Alright, so I mentioned that I added new speed and strength training to my work out schedule every week to make my workouts interesting, and to also speed up the rate of fat loss. These type of workouts need to be done with high levels of intensity if you want guaranteed results.
Basically, I’m writing this article on speed and strength training for beginners and people who are getting back on track with their training. Here are some basic workouts and routines to help give you an idea of how to improve yourself weekly:
Speed Training
Tabata Sprints: I usually did my tabata sprints in 4 minute intervals where I sprint my fastest for 20 seconds then took a 10 second rest (when I say rest I mean walk at your normal pace) followed by another 20 second sprint. Continue the process until you’ve sprinted for a total of 8 times which is equivalent to 4 minutes. Take a 2-3 minute break after your first set and continue until you’ve reached a total of 15 minutes in tabata sprints.
Fartlek: My fartleks consisted of walking, jogging (medium pace sprint), and full speed sprints. I start off by walking for 30 seconds, followed by jogging for 20 seconds, and finishing off with sprinting for 10 seconds. Repeat all this for a total of 15 minutes.
Sprints: Whenever I got bored of the same workouts I usually did 100m and 200m sprints. I did both four times and that was it!
Strength Training
Strength training consists of, well, the basic weightlifting and resistance training to improve your strength and muscle growth. I’ll write about a few techniques that will make your training more effective (if done with high intensity)
Descending Pyramid Weight Reps: in this technique, you’re going to start off with weights that are slightly below your maximum load and do at least 3-5 reps of that. Decrease the weights on your next set and do more reps. Continue until you’ve done at least 25-30 reps in total.
Ascending Pyramid Weight Reps: this is the total opposite to the pyramid above. In this technique, you’re going to start off with light weights at high reps. Then, gradually increase the weights while decreasing your rep range.
Conclusion:
With each week, try to add more weights to your strength training and more minutes to your speed training. Another thing to note is that you should always push yourself to do better when doing speed and strength training. The harder you work, the more your body will reward you but please don’t over do it! Hope this article was helpful and thank you for reading!
