How To Better Rest Time Between Sets Of Sprints?

[solidj55]

I am going to start doing windsprints in the evening three days per week to try and prepare myself to cut. I will be switching them to first thing in the morning on an empty stomach once I get my rest time down between each sprint. I am not yet to the point to where I can sprint and only rest 30sec to a minute in between. I did them for the first time about two weeks ago just to see how it felt I can tell you that it takes me about 4-5 minutes to get my breathing back to a rate that I could actually talk to someone. I ran my first one(100meters) and walked for exactly 1 minute and ran another 100meters. I then walked for another 1minute and couldnt even force myself to do another one so I walked longer. I waited another minute, still not breathing well, and ran a third 100meter sprint. I walked for about a minute then I stopped and puked in the grass LOL and got a drink of water. I then ran two more sprints resting for about 5 minutes in between each one. Any ideas on how to get my endurance up for these. Ive been jogging a little and doing some other stuff to get my cardio up but when I ran a sprint this weekend I still didnt see a great improvement. I was thinking about starting with 5 minutes in between each sprint and just decreasing about 30 seconds each week until I get to about a minute or so in between each one. What do you guys think?

 

[Vortexx]

interval training on stairclimber

 

[solidj55]

Thanks for the reply but how do you do it??? I hate to sound like a dumbass newbie but basically I am. I am not new to lifting but Ive been a powerlifter for so long that Im not familiar with all this interval this and that. I always trained for powerlifting and back in the day football.

 

[spatts]

solidj, if I can add a couple things. I have been sprinting all my life, and still do HIIT sprints. You have to treat it more like a weight training day. It burns glycogen rather than the fatty acid typical of cardio...it's more anabolic than catabolic. This is why many sprinters are quite muscular. Doing it on an empty stomach is like doing heavy legs on an empty stomach. It doesn't make sense, and it's dangerous. I do them in the evening after eating, and then stick to straight protein and fibrous carbs after. It's GREAT to add at night for cutting, because you burn off any possibly stored carbs before bed, and still spare muscle by the nature of sprinting.

As for intervals, when I do them, I walk the curves and sprint the straight aways, or do that with 200's, or do jog/stride/sprints for 100, then walk back to the 100m line and do it again. If you're doing it indoors, I will go from like 9-10MPH to 2-3...maybe a minute or more sprinting and then back down. I really don't pay attntion to time, I listen to my body. I sprint until I can't sprint anymore, and then I walk until I'm breathing at a pace where I can talk again, then I start sprinting again. Same for any piece of equipment.

 

[solidj55]

Thanks spatterson, I have read several posts where you talked about your competitive sprinting days but my "Male Ego" wouldnt allow me to ask a woman what to do LOL, Im just kidding. I too run on an outdoor track or indoor track, I cant sprint on machines its just not normal for me. Thanks for the suggestions I will definetly do it like you said. I am extremely glad you said not to do it first thing in the morning because I hate getting up early to exercise before work and school anyway. So you still think its effective for cutting in the pm? I am doing a 30/30/30 type diet right now by the way. How long should I wait until after eating before doing the the sprints and how long after the sprints should I wait to eat? One more question and Ill stop bothering you, should I do them on non lifting days or on lifting days? I lift on a Mon, Wed, Fri routine most of the time. Sorry for so many ?'s. Thanks again for the response. By the way if thats your ass in the avatar WOW!!!

 

[solidj55]

Sorry one more question, since you dont worry about time between sprints and mainly focus on getting your breathing back to a decent rate, I was wondering if I should keep moving, walking, jogging, etc or if its cool to just stand there lol.

 

[spatts]

I can't sprint on treadmills either...I'd fall off. My gait is too long and too wide, and I'd probably ruin the belt.

I would start of by doing them in the PM on your non training days. They will rip up your muscles similar to a weight workout, and you don't want to do that twice a day. I also wouldn't do it if you legs are sore from a previous leg day. When I first started cutting, I added AM empty stomach cardio 3x a week...then later as I slowed down in fat loss, I added it to every morning. Then when I slowed down in fat loss again, I added sprints on my non training days in the evening. Then as a last resort, every evening. For me there is REALLY something about burning off all those extra cals/CHOs at the end of the day that makes it happen. It's just not a good idea to break out all th stops at once. Well, for ME anyway...guys are probably different.

The best thing I can tell you to do, is to do active recovery. You can do it with bands, or if you don't have/can't buy bands, use really light weight. You will be bordering on "overtraining" but you can combat that by "over recovering."

Getting fresh blood and oxygen back into the muscles at a couple points during the day will allow you to build strength, heal faster, and it won't rerip the fibers your body is working hard to heal/grow. You can work the muscles more often without creating an overly catabolic and counterproductive environment.

How long before sprinting for eating will be individual. I would say 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I cycle my carbs, so I'm never "runnin on empty."

When is your show?

Yes. That would be my tush.

 

[spatts]

Sorry one more question, since you dont worry about time between sprints and mainly focus on getting your breathing back to a decent rate, I was wondering if I should keep moving, walking, jogging, etc or if its cool to just stand there lol.

YES. Keep walking. another thing I do is try to "trick my heart." When i'm in a full sprint, I am breathing in for 4 strides (or so) and out for 4 strides. It controls the breathing, help avoid a side ache, and when I get done, I'm not breating as fast because I was breathing for a walk/jog and not a sprint. Does that make sense?

 

[solidj55]

Thanks Spatts, I really appreciate the advice. I will definetly do what you said.

As for the show, I dont have one, Im not a bodybuilder. I am actually a powerlifter. I am just coming off of a lower back injury that put me out of commision for about 6 weeks. I got a little chubby during that time and I want to cut my bodyfat down. I am also going to the beach in August and want to look half way decent. I figured since it will be about 8-10 months before I do another power meet (probably bench press only for me from now on) I would go ahead and concentrate on my appearance for the summer time. Im really not too awful bad off just worse that Ive ever been. I am 5'5" 190lbs and about 14%BF I just want to get down to about 8-10% again where Im usually at. I guess Im a pretty boy powerlifter ha ha.

 

[spatts]

Is your back totally recouped? The reason I ask, perhaps it's just my conditioning, but my back gets ALOT more sore from sprinting than my legs do. Especially my upper back and rear delts from pumping my arms. It's a total body workout!