Interval Training. Why and How.

Unlike my friend Levi I hate and fear Interval training.

In Snatch - it's the pace that makes you doubt.

In Jerk and #longcycle it's the rest periods that make you quit before the fight.

Intervals are an amazing tool in any #athlete toolkit, and in Girevoy Sport (GS) is bread and butter.

However, in GS they are often misused and abused by amateurs and dumb trainers who know shit and understand even less 🙄🙄

Let's set the record straight, she'll we?

• When you do intervals, you get better in?.. Well, intervals, not the time!

Things that make you go, hmmm WTF?!..

• The ⏱️ is the ONLY GOD in Girevoy Sport!

First, and in most cases, the last thing you do, is working up the time!

When you nail 10 minutes in classic or 30 to 60 min. in the alternative disciplines, then and only then you may consider pacing.

• 💰 Intervals are a tool for:

1. Grip conditioning (Gloves fall under the same category)

2. Pushing your HR threshold ⬆️ - it's useful at the last minutes where you go All Out and shift to an anaerobic zone.

❗When and if abused, it may damage your ❤️

3. Technical refinement 

When you go high pace, all the flaws are flashed out, so you know where you leak strength and energy from when you go "competition" pace.

4. Adaptation to higher loads.

When you make a transition from 20 to 24, for example, you practice 24's by intervals.

😱 Here, stupid motherfuckers get really creative and go high load and high pace - smoking themselves to #injuries and #overtraining 

In the transition phase, you expose your physiology and skeletal frame to a higher load by CHUNKING #volume

into smaller units.

• 📒 Programming Intervals:

1. There are short and long intervals.

Short - are "sprints" for HR 

Long - are "sets & reps" for volume accumulation and specific endurance.

2. Long intervals will be the majority of your programming, namely:

3 x 3 minutes

4 x 7 minutes

2 x 10 minutes

etc..

3. Short intervals, usually appear at:

3.1 Middle of the week with a lighter load to allow you to recover physically yet keep exercising your "pump".

3.2 Once in two three weeks with your "competition", aka main bell size, to reign hell and havoc upon your body and mind. By doing so, slowly push your tempo and efficiency uphill.

4. Applying all, your training week may look like this:

w/o A:

Jerk 5 min

Snatch 4 x 2 min (sprint: 25/min VS 18 usual)

w/o B:

Snatch 7 min (single switch)

Jerk 3 x 3 min (tempo: 12/min VS 10 usual)

w/o C:

LC 10 x 1' on / 1' off (sprint)

Snatch in gloves 4 or 6 min (tempo)

Final thoughts

• Intervals, if programmed correctly, will give you great benefit in your final numbers.

• As with most protocols, there is some trial and error phase to understand what YOUR body is responding best to.

• Treat Intervals as a spice in food namely, if your meat sucks, no amount of garlic will make it prime.

Advance well. Train smart.

Progress slowly but for years.

Coach Michael

P.s.

If you feel the need for a more personal touch - reach me out.

We'll adjust and hack for YOUR needs.