4 ms·

As others below have pointed out, the study specifically targets certain markers, and these markers do not encompass "fitness" as we would expect. I learnt the

by xarope 4y ago

As others below have pointed out, the study specifically targets certain markers, and these markers do not encompass "fitness" as we would expect. I learnt the lesson a long time ago that you need to train long and low as well as short and hard, so I'd like to repost this article from Mark Twight (if anybody has a better - or more original, link, please feel free to post it): https://equipesolitaire.com/blogs/discourse/85824260-no-free-lunch https://equipesolitaire.com/blogs/discourse/85824260-no-free...

Fricken 4y ago
The article is directed towards elite, competitive athletes who are already in shape and have a training history. At that level, yes, of course there is more to it than a few short sprint sessions each week. For about 15 years I've been relying on HIIT to go from being out of shape to in shape as quickly as I know how. Going from in shape to top fitness, and progressing from there is more involved, and sport specific.
- moneywoes 4y ago
  What was your protocol?
  - Fricken 4y ago
    Last few times I've done it was sprinting on stairs. Typically I'll do a 10 minute warm-up, and then 3-8 sprints, 20-40 seconds each, with ~3 minute rests in between. However I'm not super particular about protocols. I just go out, redline my heart rate a few times and call it a session. Last summer I was sprinting stairs every 3 days for a month to prepare for a week of multi-pitch climbing (with huge approaches) in the Canadian Rockies. I whipped myself into pretty good condition for the trip and my body held up, but it wasn't until after that week of climbing mountains every day that I felt like I was in properly awesome condition.
    - xarope 4y ago
      Please excuse the bluntness, but I find it hard to believe that you only trained sprints every 3 days (so 2-3 times a week max) to train for huge approaches and multi-pitch climbing (I'm a trad climber and mountaineer too). I assume this was not done in a vacuum, but also included numerous days of climbing and approaches as well, so probably 3/week of climbing, other low intensity work, as well as your then added 2-3/week of sprints. And yes, I agree with your last statement, after 3 weeks in the mountains acclimating for a 7000m peak, even though we got snowed out and never summited, when I got back to ground zero I felt like my lungs and legs were invincible (for about a week, then the bottom dropped out and I went back to normal again!)
      - Fricken 4y ago
        I've been in condition for these things in the past, but over a winter of mostly just walking, light cycling and gym climbing my legs and cardio had suffered. It's explosive training, my muscles hurt afterwards, and I needed 3 days to recover. Over the month of stair sprinting every 3 days I regained about 5 pounds of(what I presume is) leg muscle. The premise behind it is that the high intensity stress of my short sprint sessions is effective way to prepare myself for the all day but lower intensity stresses of big climbs with big approaches, for my heart as well as my legs. My calves and achilles tendon took a beating on the trip, one thing I wasn't well prepared for was all the standing on my toes. I've relied on a period of sprints, either on stairs, flat ground or on a bike, to whip myself into condition a half dozen times over the past couple decades. At 46 I find I don't snap into fitness as quickly as I once did. And I don't live anywhere near big hills, if I did I would train on them more, but not at the full expense of running sprints.

by xarope 4y ago

Fricken 4y ago

The article is directed towards elite, competitive athletes who are already in shape and have a training history. At that level, yes, of course there is more to it than a few short sprint sessions each week. For about 15 years I've been relying on HIIT to go from being out of shape to in shape as quickly as I know how. Going from in shape to top fitness, and progressing from there is more involved, and sport specific.

moneywoes 4y ago
What was your protocol?
- Fricken 4y ago
  Last few times I've done it was sprinting on stairs. Typically I'll do a 10 minute warm-up, and then 3-8 sprints, 20-40 seconds each, with ~3 minute rests in between. However I'm not super particular about protocols. I just go out, redline my heart rate a few times and call it a session. Last summer I was sprinting stairs every 3 days for a month to prepare for a week of multi-pitch climbing (with huge approaches) in the Canadian Rockies. I whipped myself into pretty good condition for the trip and my body held up, but it wasn't until after that week of climbing mountains every day that I felt like I was in properly awesome condition.
  - xarope 4y ago
    Please excuse the bluntness, but I find it hard to believe that you only trained sprints every 3 days (so 2-3 times a week max) to train for huge approaches and multi-pitch climbing (I'm a trad climber and mountaineer too). I assume this was not done in a vacuum, but also included numerous days of climbing and approaches as well, so probably 3/week of climbing, other low intensity work, as well as your then added 2-3/week of sprints. And yes, I agree with your last statement, after 3 weeks in the mountains acclimating for a 7000m peak, even though we got snowed out and never summited, when I got back to ground zero I felt like my lungs and legs were invincible (for about a week, then the bottom dropped out and I went back to normal again!)
    - Fricken 4y ago
      I've been in condition for these things in the past, but over a winter of mostly just walking, light cycling and gym climbing my legs and cardio had suffered. It's explosive training, my muscles hurt afterwards, and I needed 3 days to recover. Over the month of stair sprinting every 3 days I regained about 5 pounds of(what I presume is) leg muscle. The premise behind it is that the high intensity stress of my short sprint sessions is effective way to prepare myself for the all day but lower intensity stresses of big climbs with big approaches, for my heart as well as my legs. My calves and achilles tendon took a beating on the trip, one thing I wasn't well prepared for was all the standing on my toes. I've relied on a period of sprints, either on stairs, flat ground or on a bike, to whip myself into condition a half dozen times over the past couple decades. At 46 I find I don't snap into fitness as quickly as I once did. And I don't live anywhere near big hills, if I did I would train on them more, but not at the full expense of running sprints.