Can someone explain the "nueromuscular workouts" in Running w/ the Buff?

Pretty much the same concept as Daniels' "rep" workouts or Malmo's "neuromuscular facilitation" workouts.

I'm still relatively new to the sport so I still need more of an explanation. Can anybody help me understand this concept better?

The purpose is to stimulate the muscles and familiarize them with faster running. They are not designed to gain anaerobically or trigger Max VO2 type benefits; therefore, the pickups are relatively short and recovery is long. I have read that a slight performance boost may come due to the muscle response.

they are for working on technique and mechanics, as opposed to aerobic/anaerobic development

some examples would be strides, and short repeats, e.g. 200's, 300's

Okay, I just lost all of what I typed, so here's the short version....

When you go from slower, easy running to faster-paced running you have to allow it time to adapt to the harder efforts. Your muscles tend to get recruited (start In short, your nervous system has to gradually develop the ability to handle harder, fast workouts. By doing neuromuscular workouts you slowly adapt your body/nervous system to this type of stress.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, this info does help. So by running strides a few times a week, or a workout of 10x300 or 15x200 fast but not all-out, I would accomplish these things? How fast should I run the above workouts at do you think?

HSRunner889 wrote:

Thanks, this info does help. So by running strides a few times a week, or a workout of 10x300 or 15x200 fast but not all-out, I would accomplish these things? How fast should I run the above workouts at do you think?

HSRunner889:

A few years ago Kevin Beck wrote an entire article in Running Times on this NMF training. I do not know if you subscribe but perhaps you can order a back issue. I am almost certain it was the June 2000 issue.

Anyway, the thrust of the article was quoting John Kellogg. JK cited three things to improve neuromuscular power qualities for speed:

1. Form drills and plyometrics to train explosive qualities and activate nervous system functions neglected at jogging speeds. Here is a link to an article on hill training written by Kevin Beck incorporating the advice of JK and Kyle Heffner:

2. Buildups: A JK article on speed maintenance from paragon running:

3. Strides and creatine phophate training, again from JK:

"One staple NMF workout is 2-3 sets of 5-6 x 20-35 seconds progressively faster buildups or strides, jogging an equal distance between each rep and jogging 5-10 minutes between sets. These can sometimes be done uphill or downhill for variety. Relaxation is crucial when doing these. This workout can be done about twice per week during base training. Every 2-3 weeks, a 2-8 min. time trial at 95%-98% effort can be done following the last set in order to preserve an adequate VO2max.

Another precursor workout to intense training is 2 sets of 3 x 7-10 secs. (50-ish meters) at 98%-100% effort, with 60 secs. walking rest between reps and about 8 min. rest between sets. It takes nearly 8 min. to restore adequate levels of creatine phosphate in the muscles; hence, you need a fairly long recovery between sets to reduce injury risk.

Speedwork

Running buildups SLOWER than all-out is meant to foster mechanical efficiency and relaxation. This will ULTIMATELY help with top-end speed by virtue of recruiting the motor units in the most economical fashion. Buildups are smooth accelerations which are designed to preserve a good deal of your creatine phosphate (quick energy). This way, you can do an adequate number of repetitions to promote neuromuscular reinforcement, but without form breakdown or risk of injury. And when doing sets of buildups, the first few in each set should be the slowest (i.e., you should not accelerate to as high a speed at the end of your first few reps in each set). But a couple of the latter reps in each set can involve an acceleration to FLAT-OUT speed (for about 20-30 meters). If you do these things correctly, you'll warm up gradually and enlist a wide variety of muscle fibers without any lactate accumulation and without exhausting your creatine phosphate reserves.

Even-speed strides (up to about 35 seconds) should follow the same format - the slowest ones are done at the beginning of the first set so you'll warm up properly and can set a precedent for running relaxed and with decent form throughout the remainder of the workout.

Bursts of 7-10 seconds should normally be done after FAST buildups and strides have become a COMFORTABLE part of the routine, and a few weeks prior to lactate-intensive (anaerobic tolerance) training. They shouldn't be used year-round. Buildups and strides (even fairly fast ones) CAN be done year-round.

It's important for a distance runner to focus on distance running; therefore, only a minor to moderate emphasis needs to be placed on the kind of workouts which attack 100m-400m speed. Stay in touch with SOME speed even during base training so it will be there for you when you begin race pace repetition running later. Only spend 3-4 weeks on honing your all-out speed. PRACTICE kicking HARD at the end of your races. Train in this fashion whether your primary event is 1,500m or 10,000m.

Speedwork for distance runners

Always include relaxed buildups, strides, and hills (and possibly drills) in your routine, even during base training. Buildups or strides should be EMPHASIZED 1-2 times per week, and they should also be done before and after many high-end aerobic workouts. If you're at altitude above 8,000 ft. and can't get to sea-level, you need to do some of these "quickies" nearly every day. As the competitive season approaches, these buildups and strides can be run with a little more determination (i.e., WORK on your speed, as opposed to merely "staying in touch" with it). Every now and then, include a time trial of 2-7 minutes at 90%-95% effort after your buildups (this keeps a small middle-distance component in your base work). Another middle distance workout consisting of structured Fartlek (repeats of 1-3 min. at a fairly fast but still predominantly aerobic pace) can be substituted for a workout of strides once every 2-3 weeks.

Anyway, SPEEDWORK. Assuming you've been doing the above speed maintenance stuff, you might start your PURE SPRINT work with 2 sets of (2 x 7-10 secs.) nearly flat-out. Get a running start before you blast the 7-10 secs. portions. Take about 1 min. walking rest between the two reps in a set and take 8 min. walking rest between sets. That's basically the whole workout right there (not counting a thorough warmup and a short cool-down).

The second time you try this workout (about 10 days later), increase the number of reps in each set to 3.

The next sprint workout (another 7-10 days later) can be along the lines of 4 x 150m at 98% effort, with 1 min. walking rest between each.

From there, proceed to 3 x 300m at 98%-100% effort with rest periods of about 3-4 min. of walking.

The next sprint workout is 2 sets of 2 x 400m at 95%-98% effort, with only about 1 min. between reps and full recovery (nearly 10 min.) between sets. You may have to jog a little or do a few "high knees" steps prior to the start of the second set to feel like you're ready to go again.

If you survive those workouts, you ought to run a time trial of 700m full-blast (start out very fast, only pacing yourself a tiny bit) about 5 days after the 2 x (2 x 400m) workout (include another hard but lower-intensity workout in between those two). About 2 days later, run a time trial of 1,000m. Again, get out FAST on this thing.

It's tricky sometimes to fit in other key workouts and races while doing this really fast stuff. You don't know for sure if you'll get sore from sprints like these; nor do you know how LONG you'll be sore. But if your schedule allows, these workouts can fortify your "quick energy" systems (creatine phosphate) and can enable you to buffer (and reuse) lactate better during races of all distances.

Purpose of the drills

Step-ups: Exaggerated hip flexion, begins developing quad strength/knee integrity, promotes relaxation and stability while using arms and legs in concert, works on soleus/gastroc strength (when going up on toes), works quads in an eccentric fashion when stepping down

High knees: Exaggerated hip flexion, works on performing more of the action in front and avoiding a long backswing, ball of foot contact promotes foot strength and balance

Quick steps: Encourages relaxation during faster-than-normal arm and leg action, recruits FT motor units at extremely low impact and without lactate production

Skips: These are actually a prelude to bounding and they begin developing an explosive "drive" phase with exaggerated (but relaxed) arm action

Backwards: Eccentric work on the lower quads, ball-of-foot contact, performs something of an antagonistic action vis-a-vis other drills

Lunges: Stretches hip flexors, develops stability/balance

Kick-outs: Exaggerated "in front" action (must be done with no backswing)

Bounding: High level of alactic FT unit recruitment, promotes an explosive "drive" phase (bounding on medium-grade uphills also involves an exaggerated pre-stretch of the ankle)

Ankle bounding: Trains orchestrated ankle flexion and isolates FT units in ths gastrocs

One foot hill hops: High level of alactic FT unit recruitment, develops an explosive "drive" phase, works on balance, exaggerated pre-stretch of the ankle, exaggerated "in front" action (if done properly), orchestrates soleus/gastroc/ankle flexion

Always do drills WITH THE WIND, if any, and use a SOFT, safe, smooth surface. The track can be used for backwards running and for ankle bounding, and bleacher steps can be used for step-ups, but grass (the kind you'd find on a golf course fairway) is preferable for the other drills. Relax, relax, relax as much as possible when doing these things. NEVER hold your breath; ALWAYS breathe in a smooth, rhythmic, normal fashion. Try to get a "loose as a goose" feel. Relaxation is synonymous with efficiency!

Some workout suggestions

From a physical standpoint, your kick is a function of your raw speed, your ability to accelerate, AND how deeply you've had to rely on anaerobic energy production up to the point in the race that you launch the kick. Bearing that in mind, having a high AEROBIC capacity will give you a greater speed RESERVE (how much of your maximum sustainable oxygen debt you still have to "give away") than many runners who are flat-out faster than you are over 100m or 400m or whatever. So you should primarily train for aerobic endurance. The guy who trains ONLY for the kick shouldn't be close enough to you to use it, anyway.

As far as speedwork goes, you should ALWAYS be doing a little something about your turnover, even during a base-building phase. I refer to these workouts as "speed maintenance". They provide variety in footstrikes, muscle fiber recruitment, etc., which can not only keep you in touch with some speed, but can also help prevent injury.

Examples of speed maintenance workouts are simple buildups and strides and some form drills. You might try two to three sets of 5-6 buildups of 15-25 secs. WITH THE WIND (if any), jogging back (or jogging an equal distance) between each, and jogging 5-10 min. between sets. The first buildups in each set should be the slowest, but each set can be started slightly faster than the previous one (since you're going to be more warmed up). Every 2-3 weeks, you should tack on a fairly fast 2-7 min. run following the last set of buildups. The purpose of this is to get your heart rate up NEAR its maximum (also close to VO2max) WITHOUT tying up very much. Only run the 2-7 min. thing at about the pace you could run for TWICE the selected distance at first (e.g., run 3 laps at the pace you COULD currently run for 6 laps in a race).

Another speed maintenance session could be 2 sets of 5-6 x 30-35 secs. progressively faster EVEN-SPEED strides. Jog the same distance between each and jog 5-10 min. between sets. These can be run as 200m reps on a track (with the wind, if any) or they can sometimes be run DOWN a very gentle hill (keep the surface soft, perhaps on a golf course) to concentrate on a light, quick turnover. The purpose of emphasizing turnover on occasion is as a prelude to quick accelerations. You can also run some UPHILL reps, but they don't necessarily need to be FAST. Just using the correct form (hips beneath the torso - NOT leaning too far into the hill with the buttocks back) will work the correct muscles for hill running.

At some point near the start of a competitive season, the speed on sessions such as these can be deliberately WORKED a little more. You can also do about 10-12 progressively faster 12-15 secs. uphill repeats, finishing really fast. BUT - you should avoid tying up horribly in any case. Make sure you can hold form. The more you practice relaxation at close to top end speed, the easier it will be for you to recruit the necessary motor units (muscle cells and their connecting neurons) when it's time to kick it in at the end of a race.

Provided you've stayed in touch with your speed in the above fashion during a non-competitive season (or during the early part of a competitive season), and provided you've done some form drills (an entirely separate topic) you can introduce some "creatine phosphate" training. This initially entails a thorough warmup followed by 2 sets of 2-3 x 7-10 secs. all-out (take about a 20m running start before rally blasting the next 7-10 secs. - you don't want to strain anything!), with 30-60 secs. walking rest between reps and 8 min. rest (water break) between sets. After you've done this workout a couple of times (maybe once per week), you can add a third set to the above for one outing only.

Having completed 3 of the above "acceleration" workouts (remember to cover other training bases as well!), you should then proceed to a workout of 3-4 x 150m at 98%-100% effort with 30-60 secs. walking rest between each. Following this session (allow enough time for recovery and to include one or two other hard days), proceed to 3 x 300m at 98%-100% effort with 2-3 min. walking rest periods. The next "kick-specific" workout (about 4-5 days later) should be 2 sets of 2 x 400m at 98%-100% effort with shorter rests (near 1 min.) between reps and full recovery (8-ish min.) between sets. You may need to jog some and add a couple of light strides at the end of the 8 min. rest period in order to prevent straining anything at the start of the second set of 400s. These longer sprints work lactate "clearance" and use the creatine phosphate stores simultaneously. These two energy systems are precisely the systems which are invoked when you kick at the end of a race.

I might repost the drills if I can find the floppy disk I stored them on. There are also some more "advanced" workouts which involve pace changes, but those aren't really necessary unless you're at the highest levels of the sport.

Regular inclusion of "alactic" fast running (buildups or strides of 10-35 seconds duration or short bursts of 7-10 seconds) and certain form running drills can be instrumental in maximizing the effectiveness of high mileage base work. The short strides promote efficient movement at all ranges of speeds. The drills foster stability and neuromuscular control.

An entire session may be devoted to strides, drills or both. You may also include 3-4 light to medium speed buildups or strides in the middle of your "cool-down" jog following certain high-end runs. This practice will re-elevate your heart rate and allow your body to "take up" some of the lactic acid you might have accumulated from running somewhat hard at the end of the high-end portion. It will also train your FT motor units to perform after your ST units are somewhat fatigued.

If you are feeling chronically sluggish or your progress seems to have stagnated, you might give yourself a jump-start with the following short routine:

1.) Very light pre-stretch

2.) Two sets of 10 traveling (moving forward) lunge steps (use shallower lunges in the first set and deep ones in the second set, but avoid bending your lead leg past a 90 degree angle)

3.) One or two sets of 30 steps of rapid high knees

4.) Skip the length of the infield (start out low and relaxed and begin skipping for height and distance when you get about one third of the way down the field - concentrate on getting a soaring feeling)

Do not recover much following these drills; instead, go straight into a run starting at an extremely slow pace. The drills are anaerobic, but they should remain alactic, accessing the high-energy phosphates as opposed to causing acidosis.

A set of 30 rapid high knees can also be inserted in the middle of an occasional run or can be tacked on at the end of the run in order to liven your routine up a bit.

"

This is a quite lengthy post like the last but I really would suggest reading it all if you want to be your best.

This final stuff is all that Renato Canova has posted on hillwork, a critical component to NMF work:

"1) I always use short sprints uphill (from 60 to 100m, with a gradient of 10-15%, depending on the characteristics of the place), also during full track season (or during every period of preparation regarding marathon runners). Running long distances many times, not always fast but often moderate, athletes become unable to use completely their fibres, expecially FT. Runners of long distance become unable to have quick nervous reactions, and step by step lose capacity of MENTAL INTENSITY in efforts. So, the goal is to recruit their capacity in requiring max intensity to their brain, that means rapidity in transmitting stimula to muscles, and means also the possibility of using the most percentage possible of fibres. So, the first goal of short sprints uphill is not to improve speed, but to reach the capacity of working with the higher number of fibres in each muscle (of course interested in specific activity).

The second goal is to increase the elasticity of heart. Being a muscle, heart needs to work using a large range of possibilities. Under this point of view, if you reduce too much your max heart rate, you reduce your capacity of working. An example :

Athlete A : Basic HR 50/min - Max HR 200

Athlete B : Basic HR 40/min - Max HR 180

Athlete C : Basic HR 36/min - Max HR 180

A) is the athlete after 2-3 years of training. He's yet young, didn't work very much on long run, is able to reach a high level of HR (200) having a good elasticity in his myocardium. His coefficient of contraction is 4, as he's able to work 4 times his basic value (200 : 50).

B) the same athlete, after working 2 years in dicrection of long run, improving very much his aerobic capacity. As his heart becomes bigger, he's able to reduce his basic HR of 20% (from 50 to 40). Of course, he's no more able to have the same peak (from 200 to 180), but loses only 10%. So, now his coefficient of contraction is 4,5 (180 : 40), so the capacity of working of his heart is higher than before.

C) after thie type of work, the athlete can yet reduce a little his basic HR, using long run FAST and long intervals (2000/3000m) at speed of 10000m, with short recovery. In this way, his heart can yet become a little bit bigger, but myocardium preserves his elasticity, because heart walls are not too thick, but able to contract and to relax very fast. The improvement of basic HR is 10% (from 40 to 36), but max HR is the same. So, the capacity of working of his heart is now of 5 times (180 : 36).

The only way to keep a high level of max HR is to push your heart to its max level, only for very short time, then to relax completly. In this way, myocardium can work at its max intensity, but the effort doesn't last long time, and the muscle cannot become hypertrophic, that is damageous for health and diminutive for performances.

The elements of training are always present in a good training-schedule. What must change is their percentage and their frequency. So, during the FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD you must work for increasing your qualities : general resistance, strenght, rapidity, flexibility, cohordination. You must not use SPEED, but you have to prepare your speed. For example, you use circuit with weights or special works uphill, having clear in your mind what the goal is. If I go climbing 400m, making, without interruption, 60m sprint at max. speed + 40m bounding + 60m sprint + 40m skipping + 60m sprint + 40m heels to buttocks very fast + 100m sprint, and at the top 10 times squat-jumps pushing harder is possible, I use a work for increasing strenght endurance, reaching a very high level of lactate, improving "stamina". THIS IS A BASIC TRAINING, but is of very high intensity. When I put speed in my training (f.e., 15x100m with 30/40 sec of recovery), I have more BASIC QUALITIES for improving this specificism.

The first training that every long distance runner can use, good for every period of preparation, is to sprint from 60 to 100m climbing. Speed is a quality depending of nervous capacity and muscle strenght. Nervous capacity is the capacity of high explosive concentration, thet you need for recruiting the higher number of fibres of a muscle. Strenght of a muscle is the capacity of producing tension, and speed of contraction.

Our muscles don't work like the engine of a car. If you have an engine able to do 5000 revolutions reaching 180 km of speed, when you go at 100 km of speed you use only 3000 revolutions, but the engine works in the same way.

Instead, if we have a muscle made with 100 fibres, we use the most part of the fibres during max. speed, and only a part of these reducing the speed. For example, jogging you can use 20% of your fibres, ALWAYS THE SAME.

So, when you have to use speed, you are not able to use the percentage of fibres normally resting. These fibres are less strong, but also unable to receive in short time the order of the brain.

Running always at slow speed, you de-fuse your nervous system regarding the fibres that you don't use normally.

So, the best way for training not the speed, but the CAPACITY OF NERVOUS SYSTEM, basic for the speed, is to do short efforts at max.intensity, like short sprints uphill. You must interpret this work in explosive way, like a sprinter, not using progressive speed, because the first aim is to develop the capacity of the brain.

Running for a time of 10/15 sec, you cannot do too much lactate. You can use 1min / 1:30 of recovery, so lactic acid can be eliminated almost totally.

But what you have to remember is that THIS IS A TRAINING FOR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, needing max intensity, so recovery times are not very important.

Too many times, long runners give big importance to recovery times also in type of training not having the goal of improving endurance, but basic nervous and muscular qualities. This is a mistake, when we are speaking about RAPIDITY we are speaking about a quality, when we are speaking about SPEED we are speaking about the USE of that quality. And, for a long runner, we must train the basic quality before the practical expression of this.

So, is not true that long run can reduce speed, and that speed can reduce endurance. Training is what you do, not what you don't do, and you don't improve your speed IF YOU DON'T USE SPEED, at the same way you don't improve your endurance IF YOU DON'T USE ENDURANCE.

Regarding the question about the TECHNICAL WAY for running hills, I can say, from my experience, that :

a) If you have an athlete running with very short strides, using high frequency, he needs to increase his strength and must use sprints climbing more for muscles than for nervous system. In this case, he has to push using long strides, also if the speed is a little bit slower than running with more frequency.

b) If instead you have an athlete using long strides (and of course slow motions), is better that sprinting he uses the idea of "skipping", running with very high knees and trying to increase his frequency. For him, RAPIDITY is more important than strength.

At least, short hills have the goal of improving the DEFICIENCIES rather than improving the qualities that you already have. Using hills, and mixing length, gradient and technique of running, you can leave a mark on different qualities, from nervous reactivity to the capacity in recruiting fibres, training all what you need for having and using more strength.

The gradient of the sprints uphill that I use with all my athletes is about 15%, but is possible to use different hills. Instead, I don't agree that we can use the run on the sand with the same goal. We try to develop the reactivity of feet, because thru this quality is possible to develop the speed. For reacting very well with your feet, you need a HARD GROUND, not able to absorb the elasticity of the feet of the athlete. Instead, if you run on a soft ground, like sand, your feet cannot work in elastic way, and you reduce this quality. You can use run on the beach for increasing the strenght of your quadriceps, but is a mistake for very elastic runners.

Always I try to develop the elasticity of my runners. So, I prefer to use hard ground and good gradient climbing.

All my marathon runners and athletes of other events use this type of training.

Selina Kosgei, winner in Paris with 2:24:32 in her first marathon (she has 2:03 in 800m, 15:01 in 5000 and won Commonwealth Games in 2002 with 31:27 on 10000m), started the preparation for her debut on 15th of January, in a camp in Kaptagat. She had to develop 3 qualities at the moment : long endurance, running once a week good pace with faster final (starting from 28 km, arriving to 38 12 days before the race) ; technque, as she runs with the bust to ahead and too low knees ; strenght, as she is very slim and needs more muscles for running fast also uphill.

So, I used 3 different type of training climbing :

for the first goal (long endurance), hilly courses with many hills up and down ;

for the second (technique) sprints of 100m with an easy gradient (about 6/8 %) trying to use a good frequency ;

for the third, sprints of 60/80m with a very big gradient (30%), that are "ramps" and help you to develop strenght.

But the type of hill and of work depends also on the different attitude and morphology of the athletes.

During the last week end, I had many runners in HM very good. With every one I use sprints uphill, but in different way.

With ROBERT KIPCHUMBA (22 years, winning Stramilano in 60:22) and MARTIN SULLE (22 years also, bronze medal in WHMCh, 2nd in Stramilano in 60:29), that have a technique of agility, using very high frequency, I use sprints of 60/100m with a gradient of 15% about, where they push very hard, trying long steps, for developing strenght. At the end of every session (they use also 3 sessions, in some week, of sprints climbing) they go for a run of 400/500m climbing, at their max. speed (only once). This type of training has the task of using soon your strenght in direction of strenght-endurance.

With ENOCK MITEI (24 years, n. 4 in Stramilano in 60:32) and RICHARD YATICH (24 years, n. 9 in Lisbon in 60:31) I never go under 100m of sprint, but use a hill of about 8/10 % lasting 20/25 sec. They tryi to improve their frequency, seeking more rapidity with a good reaction in their feet, that are not very elastic.

With JOHN KORIR (23 years, n. 5 in Stramilano in 60:47) I use normally very short sprints of about 40m, with a gradient of more than 30% (ramps), only for improving strenght (but too many times he doesn't use because in Military Camp or in Residential Camp before some World Championship nobody goes for short sprint). Before running 26:52 two years ago, John in St. Moritz used this type of sprints twice a week, also for reducing the lenght of his strides.

With SOLOMON BUSHENDICH (20 years, 2nd in Berlin in 60:42 in his first HM) I use only sprints from 200 to 300m, as Solomon is already very strong in his muscles, having short legs very strong. So, with him I try to develop STRENGHT-ENDURANCE, no strenght or rapidity, that already he has at good level. Solomon comes from the mountains, and his capacity in attacking hills is very high.

With DANIEL RONO (26 years, 4th in Berlin in 61:26) instead I want to develop strenght because he's very slim. Daniel uses short sprints climbing (about 15% of gradient) twice a week, going with very high knees and high frequency, as normally he uses too long strides.

So, I think that every type of hilly training can be good or less good depending on the necessities of every athlete.

Different problem is to develop their strenght and muscular power. So, we work very much in that direction, using special Circuits uphill (lasting from 1:30 to 6 min), and expecially we use very much work of short sprints climbing, lasting from 10 to 20 secs (depending on the gradient), for developing SPECIFIC STRENGHT and RECRUITING THE MOST PART OF FIBRES, what normally long runners are not able to do.

Of course, during the basic period we don`t use repetitions very fast. We prefer to work for improving all the types of SPECIAL RESISTANCES, expecially STRENGTH ENDURANCE that has a very big influence on the Specific Endurance.

For example, using circuits lasting about 3/4 min with very long recovery, at the max. intensity, we can increase the periferal endurance improving at the same time strength and capyllarization. An example of circuit can be the following :

- 80m bounding (flat)

- 10 squat jumps on the place

- 300m running very fast on flat ground (finishing where a hill starts)

- 10 exercises for abdominals starting with the back on the ground

- 60m sprinting climbing

- 40m skipping very fast climbing

- 60m sprinting climbing

- 40m bounding climbing

- 60m sprinting climbing

- 10 squat jumps on the place again

- 200m very fast climbing

This circuit uses about 400m flat plus 360m climbing, and is very good for middle and long distance. With athletes of 800m, we can use the same type of work with shorter distances, lasting no more than 2 min.

Because the only way that we use for recruiting the most part of the fibres of one muscle is WORKING AROUND THE MAX INTENSITY, and the capacity of recruiting fibres is very important not only for the speed, but also for the endurance, due to the turn-over of the fibres of the same muscle, every circuit must be done at max intensity. At the end, the level of lactate is very high, and we have to recovery well before going for another circuit (normally, 5/6 min for long runners, 8/10 min for 800m runners).

But, what is important to know, is that, after using repetitions on track at high intensity (for example, 4 x 600m at 1:22 rec. 6/8 min for an athlete able running 1:47) without adequate aerobic support, for a time longer than 3 weeks, you can check that your Threshold decreased. Instead, after using circuits with adequate aerobic support, your Threshold increases. I suppose that this fact is due to the more global involvement of a higher percentage of fibres during the training, having a combined effect with the aerobic work able to push the Threshold, while fast tests on track have an OPPOSITE effect on the Threshold.

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