Now that you're more familiar with your current fitness level, here are some training guidelines for each of the five limbs on the training tree:
1. Base Branch: This is a great place to hang out because it's so easy and relaxing with no pressure--just simply time in the low zone.
Frequency: 3-5 workouts
Intensity: Heart zone 1 to 3.
Duration: 15-30 min./workout
Period: 2-4 wks.
Benefits: build your endurance
2. Strength Branch: The benefits are enormous--when you train on this branch you increase your sport specific muscle strength and endurance.
Frequency: 2 workouts per week of strength +3 workouts of endurance
Intensity: Heart zone 1-4.
Time: 20-60 min.
Period: 3-4 wks.
Benefits: Sport-specific muscle strength
3. Interval or Speed Branch: Train with a variety of interval training regimens and workload ratios during this phase.
Frequency: 2-3 training days/workouts plus endurance and strength workouts
Intensity: Heart Zone 3-5.
Time: 20-60 min.
Period: 3-4 wks.
Benefits: Improved speed, lactic acid removal and glucose fuel utilization.
4. Peak Branch: It's high intensity, it's strength training, it's growing endurance, it's recovery workouts. In short, it's the most challenging branch of the training tree. This is a period of listening to your body and your heart, because it's during these weeks that overtraining occurs most frequently.
Frequency: 6-7 training days/workouts (e.g. 2 endurance, 2 interval, 2 strength, and 1 recovery)
Intensity: all heart zones
Time: 30-120+ min.
Period: 2 weeks - entire season
Benefits: Putting it all together to optimize high-performance fitness.
5. Racing Branch: This is a time when you go to the starting line and test yourself with the goals that you have set.
Frequency: If racing: 4-5 training days per week. If not racing that week: 6-7 training days.
Intensity: All 5 heart zones.
Time: 30-120+ min.
Benefits: To successfully race throughout a season without injury or staleness.
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