Proper Pacing for General Work Capacity Training

One of the most common mistakes we see in general work capacity training isn’t a lack of effort—it’s poor pacing.

In this video, we break down how to approach workouts that don’t have a formal assessment, test, or progression, and how to get the most out of them without blowing yourself up five minutes in.

The Goal of General Work Capacity Work

For these sessions, the goal is not maximal effort. Instead, you’re looking for a hard but sustainable pace—something you can maintain for the entire duration of the workout while still doing meaningful work.

 

Think:

• Challenging

• Uncomfortable

• Repeatable

 

Not:

• All-out

• Redlining immediately

• Falling apart halfway through

What the Right Effort Feels Like

Aim for roughly a 4 out of 5 effort, or 80–90%. You should feel like you’re working hard, but not like you’re gambling the entire workout on the first round.

When the effort ends, you should be able to:

• Stand upright

• Breathe hard

• Recover without needing to sit or collapse

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is to go out too hard. We see this all the time in the gym here in Austin. Athletes will blast out the first round looking to be first only to hit the wall a few rounds end and struggle to finish. The most inefficient strategy is:

Start slower, feel out the effort, then adjust.

Duration Dictates Pace

The length of the workout heavily influences how hard you go. A 30-second effort will look very different from a 15-minute AMRAP. 

Longer durations demand more restraint early on. Short efforts allow for higher intensity—but still with control.

Experience Is the Teacher

Learning to hit the right intensity takes time. Very few athletes nail pacing immediately, it comes from: Repeated exposure, paying attention to output, and learning from mistakes

Bottom Line

General work capacity sessions should be:

• Hard

• Sustainable

• Consistent

 

Pace them so you can work the entire session, not just survive the opening minutes.