I have almost completed 4 weeks accumulation phase which I ran through my GPP. In about 10 days we start intensive tempo on the track eg. 6x300m (90%) 3 minutes rest (200/400 sprinters) which lasts 4 weeks. Should I start a max strength phase at the same time? Will performing max strength and intensive tempo together result in less training effects from either session? If no max strength yet what else should I do?
OK, what about performing max strength with special endurance…possible decreased training effects but maybe the fibres are prevented from converting either way too much? Any thoughts? Any experiences?
Richard,
I asked a very similar question in the following thread:
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=3342&highlight=intensive+tempo+weights
Thanks gf_200.
I’m actually going to perform max strength on days in between intensive tempo. I feel that I may just be keeping my fibres with the inevitable desired balance sooner rather than later…any stronger training effects from training in seperate phases being lost later anyway…I hope.
Richard:
Combining Max. Strength and Int. Tempo are a really bad idea, IMO.
Charlie regards both of these qualities as High Intensity. Stacking a Max. Strength day after a Int. Tempo day will curtail your progress and quite likely lead to injury. There simply is not room for recovery, and if you study training theory at all you will realize that the recovery days are as important than the actual training ones. I think they are more important actually.
BTW, this is also the direction which Soviet coaches were going in the 1970’s and 80’s on the men’s side and look at their very mediocre results. This is my hypothesis as to why they never produced another Borzov. Remember that his coaches were out of the loop so to speak, in the Soviet Union as they were Ukranian and not Russian.
Assuming for a moment that you are a 100-200m athlete, I have to ask why place any emphasis on Int. Tempo at all? It really doesn’t have much value in the short sprints. 400m athletes tolerate/recover from from Int. Tempo far better, but I would still place such training after a weights day. The 3rd day would then be Ext. Tempo or possibly something even less taxing (pool, bike, long hike).
Remember, as Charlie has stated, don’t try to jam it all in at once. Spread it over time, make sure that you hit all the training areas that you need to, and keep sight of the goal.
AthleticsCoach, I am actually a 400m sprinter, for this year anyway. Our group is entering into an intensive tempo phase which has worked very well in the past. However, I cannot do weights after or before such a session on the same day and so have to work out a schedule where weights fall on seperate days. I have completed my accumulation phase and so max strength would be the next weights phase. Intensive tempo will be placed on Mondays and Wednesdays and so 1 of my 2 max strength days will have to fall by a int tempo. Any views?
Sorry for the delay Richard.
There was a thread around about trying to fit everything into to a 400m schedule. You may want to search a bit for some answers other than what I am about to give.
In your circumstance, I would try something like this:
Su: Accel. Work + Weights (max str.) - preferable in the a.m.
Mo: Intensive Tempo + Core Circuit
Tu: Extensive Tempo or other General End. + Static Flexibility
We: Intensive Tempo + Weights (max. str. - reduced load)
Th: Extensive Tempo + Core Circuit
Fr: Speed + Long Bounds
Sa: Recovery (active or otherwise)
There is still plenty of strength oriented work in the program, just not alot of heavy stuff. As a 400m runner you have to ask yourself what is most important, and what needs to be reduced. In this case I would say that the heavy lifting would have to take a backseat to the energy system training. Also are you working a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of hardweeks to recovery weeks? Depending upon how you handle training and your stage of development, the first model may work better when attempting to do alot of Int. Tempo.
Last of all try not to linger at one pace for too long. I am with Charlie on this being a method that needs to be used as a bridge to SE, as it really is not event specific, and can have some less than desirable ffects if used over a long period.
When is the best time to start intensive tempo? I always thought it would be used as a bridge between the Specific Prep. Phase and the Pre-Comp. Phase.
Cheers AthleticsCoach.
I intend to use a 3:1 ratio btw.
DaGovenor, intensive tempo is done before the specific phase, I suppose classed as GPP.
Ok, well when during the GPP can it or is it supposed to be used?
AthleticsCoach - Isn’t 2 Int. Tempo days a week too much b/c of fiber conversion?
DaGovernor - Use it the whole phase. I use it 1x a week during GPP and my GPP is only 4 weeks (1meso) long. You shouldn’t use Int. Tempo more than 4 weeks before moving on to split runs.
Ok, for some ofmy athletes their GPP will be a little longer than 4 weeks. So should I use Int. Tempo the last 4 weeks of the GPP?
1st 4 weeks
i 2nd what 400stud said.
Ok, what is the effects of using it the first 4 weeks as opposed to the last 4 weeks, or any 4 weeks of the GPP for that matter?
Because you should be using Int. Tempo as a setup for the next phase in speed endurance training…split runs. You would want to start using them the 1st 4 weeks so you can be prepared to run split runs.
However, if you wanna chill for 2 weeks and do general conditioning for 2 weeks before implementing Int. Tempo into your workouts for 4 weeks, completing GPP, and then starting SPP off with Split Runs, that would work also.
I’d just like to know what you would do for those 2 weeks w/o Int. Tempo since I believe Int. Tempo is a great way to get athletes back in shape and running fast w/o running too fast and burning them out.
Well for me I’d prefer to do the Int. tempo and then go right into split runs. That would work better.
What if I had athletes that were starting in March (athletes that were playing basketball and couldn’t train). How would I set up int. tempo when they aren’t even in running shape? Obviously I could go easy at first but starting in March doesn’t merit much time for that. So how can that be accomplished?
Also, give me some examples of split run workouts please.
And did I understand you correctly that split runs are to be done the first 4 weeks of SPP?
You could start those athletes, basketball players, off with Int. Tempo. It’d just be lower volume than those who have already been training. When does the season end, May?
Split Runs - 150-150 w/5min b/t reps and full rec. b/t sets or 250/30sec/4x60. Those are some examples. They are really able to maneuvered, so experiment.
Split Runs can be used for up to 8 weeks. And yes, they normally would start to be incorporated during SPP.
State meet is June 4-5. Then of course you got districts and regionals the 2 weeks before that. So would I change how I would train the basketball players, or start them off with int. tempo as you said and just go from there?
With split runs how much rest should you get between each rep? Example: 150/150, how much rest in between each 150?
My SPP is gonna last for 8 weeks. So would it be ok do to split runs for the entire 8 week phase?
Keep the basketball players doing Int. Tempo b/c you have time to go into everything else as well.
With those split runs, I think the rest b/t reps is 1-2 minutes and 7-10mins b/t sets.
You could do Split Runs for 8 weeks, but you need to make sure you have enough time to go into SE2 and SE1/speed end. as well w/o having to throw it in last minute and screwing up their peak. How long are the other phases?