There seems to be a lot of discussion on the forum lately about the training methods of the elite sprinters we all know. eg BJ, MJ, Tim, Marion. etc etc.
While I am sure everyone will agree that it is great to know what they have done to produce their achievements are we forgeting the basics of the sport that we all spend so much time talking about.
What i am getting at is this: If you look at the training programs of any of the elite athletes they all differ in some ways and are similar in others.
My point?
They each made their improvements according to their own individual characteristics, strengths, weaknesses etc. They didn’t say “what was Jesse Owens doing when he ran 10 secs? I think I’ll do that and see how I go.”
Everyone knows the training methods to use. The hard part is putting the right mixture together to get the results.
So, in conclusion, is it not more valuable to appreciate what these athletes have done and then think about what we as individuals should be doing.
This is the whole point of this discussion group. An understanding of sound training principles and an honest evaluation of current abilities and tolerances will lead to the best individualized training.
Reviewing top programs is interesting only to see how the training principles are employed in a particular case- and to establish that the purveyor of the information does indeed know what he’s talking about.
i had a talk with a former ironman (triathlon) world champion a few years back in boulder, co. i asked him the same thing, what is it that seperates the tier one from two, pros from amateurs, top ams from middle of the packers.
his answer suprised me but made a lot of sense. “there are no magic or secret workouts, everyone knows what everyone is doing. there are no secret herbs or supplements, for the most part its a level playing field at each level. the things that seperates everyone isnt the 2 or 3 hours a day of training, its what you do the other 21 or 22 hours of the day, sleep, eating, recovery, rest, lifestlye etc. those are the factors that create the seperation.”
im not saying these are the only factors, but it sure changed my view of the field, where i fit into it, what i was doing to improve and what the quote “part time athletes, part time results” ment to me.
Abilities pile one on top of the next, year over year- it certainly isn’t the recovery period alone! You can’t copy the workouts of the greats unless you have that capacity under your belt already- in which case you don’t need to.
nightmare,
Thanks for sharing that! I think that your friend was right on the money and people so often get caught up into the blurry web of the world that they often forget that most if not all gains in strength, intelligence, and well being all occur when we recover. A friend of mine once told me that "I didn’t know how to rest after a speed session’. I didn’t know what he was talking about but it wasn’t unitl later when I Text what he was saying and it was amazing.
Originally posted by nightmare4d
“there are no magic or secret workouts, everyone knows what everyone is doing. there are no secret herbs or supplements, for the most part its a level playing field at each level. the things that seperates everyone isnt the 2 or 3 hours a day of training, its what you do the other 21 or 22 hours of the day, sleep, eating, recovery, rest, lifestlye etc. those are the factors that create the seperation.”
That inspirational quote has just inspired me to get out of my chair, walk downstairs, and go to sleep.