Every athlete that is at the top of their game believes that their training methodology is the best. I know because I AM one of those guys. How everyone balances training intensities is truly a matter of trial and error, of the athletes they test their program against, and of the countless variables that pertain to a specific outcome. There is one thing that science downs dispute, Anaerobic (Threshold) training delivers the most juice for the squeeze. But what it is and how it should be approached is as varied as you could imagine. So Here are my top 5 hacks to ensure you are getting the most out of Anaerobic Training.
What is Anaerobic Training?
This is a great question and one that everyone should ask. My definition of Anaerobic Threshold Training is;
Intense physical exercise performed in a physiological state with little to no cellular respiration, yielding (among other metabolites) Lactic Acid. The Form of training most closely related to muscle development, power, and speed. Known as Threshold Training because it stresses the body to endure and perform greater intensity for a longer period, over time.
Hack #1. Anaerobic Training works best when a base of Aerobic Fitness has been established.
For most of you reading this post, you are well beyond the qualified standard for having an aerobic base. There are some key metrics like a mile run or performing a max set of squats and push ups to test your aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, but we will eave that for another time. The main take away from this Hack is simply to remind you and others that before your threshold is tested, we need to establish good working order in the metabolic and respiratory systems.
Relative intensity principles may also be used to ease an athlete into anaerobic training; and can actually help to build an ‘off the couch’ athlete much faster than traditional methods. But for safety and effectiveness , true Maximal intensity intervals should only be applied once a good base has been set to avoid injury and other health problems.
Hack #2. Sleep and Eat well before performing Anaerobic training.
Like most of us, I train many times underfed and sleep deprived. Unfortunately we dont all have the ability to have the training schedule of professional athletes. But we can use our time wisely and properly prepare for Anaerobic Training.
Rest days are programmed in such a way to ensure that you are preceding intense bouts of exercise with active recovery or low intensity cardio. Unlike aerobic training, the cellular damage and muscular breakdown that occur from even one day of Threshold Training can have altering effects on your sleep and metabolic process. This is principles behind deload and tapering before a race or competition.
You should approach Anaerobic training fresh and firing to get the best results.
Hack #3. Taper at 6-8 Weeks.
Being a smart athlete means you need to pay attention to the overall load that your training has put you under over time. This is why journaling each workout and not just relying on your trainer is important. Your trainer or coach is trying to ensure that all of the athletes are getting the same amount of exposure to Anaerobic training which means that you might end up doing 3 days per week of gnarly workouts in a 5 day period! Over the course of an 8 week cycle or period, could mean that you start experiencing adrenal fatigue or injury. These is classic signs of overtraining.
When you review what you have done over an 6-8 week period, ensure you have taken at least a 4-5 day stretch where you just did hiking, biking long distances, swimming laps, or something you just simply enjoy and dont consider work. This will ensure that your hormones and cells will recover and you can keep on the gain train!!
Hack #4. Only 12% of your training week should be Maximal Heart Rate Training.
This might leave you scratching your head because you may think that every workout makes your heart explode. The chances are you are both right and wrong. Intensity to you might ‘feel’ like you are going to die but your heart is actually quite fine. Its when you workout to a point where you are going to tunnel vision , can’t catch your breath and almost shit yourself that is true threshold training. And it should only be a small amount of your load.
Most of us train at about 70-80% of our maximal cardiac output. We are able to function and talk, or need maybe 1-2 minutes to recover before we feel good again.
Anaerobic training can mess you up, where you feel sick sometimes for the day, need to take a nap afterward, or just shake your mental state in one way or another. This is your body BEAT UP.
If you are doing 4 days at the gym at about 60minutes (of real work) per session , this means that only about 20 minutes of your entire week should be at MAXIMAL heart rate. But bringing it there is important none-the-less. Just watch that you dont overdo it.
Hack#5 Lift Heavy at least 1 time per week.
Anaerobic training has been shown to have huge benefits on your overall strength. While you may think that its all about how fast you can push yourself sprinting, Threshold Training applies to Overload principles as well. In fact, when performing a 1 RM back Squat you are putting out the same amount of lactic acid as you do in a 200m sprint.
Lifting heavy pushes your body to excel under extreme duress. When you set yourself up for a heavy 2 or 3 rep exercise, you are essentially cutting it off from having any resources for at least 10 seconds. That stress compounds quickly and you can emerge a stronger and more fit athlete in a shorter amount of time. Ill bet my house on it.
In my pursuit of developing not only the strongest and most mentally prepared athletes, I want you also to be smart as well. Learning the WHAT, HOW and WHY of Anaerobic training gives you an edge on your performance. I wish you well and lets train smart and love each other more.
In Strength.
Eric
Programming Notes 8/12-8/16
** This week is the beginning of Open training for 2020 season. This a bit of a divergence from previous years obviously but we will pick it up and begin our testing and capacity work over the next 8 weeks.
8/12
Baseline:
3X
250m Row
10 Elbow To instep Walking Lunges
10 Air Squats
10 Kip Swings
10 Fire Hydrants
Squat Flow: Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Ankle Roll Out, Bootstraps, PNF Stretch, Squat W/ T Spine Stretch
Strength:
3X
5X backSquat @ Heavy
100’ D Ball Carry
Conditioning:
“Heartbreak Kid”
3X
10 Front Squat 185/135
10 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
50 Double Unders
8/13
Baseline:
30 Cal on Air Runner
10 Box Pistol Squat (5 Each Leg)
12 Lateral KB Goblet Lunge
5 Inchworm Push Ups
20 Cal on Air Runner
10 Box Pistol Squat (5 Each Leg)
12 Lateral KB Goblet Lunge
5 Inchworm Push Ups
10 Cal on Air Runner
10 Box Pistol Squat (5 Each Leg)
12 Lateral KB Goblet Lunge
5 Inchworm Push Ups
Skill Work:
3 Round Not For Time
25 Cal Bike (Moderate Pace)
10 X Single Arm Overhead KB Lunges (L)
10X Single Arm Overhead KB Lunges (R)
:20 L Sit
Conditioning :
Run 100 Cal on Air Runner,
Every 20 Cals perform 12 Burpee
8/14
Baseline:
500m Row
3X
10 banded Pull apart (supine/prone Grip)
10 Banded pas Thru
10 Banded Trunk Rotation
10 Banded Row
10 banded Press
Shoulder Stability:
3X8 (Each Arm)
Kneeling Landmine Press
3X 8
Dumbbell High Pull
3X8
DumbbellLateral Raises
“Stick IT”
3 Rounds
1:00 At each station
-Dumbbell Step Up
-Dumbbell Hang Clean and Press
-Ring Row
-Lateral Cone Touch @ 15’
-Rest
8/15
baseline:
3X
20 Jump Rope Single skips
20 High Knee jump Rope
20 Backward Single Skips
20 Jump Rope Jumping Jacks
20 Double Unders
10 Scorpion Stretch
10 Arm Circles
10 Divebober Push ups
Skill Development:
40 Turkish Get Ups
NOT FOR TIME!!
(20 Each arm)
Anaerobic Conditioning :
5X 3min AMRAP
30 Double Unders
25 Push Ups
30 Double Unders
25 Squats
-Rest 3:00 Between sets-
8/16
Baseline:
500m Row
3X
10 Leg Swings
10 Single Leg Toe Touches
10 Cherry Pickers
10 Banded Pass Thru
Snatch Warm up:
7@ Each
-Snatch Deadlift
-Snatch High Pull
-Muscle Snatch
-Behind Neck Press
-Overhead Squat
-Snatch Balance
Snatch Complex:
7 Rounds (building)
3X Snatch Deadlift
1X Snatch High Pull
1X Snatch
Aerobic Conditioning:
For Total Time
2K Row
Right into,
5X
14 Toes To bar
12 Deadlift 155/135
10 KB Snatch 53/35
