Building speed and endurance?

Question

ok, so i've been going to spin class 3 times a week for about a month now. i feel stronger. i know i'm stronger. and i've build up my endurance quite a bit...yet, i still have a hard time when we do sprints in class. i don't understand my body. i can handle a good deal of resistance and i keep cadence and i'm even good when it comes to jumps...but sprints...i just don't seem to be getting any better at. after about the first one of two sprints, my muscles just won't give any more and i start to seriously slow down...but as soon as the sprint is over, i can keep cadence again no prob! i just don't get it! i need some serious advice. is there anything i can do to build up my speed and endurance during sprints??

Answer 1

with sprinting you're talking about using your body's power as a WHOLE whereas endurance is priuely stamina based. It's like swimming, some people just can't swim and often it's the biggest boofiest strongest blokes whop will sing like anchors in the pool.. because they lack "holistic" power as taught by martial artists.

If you really have a problem then take a look at specific muscle groups in your body. one or more are letting down "the whole" and affecting your abiltiy to sprint properly and to maximum efficiency.. it's like a blocked drain as soon as you pop it, you're performance will suddenly boost.. you just have to work it out as it's your body.. a chirop can help or whatever expert you require, but if you can't rip 20 chinups and 50 pushups without breaking a sweat, then most likley you will lack the "one-ness" to be a good sprinter.

I have trained since age 10 and consider myself pound for pound stronger, quicker and more skillful than most others, as proven in most competitions I've had in most sports (I'm not big so not into heavy contact sports- not built or trianed for that) I mainly do things like martial arts, long distance running for hours as well as cycling for hours and hours and every single day i do hundreds of pushups in sets of 15-30 each time. I also do stretching (critical) for around one hour daily and when fit will do my sets of sprints for an hour or so and twice per week and swim fast laps usually for an hour straight..

Like I said.. my training got me in the elite physical level in most sports. I even trained with athletes who medaled at world class meets and outswam them in training.

The absolute KEY is ONENESS!! making sure your body works the optimum way and your back especially is straight and rigid where it needs to be but flexible all over.

The best way is a large variety of exercise, twisting and turning to work every minor ligament you may be neglecting and which is used in sprinting. sometimes you can overbuild some muscles for sports you do often, but then when you try do a minor activity, it hurts because the overbuilt muscle can inhibit understressed activity if you build it by constant overstress.. the body builder is a good example some body builders cant sit down properly due to their bulk.. and lack of twisting and turning.. their muscles actually restrict other movement in their body.

I think it is important that your shape looks as close to the athletic type as possible.. i know everyone is different but try fit your body into an athletic mould and shape it accordingly too.. you may be top heavy for example and not even know it.. so slim down the top.. i just worked off 3kg from my tummy region.. now i have to quickly re-bulk the rest of my body without re-building the gut, by eating the proper foods..

food is also important.. some foods will assist more than others for different things.. if you are sprinting you need more alkalytes and salts than if you are doing mixed aerobics.. so check that out too..

Answer 2

Sounds like you have developed a high level of aerobic fitness. This allows you to spin for long periods and recover in a relatively short period of time. Aerobic exercise primarily uses your slow twitch muscles.

Sprinting, however, has little to do with aerobic fitness. Sprints are purely anaerobic in nature and utilize your fast twitch muscles.

Most studies show that the composition of our muscles is largely determined by genetics. People who get lots of slow twitch muscles from their parents are natural endurance athletes. People with lots of fast twitch muscles are natural sprinters. Most studies have shown pretty limited ability to change this composition via exercise. So, to some extent, you may have to accept that you are what you are.

Here is what happens when you go anaerobic. Your body begins dumping lactic acid into your muscles to provide every last iota of energy possible. The bad side effect of lactic acid metabolism is muscle fatigue. So, no sprinter, or anyone else for that matter, can go for long in an anaerobic state before fatigue forces them to slow down.

Even if you are blessed with lots of slow twitch muscles, all is not lost. You may not be a natural sprinter, but exercise allows you to increase the exertion level at which your body goes anaerobic. Also exercise allows you to increase the amount of work you are able to do before reaching muscular exhaustion.

Twice a week, you need to do interval work that is oriented to increasing these factors. I'd recommend doing long, say 10 minute intervals at your lactace threshold. (If you don't have a heart rate monitor and know your lactace threshold, pedal at an exertion level where your legs are burning and your breathing is becoming labored. Do not) Try doing 5 of these intervals with a 5 minute easy spin between each rep. These will hurt like the very devil, but they'll increase your ability to work when in an anaerobic state.

Remember to take it easy the day after doing intervals. Intervals don't make you stronger, per se. It is during your recovery period the next day that muscles are regenerated and strength is built. If you don't give yourself adequate recovery time, you will not improve.

Sure hope this helps.

Answer 3

Speed and endurance are two completely different disciplines, if you want to be a sprinter then you fill find trouble with endurance and the other way around. If you are serious about your sport you need to chose which you want. In cases like the pro cyclists their endurance speed is as high as a regular person sprint, but that takes years of practice of improving your cadence.

If you want the benefits of both worlds, try doing intervals.. that's, sprints during your endurance training... but remember, if you want endurance, stay with it, and with years and practice you will be much faster.

Answer 4

I don't think you have a problem. A sprint is an explosion. It is something that requires commitment and energy. It is not surprising that the third and fourth sprints are less productive given that you have to give your body ample recovery time.

I might be able to provide more input if you can tell me what your long term goals are. I suspect that the spin classes are helping in some respects, yet hurting in others.

Answer 5

Did you Stretch before you started (we ALWAYS stretch & I do Yoga.) also do you use toe clips or clipless pedals that might be problem, or your seat/handlebars might be to low.