Intensive Tempo

[RB34]

So are you saying no more then 6 int tempo session per season? Do you have your short sprinters performing int tempo in gpp?

@AthleticsCoach

Yes, InT is very detrimental to sprint technique when mis-applied, as it is in most case. So the typical 500-400-300-200, 6x300, 8x200 all in the 80-89% range tends to make the athlete sit and shuffle in order to survive, much a like a middle distance athlete. This is why these programs have such high rates of injury, IMO, as hen it comes time to sprint the change in hamstring activity is profound and often dramatic (traumatic?).

A split 600m, either 300+300, or 200+200+200 with 2min breaks gives very much the same affect as the session above, but running form is much easier to maintain, at least in my experience. It also flows more smoothly into SE, as the overall distance gets shorter and the intensities rise.

Another approach would be to do something like 200-250-200 with 3min breaks. The duration and density are short enough for form to be maintained.

I don’t think that this type of work is as bad as some may say as long as you don’t ruin the good technical work done on other days. I do agree though that no more than 1 day a week should be devoted to it and that overall number of sessions should not exceed 6 for a single periodized year.