The drawbacks of high volume long slow aerobic training

High-volume aerobic training can compromise your explosive response in two important ways:

Depletion of the glycogen stores in your muscles

Glycogen is the only fuel available for sustained high-intensity muscle contractions, it is vitally essential for performance. If you want to have a massive output of power then your glycogen stores must be full. Remember, power is work done, divided by the time to do it. The higher your power output the quicker you will be. Continued high-volume training can compromise this, by reducing the quality of the important high-intensity anaerobic training workouts.

Strength training on the other hand has not been shown to be detrimental to aerobic activities. In fact the reverse is true.

Fatigue, depletion and change of the fast-twitch muscle fibers

Exercise periods composed of high-volume training reduce the force production capabilities in the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are absolutely essential for the high muscle power required to produce the fastest speeds. Sprinters and other power athletes have a high proportion of fast-twitch fibers. You need these fibers to run after a suspect, to control them during a fight and ultimately to win the confrontation in the end.

High-volume training, over time, can change these into slow-twitch types.

Exercise Session suggestions: a fine mixture of both training modalities

·        Endurance: Endurance/stamina, basic endurance; threshold endurance; overload endurance. Build up your general physical fitness levels, and increase your cardiovascular system strength.

·        Sprint: Speed/power sessions, lactate tolerance; lactate production. Push your self into the zone of ultimate power output. Get used to working in that area of air sucking, muscle aching, forced breathing pain. But do so in stages, build up your tolerance for this activity by programmed increases in the time spent in this stage of training hell.

Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS*D recently retired after 31 years in law enforcement, is the co-owner of ‘The WeightRoom’ gym and Explosivelyfit.com, both located in Nine Mile Falls, WA. His Masters Degree is in Human Services and he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

He has published articles in national and international magazines describing the benefits of living the healthy fitness lifestyle. Danny is a national and internationally recognized fitness presenter. In addition, he is the author of four training manuals: Wilderness Basics, Strength Training Secrets, Composite Training and Power up your Driving Muscles. All are available in download versions at http://www.explosivelyfit.com/