Post by admin on Mar 27, 2008 8:09:26 GMT -5
Intensive Tempo Useless for Sprinters?
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This is a subject of debate and world class coaches will have varied opinions. Charlie Francis completely dismisses intensive tempo running which is running at 80-90% of your maximum speed over certain distances.
Word is Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon, as well as Asafa Powell have this in their training, however recovery time is a lot. Linford Christie's group as well as himself does/did large amounts of intensive tempo with short/long recovery. While Justin Gatlin does extensive only.
Overall with world class coaches, some use a lot, some don't use at all, most use a little bit.
Now when looking at it from a non world class perspective, we must identify the purpose of intensive tempo in one's preparation. Development of special endurance IS needed, however at very small volumes. Charlie will use this as well for the same purpose, special endurance. Same reason Asafa runs 400s in his long to short program, special endurance needs to be developed at some extent. Further than that I see intensive tempo only as a tool for helping one to develop better sprint mechanics.
Lower velocity running has proven to me that it is useful in mechanical improvements, by increasing velocity and maintaining one's mechanics and body form, we will be able to do a proper biomechanical transfer of one's form through a velocity increase over a period of time. In other words, we have someone right properly at 50% speed, increase speed over time when doing these tempo runs and build up to 90-95% speed and from there it has a direct transfer to one's max velocity mechanics.
There is a problem with intensive tempo however, we use extensive (75% speed and below) as a method of recovery training. Intensive tempo however will challenge (depending on exact velocity) for similar energy sources as doing speed work will. This negates the recovery effects of extensive tempo as we use it for, therefore intensive tempo does not serve as recovery training. It can lead to CNS overload in rare instances if volume and speed is too high and done with little recovery time.
I come to the conclusion that intensive has its small place in one's program, done for development of special endurance and sprint mechanics, but mainly used in the GPP and done in very low volumes during SPP.
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This is a subject of debate and world class coaches will have varied opinions. Charlie Francis completely dismisses intensive tempo running which is running at 80-90% of your maximum speed over certain distances.
Word is Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon, as well as Asafa Powell have this in their training, however recovery time is a lot. Linford Christie's group as well as himself does/did large amounts of intensive tempo with short/long recovery. While Justin Gatlin does extensive only.
Overall with world class coaches, some use a lot, some don't use at all, most use a little bit.
Now when looking at it from a non world class perspective, we must identify the purpose of intensive tempo in one's preparation. Development of special endurance IS needed, however at very small volumes. Charlie will use this as well for the same purpose, special endurance. Same reason Asafa runs 400s in his long to short program, special endurance needs to be developed at some extent. Further than that I see intensive tempo only as a tool for helping one to develop better sprint mechanics.
Lower velocity running has proven to me that it is useful in mechanical improvements, by increasing velocity and maintaining one's mechanics and body form, we will be able to do a proper biomechanical transfer of one's form through a velocity increase over a period of time. In other words, we have someone right properly at 50% speed, increase speed over time when doing these tempo runs and build up to 90-95% speed and from there it has a direct transfer to one's max velocity mechanics.
There is a problem with intensive tempo however, we use extensive (75% speed and below) as a method of recovery training. Intensive tempo however will challenge (depending on exact velocity) for similar energy sources as doing speed work will. This negates the recovery effects of extensive tempo as we use it for, therefore intensive tempo does not serve as recovery training. It can lead to CNS overload in rare instances if volume and speed is too high and done with little recovery time.
I come to the conclusion that intensive has its small place in one's program, done for development of special endurance and sprint mechanics, but mainly used in the GPP and done in very low volumes during SPP.