The Norwegian 4×4 protocol is one of the most widely adopted formats of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) across endurance, team sport, and general populations.[1] Its appeal lies in its efficiency and simplicity: four four-minute intervals performed at high intensity interspersed with recovery periods. This format maximises the time the athlete spends near maximal oxygen uptake…
Six leading experts in energy system development were asked this question. This is what they had to say: Jack Sharkey Performance Lead, Football Australia From my experience, the most common misunderstanding when is comes to energy system development is the assumption that the primary focus for performance should be on increasing exercise capacity. In team…
“When something becomes more important than the game, you’ve missed the point” Introduction In episode #339 of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Aled Walters joins Rob Pacey to unpack the philosophy that underpinned a Rugby World Cup-winning campaign with South Africa. Now Head of Athletic Performance with Ireland Men’s National Team, Aled reflects on how his…
While repeated sprint training is a highly effective method for developing athletes’ physical qualities, it represents just one form of interval training. Short-bout high intensity interval training (short-HIIT) is another format, one that promotes a range of physical adaptations and prepares athletes for the intermittent demands of field and court sports. Short-HIIT involves repeated efforts…
“The beauty of MAS is that it allows you to manipulate intensity across the entire spectrum of conditioning, from active recovery to supramaximal work” In episode #420 of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob is joined by Nathan Heaney, Head of Athlete Development and Performance at Xavier College and Founder of The Conditioning Consultant. This conversation…
The recent trend in research into athlete conditioning leans toward supramaximal efforts—efforts above maximal aerobic speed (MAS)—based on intensities derived from the anaerobic speed reserve (ASR). [1] This approach provides a more complete representation of an athlete’s locomotor ceiling by going beyond MAS alone to account for both an athlete’s aerobic capacity and their maximal…
“Cricket looks slow until you realise it is six hours of walking with a 20-metre sprint every three minutes” In episode #417 of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob sits down to talk with Phil Scott, who at the time was England Men’s Strength and Conditioning Coach. The conversation starts by dismantling lazy assumptions about cricket’s…
Rugby Union performance is increasingly shaped by short duration, high intensity actions repeated under fatigue. While total running distance remains a feature of match play, decisive involvements are more often determined by accelerations into space, re-accelerations following contact, and the capacity to reproduce speed late in sequences and late in matches. Despite this evolution, many…
Zone 2 training has become a buzzword in endurance and now team sports. What is its relevance or limitations for team sport athletes? It might be relevant, but not as much as the influencers will have you believe for team sports. They also misunderstand what Zone 2 even is! Volume drives the adaptations that Zone…
“There are no solutions, only trade-offs; your job is to choose them deliberately” In episode #473 of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob speaks with Aaron Cunanan, Director of Applied Sport Science at the Cincinnati Reds. The discussion tracks Aaron’s winding path from weightlifting athlete and coach, through a PhD with ETSU, to roles with the…
Regular insights into cardiorespiratory fitness are critical to inform the scheduling and manipulation of training variables in team sports. However, most assessments of cardiorespiratory capacity are maximal tests. These are not ideal and are barely practical for frequent monitoring in elite sport, restricting our confidence in the observed changes. Embedded monitoring is the integration of…
“The fitter athlete isn’t just the one who runs further – it’s the one who thinks faster when everyone else is slowing down” Pete Burridge on energy system development, off-feet conditioning and blending science with practice In episode #525 of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob chats with Pete Burridge, First Team Athletic Performance Coach at…
How often, as an S&C coach, have you been faced with the question: “Are the boys fit enough?” Or, when facing a particularly stinging loss, a coach proclaims, “We aren’t fit enough.” It can be one of the most daunting things an S&C coach can hear because, rightly or wrongly, it falls under our remit…
The anaerobic speed reserve (ASR) is an increasingly popular tool for optimizing training and performance across various sports. It not only allows practitioners to individualize training prescription but also enables a tailored approach to recovery within and between sessions. ASR is the difference between an athlete’s maximal sprinting speed (MSS) and maximal aerobic speed (MAS).…
In football, it is very common for a physical preparation coach to be granted time at the beginning of field sessions for a “warm up,” and that is their main point of on field contact with players. But for many practitioners, time is often at a premium and the warm up is the easiest part…