10 Mistakes Athletes Make When Developing a Training Plan: #9 – Failing to Connect Your Training Plan to the Key Physiological Abilities

The key physiological abilities include aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, lactate threshold, aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular power.  Simply stated, your training plan should be designed to improve one or more of these abilities. For example, if you are a marathon runner, your plan will focus on improving aerobic endurance, which is the body’s ability to use oxygen to produce energy for the muscles over an extended period of time.  If you specialize in cycling time trials, you’ll emphasize power at lactate threshold, which is the highest intensity a fit athlete can maintain for about 60 minutes.  If you are a sprinter, you will work on neuromuscular power, which is the ability to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers very quickly for short periods of time.  Your plan should highlight the key abilities needed to perform in your chosen events.

NEXT POST – December 11, 2011

Cycle Log: Endurance Phase Week 9