Recently I won a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific Masters Games at 60 meters, and a got a fourth in the 100 meters. Considering I had not raced sprints since high-school -- quite a few years ago -- and had only used starting blocks in a few pre-championship meets in my "comeback," I was stoked. My old hamstring injury even held up well to the training and racing.
I did spend many hours in the gym doing weight training in preparation, and it seemed to pay off. Even so, you do have to have a scheduled program of some sort, whether you're at high-school, college or beyond. The main game is still training on the track, but I've put together a generic weight training program that may help you get started if stronger sprinting or improved running speed is what you're looking for. Let me know how you go.
Photo: (c) Getty Images / Digital Vision
The afterburn is the name given colloquially to your energy expenditure after you've stopped exercising. The exercise physiologists call this "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)," which is just another name for an increase in metabolism in the hours after exercise. Training in a way that increases the afterburn was said to be a great way to lose weight -- fat weight.
This debate has been going on for many years, and for a while, weight training and high-intensity exercise, compared to cardio, seemed to be the "flavor of the month" for EPOC. But now, after a few scientific reviews and more rational evaluation, the numbers just don't stack up.
It's true that high-intensity exercise is a powerful driver of EPOC, but the thing is, you have to do enough of it to make it significant. It's just not possible to train at very high intensities -- greater than 85% of maximum heart rate for example -- for long periods of time, unless you are very fit to start with. The paradox is that if you are capable of this sort of training, you probably don't need to lose weight!
Some forms of weight training, and interval training of short bursts allows you to train at very high intensity (HIIT), but then you have to take a break before you do it again. However, cardio for 30 or 40 minutes non-stop just keeps those calories turning over for the duration of the exercise.
Ultimately, unless you're fit enough to do lengthy stretches of high-intensity or interval training, you won't match the energy expenditure during the activity of, say, 30 to 40 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio. Even though the HIIT will ramp up the afterburn, you will likely be too far behind in energy expenditure during the activity for it to make a difference.
And the solution? Do all three: weight training, moderate-intensity cardio and high-intensity intervals or a circuit. Start modestly with the HIIT (few repetitions) and ramp it up as you get fitter. That'll do it, I guarantee it.
If you've been to an aerobics step class you will be familiar with the low platforms that are used in the general step workouts.
But you can go harder with what's sometimes called a "box", which is a higher platform or step. Many gyms have them available.
And you can go harder still by doing what is called "marches" on the box platform. This "bouncing" exercise is in the category of plyometics. Done with weights it's a real butt and thigh killer -- but tough on the joints and tendons as well.
For now though, you might want to start with box steps, progress to dumbbell box steps and then see how you're going.
When you're starting out, it pays to know the basic terminology of weight training so that you can interpret what you read on About.com Weight Training and the many other sites dedicated to information and instruction about this form of physical activity.
Here are a few good places to start:
