Intensity Timing

One of the faithful posted a comment/question regarding the last article on skimo training. As is my habit, I will answer the question here in a follow-up post as I think most readers will find the answer helpful in working through the details of their own programming.

Alright....back to skimo training! (nothing against cycling). One thing I'd like to hear your opinion on.....what days do you think its appropriate to do lactate workouts (like leg blasters, 3x30 squats, etc)? Combined with leg days at the gym? After a speed/interval session? Also, how many times a week do you think this kind of training is beneficial?
Thanks,
Ray

Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in each day and days in each week to get the work done to be our competitive best. Throw in the pesky job and family stuff and things get tight. And then I go and tell everyone they better be weight lifting lest they be pathetic, weak endurance athletes and things get even tighter! The work has to get done but so does rest which is, arguably, more important than the suffering. Where do we fit it all in?

For better or worse, our lives revolve around the seemingly arbitrary 7 day week. I'm sure the Mayans can explain it. We have evolved as athletes to fit our training into this time block. For the most part, it works and since most of us adhere to its limitations we are all equally handicapped by it. Clearly, if you have the luxury to get paid to train and perform you have some leeway beyond the artificial constraints of a 7 day block. When there is no weekend competition to prepare for in the early season, professional athletes have the luxury of scheduling training without regards to any time period. Weekdays and weekends simply run together and work and rest blocks can be planned ideally and not forced into the work week like the rest of us seem to do. But most of us are working stiffs so this luxury will probably never find its way into our lives so let's get more realistic here.

Since we typically have more time on the weekends for training, a good portion of our volume can be produced on one or both days. This seems like the most logical way to approach it. Being the longest two days of our training week, it also affords us the opportunity to accustom our bodies to the demands of racing which typically fall on these same two days. With two days then accounted for, we still need to get a rest day in (typically Monday), two intensity days and an additional endurance or recovery day. 

Ray's question is where to put in the weight training. I feel that all hard training should take place on the hard days. No matter which day of the week you do your intervals and/or sprints, squeeze the weight room stuff on the same day. Before or after is your choice but I lean toward lifting after the intervals. Placing weight training on other days simply compromises the goals of that day and accumulated fatigue will eventually become a problem. Another option would be to lift on one of the weekend days since at least one should be a hard training session anyway.

In order to keep things manageable, I try to make one of the gym sessions heavy and the other more lactate tolerance oriented. This varies the stimulation and the burden. Ideally, I get at least two full days between gym sessions but don't stress if I get up to four, for whatever reason. There are many powerlifters who train each lift only once a week. I think that with adequate intensity on the training day, you can get stronger on a schedule like this but I have found that I definitely get sore after each session. With more frequency (2X/week) soreness is less of an issue. This variability works fine early season when there are no races looming but can get difficult to manage in a tighter schedule. Ultimately for me, I do better and lifter stronger with more rest rather than less. And since gym training is only supplemental, training on skis should always be the priority. - Brian

Comments

[Ray]

Brian, thanks for the post. From my personal experience I have to agree...weightlifting on intensity days. Otherwise I never get in true rest days. I guess I've always worried that weight training AND intensity work would be too much of a demand for the body to recover from.

Didn't the 7 day/week thing come from the bible? Something about God creating the universe in 6 days and resting on the 7th? Even He knew to take a rest day!!!

[Matthew]

That's actually pretty damn funny, Ray. Good exchange, and solid advice.