This is Sock Doc’s Mega-Post on Training Principles. It’s divided up into 5 parts, all relating to each other at various levels. I hope you enjoy them and learn a thing or two. Please post any comments or questions here on this post, as the articles themselves do not allow for comments.
Sock Doc Training Part I: Aerobic Activity Is the Foundation to Your Health AND Fitness
- What exactly is “cardio” exercise?
- Aerobic activity will benefit everybody – it is NOT “chronic cardio”
- Understand the difference between aerobic and anaerobic and their importance for health and fitness
Sock Doc Training Part II: Build Your Aerobic System – (Move Your Ass Often, But Not Too Quickly)
- How to build your aerobic system correctly and efficiently
- Dangers of too much true aerobic activity
- HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training – when and why you should, or should not, do these workouts
Sock Doc Training Part III: Strength Training – Do It. But Make It Work For You
- Strength conditioning for endurance athletes- it’s a good thing if done correctly
- Aerobic training for strength athletes – yup, them too
Sock Doc Training Part IV: The Sock Doc Training Formula
- A new Sock Doc Training Formula for optimum health and fitness
- Improving your health and fitness without sacrificing one or the other
- Overtrained or under rested?
Sock Doc Training Part V: That Marathon May Kill You?
- Long distance training can wreck your health or send you to an early grave if you train improperly
- Train smart, race smart, and live a healthy and fit life
Steve, you are a writing machine! Thanks for such comprehensive coverage. Now to read through 3 or 4 times to get the most out of it all
Thanks Sam I appreciate it. It was a tremendous amount of work as you can imagine.
What about insoles such as cork ones which mold to your foot? Recommended or not for PF?
Would you recommend vibrating massage tools?
Any other strength exercises would recommend? What about raises from toe/ball of foot on the stairs?
As a chronic suffer (most recently for more than a year; on and off for 20 years), I enjoyed your video and hope to benefit by following your recommendations.
No on the cork insoles. No on the vibrating massage tools – they can’t work out a trigger point though some of them can help with fascial problems. Toe raises are okay but you’re not going to turn on muscles that are inhibited (turned-off) by exercising them.
20 years? Wow. Even 20 days is too long for PF, or any injury.
Firstly, thanks for spending your time in putting together this web site, have really enjoyed reading through the various articles and waiting the videos. I have read quite a lot on many of the topics you have discussed and have come to very similar conclusions.
I did, until recently, disagree about aerobic training and intervals. I have read much research showing the benefit of intervals. For the last three months I have concentrated on high intensity interval training and it has been quite an interesting experience. My sport is cycling in the form of mountain biking. Beginning of this year I did a couple of circuits in local wood to get times. I then starting the interval training and initially (first four weeks) I got quicker. However after three months my times on re test were slower! And I felt generally tired. I did take appropriate rest and only completed max three interval sessions (most weeks only 2).
After reflection I totally agree with your approach of concentrating on building a good aerobic base and only use the more anaerobic training at specific times as described in some of your posts.
For the next couple of months I am going to try staying in my max aerobic HR by using the formula 180 – age (never come across this one before). I will time myself on couple of different routes and see what happens.
One question I do have is that you mention for bike to subtract 5 – 8 beats. Is this of your max heart rate. So for example I am 37 years old giving me a rate of 143, so for on the bike my max heart rate would be 138 – 135.
Thanks again for a excellent website, I look forward to more posts.
Good deal. Thanks for the comments, they’re really appreciated.
SD
You have me some great information on a past post regarding using Maffetone’s method on heart rate. I am 54 but found the 180-age+5 not getting me anywhere. So you suggested that I bump that up to 135 for easy days and 140 for harder aerobic days. Two questions: How many harder days a week can one do? Is it okay for say two to three with one easy long run in? Second I ran my first race of the year a short 2 miler. Wow does that get done fast. Anyway I noticed on my Garmin that for the final sprint in my max HR was 190. Does MR really have anything to do with aerobic zones?
Thanks!
Well I wouldn’t call those days “harder” in regards to anaerobic – since they still should be aerobic basically if you’re aerobic is improving over time then eventually you want more to be in that 140 area and less in the 135 and below.
What is “MR”? Something max I’m thinking? If that’s what you mean then no, not related to aerobic.
I did mean Max Heart rate. It’s interesting as what I’m learning from you and Phil Maffetone is so different from others. It seems all the others factor in max HR but you guys don’t. But since following your suggesting things just get better and better I’m going to stick with your knowledge and advice. Thanks!
That’s right, max HR is irrelevant.
Dr. Gangemi, I have been following your training articles with great interest, thanks for all the info! I am a recreational runner, and I want to try the aerobic training with a heart rate monitor. During the aerobic “base building” period, should I refrain from any strength or speed training (anaerobic workouts)? I’ve heard that the base building period can last 3-6 months–that seems like a very long time to me. Won’t I lose strength if I go 3-6 months without any resistance training? Thanks for your advice!
Thanks Chuck. As I mention in the SD Training Principles I think that if you’re healthy (not injured, sick, on meds) then strength may be just fine and actually recommended. I’d hold off on speed anaerobic until your aerobic base is well established.
Hi there,
A couple of questions about your article.
1) You mention CRP, “A healthy CRP level should be <1.0 mg/L, although “normal” is allowed up to 3.0 mg/L. I’ve raced 20 Ironman races and check my CRP at least once a year. It is always well below 1.0 mg/L , often <0.5 mg/L."
Do you test this at a point when you are not racing? Mine was 2ish and wonder if my training impacts this or strictly a less than ideal diet?
2) You mention avoiding refined carbohydrates. I've recently switched to the paleo diet (pretty good most of the time). The book "Paleo for endurance athletes" suggested intake of refined sugar is okay immediately after the work-out to restore glycogen stores. That being the time the body is most ready to store it as such, rather than going to my waist.
What are your thoughts on this? It has made a HUGE difference in my recovery and readiness for the next day of training.
Thanks!
1) I have never tested mine immediately after racing; that is something I eventually need to do. Everything I discuss in the Principles and throughout this site affects CRP – stress basically. So training too hard, racing, inadequate rest, poor diet, emotional stress, etc. If it’s high (above 1.0) when you’re not racing, I’d say that is not healthy. If it’s high right after racing it’s definitely something to be aware of. Hard to say what is “normal” there. Maybe a bit elevated is okay, but still above 3.0 I’d think would be a problem, especially if this is a common occurrence.
2) Yes I have read that book. It depends on the intensity and duration of you workout, as well as your health. I would be eating refined sugar after an aerobic run, but probably would after a race or hard intensity intervals. More on all that here: http://sock-doc.com/2011/02/nutrition-before-during-and-after-exercisecompetition/
I’ve started training with HR and doing the MAF thing again but still work hard days 2x or so a week. Shorter but hard. If diet is good, work is work, sleep is good and CRP is high, is there anything that can be done?
Well yeah – don’t train hard 2X a week. You don’t want a high CRP.
Interval, Tempo, VO2max are typical training sessions for improving running speed when mixed with easy running. Are you suggesting it is a trade-off ? Thanks again!
These all have their place and are all explained in the V Principles series.
Hi Dr. Gangemi,
Thanks for your in depth review of HIIT. I started HIIT about 3 months ago and noticed significant improvements, including a reduction in abdominal fat for the first time that I can remember. I do the HIIT work out just 10 minutes at a time, about 3 – 4 days a week. I set the treadmill on 9, more or less, and hop off and on every 12 or 8 seconds for about 10 minutes. This type of exercise has been very addictive for me, and I find it hard to stay away from it for the recommended 48 hour recovery period. I will say that I have noticed some aches and pains in my thigh and hip areas. I also do traditional running and I take a weight lifting class a couple times per week. After reading some of your posts I have reason to worry as I understand these aches could be signs of serious problems down the road. I will have to seriously consider the pros and cons of my routine.
Thanks again,
Margaret
Hi Margaret – yes not to put fear in your mind here but it is highly unlikely you will be able to continue that type of training much longer without getting injured. You’re already seeing signs.
Hello again! Very interesting articles & discussion. I have a question about using fats vs. using carbohydrates as energy sources. You present this as a question of aerobic vs. anaerobic metabolism. But isn’t it possible to utilize glucose aerobically in the cell, as in to oxidize glucose completely using oxygen? Is it perhaps a proportional question, such that when burning more sugars, the anaerobic proportion of energy utilization increases? Thanks again for your advice and insight!
Yes – remember you’re pretty much always using both to some degree unless you’re sprinting hard <200 meters, on average.