Get better results in 2014
March 4, 2014
Like most athletes, my fitness goals have changed over time and one of the keys to achieving the success I want from my body now, require that I stick to the same key training principles I learned long ago as a competitive athlete. Following these key principles, no matter what your level of fitness, will maximize results and reduce or eliminate the risk of getting injured. Several elements that I make sure to include when planning a typical week of training include;
– Working on muscle strengthening to improve fitness in the muscles that oppose the ones that move you forward when running, rowing, or cycling, which are basically the same muscle groups for all three sports.
– Avoid increasing weekly training volume by more than 10% from the previous week.
– Making sure to include about 5 to 10 moderate to aggressive 20 to 30 second bursts during say a 30 to 40 minute workout, with a minimum of one minute rest between bursts.
The time I now have to train per week is about ten percent of my competitive peak (30+ hrs) as it seems between work, and spending time with my kids and wife leaves me a paltry three hours to keep fit. It’s not that I miss all that training, I really don’t, but it does force me to plan those three hours carefully.
Being consistent with what you are doing is key here, meaning don’t all of a sudden do a 90-minute bike ride on the first warm weekend when all your training up to that point has been running. However if you are like me and love to constantly mix up your training program then make sure you include those elements (run, strength training, cycling, rowing) into your weekly routine. And make sure your volume does not change more than 10% per week from the previous week.
Spend time on strengthening the muscles that support or oppose the primary movers of the sports you participate in. I spend about 10 to 15 minutes strengthening these muscles which are generally doing little work when moving the body forward in the sporting activity you are participating in. For many sports those opposing muscles are usually the hamstring, hip flexors, and the abdominal muscles, and while others exist we will just focus on these larger muscle groups. Hitting these muscles two to three times per week with a quick strengthening routine will really help cut down on injuries, and often giving you a boost of speed at the same time.
Another element of training I try and avoid is training long and slow, because it makes you long and slow. My personal training goals do not include being a sloth so, if you are tired of running a 10 minute mile for example, every time you head out then you will want to include some sort of short speed bursts into your future training sessions. This strategy can be used for any sport. One way to do this is to run easy (say at 60% to 70% of your max speed) for say 40 seconds then do a 10 to 20 second bursts (at about 80 to 85% of your max speed). You can start with 5 to 8 bouts (I often do 10 to 15 bursts) during a 30 to 40 minute run as it is a great way to rev up your body. Start slowly and increase the volume of this burst training at no more than 10% of the previous weeks training.
Challenging your body by offering some targeted strength training can be a smart way so you can remain injury free while getting faster. Adding bursts to your current cardio exercises is great way to rev up your body and stimulate good stress. I have never seen an athlete who got a better result by just training really hard if compared to that same athlete training hard while also training SMART at the same time. It’s better to train smart and hard then just hard.
Bob
“Dedicated to Making You Faster, Stronger, and More Resistant to Injury”