Tempo training is a very effective method for increasing the positive physiological responses to training such as lactate threshold, which allows you to push beyond your starting or current levels by helping your body make better use of substrates and to better utilize, recycle or dispose of byproducts such as lactic acid.

It is also the preferred form of training for marathon runners and the like due to the fuel economy of this type of training. This sounds an awful lot like interval or Fartlek training, doesn’t it? Well for the most part, it pretty much is. Don’t concern yourself with the many different terms used for interval training, just know that it is highly effective for sports performance, conditioning , fat loss and probably most important, is that it keeps things from getting boring.

As I mentioned in a previous article – Train Like Lance Armstrong – even distance athletes must use this form of training to excel in their sport. Tempo training is a very common method of training for those working towards an event like a 5 k or 10 k race.

Tempo training, while it does have similarities to interval training, is not the same as HIIT or high intensity interval training. HIIT is based on quick short bursts of activity (speed) and would mainly involve the ATP-CP and Glycolytic (anaerobic) energy pathways with little O₂ being used, whereas tempo training is more of a “comfortably hard” bout of work that uses primarily the Glycolytic and Aerobic energy systems and does utilize oxygen in part of the duration of work being performed.

As with any type of training, you would gradually increase your time and your level of perceived exertion and/or heart rate training levels as the work gets easier and you begin to adapt. An example of a tempo training run would be a light jog for 10-15 minutes at a perceived exertion of 5 or 6/ HR 60-70% followed by a bout for 20-30 minutes at a perceived exertion of 8 or 9/ HR 85-90% followed by 10-15 minutes at a perceived exertion of 5 or 6/ HR 85-90%. These bouts of hard work will start out smaller until you reach a level where you can keep the higher intensity for longer and longer durations and that is ok, but remember to challenge yourself and to properly refuel after your workout with BCAAs, waxy maize or a good quality whey protein isolate shake.

For those of you new to tempo training, try this four-week progression workout:

After warming up for 10 to 15 minutes, make sure your tempo training is at a challenging pace that you can maintain for two to four miles.

Week 1

Run at a tempo pace for 3 minutes
Jog for 1 full minute for active recovery before repeating the 3-minute tempo pace
Repeat 5 times

Week 2

Run at a tempo pace for 4 minutes
Jog for 1 full minute for active recovery before repeating the 4-minute tempo pace
Repeat 5 times

Week 3

Run at a tempo pace for 5 minutes
Jog for 1 1/2 full minutes for active recovery before repeating the 5-minute tempo pace
Repeat 5 times

Week 4
Run at a tempo pace for 20 minutes

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Tags: classic tempo, lactate threshold

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