In any type of fitness competition, performance not only hinges on ability, but also strategy. Everyone performs the same movements — but other than simply being faster or stronger, is there a method that allows you to edge out the competition?
The LT Games, a hybrid fitness competition, features 17 stations where athletes perform various exercises. The goal is to complete each station in the fastest time possible. In a “choose-your-own-adventure” style, athletes decide how they make it through each of these stations. The 17 stations are broken up to be about 50 percent strength and 50 percent cardio, and if your abilities peak in one area versus another, you can use that to your advantage.
For example, Wes Robertson, senior classes operations manager for Life Time and one of the designers of this new competition, says, “If I’m going through the LT Games workout, I know my body is going to be able to move weights faster than someone who might have a smaller or lighter body type — but for the running portions, they may outpace me. So, my strategy would be to lean into my strength of doing less reps at higher weights to add cushion to my overall time at those stations.”
If you’re considering competing in the LT Games, it’s helpful to have a preview of the 17 stations so you can appropriately train and strategize for them. During the competition, athletes move through the stations, beginning with the longest run and volume of work. Then the load gets a bit lighter as the competition unfolds. That means the first few stations take longer, and the final ones require shorter, sprint-like efforts.
Athletes are able to choose the weights they use at each station. The higher load they select, the less reps they must do to complete the weight requirement. For box jumps and stepovers, athletes have the option to choose from three different box heights.
The 17 stations and standards for each are as follows:
Station 1: Treadmill Run
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 1,000 meters | 1,000 meters |
Station 2: Barbell Deadlift
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 10,000 pounds | 7,500 pounds |
| Options | 225 pounds x 45 reps
185 pounds x 55 reps 135 pounds x 75 reps |
165 pounds x 46 reps
130 pounds x 58 reps 95 pounds x 79 reps |
Station 3: Row Machine
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 1,000 meters | 750 meters |
Station 4: Wall Ball
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 1,000 pounds | 750 pounds |
| Options | 20 pounds x 50 reps
16 pounds x 63 reps 14 pounds x 72 reps |
16 pounds x 47 reps
14 pounds x 54 reps 12 pounds x 63 reps |
Station 5: Ski Erg
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 1,000 meters | 750 meters |
Station 6: Box Jump
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 1,000 inches | 750 inches |
| Options | 30 inches x 34 reps
24 inches x 42 reps 20 inches x 50 reps |
30 inches x 25 reps
24 inches x 32 reps 20 inches x 38 reps |
Station 7: Treadmill Run
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 600 meters | 600 meters |
Station 8: Barbell Shoulder to Overhead Press
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 6,000 pounds | 4,500 pounds |
| Options | 135 pounds x 45 reps
95 pounds x 64 reps 75 pounds x 80 reps |
95 pounds x 48 reps
75 pounds x 60 reps 55 pounds x 82 reps |
Station 9: Row Machine
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 600 meters | 450 meters |
Station 10: Dead Ball Box Stepover
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 600 inches with a 40-pound dead ball | 450 inches with a 20-pound dead ball |
| Options | 30 inches x 20 reps
24 inches x 25 reps 20 inches x 30 reps |
30 inches x 15 reps
24 inches x 19 reps 20 inches x 23 reps |
Station 11: Ski Erg
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 600 meters | 450 meters |
Station 12: Burpee Box Jump Over
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 600 inches | 450 inches |
| Options | 30 inches x 20 reps
24 inches x 25 reps 20 inches x 30 reps |
30 inches x 15 reps
24 inches x 19 reps 20 inches x 23 reps |
Station 13: Treadmill Run
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 400 meters | 400 meters |
Station 14: Dumbbell Ground to Over Head
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 4,000 pounds using double dumbbells | 3,000 pounds using double dumbbells |
| Options | 100 pounds x 40 reps
70 pounds x 58 reps 50 pounds x 80 reps |
70 pounds x 43 reps
50 pounds x 60 reps 30 pounds x 100 reps |
Station 15: Row Machine
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 400 meters | 300 meters |
Station 16: Dead Ball Over Shoulder
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 400 pounds | 300 pounds |
| Options | 40 pounds x 10 reps
30 pounds x 14 reps 20 pounds x 20 reps |
40 pounds x 8 reps
30 pounds x 10 reps 20 pounds x 15 reps |
Station 17: Treadmill Run
| Men | Women | |
| Standard | 200 meters | 200 meters |
Each participant is assigned a certified judge who guides them throughout the competition and makes sure they complete each station correctly. The event features prize packages for first, second, and third place athletes in both male and female categories.
“If you’re training for the LT Games, I’d highly recommend enrolling in the LT Games 8-Week Prep digital training program, as it’s specifically designed to help participants improve their abilities in each of these stations,” advises Robertson. “If you prefer more individualized training or want a coach’s guidance as to your best strategy for the games, enlist the help of one of our signature group training coaches or Dynamic Personal Trainers.”
