Tempo for Work Capacity...for Duxx and Others

Other Sports Soccer
3

You need to put thing into context. Do they play small sided games and how much, how much techical work they perform?

For aerobic power the following components should be implemented IMHO

  1. Medium intensity prolonged aerobic work (130-150/160bpm for 30-90min even longer). This is usually the soccer practice. This will develop capilaries, stroke volume, mitochondrial, etc

  2. Aerobic Power Intervals, done near vVO2max (HR 95-100%), for about 3-5 minutes with 1:1 recovery or 1:2 work/rest recovery. This can be done in form of Veronique Billat 15/15 and 30/30 and Hoff’s 4x4 w/3min rest. This component can be small sided games too, like 3v3 and 4v4 or longer track/grass intervals. This will improve stroke volume

  3. Repetitions done above vVO2max, and this would be extensive tempo work. This should improve capilarization of FT fibers, their aerobic capacity and improve recovery between bursts. HR can go up high up to 90% I guess depending on the organization of the practice. I got my new Polar and will be checking HRs in tempo on me soon. First I need to check my max HR in a week. I’ll post my data.

I am not so sure about threshold method (extensive intervals done at LT, about 170-180HR, for 20-30min), but I uess the normal 10v10 falls into this category.

My point here is to see what is already done in soccer practice and plan starting from that point.

Anyway, when you emphasise aerobic power, I would include 2 tempo sessions and 2 aerobic power sessions (15/15 or 4x4min), after that I would use tempo to maintain.

I have used tempo ONLY (later we did SSG - small sided games directed at improving aerobic power) to prepare one club. But, now I would include more aerobic work. Aerobic work has a bad rap these days and it doesn’t need to have it. If you orginize the components with common sense (which is not so common :slight_smile: ) then you will be ok.

You can check the following books for general aerobic power development:

  1. Better training for distance runners by Jack Daniels (yes, like whiskey :))
  2. Cutting edge runner by Matt Fitzgerald
  3. The Runner’s Edge by Stephen McGregor

As for SSG as conditioning I would check articles by Little*, Gabbett, Gamble, Rampinini, Sassi, etc, etc

Hope this helps