Run-Down Forums

[cameron]

i know that sprinters are supposd to do low reps of weights to create short twitch muscles rather than high reps to create long twitch ....but what is the minimum you should do. like one really heavy lift wouldnt be a good workout. so i was thinking about 10 reps of a high weight but anyone know anything better?

[Dan]

Depends somewhat on what the exercise is, but 10 is a reasonable number. Often times, a workout will start at 10-20 reps at moderate weight, and work it's way down to 2-10 reps at near-max weight by the end (pyramid type workouts).

Dan
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[Conway]

[Paul]

I look at sets of 10 as base training. Roughly comparable to mileage base training for middle distance runners. Tendons and ligaments are strengthened. Positive changes occur at a cellular level that will allow harder training down the road. Your muscles compensate by storing more fuel.
This can all occur within a 4-6 week period, early season. Which makes me question the current wisdom of 3-4 months of base training for distance running before moving on to faster interval type work, but that should be a discussion for another forum.
Here's some of the changes you will notice: pure power output will drop, your vertical jump will go down, but your ability to hold speed (speed endurance) will improve.
You will find yourself much better prepared to tackle hard resistance training [sets of 5-8] which will make up the core training regimen. Not just strength gains progress rapidly, here, but improved muscle recruitment and coordination. Two 4-week cycles will work.
Three weeks of 2's and 3's (repetitions) will be enough to peak your strength. Doing 1RM is not essential unless you just have to test yourself.
During the last 3-4 weeks of the season when you are peaking for those final meets, sets of 2's and 3's with what you were doing 5's with, will be plenty to maintain the fitness you have achieved.
To incorporate this plan into a track season, I would do the above in the late Fall heading into an indoor season. After the indoor season, I would go back to three weeks of 10's, followed by four weeks of 5's, followed by three weeks of 2's or 3's, and then the maintenance weeks to the end of the season.

One of the problems I've always encountered in fiber type discussions is terminology. Short twitch, long twitch, fast twitch, slow twitch terms are actually vague when it comes down to discussing how muscles are trained. The proper terms are fast glycolitic, fast oxidative glycolitic, and slow oxidative. Before you think this is some kind of physiological arrogance on my part, to understand the above is to understand the importance of intensity in the training regimen, especially when it involves weight training. Squatting with 95% of 1RM for 2 is going to seem quite slow, but the intensity is such, that your slow twitch fibers stopped helping to overcome that resistance long ago. It is the work of the fast twitch fibers to overcome it. Your glycolitic fibers are the ones that grow with medium and low rep training.

Paul
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Paul

"Gaunt is Beautiful" Cassidy's T-shirt

[Dan]

I had a feeling Paul would be the one to provide a detailed reply on this topic.

[Paul]

High intensity, low intensity would be a much more accurate way to view muscles fibers than fast twitch, slow twitch.
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Paul

"Gaunt is Beautiful" Cassidy's T-shirt