---This is a re-post of a 'stream of consciousness' sort of thing I had going on over at my blog on "The Loop" over at RunnersWorld.com. I felt perhaps I needed to post it here as well. BTW, I'm 'asaptrainer' over at RW's community site, "The Loop" ---

Back when I had my full-time training business, I created the "All-Star Academy of Performance" Training System, which was the transition of my "All-Star Athlete" program into 30 minute chunks of speed & strength sessions.  This allowed me to tailor a workout structure for each athlete's needs in their weekly scheduling. 

I also applied the same principles to my fitness clientele, doing strength workouts in under 30 minute sessions, and high intensity interval cardio workouts in under 30 minutes total, too. 

The reasons I did this were: I didn't want to waste any time with my clients & athletes, I wanted to work them out effectively for the time they committed to me, and short, brief, intense workouts are easy to apply and get the job done for people. 

I noticed when I first started training clients in 2000 as a fitness professional, I was going off of 'traditional' ways & means of exercising: a certain number of sets/reps, %'s of 1 rep maximums, target heart rate zones, etc. It only worked to a point...and that 'point' was when people had to start working out either longer, more frequently, or both, due to the traditional means & ways of prescribing fitness programs & sports training programs. 

There had to be another way to make things smoother for the person who is working out, because there is only so much time in a day to train, only so many days available per week to do such training, and if you're an athlete, your demands are much higher than a basic fitness client is.

Once I got into training with kettlebells, I started to throw traditional ways out the window, and applying the new short, brief, intense workout concepts that were getting better results for people: in both research studies & real-world applications.

As a coach, I was realizing I couldn't ask young athletes to do long distance programming if they were doing MUCH shorter distance sprints & workouts as part of their yearly training & preparation for their other main sports.  Put a basketball athlete on a long distance training plan, and you'll KILL his speed on the court. 

So, I had to blend the best of both worlds: doing some slight long distance work, but a bulk of it being fast, brief, shorter distance interval repeat runs.  This taxed their high-output energy systems that needed to be in top shape for their other sports, and also allowed them to improve in the 3K, 4K, & 5K distances. I honestly think that their high-intensity training methods they did helped get their aerobic systems in better shape, because the aerobic system had to be called into play to help recover from such intense exercise routines.  This is why you see research telling us that a strictly anaerobic training plan can help increase both aerobic & anaerobic fitness levels in an athlete. 

That 'a-ha!' moment really hit me when I noticed my athletes getting in better racing shape with such training, and my clients losing weight with their high intensity interval workouts. 

So, I'm not so much into the long distance, long duration ways of doing traditional training programs any more because of all that.

Training methods are changing for the better folks...some traditional stuff may work alright, but only to a point, and then you're stuck at a point where you don't want to be. 

Shorter, brief, consise & controlled workouts can offer much better results to you.

Re-think the way you look at traditional methods and ask yourself: 'how come it isn't really working like it said it would?'  I know some of you out there are thinking that about the traditional running plans you see, as you struggle through your next long run or 1-mile repeat runs for 3-4 miles.  Just really think it over...because shorter & faster may be where its at for you to reach your next level of higher fitness & success.

-Coach Rick

http://1milenation.com/