Sprint Intervals

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FrnkLft
FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Alright, so I'm trying to incorporate some sprints into my routine for conditioning. Don't have any hills available, so it'll be all flats.

What's a good interval for this sort of thing? I've jogged, but never bothered with sprinting. 40m? 50m? 60m?

I want to work with an established interval so I'm not needlessly killing myself by sprinting for too long, and undercutting the ability to get more reps in.

Culmination of training ftw!
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Replies

  • DeeDoy
    DeeDoy Posts: 45
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    Not distances but this is what I use:

    Sprint for 1 minute
    Rest for 1 minute
    Sprint for 45 seconds
    Rest for 45 seconds
    Sprint for 30 seconds
    Rest for 30 seconds
    Sprint for 15 seconds
    Rest for 1 to 2 minutes

    Repeat the entire sequence 3 to 5 times.

    I do this on the treadmill which allows you to add inclines and this one is worked out to allow steady state cardio afterward :)


    Eta: sprint I equate to run as fast as you can lol
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Bro how do you sprint for an entire minute? I mean, it might take me 30 seconds to clear a football field, and I would be dead by the time I got to the end zone, nevermind resting for less than a minute and going back.

    Are you sure that's right? Or do you mean just really brisk pace?

    Edit: OOOH on a treadmill. That's different.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    I run 8mph when I sprint because it is a challenging pace for me but i can hold it for a minute or two and then recover. I COULD run faster, but then I would be too tired to do it again. :P It's all about that balance! As long as you are pushing out of your comfort zone you will see improvement.
  • girlie100
    girlie100 Posts: 646 Member
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    I sprint 40m and rest on the walk back to start and repeat 6x
  • donohoe4
    donohoe4 Posts: 76 Member
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    I do 30 seconds as fast as I can, then 30 seconds at a slower pace. I don't stop moving and I do it for 10 minutes.
  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
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    Vary it each time for best results. Don't just run the same fixed interval over and over.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    What are you hoping to achieve with the sprints? "Conditioning" is a rather broad term.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.

    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    Of course he recommends hill sprints, but I live in Florida so... also don't have access to a drag chute/prowler/etc...

    My goal would be to run an interval with maximum intensity, so shorter distances are ideal. Gave it a shot at the nearest field yesterday with arbitrary markers for distance, and it turns out I was sprinting balls-to-the-wall for 60 yd. Only got 6 reps in, and I had to rest a good few minutes between to catch my breath.

    Of course that will improve, but if I could get recommendations on shorter distances, that could be helpful.

    I was also considering car pushes, but that's kinda dubious because, you know, rolling unmaned car on the street.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.

    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    Of course he recommends hill sprints, but I live in Florida so... also don't have access to a drag chute/prowler/etc...

    My goal would be to run an interval with maximum intensity, so shorter distances are ideal. Gave it a shot at the nearest field yesterday with arbitrary markers for distance, and it turns out I was sprinting balls-to-the-wall for 60 yd. Only got 6 reps in, and I had to rest a good few minutes between to catch my breath.

    Of course that will improve, but if I could get recommendations on shorter distances, that could be helpful.

    I was also considering car pushes, but that's kinda dubious because, you know, rolling unmaned car on the street.

    So, you're doing because he said you should?
  • DeeDoy
    DeeDoy Posts: 45
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    Bro how do you sprint for an entire minute? I mean, it might take me 30 seconds to clear a football field, and I would be dead by the time I got to the end zone, nevermind resting for less than a minute and going back.

    Are you sure that's right? Or do you mean just really brisk pace?

    Edit: OOOH on a treadmill. That's different.

    I don't find it hard to sprint for a minute although it does make you realise how long a minute really is. You can do it outside if you have a decent stretch of road etc. i just tend to do it at the gym for ease of weather - it rains a lot in Scotland lol
  • sluggz
    sluggz Posts: 134
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.

    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    Of course he recommends hill sprints, but I live in Florida so... also don't have access to a drag chute/prowler/etc...

    My goal would be to run an interval with maximum intensity, so shorter distances are ideal. Gave it a shot at the nearest field yesterday with arbitrary markers for distance, and it turns out I was sprinting balls-to-the-wall for 60 yd. Only got 6 reps in, and I had to rest a good few minutes between to catch my breath.

    Of course that will improve, but if I could get recommendations on shorter distances, that could be helpful.

    I was also considering car pushes, but that's kinda dubious because, you know, rolling unmaned car on the street.

    I wouldn't worry about it. Your main goal is getting your lifts up right? If that's true, doing the 60 yard sprints is fine. you did 6 this time, treat it like a PR and try to do 7 next time, or get a weight vest, etc... whatever distance you have, make it work.

    http://www.jimwendler.com/2011/12/hill-sprints/
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    And specifically what was the goal that was hoping to be achieved by doing this?

    In the absence of a concrete answer find a park. Throw down some kind of marker. Run at a pace which you can manage for about a minute without killing yourself. Walk back slowly to the marker. Repeat for as many times as you feel comfortable.

    Over the weeks increase the number of sprints. Once you get to a reasonable number (say 10) shorten the recovery period (so walk back to the starting position quicker or jog.)
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.

    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    Of course he recommends hill sprints, but I live in Florida so... also don't have access to a drag chute/prowler/etc...

    My goal would be to run an interval with maximum intensity, so shorter distances are ideal. Gave it a shot at the nearest field yesterday with arbitrary markers for distance, and it turns out I was sprinting balls-to-the-wall for 60 yd. Only got 6 reps in, and I had to rest a good few minutes between to catch my breath.

    Of course that will improve, but if I could get recommendations on shorter distances, that could be helpful.

    I was also considering car pushes, but that's kinda dubious because, you know, rolling unmaned car on the street.

    So, you're doing because he said you should?

    Yes. :drinker: The goal is to incorporate some some athletisism and cardiovascular conditioning in the strength training program, and to do it through anaerobic cardio, sprints.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    What are you trying to accomplish? Different intervals and different intensities do different things.

    Right, hadn't considered it like this really. Well I'm trying to incorporate some high intensity cardio into my training. Trying to follow Wendler's advice where he suggests sprints instead of steady state cardo.

    Of course he recommends hill sprints, but I live in Florida so... also don't have access to a drag chute/prowler/etc...

    My goal would be to run an interval with maximum intensity, so shorter distances are ideal. Gave it a shot at the nearest field yesterday with arbitrary markers for distance, and it turns out I was sprinting balls-to-the-wall for 60 yd. Only got 6 reps in, and I had to rest a good few minutes between to catch my breath.

    Of course that will improve, but if I could get recommendations on shorter distances, that could be helpful.

    I was also considering car pushes, but that's kinda dubious because, you know, rolling unmaned car on the street.

    So, you're doing because he said you should?

    Yes. :drinker: The goal is to incorporate some some athletisism and cardiovascular conditioning in the strength training program, and to do it through anaerobic cardio, sprints.

    IMO, you'll get better results if you figure out an actual, specific fitness goal, as that will tell you what kind of interval training makes the most sense.

    If what you want is specifically CV fitness, go run 5k 3x a week, no amount of sprinting will improve CV health as much as that.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    I always sprint when I run and was actually able to increase my sprinting speed this week. I usually run at 6.7 mph and then for every 6-10 minutes I run, depending on how long I'm running I'll sprint for 2 minutes at 7mph. Once I adjust to 7mph sprint speed I'll increase it again. Also to challenge myself, I'll fluctuate or fartlek as it's sometimes called my sprints. So, the first sprint will be 2 minutes and then the next sprint will be 3 minutes and I'll just repeat this until I finish my run.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    You could also try doing suicides
  • kristarablue2
    kristarablue2 Posts: 386 Member
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    I have found sprint intervals have increased my cardio vascular health ALOT, more so than low intensity steady state (LISS). My favorite intervals are Tabata's ..20 second balls out as hard as you can go, 10 second break repeat for 8 rounds (this is a 4 min. cycle), rest for about a minute. I usually do 4 to 5 rounds of that and it really is a great workout. Great thing about tabata's is that you can run stairs, hills, straight or you can use different exercises with it as well....Lots of tabata timer apps you can download free as well.

    As for hill intervals if you belong to a gym you could do it on a treadmill, not as much fun I grant you, but I have had luck doing a min running on hills...min. walking...ect. At my gym they have a hill setting on the treadmill.

    I have also done the 60 second sprint then 60 seconds off ect. However when I first started I believe I did 30 sec sprint then 90 second off and gradually moved up.

    I have played alot with interval training because I enjoy it much more than LISS and I find that the cardio vascular are better for me.

    Good luck:) Enjoy!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I mix them up- I tend to do all variations of 100 yard sprints- or if I'm using a soccer/football field I run either a box or an X configuration.

    Bear with me... let's letter the sides of the box. A, B, C, and D.

    Each one comes right after the other.

    Sprint side A: Jog B, C and D
    Sprint A and B: jog C and D
    Sprint A, B and C: jog D
    Spring A, B, C and D.

    That is 1 round/rep.

    Do 5.

    X (I do these on foot ball fields- or a shape that's more rectangular than square.
    Spring cross distance- jog to other side.
    Sprint other Diagonal- job back to start.

    That's 1 round/rep- do 5.

    These are pretty brutal- the boxes were AWFUL. I did them on college on our make shift soccer field- we wanted to DIE.

    I played my new DL game- DL your 60-70% 1 RMP (for me it's close to 185- so I rolled with that- in retrospect- 225 would have been wiser!!!)

    So DL as many as you can. X reps
    Go sprint X 100 yard sprints.

    Come back- DL as many as you can - Y reps
    Sprint Y 100 yard sprints.

    I did it 5 times- (can you see I like sets of 5 LOL) and it took me about 34 minutes. it was killer- but great. HELLO HAMMY'S.

    I do a lot of plyo's/calisthenics in my HIIT workouts- it's less than sprinting but worth it to me because I don't run much LOL
  • Safiyandi
    Safiyandi Posts: 151
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    IMO, you'll get better results if you figure out an actual, specific fitness goal, as that will tell you what kind of interval training makes the most sense.


    What's recommended for a lifter who's endurance sucks and who hates steady-state cardio? I've been doing sprints simply because they're more tolerable, but I don't know the first thing about programming for endurance.

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