Sprint to Success
Of all the articles I've written I've gotten the most response from this one. I guess is strikes a chord with people.
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There’s an ongoing debate in the fitness world. LSD Training vs. S Training. Long Slow Distance Training vs. Sprint Training. LSD, such as training for marathons is popular with certain groups of people, namely, marathon runners. And sprinting is popular with, you guessed it, sprinters. But what about the regular person who just wants to drop a few pounds and be healthier. What is the best for them?
The short answer: In my opinion, sprinting.
The long answer is long so let’s get started.
First you need to understand this debate has been around forever and it will never go away. I’ve tried both. I have run for miles and miles, and I have done 30 second sprints for repetitions. For me and what I want to get out of my workouts, sprinting is best. Think about it, human beings were not designed to run 26 miles non-stop. In fact, no animal is. Have you ever really looked at a regular marathon runner? Strong is not a word I would use to describe them. I would say they look weak and sick. There’s been some convincing research in the past few years suggesting marathon runners are actually harming their bodies because they’re breaking down muscle to fuel their extended periods of running. Remember, the heart is a muscle. Why would I do a exercise that could potentially damage my heart? Seems counter-productive. Most of them also have problems with their hips, knees, ankles or feet. Now think about Olympic sprinters you’ve seen on TV. How do they look? Strong and powerful. The type of training these people do is the reason.
Sprinting cranks up your metabolism. So does LSD training. The difference is research has shown your metabolism stays cranked up after a sprinting workout for a long time. Actually, after a LSD workout your metabolism returns to normal almost instantly. What does a cranked up metabolism mean? Fat burning and muscle growth. Think of those Olympic sprinters.
Running works for some people. Those people are called, “runners.” And I say more power to them. If they have the time and inclination to run and run and run and it makes them happy, who am I to tell them to change? However, most people aren’t runners. Most people just want to find the fastest way to get the results they desire. Sprinting is one way to do so.
When you’re first starting out I don’t recommend you bust into a full sprint right away. Get warmed up first with a little walking, or a light jog. You want to feel that warm feeling and have a little sweat flowing. Then walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then walk normailly for 30-60 seconds to recover. Then go again. Eventually, you can run. Sprint as hard as you can for 15-30 seconds, followed by a 30-60 second jog. Do that 10 times and you’ll feel like you just had one of the best workouts of your life.
Do it on flat ground at first. When you get good you can try some hill sprints. That’s the serious stuff there. We’re talking about one of the best exercises you can do to build wind, power, strength, burn fat and build muscle, all at the same time. And the best part is, and good sprinting routine doesn’t take more than 10-15 minutes of total time, including the recovery periods.
Give it shot. Sprint your way to success. Running long distance is boring anyway. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
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Train smart,
RL
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There’s an ongoing debate in the fitness world. LSD Training vs. S Training. Long Slow Distance Training vs. Sprint Training. LSD, such as training for marathons is popular with certain groups of people, namely, marathon runners. And sprinting is popular with, you guessed it, sprinters. But what about the regular person who just wants to drop a few pounds and be healthier. What is the best for them?
The short answer: In my opinion, sprinting.
The long answer is long so let’s get started.
First you need to understand this debate has been around forever and it will never go away. I’ve tried both. I have run for miles and miles, and I have done 30 second sprints for repetitions. For me and what I want to get out of my workouts, sprinting is best. Think about it, human beings were not designed to run 26 miles non-stop. In fact, no animal is. Have you ever really looked at a regular marathon runner? Strong is not a word I would use to describe them. I would say they look weak and sick. There’s been some convincing research in the past few years suggesting marathon runners are actually harming their bodies because they’re breaking down muscle to fuel their extended periods of running. Remember, the heart is a muscle. Why would I do a exercise that could potentially damage my heart? Seems counter-productive. Most of them also have problems with their hips, knees, ankles or feet. Now think about Olympic sprinters you’ve seen on TV. How do they look? Strong and powerful. The type of training these people do is the reason.
Sprinting cranks up your metabolism. So does LSD training. The difference is research has shown your metabolism stays cranked up after a sprinting workout for a long time. Actually, after a LSD workout your metabolism returns to normal almost instantly. What does a cranked up metabolism mean? Fat burning and muscle growth. Think of those Olympic sprinters.
Running works for some people. Those people are called, “runners.” And I say more power to them. If they have the time and inclination to run and run and run and it makes them happy, who am I to tell them to change? However, most people aren’t runners. Most people just want to find the fastest way to get the results they desire. Sprinting is one way to do so.
When you’re first starting out I don’t recommend you bust into a full sprint right away. Get warmed up first with a little walking, or a light jog. You want to feel that warm feeling and have a little sweat flowing. Then walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then walk normailly for 30-60 seconds to recover. Then go again. Eventually, you can run. Sprint as hard as you can for 15-30 seconds, followed by a 30-60 second jog. Do that 10 times and you’ll feel like you just had one of the best workouts of your life.
Do it on flat ground at first. When you get good you can try some hill sprints. That’s the serious stuff there. We’re talking about one of the best exercises you can do to build wind, power, strength, burn fat and build muscle, all at the same time. And the best part is, and good sprinting routine doesn’t take more than 10-15 minutes of total time, including the recovery periods.
Give it shot. Sprint your way to success. Running long distance is boring anyway. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
---
Train smart,
RL
posted by Ryan at 2:08 PM
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