Q: My name is Ted Evans and I was a three time OFSAA champion in wrestling.  While I was wrestling I did a lot of running when I could. However, when I couldn’t get out to team practice or run because I worked after school, I would use my job lugging boxes and stacking skids as fast as I can as a part of my workout.  I use to take the boxes off the belt and rotate take one step and put it on the skid.  My co-workers were pissed at me for moving so fast. I’d just say, “Shut up I am training!” and I would easily triple everyone’s workload by the end of my shift. So my question is: What are the advantages of Interval training for sports?

 A: Hi Ted, I get asked this question a lot, especially by the old school guys.  I would really like to know how much running you actually did and how many times a week you had to work because training at work was probably the best thing you could have done outside of wrestling practices.   Moving those boxes and I would assume at various weight actually helped you build amazing anaerobic capacity, which is basically  intermittent cardiovascular work.   Without going into a long explanation, here are the advantages of Interval Training:  

-      Makes possible a better volume of work at 100% of V02 max

-      Pauses is used to rebuild ATP and CP and restore O2 in muscle

-      Permits greater specificity of training in sports

-      Stimulates the pace of competition (continuous and intermittent)

-      Maintains and or increases strength

So as a wrestler, you need to attack with repeated efforts with as much force as possible.  Interval training is the best method to support this kind of attack.  As the match goes on and your opponent weakens, you should start to over power them.  However, success will only occur: IF YOU HAVE TRAINED CORRECTLY!  And hopefully, your opponent has done only heaps of steady state cardio.  I hope this helps.

Clance