High octaine training - C. Francis

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High octaine training - C. Francis Q & A for high performance athletes

by Charlie Francis

Think you have what it takes to make it in the world of elite sports? Do you have immense talent and ability? Great, but so do a few thousand other guys. Unfortunately, all of these things will only get you so far in this world where good often isn't good enough. At this level you have to be one of the best just to get your foot in the door.

Where do the best athletes go to get even better? More often than not, they contact one of the coaches whose articles you read right here in T-mag. Since the beginning, we've been asked to have a special section geared toward athletes and performance. Luckily, we landed Charlie Francis as our high-performance guru. No matter what sport you play, Charlie can make you better. And if you're not a competitive athlete? That's okay, you're sure to still pick up a thing or two.


Abs Training and Hip Flexors

Q: Many experts recommend training the lower, obliques, then the upper abs in that order. Do you agree? Also, what lower ab exercises can I do that won't tighten my already overly tight hip flexors?

A: I see no particular advantage to the order of ab training, at least as my athletes do it, since the exercises we use are endurance related rather than power related. In fact, our ab training is circuit based (alternating the muscle groups involved) rather than stage based (repeating sets on the same muscle group).

As for lower-ab training, it's almost impossible to avoid involving the hip flexors and there's no real reason why you should. You don't loosen muscles by not training them! What you need to do is introduce a good stretching routine at the end of all your training sessions to address your flexibility issues. Most athletes are pretty good about their hamstring stretches but they ignore their hip flexors.

A good stretch for this area is to lie on your side, draw one knee forward and then grab the ankle of the other leg and pull it back and up behind you. The forward knee prevents the back from over-arching and ensures a good stretch.

If a partner is available, he could lock your front foot (same position as before) while slowly moving your other quad back. While your partner is assisting you, activate your hamstring to pull your heel toward your butt. The activation of the hamstring forces opposing quad muscles to relax to allow for a better stretch. Hope this helps.


Arm Cycling and the Three-Rep Max Myth

Q: In your book The Charlie Francis Training System, you state that Ben Johnson was able to cycle his arms at 4.7 times per second when sprinting. Was the cycle considered the arm moving forward and back as one cycle, or is the arm forward one cycle and the arm back a second cycle?

Also, I thought I read an article by Charles Poliquin that said Ben Johnson performed a three-rep max squat about ten minutes before he broke the world record. If this is true, could you please expound on how you use this training principle?

A: Each cycle is in one direction only. (Although Ben averaged 4.7 strides per second, his peak frequency was 5.2 SPS!) As for the three-rep max story, well, I heard that one too! Sorry, it never happened! In fact, it couldn't have happened, either, since there were no weights at the Olympic warm-up venue.

For the record, we always lifted after speed work, never before! Ben's heaviest squat workout was two sets of six at 600 pounds, past parallel. Though, obviously, he could have gone much higher, he never did; after all, that was enough! Of course, this means there was no three-rep max, either!


Olympic Weightlifting for Athletes

Q: Do you think the time spent perfecting the full Olympic lifts is an efficient allocation of resources for athletes, throwers specifically? Or could the athlete concentrate on simpler multi-joint lifts and increase bar speed during the conversion phase to gain a similar effect? They could then spend the time necessary to successfully learn the Olympic lifts on perfecting their specific events instead. Your thoughts?

A: While it's true that simpler lifts can be perfected more easily, the reason that Olympic lifts are chosen is to use as many muscles as possible in a single lift in order to get the maximum stimulation with the minimum number of lifts. This is a big issue with sprinters where there's a lot of competition for central nervous system (CNS) energy.

In your case this wouldn't appear to be a problem, since lifting predominates in throwing events. I agree that if learning time is a factor, I'd concentrate on perfecting specific skills and stay with the simpler lifts.


Stride Frequency and the Secret to Greater Speed

Q: I recall that you wrote in Training for Speed that while Ben's stride length improved only slightly over his competitive career, his stride frequency (turnover) improved dramatically and made the difference between good sprinting and world records. Since this is the opposite of traditional sprint theory (most experts say it's easier to improve stride length than frequency), what do you think is the reason that Ben was able to make these improvements?

More importantly, as a tall (6'1") 60-100 meter sprinter and football running back, what training elements should I incorporate into my program to improve my turnover? Were there special drills you used? How did the training for frequency change based on the training period (acceleration, max speed, etc.)? Were specific microcycles devoted to frequency training or was the approach more holistic? Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

A: You've asked an excellent and complex question that requires an extensive answer, so bear with me. I've always gone against the mainstream in believing that stride frequency is trainable. The prevalent theory is rooted in an extrapolation of the basic, unalterable fact that sprinters are separated from everyone else by the hereditary wiring of their brains that allows them to alternate muscle actions more rapidly, primarily due to their ability to shut down the antagonist muscles faster and more completely (though their contractile velocities are also faster, the difference is marginal). Many therefore believe that talent is defined by frequency and, since talent is unalterable, so must be frequency.

Clearly, though, every sprinter is capable of cycling his legs at least five times per second in the air. The problem only comes in when the sprinter hits the ground and decelerative contact forces work against him. Improvements in strength and elasticity will certainly allow the sprinter to better resist these contact forces and maintain a higher turnover rate. A cursory analysis of Ben's 100-meter running shows that, though he improved from 10.32 to 9.79 over the 100 meters, his number of strides remained constant at 46.5 steps, leading to the conclusion that all of his improvement was based on frequency.

Subtracting Ben's reaction time (the time between the gun and the first motion) of 0.132 from the overall time gives the true running time for each race. So 10.32 becomes 10.188 and 9.79 becomes 9.658. Divide each net number into 46.5 and you get a stride frequency of 4.564 SPS for 10.32 and 4.815 SPS for 9.79. Most coaches have maintained that stride length will increase as strength improves and they're right, too! Wait a second; how can they be right if Ben's stride count remained constant over the years?

This is where it gets a little more complicated because it isn't just the number of steps taken, but how those steps are distributed. Most 100 meter runners reach their peak stride frequency at about 25 to 30 meters with a very gradual decline in frequency until about 70 meters where there's a marked drop in rate as the sprinter runs out of gas and begins to "freewheel" to the finish line. The stride length increases from the start with the optimal combination of length and rate yielding top speed somewhere between 45 and 60 meters. The final few strides are usually very long but with a frequency so low that speed drops off significantly.

Now let's look at how Ben's stride distribution changed over time. As Ben's strength improved, he was able to drive out of the blocks harder and lower, driving his center of mass out farther ahead of his feet. The increased angle forced Ben's feet to the ground sooner to keep him from falling, actually shortening his first few strides. Once underway, however, the additional power caused his stride length to improve all the way to the 70-meter mark.

At this point, additional strength and efficiency allowed him to keep on driving to the finish and these "power strides" were shorter than the freewheeling strides at the final stages of his earlier races. Thus the total number of strides remained constant even though both frequency and stride length had improved.

In answer to the next part of your question, since the enhancement of all training elements improves both stride frequency and stride length, there's no need to worry about training one part at the expense of the other. But, before getting into specifics, the number one secret to greater speed is relaxation! It allows a faster and more complete shutdown of antagonists, quickening alternation cycles and permitting more force to be delivered in the desired direction with less energy consumption.

Relaxation must become second nature in every drill you do and every run you take. You may feel that you aren't generating enough force while relaxed (a perception that gets a lot of sprinters into trouble in big races), but remember, only the net force counts! The net force is the amount of force delivered in the desired direction minus the force generated by the antagonist muscle at the same moment.

For example, if, by maximum effort, you generate 100 pounds of force in the desired direction while putting out 30 pounds of force with the antagonists, you're left with 70 pounds of net force. If you completely relax and put out an easy 80 pounds of force in the desired direction and no pounds with the antagonists, you are left with 14% more net power with 62% less effort (80 verses130 pound total output)!

This simplistic example shows a colossal energy savings and it understates the case since, in reality, increases in energy expenditure are exponential, not linear. The shutting down of unwanted muscular activity also cuts down on the "background noise" that interferes with the hind brain's ability to rapidly process input. This is also why it's critical to work on skills one at a time.

Strangely, though most coaches think that only stride length can be improved, they attempt to work on both stride length and frequency simultaneously with towing or "over speed" devices. These devices are bad news! They force the athlete to land farther ahead of his center of gravity than normal, increasing the risk of injury and increasing the ground contact time even though the key to greater frequency is reduced ground contact time.

Drills are available to train frequency and stride length independently. "Quick leg drills," with very short steps done as fast as possible over a very short distance, enhance frequency. The emphasis must be on complete relaxation and rhythm. A typical workout might be four sets of six drills over 10 to 15 meters with one to two minutes recovery between reps and three to four minutes recovery between sets. These drills would be done only on pure speed training days, not with speed endurance.

Bounding and hopping drills allow for the development of maximum stride length. Workouts of this type usually consist of between 100 and 200 foot contacts in a single session. Remember that your drills must always be improving in quality, so you must make sure that you are recovered for each new workout. If your workout deteriorates, stop the workout!

A holistic approach was always used in our training cycles but we always ordered our programs to develop acceleration first (to coincide with our maximum weight phase), then maximum speed, and then speed endurance (first you need the speed, then you can worry about maintaining it).

As for your personal circumstance, assuming you're already fit, you should assess your personal strengths as a sprinter and work primarily on them. Spending too much time dealing with your weaknesses may well come under the heading of flogging a dead horse! Good luck in your training and I hope some of this is useful!


Details Please!

Q: I'm a college sophomore who runs the 100 and 200 and have read your book Training for Speed. I've also read all your stuff in T-mag but for some reason I still don't comprehend your ab routine. How many reps? How often? What kinds of exercises? I take weight training seriously so if you could help with an ab routine I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

A: Thanks for your question. I know that I've been a little vague on the subject of abs, other than to say that we've always concentrated on very large numbers of repetitions of a wide variety of low intensity exercises. In sprint training, we did 500 reps on our three speed days after the speed work, and 1000 reps on our three slower running days for a total of 4500 reps per week (on average). I'm in the process of submitting an article to T-mag on abdominal training complete with the necessary diagrams. Stay tuned.


Winter Training & Squatting

Q: I'm an Italian track coach who wants your opinion on how to set up the winter training for sprinters, both on track and in the gym. Regarding the latter, I'd like to know which kind of squat you most frequently use: deep or just parallel?

A: I believe in a triple periodization scheme, with a full indoor competition schedule. In shorter sprint events, it's important not to stray too far away from competition. Naturally, indoor competitions over 60 meters work well with a seasonal development plan that moves from shorter to longer distances. As for squats, we always did squats past parallel to ensure adequate hamstring involvement.


Squatting and Max Lifts

Q: How deep should a track and field athlete be squatting for maximal results and what percentage of the athlete's one rep maximum is most commonly used in training? I'm primarily interested in squatting for shotputters and sprinters. I've seen answers all over the board on this one.

A: As stated above, my athletes squat past parallel. We always tried to ensure hamstring involvement. There are many theories about how high an athlete's 1RM squat should be relative to his weight, but the answer is, there really is no answer! How long are the athlete's legs compared to his torso? If he's a sprinter, what's the strong part of his race? Should you emphasize the start or the finish?

Even with the shotputter the question can become complicated. He'll eventually become so strong that a 1RM is too dangerous to perform. Top throwers often have to adjust their programs by feel or by making assumptions about their 1RM based on max triples etc.

I never tested Ben for his 1RM squat, though he did squat two sets of six at 600! Though obviously Ben was capable of lifting more with fewer reps, he never did for safety's sake. After all, how strong did he need to be? Remember, there's a lot of strength endurance involved in sprinting, so Ben's 1RM squat wouldn't be as high as a shotputter who could handle the same 6RM.


I Want a Sprinter Bod!

Q: Sprinters as a group have the most esthetically pleasing bodies in sports. Do they become great sprinters by developing their bodies or are they great sprinters because of their genetics? It's kind of a "chicken or egg" dilemma. If it's because of the weight room, what kind of routines and splits do they follow? Do they use high or low reps? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

A: This comes under the old heading, "Looks right, flies right." In other words, coaches soon learn to identify the body type that will "succeed for speed." Aside from the most obvious attribute (long legs) the sprinter must have high mounting points for the muscles to give him the mechanical leverage he needs to generate high frequency and power.

The high mounting points also give the sprinter the characteristic pleasing shape you describe. So in that regard, it's genetic. Of course, these characteristics can be greatly enhanced by the correct selection of exercises, such as reverse hypers, squats past parallel, cleans etc? The rep and set schedules are highly individual, depending on their sprinting schedules and level of development, but the emphasis is usually on low rep, high-intensity lifts.


Hamstring Injuries and Ratio Tests

Q: I'm a university football player who also runs indoor track during the off season. I've sat out this last season rehabbing my torn hamstring. It's become a chronic problem; first I was injured last October (biceps-femoris), next in March (semi-tendinodious) and again in August (semi-membraneous). Unbelievably, they all strain at the lower junction of my tendon to the muscle attachments.

MRI reveals a lot of scar tissue and my ham/quad ratio is back up between 75 to 95% depending which velocity you look at. My major problem is my stride length. Because I keep feeling a strain in the lower position and I feel some blockage in my ROM while I'm extending. Anyway, I should start sprinting again this winter. My question is, do you have any advice on therapy or specific training for my comeback and will I ever be able to run injury-free at 100% again?

A: I don't like the sound of your ham/quad ratio test. It sounds like you've been assessed and rehabbed on a Cybex or Orthatron machine. In all my years of experience, I've never run across a happy result with this kind of equipment.

First of all, the basic premise that you can assess ham/quad ratios, as they apply to sprinting in this way, is bullshit. Since the rate of movement around the knee during ground contact (when real force is needed) approaches zero, then the unloaded rate of movement can approach 1500 degrees per second! Let's see a machine test that!

Secondly, most hamstring injuries are caused by overwork, not an imbalance. What happens is that as you fatigue, the hip height during sprinting drops, causing more deflection at the knee than there should be. Therapy with these machines is, unfortunately, the rule and not the exception these days. The fluid resistance these machines rely on comes on all at once. It's like cracking the whip with the hamstring.

The muscle will go into more spasm, shortening it's length and sending the problem up into the Ischeal Tuberosity. Of course, your therapist will explain this away as sciatica (a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal, which causes compression on nerve roots). Only manual therapy such as cross-friction or Active Release Technique will solve the problem.

I was once called in by an NFL team to assess the injury to their star receiver. It turned out that he'd been on the Orthatron for a year and the harder he worked, the worse the hamstring got. Finally, he missed a full season! Once proper therapy was instituted, he came back for a dream season. I should also point out that hamstring injuries in football players cannot always be avoided because they often occur during intense deceleration, something sprinters shouldn't have to worry about.


Cone Drills, Acceleration Work, and Jump Training

Q: In Speed Trap, you mention performing cone drills. Is this referring to what most know today as "ins and outs"? How would you balance out the volume of your cone drills with your acceleration work from phase to phase? Do you do a lot of velocity work or is the majority of the sprint work in the form of accelerations? What type of jump training do your athletes perform and is it performed prior to acceleration work? Please describe sample microcycles of 7 to 14 days and how they would differ depending on the time of year.

A: I should charge you by the question! Just kidding. Cone drills and "in and outs" are basically the same thing. We basically divided the emphasis in the different phases. In a triple periodization scheme, I emphasized acceleration, as this allowed for a greater emphasis on improvement in weight training. Basically, the farther you accelerate, the faster you go.

Top sprinters reach top speed at about 60 meters, though beginners reach their relatively lower maximum speed much sooner. Exit velocity for Ben Johnson in Seoul at the 30 meter point was 11.76 MPS. His peak speed in the same race was achieved at 60 meters at 12.2 MPS, with an average speed of 12.05 MPS between 50 and 70 meters.

The extra range of motion required for maximum speed requires great care in the assignment of lower body weights during maximum speed training. Remember, the speeds illustrated above were achieved after a maximum effort acceleration. Still greater speeds were achieved after an easier acceleration. In Zurich, Ben hit his highest race speed ever at 12.35 MPS (recorded at 70 meters). It's very likely such speeds were achieved during maximum speed drills in practice.

During the Phase One acceleration period, weightlifting gains of 6% could be expected; however, during the Phase Three maximum speed period, gains of 0 to 2% could be expected.

Ben did only small amounts of jump training due to a history of chondromalasia (a degenerative condition of the knee joint). I hesitate to specify Ben's exact training in microcycle detail, as his workload was completely specific to him alone and anyone else's program should be based on their own abilities and training level.


Reverse Hypers, Glute-Ham Raises, & Hammy Injuries

Q: What's your opinion of the glut-ham bench? Also, what's your opinion on reverse hyperextensions? Should glut-ham raises and reverse hypers prevent pulled hamstrings? I'm an ex-hurdler turned bodybuilder who still thinks he's an athlete. Every time I do my sprints, bam!, pulled hamstring.

A: Hypers, reverse hypers, glute-ham raises and, to a much lesser extent, hamstring curls, are all part of the sprinter's routine, but these exercises alone will never eliminate hamstring injuries by themselves. The vast majority of ham injuries are caused by training errors, not imbalances. (See earlier answer.)

Although Ben lifted weights extensively, he had only two major hamstring injuries in eleven years of competition. We took great care in assigning workloads and all his weight workouts were designed to help in his speed development, never as an end in itself. He also benefited from year round, daily therapy.


Speed and Flexibility for Football

Q: For football players, we can get the first ten yards in 1.4 seconds from a modified three-point stance, and we aim to get the 20 yard time in 2.5 seconds. The problem usually arises in the transition from the 20 to 30 yard where we lose 1.4 seconds. In your book you stated that every ten meters after the initial ten meters should take about a second to cover that distance. What advice would you have to get the athlete to transition better from the 20 to the 30?

A: This is a tough one to answer without a lot more details. What kind of timing are you using? Obviously, electric timing from a touch pad to photo eyes makes communicating your problem over the net a lot easier, otherwise I have to guess how your times compared to mine. Usually hand timing generates the biggest discrepancy over the first 10 meters with the error factor diminishing as the distance increases.

The difference between your 10 to 20 yard time (1.1) and your 20 to 30 yard time (1.4) seems extreme, and since the farther into the 40 yards you go, the faster you're running, the problem is top speed. Are you guys linemen? In any case you have several things to consider in finding a solution. Is the volume of high intensity work too much for your group to handle? Are the rest periods between intervals too short? You should be completely recovered between intervals! Is your weight training compromising your speed? A large volume of high intensity lifting will certainly compromise your top speed.

What phase of your training are you in? If you're early in your training, you might consider holding off on your higher speed runs and concentrate on your 0 to 20 yard times until you can unload a little from your weightlifting demands and then introduce your 20 to 40 yard work. If, in fact, you guys are linemen you may want to consider how important the 20 to 40 yard work really is.

Also, flexibility may be an issue here, as the higher the speed demand is, the more that range of motion becomes an issue. Make sure that stretching is emphasized at the end of your training sessions. Although stretching is an important part of the warm-up, the quest for additional range of motion should always take place at the end of the workout because the muscles are hottest and therefore the most receptive to increased range of motion and least likely to be injured by over-stretching.

There's also a huge side benefit to this order. Before the main part of muscle recovery can begin, the muscles have to be restored to their normal length (to allow unrestricted blood flow for nutrient transfer and waste product removal). Without stretching, it takes four hours for the muscles to return to their normal length, so you can jumpstart your recovery by this amount.


When do I Stretch?

Q: I would like to incorporate more stretching into my overall training program. I've concluded the best time for me to stretch is first thing in the morning before work, but as I live in Scotland, the weather isn't always the best, so going for a five minute run to heat my muscles up is a royal pain in the ass. My question is: I shower every morning and I was wondering if it would be okay to stretch after my shower? Or is having a shower not hot enough to heat the muscles to an appropriate level to stretch them?

A: As stated in the answer above, the time to increase your flexibility is at the end of your workout. An AM warm-up is a good idea, but I'd strongly advise against trying to increase your flexibility in the morning!


Sprinting, Rapid Improvements, and Those Wacky East Germans

Q: I'm a 26 year old 100m sprinter who's been sprinting on and off since my junior year in high school. In the college program I attended my times were worse than in high school and I attribute it to the buffoon type of aerobic training my coach insisted I do. Well, years have passed and since having read your material I sprinted my PR of 10.72 (electronic- previous best was 11.00) with very poor strength levels. My goal is to get down to 10.4 this upcoming track season. Is this level of rapid improvement possible in one year? 10.72 felt like I was floating; it was the easiest race I've run. Have you ever seen anyone drop their 100m time by 4/10's of seconds?

A: That's a lot of time to drop all at once, especially as you've already dropped 3/10's in the last year! I'd suggest that you put some of the time planning on hold and concentrate on getting the best training program in place that you can. Relax and let the results come to you.

Your comment about your 10.72 race illustrates what I mean. The best races always feel easy! Don't put pressure on yourself. I'm not sure what sort of aerobic training you did before, but I've always had a significant aerobic component in my running programs (about 35% anaerobic, 65% aerobic). These runs act as an "active recovery," enhancing blood flow and increasing capillary density (the enhanced microscopic network slows down the flow of blood past the cells, allowing more time for complete nutrient transfer).

The other poorly understood, but even more important benefit, is the increased ability of the body to generate more heat around the muscle motor neurons. Increased heat around the neurons lowers electrical resistance, allowing more current to pass. This permits more muscle fiber to act as fast twitch fiber!

The East Germans understood the role of additional heat when an extensive review of world record performances revealed how often the record setter was at the early stages of a cold and running a fever when the record was set. (Later into the cold, the adverse effects outweigh the benefits, of course.) This led the East Germans to experiment with de-natured viruses to generate a slight fever immediately prior to a world record attempt!

The warning here is that these "tempo" runs must not interfere in any way with the quality of the high-speed runs. This means that aerobic interval runs must not exceed 75% of your best possible speed. If your best time for the 200 meters is 21 seconds, then your interval 200 meter runs must be slower than 28 seconds! Additionally, your last interval must be as fast as your first. If you have any problem doing that, you're going too fast!


EMS: Crank it Up!

Q: What are your thoughts on electric muscle stimulation (EMS) for sprinters? If positive, please explain how they are used.

A: EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) is a very useful adjunct to training. First, EMS can address muscle imbalances by specifically working one set of muscles. Second, EMS can be used during an injury to maintain the unaffected muscles. For example, an ankle sprain could make running and lifting impossible for a time even though almost every muscle in the body is ready and able to work.

Third, EMS can be used as part of the rehabilitation program. This is particularly useful with knee injuries where the VMO can be maintained without the need to bend the knee. The VMO is particularly fast to waste away during an injury, perhaps because it does a lot of eccentric work as a shock absorber.

The standard protocol for EMS strength building is 10 maximal contractions of 10 seconds duration with a 50 seconds rest between contractions. In clinical settings, the rest period is almost always shortened in order to speed up the treatments (i.e. time is money). This greatly compromises the effectiveness of the treatment by reducing the force of the contractions, even though the patient may not feel the difference.

Perhaps an analogy would help here. What would yield better average 100 meter times- 10 repeats with 20 minutes rest between, or 10 reps with one minute rest? A lot of research went into determining the protocol I describe, so don't stray from it! However, what the Eastern block discovered, but didn't tell us, is that this EMS protocol can be applied up to three times a day, if necessary, provided there is a four hour break between applications! This is especially effective for athletes who are, shall we say, nutritionally enhanced.


Which Device to Buy? Try the "George W" Home Model

Q: I read in your book Training for Speed that you used EMS pretty extensively in your training of sprinters. I'd like to get an EMS unit, but I'm not sure if the ones that I see for "toning the abs" are going to be of any use. In your book, you talked about the PowerStim models from Bio-Med Systems, but I can't seem to locate the company. Do you have some recommendations for other EMS machines or can you put me in contact with a place to purchase the PowerStim models? Secondly, do you know where I can get a copy of your other training book, The Charlie Francis Training System? Thanks!

A: My sprint group was sponsored by BMR, a company out of Ireland. They had produced muscle stimulators for women for "figure control" under the brand name Slendertone. By chance, I was hooked up with the president of the company. Although the company's focus was on "figure control", it turned out that the president's wife had used EMS for the treatment of race-horses as far back as 1948! This predated even the Polish and Russian applications.

We soon decided to develop products for the sports market under the PowerStim name. We assembled a great team of researchers and had the great fortune to hook up with Dr. Joseph Cywinsky, the director of Medical Engineering at Harvard, who was the president of the American Society of Electrical Engineers. It turned out that, before defecting from Poland, he had been building EMS equipment for the Soviet Union's sports teams as early as 1952! Unfortunately, the company was sold several times and I'm currently unaware of its status. Perhaps a search of the web would find them under their new name.

I can tell you, however, that the key to a good stim is the tolerability of the wave-form it generates. This is the key to achieving a maximal contraction. Most of the machines on the market will generate plenty of current. This is because fat is an insulator and the stims are mostly intended for women in clinical situations where, how can I put this delicately, fat is an issue. If you're a serious athlete we can safely assume that this won't apply to you!

You should also know that EMS reverses the body's normal order of muscle fiber recruitment, hitting the fast twitch fibers first. This is because the larger neurons found in these fibers have lower resistance to the current flow. An outflow of this phenomenon is that the more white fiber you have, the less current it takes to achieve a maximal contraction.

Even if you're not a sprinter, don't worry about frying your muscles, even if it sometimes feels that way! It only takes five millionths of an AMP to contract your quad. As for the training manual, I'm currently working on a new, and much-expanded version. Stay tuned for details!


Fat Loss, Interval Training, and Abs

Q: I'd like to know what you'd consider a good ab training program for a football player (linebacker/fullback) and/or wrestler. Also, what do you see as a good form of interval training to lose fat and improve conditioning?

A: I addressed the topic of abdominal training in my last Q and A (link to issue 128). I'm running against the grain of the latest "cutting edge" muscle-head technology when it comes to abdominal training by suggesting large volumes of low intensity reps, with the widest variety possible. Of course, I'm assuming, as an athlete, you favor effectiveness and not just appearance! Always remember the role of the muscles you're training!

As for "fat burning intervals", you've raised another pet peeve of mine. We've all heard about training in the "aerobic zone" for fat burning. This is really a load of crap, since the overwhelming majority of calories are burned during the recovery period, which may take many hours. The example that stands out in my mind is the 400 meter dash. (I have a long memory for traumatic experiences!) This event is about as tough as it gets and those of you who've puked at the end of one of these races may be surprised to learn that the race itself burns only about 50 calories!

As for interval training, linebackers and fullbacks would require a totally different program than wrestlers as the demands of the sports are very different.


Training for Throwers

Q: It's good to see Canada's foremost trainer available to the public. You mentioned that 40-yard dash sprinters shouldn't cross the alactic anaerobic/lactic barrier of approximately seven seconds of work in their sprints. Does it apply to weight training as well as sprints? Would you then be in support of training for max reps within this time limit to build explosive power? An example would be seeing how many squats you could do in a set in seven seconds rather than doing a set of six with execution speed as high as possible for each rep. Would short sprints (once again, 40 yards) be a beneficial addition to a training program as opposed to or complimentary to plyometrics for a thrower?

A: I wouldn't recommend such short intervals for weight training because of the time it takes for even the fastest lifts. Throwers, during the conversion phase of their weight training programs, often work at maximum lifting speeds for periods of up to 20 seconds, as this approximates the rate of movement during the throws; however, this doesn't apply to sprinters as their rate of movement is so much greater.

Peak lifting speed in the squat is around .6 MPS whereas the peak movement speed of the hamstrings for a top sprinter can reach 22.5 MPS! The 20% increase in lifting speed available in this phase is functionally irrelevant to the sprinter so, for this reason, my group never used a conversion phase. We went straight from the maximum strength phase to the maintenance phase.

Certainly, short sprints are a useful adjunct to a thrower's program, in combination with plyometrics, though I'd favor even shorter sprints, such as 20 meter runs.


Micro Cycle Evaluation

Q: Using your micro cycle concept as you illustrate in the book Training for Speed, you incorporate a program where intensity increases over three weeks and is then reduced for a week while supercompensation theoretically takes place until you repeat and hopefully end up with a new level of performance in week three of the next micro cycle. What I would like to know is, what elements of training should be reduced in the fourth week?

I plan to lower the intensity of the track and pool sprint work for the week and reduce the weights but up the reps slightly with the aim to ensure that CNS is fully recovered for the next week of the new micro cycle. I plan to keep tempo and core work at the same level. The next micro cycle will replace the pool sprinting with another track session, this time geared for speed doing flying 30m etc. Am I on the right track as far as the micro cycle? Does this program appear sound to you?

Finally, as far as the strength program goes, should the weight program follow this micro cycle approach, hopefully reaching a new strength level in the third week of each micro cycle for this whole macro cycle? Or should a maintenance level be introduced when some speed endurance training is commenced?

(letter edited for length)

A: Of course, it's a little difficult to answer your question without more details about your volumes and what speed work in the pool consists of, but overall your plan sounds okay. I'd drop the volume of the intense work during the fourth week; this way you only need to reduce the intensity very slightly to ensure recovery. This will also make the re-adaptation to maximal training much easier. The plan for the next cycle of training sounds fine.

As for the weights, I'd be careful to reduce the level of improvement you expect as the demand for maximum speed requires the muscles to be stretched out more than in the acceleration improvement period. Good luck

cheers