wanna walk around at least, preferably a really slow jog. Also, do not go out too fast. Remember seven outta 10 ’cause it’s gonna burn up. And remember, you need to hit a speed, not just a heart rate. The heart rate confirms it all. Alright, this is number eight, going backwards this time.

[00:05:45] All right. Now is the part when, usually in this workout, it’s between the fifth and seventh rep that I feel like I get into a nice groove. My heart rate kind of settles, but it is creeping every single rep. Slightly up at the end. Now I usually make a decision early on whether I’m gonna do 6, 8, 10, 12, 16.

[00:06:10] This one I did eight. But you need to make that decision yourself and you need to learn that through experience.

[00:06:21] Alright. All right. We hit 1 19 79 seconds. I’ll take that. We’re done. Heart rate hitting zone five almost.

[00:06:38] We got it though. Alright. Easy jog, back recovery. I’ll do about five strides and we’re done.

[00:06:54] Alright, quick explanation on strides, even though I did a full on deep dive on strides. You wanna start them? Uh, 50, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% hold and down. And every three seconds you go up like 10%. So it’s really easy. I’ll show you

[00:07:17] two, three 70%, two three 80%, two three 90%. Two, three, and then down the same 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%. And then walk controlled up, controlled down. That’s the key. It’s controlled speed, not sprinting. I’m doing five of these. Four more left. Alright, so if you wanna know how to do exactly that and get a free training plan that incorporates in your week.

[00:07:51] I got you. Get it. The QR code right here. Or the link down below in the episode description of show notes and I explained it all in depth. And you could also click to get the video where I did a full deep dive on exactly how to do this. 12 by four hundreds is where you wanna land. Thanks for rocking.

Links & Learnings

📈 Get your free vo2 max workout training plan with 12x400m intervals here – https://dlakecreates.com/4x4free
🎧 Listen, read and learn more here https://dlakecreates.com/400m
Improve vo2 max with this other workout here – https://dlakecreates.com/4×4
Why Most Runners Get VO2 Max Wrong (And How to Fix It) https://dlakecreates.com/vo2-max-training-runners/
Instagram – https://instagram.com/dlakecreates
Strava – https://www.strava.com/athletes/120507

If You Can’t Do This Speed Workout, You’re Not as Fit as You Think