The Maximum Aerobic Speed

Today, I will give you some advices regarding Maximum Aerobic Speed (VMA or Maximum Aerobic Speed – MAS) training session.

5 ingredients for a good VMA:

1- A running track: Even if this is not an obligation to do a VMA session, the big advantage of the track is its calibrated aspect : 400 meters, a mark every 100m to control your transit time.
This will allow you to evaluate your progression or shape when you do 2 times the same session.

2- A complete Warm Up: More than a track, the most important thing in a VMA session is obviously the warm up. To perform, but also to avoid injuries. This is obviously the case for every session, not just VMA.
Here is an example of warm up that you can do before your VMA session: first, a small 20 minutes footing. At the end of this 20 min run, you will add 1 or 2 minutes with a progressive faster pace. After a rest time, and some knee rise/heel-to-buttock, you can do 3 progressives accelerations (avoid a brutal start) on 100m, come back half walk, half trot.

3- The repetition of the efforts: The rule of a VMA session is to repeat a couple of time an effort in a high intensity. (100 to 400m even if the maximal distance for VMA is and will always be a debate)

4 – Short and ACTIVE rest: a VMA session need to have active rest, which means that you will continue to trot, and short rest, to maintain your heart in a high level (which will work on your capacity to slow in a short time your BPM – your cardiac brake).

5- Steady Pace in the effort: The interest of knowing your speed (so it’s VMA) is to be able to know your pace during the session. A good VMA session is one where you will be uniform. There is no interest to preserve yourself during all the session to finish it with a super fast last repetition. Same in the other sense, if you start too fast and can’t finish your session. But, keep in mind that, even if you start too fast, or finish faster than you are supposed to, you learn, and the most important is to do the work.

To sum-up,a VMA session will be a repetition of high intensity efforts, with an active rest between the intensity.
This type of session are additional to the footing, which will allow you to build your endurance, the essential regarding running.
One VMA session per week is enough, because it’s important to start this type of session on a good shape, to be the more efficient. It is obvious that these sessions, to be beneficial, must be part of the logical sequence of a training plan, adapted to your level and your goals.

Some examples of VMA session:
8 repetitions of 400m, rest 1’ trot
10 repetitions of 300m, rest 100m
2 rounds of 8 repetition of 200m, rest diagonal (to reach the 200m start line) and 3’ trot between the round

Have a good training 😉