Fitness

How Tempo Run Workouts Can Make You Faster

Published

3 weeks ago

November 5, 2024

How Tempo Run Workouts Can Make You Faster

When you first get into running, your routine probably looks something like this: Lace up the best running shoes you own, hit a quick warmup, and then hit the road for a set time, distance, or route. Simply running a few times a week and intuitively speeding up and slowing down might be enough to improve your fitness—at least at first. Once you decide to graduate from a trot around your neighbourhood into the world of more serious training, you’ll need to approach your workouts with more intention and specificity.

One common training technique used by hobbyists and world-class runners alike is the tempo run, a protocol where you run at a near-maximal intensity. Using these workouts you’ll increase muscular and cardiovascular endurance, learn to maintain running mechanics at a faster clip, and teach your body to cycle through lactic acid (which is what causes that burning sensation) more efficiently.

We tapped Jes Woods, a Nike Running coach and the Head Trail & Ultra Coach at the Brooklyn Track Club, to school you on all things tempo runs so you can better understand how to implement tempo runs into your running routine. We can’t say you’ll be thanking us (at least mid-run)—but you may just become the fastest guy in your local run club.

What Is a Tempo Run?

According to Woods, a tempo run is a hard but controlled pace that can be run as intervals, or a steady run spanning one to 10 miles meant to make you a more efficient runner. Tempo runs should feel, ‘comfortably hard,’ according to Woods. ‘If your running buddy asked you a question while running your tempo run, you could answer them if you had to, but it would be pretty annoying.’

Woods says tempo runs can have a variety of loose definitions but, put most simply, they’re threshold runs meant to improve your lactate threshold. ‘That is, the tipping point between aerobic running (your body has sufficient oxygen) and anaerobic running (your body does not have sufficient oxygen to create the energy you are demanding),’ she says. ‘You want to run at that tipping point without crossing over.’

In short: A tempo run is not easy, and that’s by design. This type of workout is a training tool that pushes you to your limits to increase your cardiovascular capacity, help you acclimate to a faster race day speed, and improve your body’s ability to clear lactate.

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How to Do a Tempo Run

Tempo runs are challenging, but they’re simple to execute. Woods says that a proper race programme (specifically for distances like marathons and half-marathons) should include one to two weekly speed sessions. The first is a straight speed or interval session and the second being what she calls ‘speed and strength,’ which consists of either a hill workout, Fartlek runs, or tempo runs. For her athletes, Woods programs one tempo run every other week on average.

Calculate Your Pace

There are a few ways to find your pace for a tempo run. The least scientific is to run at a pace at which you can no longer comfortably hold a conversation with another person. Woods says this should be between your 10-kilometre and 10-mile race pace.

You can also sustain a pace that keeps you between 75 to 85 percent of your max heart rate. The simplest way to do this is to subtract your age from 220 (although there are other more accurate methods, for most runners this will do). You’ll need a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor to use this method.

Lastly, Woods likes the VDOT calculator. ‘Simply plug in a recent race distance and time, and the calculator will best guess your equivalent race pace at any and all other distances (and hit the Training tab to see your predicted threshold pace),’ she explains.

Warmup

Dynamic Stretches

These types of movements will get your body primed for running better than static holds. ‘Hold each of these stretches for a few seconds before switching to the other side,’ says Woods. ‘You can even perform these while walking forward or I like to use those ‘stuck at stoplights moments’ for dynamic stretches instead of checking my phone or jogging in place.’

Stretches Woods likes: Knee hugs, quad pulls, hamstring scoops, table toppers, lateral lunges and air squats. Do five reps on each side of your body per movement.

Warmup Jog

Never jump straight into your tempo work, even if you’ve done some dynamic stretching.

‘Before any speed run, whether it’s fast intervals around the track or hill repeats in the park, an easy jog warm up is mission critical,’ says Woods. Run for 10 to 15 minutes at a conversational pace before diving into the workout.

Hit the Road

The classic tempo run is straightforward enough. After you warm up, you’ll aim to run for 20 to 30 minutes at your calculated pace. If you’re new to tempo workouts or at the beginning of a new training cycle, Woods suggests running at your tempo pace in intervals to work up to a longer unbroken run. Here are two interval methods:

Straight-Up Intervals

‘Start with five 5-minute intervals at your tempo run pace, with 90 second breaks after each,’ says Woods. ‘That’s 25 minutes of tempo work, but broken into smaller bite-sized chunks. You can gradually increase those tempo intervals over time until you’re holding your tempo pace for 10 minutes, 15 minutes and eventually 25 continuous minutes.’

Floating Intervals

Think of this approach as the next step up to a continuous tempo workout.

‘The float is an active recovery, but not an easy shuffle jog like you would on the track in order to run your next interval hard,’ explains Woods. ‘If you were to assign a pace to it, ‘float’ is around your marathon pace plus 15 seconds, so you’re trying to recover from your tempo interval at an easier but respectable pace. A specific example would be: three 3-kilometre intervals at your tempo run pace with a 1-kilometre recovery run between each interval.’

Jordan Siemens

The Benefits of Tempo Runs

No one will argue that tempo runs work when it comes to making you faster (and tougher). That said, details matter, so here are three specific ways this tried-and-true running protocol makes you better.

Better Endurance

Running is a volume game. Typically, you’ll become a better runner by, well, running—more specifically, by accumulating more mileage and progressively running at a faster pace. Tempo runs help bolster your cardiovascular capacity by forcing you to sustain a relatively intense pace for a moderate amount of time.

‘Improving your tempo pace or improving your lactate threshold is like improving your miles per gallon on your car,’ Woods says. ‘You want to be able to travel (run) farther on the same tank of gas (the same energy).’

Any form of running is going to improve your VO2 max, which is a measure of how much oxygen you can utilise during intense exercise. Naturally, a tempo run, an intentionally strenuous running workout, will improve your VO2 max and, therefore, your ability to run faster for longer.

More specifically, your heart rate should be beating between 80 to 90 percent of your max (putting you in what are considered heart rate Zones 3 and 4), which are associated with improving your anaerobic and aerobic capacities. Having endurance in both zones is imperative for running at a high intensity.

Improved Lactate Threshold

Once you enter Zone 4 in your workout, which you’re all but guaranteed to do during a hard run or race, your body taps into your anaerobic system, where it utilises glycogen and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy. Lactic acid, a byproduct of that process, will begin to accumulate inside your muscles—and it’s responsible for the burning sensation anyone who has sprinted or performed 20-rep squats knows all too well.

You cannot stop the production of lactic acid, which can hinder you during a run—but you can acclimate to the burning sensation and, as you get fitter, clear the lactate more quickly. Because tempo runs put you into that anaerobic training zone, it’s a great way to train through lactic acid build-up and mimic what you will feel like come race day.

‘You are pushing that lactate threshold pace to be a little bit faster with it still feeling like the same effort,’ explains Woods. ‘By raising that threshold, everything is getting faster—your marathon pace, the easy runs—as you become a more efficient runner.’

Andrew Gutman is a journalist with a decade of experience covering fitness and nutrition. His work has been published in Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, and Gear Patrol. Outside of writing, Andrew trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, helps coach his gym’s kickboxing team, and enjoys reading and cooking.

Jes Woods is a running coach in New York City who serves as a Nike run coach, the Brooklyn Track Club Ultra and Trail head coach, and a Chaski Endurance coach.

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Fitness

The overlooked key to fitness? Strengthening your joints and tendons

Published

5 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

The overlooked key to fitness? Strengthening your joints and tendons

Isometric exercises, like planks or lunge holds, require holding a position for an extended period. In these positions, your muscles are firing, but you’re also working on the alignment of the joint and working the tendon to hold that position, says Wulke. Ho adds that while ligaments and joints cannot technically be trained directly like tendons, you can support their health by strengthening the surrounding muscles and encouraging proper movement patterns.

Wulke often programs training days with a mix of goals for her athletes: “high” days for muscle and strength development and “low” days focusing on alignment, isometric holds, and mobility. But most people don’t have enough time to dedicate separate days for joint-specific work. Instead, try integrating these movements into your existing strength training sessions. Consider adding a few sets of isometric holds during your warm-up or as a finisher.

(Is cracking your joints bad for you?)

During your workouts, focus on the eccentric phase of your movements. Slow down and maintain control throughout the exercise to help you ensure proper form. You can also use higher reps and lower weight to reduce the risk of overstressing connective tissues.

Last, Hinson recommends incorporating low-impact exercises such as walking, cycling, Pilates, water aquatics, and yoga. “Taking care of and improving the structures that make the joints stronger and more flexible—it really will pay huge dividends in keeping [people] out of my office and away from injury,” he says.

Fitness

Avoid doing these gym exercises now! Orthopaedic doctor reveals exercises that do more harm; the answers may shock you

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Avoid doing these gym exercises now! Orthopaedic doctor reveals exercises that do more harm; the answers may shock you

Did you know that some popular exercises that we all do at the gym to stay fit and healthy may be doing more harm than good? Dr Venkatesh Movva, an orthopaedic doctor trained in Sports Medicine, sat down with Ranveer Allahbadia for The Ranveer Podcast, where he talked about the exercise one should avoid at the gym. The answers will surprise you.

Dr Venkatesh Movva, an orthopaedic doctor, in a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia.

(Also Read | Ranbir Kapoor ‘decides to clap’ in between his pullups. Guess how Alia Bhatt reacted?)

Avoid doing these gym exercises now!

In the clip shared on The Ranveer Show Podcast Instagram page, with the caption, “Dr Venkatesh on Which Exercises you should Avoid in Gym?”, Ranveer asks Dr Movva which exercises he would recommend gymgoers to avoid as an orthopaedic doctor. He suggested three exercises which are quite popular among gymgoers aiming to get fit, lose weight or stay healthy. According to him, one should not do overhead exercises, deadlifts, and crunches.

Dr Movva stated in the clip, “Overhead, heavy [exercise]. I mean, you can go stretch, but no military press, number one. Number two crunches; avoid them. Number three, deadlifts. (sic)” To this, Ranveer replied, “So, I’d replace the military press because it’s for the anterior delts with just front raises.” As an alternative, Dr Movva suggested people to ‘bend down’ during such exercises. “You can go bend down, raise it [weights], rather than overhead (sic),” he said.

While Ranveer, a fitness enthusiast himself, said that he would replace crunches with planks, Dr Movva suggested ‘planks and bridges’.

Lastly, for why one should avoid deadlifts, an exercise you must have seen many celebrities doing at the gym and fitness influencers pushing their followers to include in their routine, the orthopaedic doctor said, “I see more injuries than benefits with the deadlifts. If you are really well-trained and have a good muscle balance, do it. But if you are trying to get better, that’s one thing you may want to avoid. Because the risk of injury is very high. There are so many other exercises that you can compensate without doing these things.”

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

Fitness

Woman who shed 54 kg shares 7 back and bicep exercises that helped transform her body

Published

21 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Woman who shed 54 kg shares 7 back and bicep exercises that helped transform her body

Carrying excess fat in your back and arms can cause health concerns for many. Sorting out this issue is important, not just for how you look, but also for your general health and ability to move around easily. If you are on a weight loss journey and looking for exercises to help you target these areas, worry not. We have found seven exercises to help you develop and tone your back and bicep muscles. The routine was shared on Instagram by Meredith Hutson, who shed 120 lbs (approximately 54 kg) naturally. Check out the exercise that helped her transform her body.

Woman, who lost 54 kg, shares back and bicep workout that helped her in her transformation.

(Also Read | Avoid doing these gym exercises now! Orthopaedic doctor reveals exercises that do more harm; the answers may shock you)

Back and bicep workouts to try

In the video, Meredith suggested exercises like the Smith machine or barbell mid-grip rows, outer curl into Zottman curl, cable rear delt fly, straight arm pulldowns, reverse seated rows, cable hammer curls, and cable lat pulldowns. She also demonstrated how to do each exercise in the clip and showcased modifications she added to make the routine effective.

The fitness influencer also had an inspiring message for those trying to lose weight or tone their muscles. She said, “Nobody saw my potential the way that I did…” Check out the exercises.

According to Meredith’s video, each exercise targets different areas in your back and biceps. Talking about the Smith machine or barbell mid-grip rows, she said that the exercise targets your ‘middle back for a balanced development’. For the Zottman curl, she modified the exercise by adding an outer curl, which helped her target the long head of her biceps and forearms.

While the cable rear delt fly exercise (a personal favourite of the fitness coach) targets the real delts, upper back muscles, traps and rhomboid, the straight arm pulldown helps work out the rhomboid and ‘big muscles’ on the back, thus helping create the V shape.

As per Meredith, the reverse seated rows also target the rhomboid along with the traps, biceps, rear delts, and the ‘main muscle in our backs that helps us in doing pulling movements’. Lastly, the cable hammer curls work the entire upper arms ‘focusing on the front of the arms and the outside of the forearm’, while the cable lat pulldowns target ‘lats, rhomboid, traps, and biceps’.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.