Anaerobic Training (Power and

Speed)

Developing power through resistance/weight training

Plyometrics
Short interval
ANAEROBIC TRAINING
Anaerobic training focuses on the anaerobic energy systems
(lactic acid and alactacid) and obtaining physiological
adaptations that benefit these systems. However, you should
note that here in Improving Performance the focus is not on
improving lactate thresholds or durations of anaerobic activity,
but on speed and power.
Anaerobic training for speed
Speed training seeks to develop the quickness of limb movement and by
nature is a form of anaerobic training. There are various methods used to
focus on speed development, many overlap with the development of
power, since the two (2) are so connected.

Frequently speed training will focus on running technique, as proper running

technique is very important for the athlete to reach top speeds and produce
maximum power during acceleration. Other specifics depend on the
method of training.

Some of the more common methods include: weight/resistance training,

plyometrics, and short interval training. Speed is a vital component of fitness
for sports such as: sprinting, football, ice-hockey, baseball, and netball.
Anaerobic training for power
Power is the combination of velocity and strength (force). A
strong athlete is not by definition powerful, and neither is a fast
athlete necessarily powerful. There must be a combination of
both velocity and power for an athlete to be considered
powerful. Power is beneficial for many sports, but particularly
sports that require acceleration or deceleration (rugby codes,
football, netball, basketball etc). Power training is often done
through the use of weight/resistance training, plyometrics, and
short interval training.
Design an anaerobic training program
Anaerobic training programs involve work periods at very high intensities and have longer
rest periods built into the training to ensure the muscle recovers before the next work
period. This applies to all forms of anaerobic training. Weight/resistance training will have a
rest period between sets, plyometric training will have short breaks between each exercise,
and short interval training has rest periods by definition.

Rest periods are vital in anaerobic training programs, as they ensure the athletes
anaerobic energy systems recover before the next work period. This allows for greater
intensities to occur during the work period, and a greater volume of work to be completed
at the higher intensities. This is important because the greater the volume of work done at
the higher intensities the greater the physiological adaptations will be.

Anaerobic training will have work periods that are at an intensity above the lactate
threshold/lactate inflection point, ensuring that adaptations occur in the anaerobic energy
system and that the adaptations are anaerobic specific (although aerobic physiological
adaptations will occur as well).
Measuring anaerobic training adaptations
Anaerobic adaptations include:
increased anaerobic enzymes
increased PC stores
increased strength
increased speed
increased removal of waste products
faster recovery
hypertrophy etc

These can be measured in various ways. Lactic threshold testing can provide information
regarding improvements in waste product removal, circumference measurements will
provide information on hypertrophy, 1 RM testing will provide measures for strength gains
etc.

Tests for measuring speed and power are often sport specific, though they can also be
conducted in laboratory environments. Tests for power include: Vertical jump, standing long
jump, seated medicine ball throw, etc. Tests for speed include: 20 metre dash, radar testing,
exercise bike testing etc
Safety for anaerobic training
Anaerobic training is one of the more dangerous forms of training, especially
plyometrics and power weight training. This is due not just to the high
intensities, but the high force and high velocity movements. These place
large amounts of stress on the body and minor mistakes can cause serious
injuries.

Technique MUST be mastered before power training. Athletes will usually

develop their strength before adapting it to power, where the focus
becomes developing the force at speed.
Rest is also an important safety measure in anaerobic training. This is not just
rest between sets, though it includes this, but also rest between training
sessions or competition.
Anaerobic training should be conducted under professional supervision
(personal trainer, coach, exercise scientist etc). Overuse injuries and soft
tissue injuries are the types of injuries that commonly occur in anaerobic
training.
Developing Power through Resistance/Weight Training
Developing power through resistance weight training is common in many
sports, especially when size is an advantage. Resistance training is often
used in reference to weight training, but includes more than just weight
training.

Example program for developing power through resistance: weight training

Developing power through weight training revolves around very high
intensities, long rest periods and low work volumes.

In order to develop power it is generally recommended that the

athlete complete:
1-3 sets
1-5 RM
1-5 times a week
However, research seems to indicate that the most important aspect of
developing power through weight training is bar speed. The faster the bar
speed, or the greater the velocity at which the weight is lifted the greater
the improvements in power.

In resistance training programs, training with a faster bar speed seems

likely to enhance gains in power, training closer to muscular failure and using
longer rest periods may enhance gains in power, while the effects of training
with heavier relative loads, higher volumes, or larger ROMs are unclear.

Advice for resistance training and power development seems to be the

same. The aspect of training that is of most importance is the speed at
which movements are completed. Higher intensities could possibly increase
gains in power along with shorter rest periods.
The difference between resistance training in general and
weight training specifically is what is used to increase the load.

weight training requires weights, while in resistance training

anything can be used to create the resistance from a
parachute, weight sled, body weight, elastics, hydraulics etc.

Developing power through resistance/ weight training is

foundational for sports such as: Rugby codes, NFL, weight lifting,
sprinting etc.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics is a method of anaerobic training involving a stretch-shortening
cycle to exert maximal force in short fast intervals. The stretch-shortening
cycle involves a brief eccentric contraction where the muscle is stretched.
This stretch produces an extra elastic force in the muscles that then adds
to the maximal muscular concentric contraction to produce more force
and power than would be produced from a static jump.

Stretch-shortening cycle
The stretch-shortening cycle needs to be performed as fast as possible in
plyometrics training. In addition to this, the eccentric contraction in
plyometrics stimulates the stretch reflex. This reflex is the one checked when
the doctor taps your knee and causes a muscular contraction moving your
lower leg. When a muscle is stretched at speed, the stretch reflex stimulus a
muscular contraction to slow down or reverse the stretching. This reflex is
there to help avoid injury and is turned off during static and PNF stretching.
Plyometrics exercises often involve jumping, hopping or sprinting. They are
always performed at maximal power and are used for the purpose of
developing power, which in turn increases speed.
Plyometric exercises include:
double legged hurdle jumps
speed ladders
power skipping
vertical depth jumps etc.

The most important aspect of plyometrics training is the speed at which the
athlete can switch from the eccentric contraction to the concentric
contraction.
Plyometrics has been shown to develop: speed, power, force development
and speed endurance. There are many sports that benefit from this training
method including: basketball, netball, volleyball, high-jump, and any other
sport where speed or power is required.
Short Interval
Short interval training has short work periods followed by longer rest periods. Often the work
to rest ratio is around 1:2 with the rest interval being twice as long and the work period. This
method of training is, therefore, different from long interval training in that long interval
training has larger work periods than rest intervals.

Today many people know short interval training by the buzz acronym H.I.I.T. High Intensity
Interval Training. HIIT is a great acronym for understanding this training method, because this
short interval training is done at high intensities, usually between 85-100% maximal workload,
for short periods of time.

Exercises used during short interval training include: bike riding, rowing, running, cross-
trainers, skipping, jumping, push-ups, etc. In fact just about any exercises that can be done
at a high intensity for 10sec-3 min can be used. This is because it relies on the anaerobic
energy systems during the work period and the aerobic system for recovery.
It is important during short interval training that the athlete achieve a good
level of recovery before the next work period. This helps to ensure the work
periods are maintained at high intensities.

Specific benefits of short interval training include:

can focus on the alactacid or lactic acid energy systems
focuses on improved recovery after high intensity work periods
improves waste product removal speed
increases in speed and power

These benefits are suited to many sports, but particularly replicate sports
such as the rugby codes, where high intensity is often followed by short
breaks before another high intensity action is required. Other sports that
benefit include: netball, basketball, futsal, football, cricket (particularly
batting) and tennis.