Unless you are new to athletic training you know that the days that your coach programs a 5 k you think, ok... I'm going to buckle down, focus on form and get it done. But the days that your coach programs 200m repeats... you think; holy shit I hope I don't shit myself and pass out! And why is that? Because sprinting is HARD. Anaerobic training is hard. Pushing yourself to that level is very frickin HARD!
No matter your goals in training, whether it is mass or cardiovascular endurance, breaking through your anaerobic threshold will yield you the results that you want. But you have to work for them. So what is this type of training exactly?
Anaerobic means "without oxygen". So during high intensity bouts of sprinting, lifting, jumping, etc., your body is running on stored energy on the cellular level. You know how much I love explaining biology and I know how much your eyes glaze over when I do so I'll just throw a couple words at you; ATP and Mitochondria. Energy for work is ATP and it is synthesized by the mitochondria in the cells. Blood glucose has a lot to do with anaerobic training so keeping your metabolism in tip top shape is also a prerequisite to making gains! Bouts of anaerobic exercise last from mere seconds all the way up to 2 minutes. The longer you can go in this state, the better shape you are in both mentally and physicallly .
When training in the anaerobic arena a few really cool things can happen that make you a better overall athlete.
1) EPOC. Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. And you are like .... HUH? This is an important physiological benefit if you are wanting that shredded body by losing body fat. When changes happen in your body composition and performance they don't happen right after that last lift or sprint; they happen in the hours after training. Your body's residual oxygen demands require it to work and consume calories long after each session. More calories burned from good nutrition will yield your most badass physical self. This process can happen up to 48 hours after training so it is vital that good nutrition does not stop !
2) You get stronger. Muscle growth and Hormone balancing are byproducts of anaerobic training. If your body begins to think that every time you train it has to not only chase the prey but also must be strong enough to eat it, the primal self will come out and assist you in doing so. For men, there has been shown to be a greater boost in testosterone due to anaerobic training than in other forms of training.
3) VO2 Max will increase. Because your body will get very efficient with the little oxygen it does have on board when you are crushing sprint drills or barbell cycling, when you go out for the 800m run or break up your barbell workouts with less intense exercises; you will be cruising! Your VO2 Max is a metric that has been used for a very long time as a test of your cardiovascular endurance, muscular limitations and overall health. If you can increase this number by adding interval training and kicking your own ass, the benefits will abound my friends.
Once again, you have to work for it. The output of anaerobic training is not just about breathing a little heavy or doing a few more reps before putting the weights down. You have to push the envelope, almost scare yourself and then get right back up after and do it again.
So finally I will say that you need good coaching for this to be effective. One fault I was privy to when I started CrossFit was that there was a 0-100 approach with all atheltes.Building your range of anaerobic threshold takes time just as in nutrition and standards training. Making sure you have someone who knows how to properly warm you up, cool you down and feed you after these bouts of high intensity is key. You are no good if you decide to go blow the doors off one day and are laid up for the entire rest of the week. No gains there. Make sure your coach explains the stimulus for each training session and how far you should be taking it. Some days should NOT be anaerobic days so as to let your body recover and benefits to happen. Proper training leads to better health.
So haw bad do you want those goals? Are you ready to really dig in and work for them? Are you ready to take it to an 11? I will say that the gold is right on the other side of that pain wall. You just have to break through it.
Baseline:
400m Run
3X
10m Elbow To Instep
10m Side Lunge 180
10m Frog Hops
Squat Flow
Lat Band Mobility
Skill Development:
Build to a new 1 RM Back Squat.
*Here is the day to;
-Kit up.. wear the belts, wraps, etc.
-Keep rep count low
-Make big Jumps in weight earlier
- Rest Much More between Lifts
*This should take 18 Minutes.
WOD:
400m Run
21 Thruster 95/65
800m Run
15 Thruster 115/75
1 Mile Run
9 Thruster 135/95
*This workout is about pacing, I want you to load the bar before you go on the run so you have no excuse but to grab it as soon as you come in the door! Run all the way to the bar, don't walk.
