Leon has the speed for the 50 free yet the endurance for the 400 IM. How do you construct the weekly micro cycle to train him for this range?

Question

Bob Bowman · Answer

This is a good question. Leon is very similar to Michael in that he has natural speed. So he always can generate some speed, if we ask him to. The question is, how often do you ask him to do that. And in what context. So our micro cycle is a basic micro cycle that we used at Michigan, we used in [? NBAC. ?] We use it here, where we're alternating days of threshold training and endurance, aerobic type training with days of what we like to call active rest, which are easy, fast training, where the recovery is moving. And it's like a 50-50 anaerobic aerobic. And then finally, we do max VO2 training, which is purely anaerobic. So what we ask from Leon is that every day and every session, he's going to do something with a racing stroke at racing speed. And sometimes, I have to engineer that for him and make it easier for him to do. Sometimes I have to demand it from him and ask him to do it. I'll give you an example. One day we did a set of 3,100s, one on 110, one on 105, one on a minute, this is short course yards. And what I asked for was, the ones on the minute he needed to go on. And I asked for 48s. And then he could go five seconds slower on the 105s and five seconds slower on the 110. So he's probably 58s on the 110s, 53s, and 52s on the 105, right into 48 on a minute. And we did 30 of those. And he did quite well. And actually, the last one, he went 47 from 100. And then I had them go a 200, where they just did 100 kick, 100 swim easy. And they thought practice was over. And I said, OK, now, push 100 faster than you went in that set. And Leon was 46 flat. So he has speed. And we try to set it up so he can use it strategically like that. And that's how I think you do it. I don't think you just come in every day and ask for long sets, where they're at maximum speed. But you mix it in to the program as you go.

Melanie Marshall · Answer

I would actually construct the weekly training cycle across two weeks because if you look at that range and, you know, and try and you try to hit different Energy Systems and quite extreme Energy Systems, you can have a bit of a counterbalance. So, rather than squashing it into one week to try and get it. I would suggest maybe going to weeks and try and try and fit those fit, both of those elements in. But also, make sure that you realize, that one at certain times can counterbalance the other. So, It's about, I think not being too extreme with your training periodization. So, not being all how you would train for Sprint and all how you would travel 400. I am try and get a bit of a hybrid. Hope that helps Henry.

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"Leon has the speed for the 50 free yet the endurance for the 400 IM. How do you construct the weekly micro cycle to train him for this range?"