 |
| This photo was taken at Kentwood high school by Maamoon Saleh. |
What are some of your guys' favorite intensity (speed) workouts?
Monday, November 30, 2015
Intensity of Training
I love workouts that are focused on intensity. Everyone should have some high intensity workouts included in their workout plans, because their very essential to increase performance as Steve Magness states on pg. 127 "Distance runners typically perform several higher intensity workouts per week, which are separated with easier runs. The intensity of both harder and easier runs affect the adaptations that take place and lead to improved performance." So, before following the workout plan he has provided for me, I decided to hit the track and get some basic intensity workouts done so my body can adapt to it. I was doing 8x150 meter sprints w/full recovery (5-7 minutes). I also want to tell you guys that within your first couple of high intensity workouts you will probably puke, i want you to know that it's okay. If anything that's a good thing that means your body is adapting to change.
"Four different studies with recreational athletes found that adding between 1 and 6 LT (Lactate Threshold) type sessions per week increased VO2max by between 2.5-8.1% after 6-8 weeks of training." For those of you that don't know what VO2max is, it is a measure of the maximum volume of oxygen that an athlete can use. It is measured in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute. So, in a way it's kind of like speed endurance training, not the exact same thing, but similar.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I definitely agree with the notion that high intensity workouts are essential to training. Over the summer before cross country, I was doing very few speed workouts, and when the season started, even easy speed workouts would leave me huffing for air. I think it's good to do some high intensity workouts focused on both speed and endurance as well, such as tempos and fartleks, to train your body to maintain your speed over the course of the whole race rather than burn out in the first half.
ReplyDelete