Fitness & Conditioning

Types of fitness training

Interval Training
Fartlek Speed Play
Circuit Training
Cross training

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What is Interval Training?

Interval training is built upon alternating short, high intensity bursts of speed with slower, recovery phases throughout a single workout. The interval workouts can be highly sophisticated and structured training that is designed for an athlete based upon his or her sport, event and current level of conditioning. An interval training workout may even be designed based upon the results of an athletes timed runs over a prescribed distance.

How Interval Training Works

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity efforts, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen, but the by-product is lactic acid. As the anaerobic activity continues, lactic acid builds, the athlete enters oxygen debt,(heavy stressed breathing and high heart rate beats per minute. It is during the recovery phase that the heart and lungs work together to "pay back" this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.

It's thought that by performing high intensity intervals that produce lactic acid during practice, the body adapts and burns lactic acid more efficiently during exercise. This means athletes can exercise at a higher intensity for a longer period of time before fatigue or pain slows them down, and this translates to a better overall performance on the park, as skill level deteriorated as fatigue increases.

There are obvious benefits to the athlete of having an increased fitness level.

The Benefits of Interval Training

Interval training adheres to the principle of adaptation. Interval training leads to many physiological changes (adaptation) including:
an increase in cardiovascular efficiency (the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles) increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid. These changes result in improved performance, greater speed, and endurance.
Interval training also helps avoid injuries associated with repetitive overuse, common in endurance athletes.
Intervals also allow an athlete to increase training intensity without overtraining or burn-out

Adding intervals to a workout routine is also a great way add cross training to an exercise routine.

Interval Training Burns More Calories

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise . If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise, but you may pay a price. There are risks inherent in high intensity training, so it's important to know both the benefits and dangers of high intensity training.

Interval training combines short, high intensity bursts of speed (from ten seconds to three minutes) with slow, recovery phases that are repeated during one workout. Interval training can be casual and unstructured or very specific and structured.

Although such shorter, high-intensity workouts build fitness fast while burning a lot of calories, they aren't right for everyone.
They're not recommended for novice exercisers because they can contribute to injuries in individuals who aren't prepared for the physical demands of this type of workout.
They are also hard to maintain and should be used sparingly. Even a highly fit athlete should vary his workout and have some long and slow days for endurance and recovery.
if you work at a high intensity, odds are you will fatigue sooner and be forced to stop after about 20 minutes. If you go slow, you will likely to be able to continue exercising for several hours.

Interval Training Workout Routines

Designing the right interval training routine can be sophisticated or casual. Elite athletes may go to sports performance lab to have blood lactate and exercise metabolism testing performed to determine the best interval training routine. On the other end of the spectrum, you can use the casual "speed play" interval training (fartlek). With this routine, simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.

If you want something a bit more structured, you can use a basic interval training workout routine. Keep in mind that interval training is extremely demanding on the heart, lungs and muscles, and it's important to have an OK from your physician before you start interval training. You should also have a solid base of overall aerobic fitness before performing high intensity training of any kind.

Beginners should start with short intervals (under 30 seconds), fewer repeats and more rest. Elite athletes can up the intensity, time and frequency of training. Few athletes benefit from performing intervals more than two times per week.

Interval Training Safety Tips

Warm Up before starting intervals
Assess current conditioning and set training goals that are within your ability
Start slowly. (for example: walk 2 minutes/ run 2 minutes) In general, longer intervals provide better results
Keep a steady, but challenging pace throughout the interval
Build the number of repetitions over time
Bring your heart rate down to 100-110 bpm during the rest interval
To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time
Make any changes slowly over a period of time
Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure even effort
You can also use circuit training as a form of interval training

Advanced Interval Training Workouts

You can vary your work and recovery intervals based on your goals. Four variables you can manipulate when designing your interval training program include:

Intensity (speed) of work interval
Duration (distance or time) of work interval
Duration of rest or recovery interval
Frequency of repetitions of each interval

Common Interval Training Workouts

Stair Running
Plyometrics
Plyometric Program for Injury Prevention
30-Second Sprint Drills
Boot Camp Workouts
Speed Drills
Explosive Exercise Training
Agility Drills
Shuttle Runs
Tuck Jumps
Jump Rope Workouts

Tom is qualified to plan and design conditioning sessions for teams and individual athletes. Email, text or call to discuss your needs with Tom’s Bowen.

Fartlek Training

Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance.

Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. Unlike traditional interval training that involves specific timed or measured segments, fartleks are more unstructured. Work-rest intervals can be based on how the body feels. With fartlek training, you can experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace. Many runners, especially beginners, enjoy fartlek training because it involves speed work. But it is more fun, flexible and less demanding than traditional interval training.

Another benefit of fartlek training is that it doesn't have to be done on a track and can be done on all types of terrains -- roads, trails, or even hills.

To do a fartlek workout, try introducing some short periods of slightly higher pace into your normal runs. Maintain the faster pace for a short distance or time intervals, such as 200m or 30 seconds. The intervals can vary throughout the workout, and you can even use landmarks such as streetlights or telephone poles to mark your segments.

Once you complete a fast segment, slow your pace to below your normal running pace, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and incorporate more slightly fast intervals later in the run.

Fartlek training puts a little extra stress on your system, eventually leading to faster speeds and improving your anaerobic threshold.

Here's what a sample fartlek workout would look like:

10 minute warm-up
1 minute on (fast pace), 2 minutes off (easy), 2 minutes on, 1 minute off
Repeat fartlek set 3-4 times
10 minute cool down

Fartlek is similar to interval training in that short fast runs alternate with slow running or jogging recovery intervals. However, in Fartlek the running is done on the road or on parkland or bush tracks. There is no predetermined schedule to follow, but instead the athlete will set her/his own interval lengths and pace in response to their own feeling of the workload. An advantage of Fartlek is that the athlete can concentrate on feeling the pace and their physical response to it, thereby developing self awareness and pace judgement skills. Also the athlete is free to experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace.

It is primarily a technique for advanced runners because it requires 'honesty' to put in a demanding workload, and also 'maturity' to not overdo the pace or length of the intervals. With these qualities, Fartlek makes for an excellent component of a distance runners training programme.

For the advanced runner, the aim in Fartlek can be best described by relating it to interval training. The purpose of interval training is to develop speed by running for short distances at a speed significantly higher than the normal strong race pace, with these short runs separated by intervals of easy running or jogging. Intervals are normally run over predetermined distances, and usually on the track.

A 'mild' form of Fartlek can also be of benefit for the 'average runner'. Here I am thinking of the road runner who normally trains over a variety of distance, at a fairly constant pace, and who may have done no or little specific speed training.

The technique here is to introduce into your normal runs some short periods of slightly higher pace. Maintain these for a short period, say 200-400m (aim for a bend in the road, power pole or some other landmark up ahead). Then drop your pace back below your normal running pace, or slow to a jog, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and put in another slightly fast interval later in the run. In this way you are putting a slight extra stress on your system which will, in time, lead to an improvement in your speed and in your anaerobic threshold.

You can use this approach to develop more self-awareness, by concentrating on what you are feeling while running at the different paces. How fast a pace can you attain before your regular, easy breathing begins to be laboured? After slowing down, how long before your breathing & other responses return to normal? What happens to your stride length as you increase speed?

Circuit Training

Circuit training is an efficient and challenging form of conditioning that develops strength, endurance (both aerobic and anaerobic), flexibility and coordination all in one exercise session. It is one of the few forms of fitness training that has been shown to effectively develop both strength and cardiovascular fitness in the same exercise session.

The term "circuit training" describes the way a workout is structured rather than the type of exercise performed. It typically consists of a series of exercises or stations completed in succession with minimal rest in between. Circuit routines allow the athlete or coach to create an endless number of workouts and add variety to routine training programs.

While circuit routines are similar to interval training routines, there are some major differences.

Circuits incorporate a large variety of exercises of shorter duration in one session. Interval training tends to focus on one single exercise (typically an endurance exercise, such as running, cycling, swimming, rowing, etc.) during a session and then vary the intensity of that exercise during the workout session.

A well-designed circuit provides a balanced workout that targets all the muscle groups and builds cardiovascular endurance. Circuit routines can also be designed to correct the muscle imbalance that often occurs in one-sport athletes who specialize in one type of exercise day after day. It can also provide a high-intensity, skills training session or a high calorie-burning workout in a short amount of time. Circuits also provide the perfect cross training for any athlete.

Circuit training is ideal for both advanced athletes and beginners because it can be scaled to the ability of the athlete. Circuit routines are fast, effective and fun.

How to Design Circuit Training Routine

Circuit routines typically consist of about ten exercises performed for 60 seconds each with 15 seconds of rest between stations. Athletes perform 1, 2 or 3 sets of the circuit based on their fitness levels and goals.

Circuit Training Guidelines

Completing a variety of resistance exercises and high-intensity cardiovascular exercises in quick succession can improve both strength and endurance. For those short on time, completing three to four 20-minute sessions per week is an effective way to develop and maintain all-around fitness.

Create your circuit with 8 to 12 exercises or stations that target the entire body.
Perform each exercise for 30 to 90 seconds, allowing yourself 15 to 30 seconds of rest between each station.
Circuit training can be completed 2 to 4 times per week. Because it incorporates strength training exercises, allow at least 48 hours between sessions that work the same muscle groups.
Select weights/resistance that will allow you to perform the exercise for the entire period of time while still providing a challenge.
As your fitness improves, increase the difficulty of the exercise by either increasing the exercise time, increasing the weights or resistance used, adding more difficult exercises, or decreasing the amount of time you rest between stations.
To focus more on muscular strength, increase the intensity (resistance) of the exercise at each station and the rest time between stations to allow full muscular recovery between each exercise.
To focus more on cardiovascular endurance, decrease the intensity of the exercise at each station, increase the length of time spent at each station, and shorten the rest between stations to keep your heart rate continuously elevated.

The Limitations of Circuit Training

While circuit training has many benefits for most athletes, it is not the solution to all training needs. Circuit training can improve cardiovascular fitness and strength, particularly in beginning exercisers. It isn't, however, a substitute for aerobic endurance training or improving aerobic capacity.

Endurance training programs are still more effective at developing aerobic fitness than circuit training programs. Clearly, elite endurance athletes, such as cyclists or runners, still need to train specifically for their sport in order to achieve maximal endurance and aerobic capacity.

Cross training

Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. Cross training also allows you the ability to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or even your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training; rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Cross training is also necessary to reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.

The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. While it is necessary for an athlete to train specifically for their sport if they want to excel, for most exercisers cross training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness. For example, you may use both biking and swimming each week to improve your overall aerobic capacity, build overall muscle strength and reduce the chance of an overuse injury. Cross training limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways.

Benefits of Cross Training

Reduces exercise boredom
Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).
Produces a higher level of all around conditioning
Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups
Reduces the risk of injury
Work some muscles while others rest and recover
Can continue to train while injured
Improves your skill, agility and balance

What exercises make up a good cross training routine?

Cardiovascular Exercise (Think about adding three different exercises from the list below):

Running
Swimming
Cycling
Rowing
Stair Climbing
Rope jumping
Racquetball / basketball / other court sports

Strength Training

Calisthenics (push ups and crunches and pull ups)
Free Weights
Machines
Tubing and Bands

Flexibility (stretching, yoga)
Speed, agility, and balance drills
Circuit training, sprinting, plyometrics and other forms of skill conditioning

With cross training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. If you do both on the same day, you can change the order in which you do them. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match you sports and change your routine on a regular basis.

Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, joints, reduce body fat and improve flexibility, balance and coordination. But if you want to see all of these benefits, you'll need to start cross training. What better time to start than now?

Sport specific injuries

Football specific

Shin and calf injuries
Cork thigh
Foot injuries (impact)
Ankle injuries
Hamstring strain
Back pain
Heel spurs
Plantar fascia issues
Knee problems
Bruising and oedema anywhere on body
Chest movement restriction

Basketball specific

Swollen fingers
Cork thigh
Hip and pelvic pain
Ankle injuries
Shin splints
Back pain
Heel spurs
Plantar fascia issues
Knee problems
Lower back issues
Bruising and oedema anywhere on body
Chest movement restriction

Cricket specific

Swollen fingers
Cork thigh
Foot impact from ball
Ankle injuries
Over-bowling strain
Back pain
Heel spurs
Plantar fascia issues
Knee problems
Sore back/hips
Bruising and oedema anywhere on body
Chest movement restriction

Other

Acute or chronic back and sciatica pain
Groin pain, pelvic tilt and uneven leg length
Neck, shoulder problems (including frozen shoulder)
Recovery from high demand training, sports and accident injuries
Respiratory problems and hay fever
Stress and RSI injuries