One of my favorite examples to use is comparing the body of a marathoner to the body of a sprinter. Both athletes are slim, but only one tends to have the lean, muscular look that is typically desired. Both athletes spend a great amount of time training. Both athletes fuel their bodies appropriately in order to perform. So where is the disconnect? How can a sprinter and marathoner look so different?

For those in the exercise field, this is a no brainer. However, it’s not quite as apparent for people who aren’t. The difference comes down to training philosophy. The bodies of these athletes are so much different because the demands of their sports are so much different. Therefore, they use different training methods.

The Marathoner

The goal of the marathoner’s training program is to allow him/her to perform work over a long period of time. The focus of their training is on increasing cardiovascular endurance and is typically achieved by racking up the miles on a weekly basis. After all, the best way to become a better runner is to run. The marathoner may include strength training in their routine 1-2 days per week.

The Sprinter

The goal of the sprinter, on the other hand, is to perform a great amount of work in the shortest amount of time. The focus of their training program is on increasing speed and power output. Their workouts typically consist of multiple, short duration sprint intervals and will typically include strength training (including olympic lifts) in their routine 3-4 days per week.

The end result of these two different training philosophies is two very different looking bodies. The body of a marathoner is slim and “soft” while the physique of a sprinter is lean and “hard”. This should give you a bit of insight into achieving the type of body you want.

Marathoner = low intensity/long duration

Sprinter = high intensity/short duration

If you’re thinking “well, certainly genetics has something to do with it”, you would be correct. However, the training effect will still be the same.

Intervals

Here’s how it works:

- Using the yard markers on the football field you will perform sprint intervals from marker to marker.
- You can vary your intervals from straight sprints to interval sprints in the middle of lap runs.

Program A

With this example, you will run sprints while performing laps around the track

- Run 4 laps. On each lap, sprint from 30 yard line to 30 yard line (on the same side of the track) and walk/jog the corners. The distances for the sprints can be changed to any of the yard markers (for instance, 40 yard line to 40 yard line or any other variation), but keep them consistent for each lap.

Program B

Like the previous example, you will incorporate sprints into your lap runs. However, this approach is progressive and much more demanding as the amount of work goes up as the recovery intervals decrease.

- Lap 1: On the first lap you will sprint from 40 yard line to 40 yard line (on the same side of the track) and jog the corners. This will result in two 20-yard sprints.
- Lap 2: On lap two you will sprint from 30 yard line to 30 yard line, again on the same side of the track, and jog the corners. This will result in two 40-yard sprints.
- Lap 3: On lap three you will sprint from 20 yard line to 20 yard line and jog the corners. This will result in two 60-yard sprints.
- Lap 4: On lap four you will sprint from goal line to goal line and jog the corners. This will result in two 100-yard sprints.

You can also continue and the descend the intervals on each subsequent lap, progressing from 100-yard sprints back to 20-yard sprints.

Sprint Training

This is a straight sprint workout.

Program A

- Choose two yard markers on the same side of the track to mark your distance. For example, the 30 yard line markers if you want to run the 40-yard dash.
- Sprint all out from yard marker to yard marker.
- Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat for a total of 10 sprints.
- You can use a variety of distances and rest intervals to change the training effect.

Mixed Conditioning

If your local track has steps nearby as Handley does, you can incorporate the following into your routine.

Program A

- On each lap, sprint to the top of the steps and back down to the track and continue your run. Do this for each lap you run.
- To spice things up a bit more, once you reach the top of the steps you can perform a given exercise, say 10 Squat Thrusts, prior to descending back down to the track. You can even perform a different exercise for each lap to keep things interesting.

Ladders

Ladders will require only the use of the steps.

Program A

- For this drill, choose any exercise you wish to perform (push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers, etc).
- Starting at the bottom of the steps, sprint up to the top and perform 1 repetition of your exercise. Sprint back to the bottom of the steps and perform 2 repetitions of your exercise. Continue sprinting up and down the steps until you have reached 10 repetitions of your exercise and descend back down to 1 repetition of your exercise.
- This can be performed in a variety of ways. You can double up and perform a given repetition at the top and bottom of the steps before progressing, choose a different exercise to perform at the top of the steps than at the bottom, choose a different exercise for each time up and down the steps, or any other combination you can think of.

High school tracks are a great place to exercise. Incorporate these methods into your track routine to spice things up and get more out of your workouts. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment a little with your own variations. You’re really only limited by your own creativity.

Warm-up 5-10 minutes light jog

Interval 1: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Recover: 3 minutes | 65% max

Interval 2: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Recover: 3 minutes | 65% max

Interval 3: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Recover: 2 minutes 30 seconds | 65% max

Interval 4: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Recover: 2 minutes 30 seconds | 65% max

Interval 5: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Recover: 2 minutes | 65% max

Interval 6: 3 minutes | Max Effort

Cool down: 5 minutes

Tabata training is based on the 1996 study by Tabata et al. In the study, subjects were prescribed an exercise protocol that consisted of brief bouts (20 seconds in duration) of high intensity exercise (~170% VO2 Max) followed by short rests intervals (10 seconds in duration) and repeated for 4 minutes. Subjects were trained on a cycle ergometer. The training protocol resulted in a 7ml.kg-1.min-1 increase in VO2 max and a 28% improvement in anaerobic capacity. These results are significant because a simultaneous increase in VO2 and anaerobic capacity are not typical of traditional endurance training. Also significant was the fact that these results were achieved with a lower volume of training than would be required for traditional endurance training.

Tabatas and Fat Loss

Another benefit of the Tabata Protocol, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in general, is its ability to induce fat loss. When compared to traditional cardio training, HIIT is more effective at burning fat when adjusted for volume. In other words, when the volume is work is equal between HIIT and traditional cardio, HIIT results in more fat loss.

Applications

Although the original protocol was performed on a cycle ergometer, there have been many adaptations of this style of training. It has been used with bodyweight circuits, calisthenics, traditional resistance exercises, complex exercises (multiple exercises performed as one continuous movement), sprinting, and more. While reaching an intensity of 170% VO2 (as in the study) may not always occur with these other methods, empirical evidence suggests these adaptions of the Tabata protocol are still highly effective.

Sample Tabatas

Here are some sample Tabatas I like to use. Incorporate them into your workout routine. Keep in mind that effort needs to be all out on the work sets in order for them to be effective.

Sample #1: 4-Exercise Bodyweight Tabata

A1) Squat Thrust – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
A2) Split Squat Jump – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
A3) Mixed Thrusters – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
A4) High Knees – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds

After A4, you would repeat the circuit one more time without resting (total of 4 minutes).

Sample #2: 2-Exercise Bodyweight Tabata

B1) Burpees – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
B2) Mountain Climbers – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds

After B2, you would repeat the circuit three more times (total of 4 minutes).

Sample #3: Sprint Tabata

C1) Sprint – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
C2) Incline Sprint (3% grade) – 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds

After C2, you would repeat the circuit three more times (total of 4 minutes).

Sources

• Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8.
• The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Apr;32(4):684-91. Epub 2008 Jan 15.
• Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30.
• High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. J Obes. 2011; 2011: 868305.

I like to keep the work intervals short, usually in the neighborhood of 30 seconds.  This will allow you to train at super high intensities.  Due to the inverse relationship between intensity and duration (the longer the interval is, the less intense it can be due to the body’s inability to sustain high intensity exercise), extending intervals to 2-3 minutes or more is just too long.

There are different ways to perform intervals, from Tabatas (20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds rest), to 1:1 or 1:3 work/rest ratios (high intensity exercise for 30 seconds followed by 30 second low intensity exercise, etc).  They can be performed using resistance training exercises or through performing sprints on a track or cardiovascular equipment (ie. treadmill, bike, elliptical).

However you choose to incorporate intervals into your workouts, keep the high intensity portion short (to ensure the intensity really is high) and total duration to 30 minutes or less. This will allow you to experience the true benefits interval training has to offer.