第91页 | The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing | 阅读 ‧ 电子书库

IS AEROBIC TRAINING BENEFICIAL FOR STRENGTH ATHLETES?Many strength athletes—weight lifters, body builders, football players—avoid aerobic training because they fear it will adversely affect their power development. This idea comes from older studies that demonstrated this potential problem. However, newer, more objective studies addressing this issue have shown that strength develops regardless of the combination of aerobic and anaerobic training. In fact, anaerobic benefits can increase when the aerobic system is developed. Consider the important benefits of improved aerobic function: more circulation, better lymphatic drainage, improved recovery, increased mechanical support of joint, tendons, ligaments, and bones, and other improvements in health. All of these will help you if you’re a power athlete.Power athletes should make every effort to maintain a balanced training program that includes anaerobic and aerobic components and, most especially, a proper warm-up and cool-down.I had one patient named Ed who was an Olympic weight lifter. Much to his disappointment, he had not improved in competition for more than two years. This seemed like an eternity for him since he was only twenty-six years old. He consulted me because of continuing health problems with asthma and allergies, chronic muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. With great reluctance in the wake of my first recommendation, Ed ceased all weight training to build an aerobic base. He chose walking, jogging, and riding a stationary bike. His aerobic function and overall health improved significantly during the nearly five months of base building. Then, he began weight lifting again, adding a proper warm-up and cool-down. He also performed aerobic work four to five days a week in between his weight workouts. In his first three competitions, Ed lifted more weight than he had in the past two years and achieved several personal records. He began scheduling a four-month aerobic base period each year and continued to improve in competition.

During anaerobic training periods, significant aerobic activity must be maintained. This can occur during anaerobic workouts as part of the warm-up and cool-down, and through participation in aerobic training on days without anaerobic sessions. If you’re cross-training, you can also maintain swimming, for example, as a regular aerobic workout.