What´s the difference between working 3x3x30 or 9x30? What r the desired effect of each training method?
I believe someone answered this question after your initial post, but I can tell you my understanding, and if anyone disagrees or has something to add, I’m sure they will do so.
First, the reason one would break a workout into 3 sets of 3x 30m would be to avoid creating excessive nervous system fatigue.
There are a number of ways of avoiding nervous system fatigue but the most basic one is to allow the body to fully recuperate by taking appropriate rest.
If you were to do a workout of say, 9x30m with 3 minutes rest in between each rep, it is quite possible that your final few reps would not be as fast as your first few. Basically, it is difficult to train yourself to run faster if you are running slower than you were at the start of your workout.
By breaking the work into three sets, you can structure the rest a little bit differently to allow you to run the last few reps at very high quality.
For example you could do 3x30m with three minutes rest between the first two reps, and after the third rep, you rest for 5 minutes.
Thus, the work would look like this:
Set 1
30 metres + 3 minutes rest, 30m + 3mins rest, 30m + 5mins rest.
Set 2
30 metres + 3 minutes rest, 30m + 3mins rest, 30m + 5mins rest.
Set 3
30 metres + 3 minutes rest, 30m + 3mins rest, 30m + 5mins rest.
It’s better to take too much rest than not enough, as again, it’s hard to get your body to run faster if you don’t allow it to recuperate enough.
How about (4 x 30) + (3 x 30) + (2 x 30)?
I could argue that this may be a better arrangement if the reps are at max effort with a higher level athlete and I’m concerned about fatigue through the sets. Shortening the sets with bigger set breaks would help to maintain quality through the reps.
There are many ways to slice it, but it will depend on your specific goals and circumstances. This is why Charlie was always harping on the process of learning how to coach, rather than simply copying someone else’s workouts.
When we were writing up some workouts for a couple of high profile sprinters, I asked Charlie if he was worried they may pass the workouts onto another coach. His reply was, “If they did pass on the workout sheets, they really can’t make out exactly what was done by simply looking at a bunch of numbers.” That statement left a significant impression on me.
Profoundly much more goes on in a coaching session than simply following prescribed sets, reps and recoveries. This is what separates the great coaches from the average ones.
I agree with u NumberTwo! We have to know the principles of training to develop a program. This is why i´m asking those questions. To understand the principles of the rest interval. About the guidelines… I really want know how u coaches come up with a rest interval time for central nervous system restoration since some activities r much more complex and demand much more from the CNS. I know the rest intervals depends on energy and CNS fatigue restoration, but the physiology o energy consumption and restoration is well explained in science but i have never seen such studies about CNS fatigue restoration and also CNS rest intervals correlating to the demands of complexity from different activities such as maximum speed, acceleration, maximum speed, technique or power training like plyos. Do u guys can help me in that question?
Rogerio,
You are asking a pretty vague question from what I can gather. Have you read The Charlie Francis Training System and / or Speed Trap? If you have not read either of these books, I strongly suggest picking them up as a starting point. That way you will have a base to work from. If you rely strictly on science, your guys will be running 11.1 forever!
Thanks a lot T-Slow. I´ll sure read Charlie Francis´s book.
For you to be doing 3x3x30m i’d expect that you were trying to implement some kind of speed endurance element to the programme. In reality it would be three split 90m runs so the rest breaks would be set accordingly.
If it i was just doing a speed session then i’d just write 9x30m because you just wait until the athlete is fully recovered before doing the next run. Initially that time frame might be shorter than it would be a the end but as you went along you’d monitor each rep to ensure the quality always stays the same