A topic that has been of interest to me over the last few years has been that of high frequency based training setups. I have seen some excellent gains in my own training as a result of giving the frequency of my training an important boost. A few great articles have come out recently on sites such as T-Nation highlighting the success of others training with high frequency based setups. I wanted to ask one of the brightest guys I know in the Sport Science world, Roger Nelsen a few questions on the whole topic. Here are his responses.
Just Fly Sports:
Talk about your feelings on the difference between training for high volume vs. high intensity. It has been noted that it is important to switch between the two styles of training by several authors (I am unaware of solid research that would state this). Is there any sort of block cycle that you would follow switching between volume or frequency style setups?
Roger:
I personally feel that high intensity training is not nearly all people think it’s cracked up to be, especially for athletes in the weight room. When I was younger, I really liked the idea of specificity and training as hard and fast as possible, but it never got me anywhere. It was only when I started to view things more generally that I started to make progress.
For all but the highest level athletes, the primary focus of one’s training should be to build a generally capable and athletic body, and the best way to do that is not through high intensities, but is with a moderate to high volume of quality work. Rather than training as intensely as possible, I suggest that people find the lowest intensity from which they can benefit and put in as much volume at that intensity as possible, all while attempting to stay as fresh as possible. In the weight room, that might mean multiple sets of 5 at 75%, or sets of 3 at 80%. On the track, that might be 85-95% sprints with plenty of rest time. No matter the specific task, general results and physical changes seem to come fastest from a high volume of moderately high intensity work, and it is this improvement of the physical structure that allows for a greater potential performance once sport skill is in place.
Really, the only time I would suggest an athlete ever focus on high intensities is when practicing their sport leading into competition, and then sparingly at that. Any more than 1-2 maximal intensity sessions per week will probably cause more fatigue than they’re returning in benefits. If one is entering their competitive season, naturally general work volume will be reduced to allow for more high intensity specific work and supercompensation.
Just Fly Sports:
What are your thoughts on the John Broz method of maxing out on squats every day? What do you think the average athlete simply aiming to improve their strength and power can learn from this type of training?
Roger:
I like Broz and his way of thinking. He’s helping to dispel the harmful notion of overtraining that has embedded itself within the S&C community. Despite what we’re told, the human body is not only capable of dealing with absurd amounts of work, it is capable of thriving on them.
When it comes right down to it, physical training isn’t much different from studying, and both research and most national weightlifting programs support that. The more often one puts in quality work, whether in the weight room or in the library, the quicker their gains will come and the higher their performance ceiling will rise. What the average athlete should take away from this is that frequency and volume are everything, but only if the quality of work doesn’t suffer on their account. Practice only makes permanent, and trainees need to make sure they’re creating the right adaptations.
Just Fly Sports:
Take us through a typical training week of yours at this point and talk share a bit about your improvements since you switched to such a setup. Roger: A typical week for me involves training full body at a reasonably high intensity 7 days per week. On three days per week I do my three core exercises: paused handstand pushups on parallettes, deadhang pullups, and shrimps with weights on my shoulders (shrimps)
On these days, I do 4-5 sets of each exercise and leave a few reps in the tank on each set. Each week I try to do a little more volume than the last. These lifts are the barometer by which I measure my strength.
On the other four days per week, I do whatever the hell I want, but I make sure that I put in work for every major muscle group. These days can include jumps, sprints, car pushes, hand balancing, wrestling, and any dumbbell or barbell lifts that happen to randomly appeal to me. No matter what I do though, I put in effort and go until I’m reasonably tired. Some days I do a lot of submax volume and other day I just work up to a top set in a couple of exercises while looking for new PRs. It all depends on my mood. Like I said though, the key is effort.
http://www.alkavadlo.com/2010/09/the-shrimp-squat/ In this clip I demonstrate a challenging single leg exercise. Click the link for a full description.
Just Fly Sports:
At what point in an athlete’s career do you think it might be appropriate to make the switch to a higher frequency based training setup?
Roger:
Honestly, I start my couch potato clients on a full body, high frequency training plan from day one. If they can handle it, so can athletes, regardless of their level of qualification. The only trick is introducing volume at a rate the trainee’s body is capable of handling. If you push too hard or too fast, an injury could occur.
About Roger:
“Roger “RJ” Nelsen is an athlete/coach/author/sport scientist whose primary interest is speed training both for team sports and for track and field. His best and most recent work is the book “Engineering an Athlete” which is a science based guide to building athletes in a practical and realistic manner.
In his own training, Roger has made significant improvements to his physique and abilities. Some of his best marks include: adding 55 lbs to his frame (170 lbs to 225 lbs @ 6’1″), taking his vertical leap from touching rim to dunking from a standstill, and adding 22″to his broad jump (8’8″to 10’6″and still going up). He has done 5 chin ups with 135 lbs around his waist, strict standing overhead pressed 110 lb DBs for 5, and has power cleaned 330 lbs. He has also had the pleasure of helping many athletes get closer to their sporting goals and many average Joes and Janes build a useful level of strength and fitness.”
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