Fitness Test

Lothaar

Copied from another thread:

I recently had a fitness test done and I was told to do a lot more low intensity cardio, which burns fat rather than carbs as you say. However, because of family and work committments, I can only workout 40 mins a day, 5 days a week during my lunchbreak.
I am not training for a marathon (in fact I play American Football, which requires more explosive power than endurance), so I feel that it would be more beneficial for me to do high-intensity cardio, which burns more calories. That would allow me to get more calories burnt in that short space of time and still have some time for weights. AFAIK (and I'm no expert) this type of workout would also burn calories at rest for hours after the workout.
The programme I was give has 10 mins of weights per week, and lots of low intensity cardio.

I'm afraid to do this programme, as I think I will lose a lot of strength and my season starts in 6 weeks.

I need to decide on a routine ASAP and stick to it. Could you advise me as to whether this type of regime suits somebody with my limited time?

Kinetic^

Lothaar wrote:

The programme I was give has 10 mins of weights per week, and lots of low intensity cardio.

I'm not a fitness instructor (& i don't think the guy who gave this to you was either) but this has to be a typo!!

Lothaar

My routine has different types of low intensity cardio on most days, with 10 mins of HIT interval sprints once a week. One day a week I do strength training, which consists of a circuit of the following exercises:
Exercise Sets Reps
DB Squats 3 8
Bench Press 3 8
SB crunches (weighted if necessary) 3 10
SB leg curls 3 10
Lat Pull Down 3 10
Seated Row 3 10

I do one set of all of these in a row, without resting. Then I rest for a couple of minutes, and then do it all again - three reps of the circuit altogether.

One day a week I do Core exercises:
Crunches (weighted) 3 10
SB roll out 3 10
SB Seated Balance (lifting one leg off the ground) 3 30-60s


I think they're done in a circuit too, but I'm not sure.

I haven't started this routine yet, and I'm not too sure about it. This was given to me after a fitness test that involved bf%, hgt, wgt, testing my respiratory efficiency and the lactate in my blood at different levels of exertion.

Lothaar

Keyser Soze 5 wrote:

I'm not a fitness instructor (& i don't think the guy who gave this to you was either) but this has to be a typo!!

Nah. This was emailed to me, I queried it... and to be fair they did change it a little. Originally there was no interval training, it was basically a week of jogging very slowly with 10 mins of strength and 10 mins of core exercises. They added the interval training after I queried.

Transform

Gotta keep this reply quick so here goes -

Trust the program!!!!!

The whole point is that your aerobic base needs to be improved as you can't sustain the high intensity anaerobic intensity (as reflected in your upper zone results). Also you will burn more fat that way.

No aerobic base = lack of fitness/inability to sustain high intensity.

yes i would personally add in more weights but nothing to failure and its ok to do it in a circuit as a change but not a rule.

The time of the season is just a shame but as you know the first month of most sporting seasons is just to get into it.

E.g. i had a client tested (Premier league soccer player) and his results showed he had a very poor aerobic base and was tired all the time as all his training was done at a high intensity = massive lactic acid production.
He is now feeling much better and his overall fitness is better since doing sessions at a lower intensity (on his own).

What is your zone 1? (lowest level and recommended training range)

Lothaar

Transform wrote:

What is your zone 1? (lowest level and recommended training range)

119-125 bpm.


The problem I have with trusting the programme is that it appears to go against everything I've read.

Transform

Gosh that is low. It would give you a VO2 max of about 45-50ml/O2/kg/min

1. You could be totally overtrained to have this low zone 1
or
2. You just need to develop your aerobic base.

As i said make some weights adjustments and put on that HR monitor every time

t-ha

Hey Lothaar,

If you have 6 weeks to start of season then that's the date you want to be hitting max power and speed at, which means you have one short mesocycle to play with. I'm assuming you have your GPP taken care of (endurance work, sled drags, sledgehammer work etc.) already, which will leave you in a position to concentrate on max power and speed power. If you don't, then step on it and peak performance will have to wait. GPP stands for general physical preparedeness by the way, as basically is a blanket term for any general exercise you do to give yourself a strength/fitness base to start from.

Now max power and speed in 6 weeks;
The simplest way to achieve this would be to use alternating max effort (ME) and dynamic effort (DE) days. Max effort is exactly what it sounds like, you use a very low rep range and big weights. Something like a 5 x 5 is good, or even a 10 x 3 is now pretty popular amongst strength athletes. A dynamic effort day involves a lighter weight taken down (eccentric phase) under control and then brought explosively upwards (concentric), even jumping at the end if the load is light enough.

Do something like;
MicroCycle1;
Day1: Lower Posterior Chain (ME Day) - 70% 1RM
Day2: Upper Body (ME Day) - 70% 1RM
Day3: LPC (DE Day) - 50% 1RM
Day4: UB (DE Day) - 50% 1RM
Other: 3 X 30min running sessions at respectable pace
MicroCycle2;
Day1: LPC (ME Day) - 80% 1RM
Day2: UB (ME Day) - 80% 1RM
Day3: LPC (DE Day) - 50% 1RM
Day4: UB (DE Day) - 50% 1RM
Other: 3 x 30min running sessions at reasonable pace
MicroCycle3;
Day1: LPC (ME Day) - 85% 1RM
Day2: UB (ME Day) - 85% 1RM
Day3: LPC (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Day4: UB (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Other: 1/2 x 30min running session, taken lightly
MicroCycle3;
Day1: LPC - 65% 1RM
Day2: UB - 65% 1RM
Other: 2 x HIIT training under 10mins total each, 1 x 30min light run
MicroCycle4;
Day1: LPC (ME Day) - 80% 1RM
Day2: UB (ME Day) - 80% 1RM
Day3: LPC (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Day4: UB (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Other: 2 x HIIT training under 10mins total each, 1 x 30min light run
MicroCycle5;
Day1: LPC (ME Day) - 90% 1RM
Day2: UB (ME Day) - 90% 1RM
Day3: LPC (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Day4: UB (DE Day) - 60% 1RM
Other: 3 x HIIT training
Rest before season start - at least 3/4 days (bar light cardio work)

There isn't really enough time to periodise this properly but the above should be OK. As for specific exercises, I'll let you pick them yourself, but think practically - none of that bicep curling nonsense. 40 mins is fine for the weights but I guess you will need to do the running at home after work or something.

P.S. Yes you are correct about the HIIT training - I can't think of anything more benificial to a football player. As far as I'm concerned, when done honestly, it's one of the best 'functional' exercises you can elect to do.

Transform

well outlined weight program

T-ha unless you have done a fitness test (proper VO2 max test) you are not qualified to make a call on it. No offence so let the results do the talking not supposed theory as its very specific to the individual

t-ha

Transform wrote:

well outlined weight program

T-ha unless you have done a fitness test (proper VO2 max test) you are not qualified to make a call on it. No offence so let the results do the talking not supposed theory as its very specific to the individual

None taken, I actually started writing that before you had posted - although hopefully I covered myself enough by stating that a good fitness base was required before the more specialist programme I suggested .

Lothaar

Transform wrote:

Gosh that is low. It would give you a VO2 max of about 45-50ml/O2/kg/min

1. You could be totally overtrained to have this low zone 1
or
2. You just need to develop your aerobic base.

As i said make some weights adjustments and put on that HR monitor every time

Thanks for the detailed replies guys. I was told that I have a very large Zone 2 and I need to focus on raising my aerobic threshold.
T-Ha - Thank you for that breakdown. Tbh I don't think I have GPP taken care of.

So what you guys are saying is stick with this programme, develop my aerobic base and GPP, then start working on peak performance? That's possible, as although the season starts in 6 weeks, there are gaps of up to 5 weeks between games so it lasts until August. I really want to peak in July, as that is when the playoffs begin.

Kinetic^

I've been a bit of a thread hijacker in this forum, sorry, but where did you get your fitness test done?

Was it from one of the instructors in your gym?

Lothaar

Keyser Soze 5 wrote:

I've been a bit of a thread hijacker in this forum, sorry, but where did you get your fitness test done?

Was it from one of the instructors in your gym?

Nope. Em, I kinda don't want to say any names on here. It was a testing centre.

Kinetic^

Lothaar wrote:

Nope. Em, I kinda don't want to say any names on here. It was a testing centre.

Would you PM me??