Fartlek training is a free-wheeling, fun and intense interval method of exercising that makes runners and cyclists faster, and has recently been adapted to make bodybuilders bulkier. The premise behind it is more open and intuitive than timed interval sessions. Because of that, it brings an element of experimentation and play back into sports while, at the same time, providing a very effective workout.
History
Fartlek, translated from Swedish, literally means "speed play." Fartlek was the brainchild of Swedish national coach Gosta Holmer in the 1930s. His cross-country and track runners were lagging well behind the rulers of running at the time, Finland. Holmer, desperate to find a way to make his team faster, threw away the stopwatch. He set his runners free in fields and on trails to alter their speed as they saw fit, from fast to very fast --- much like under race conditions.
Success
In a decade the Swedes were trouncing the Finns in track. Specifically, those runners who adapted fartlek training to their regime were excelling. They claimed world records for the 2-mile, 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races, as well as six other events. In 1942, Swedish athlete and fartlek adherent Gunder Hagg demolished 10 world records in seven events in one summer.
The Key
The key to success through fartlek was that the runners sought to reach their highest gear at some point during a workout. For the Swedes, that meant fast and faster. For you it might mean a jog and a pickup stride. Or, it means running and sprinting. By alternating speeds to your level or fitness, you learn how to shift gears. This trains you to call on slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers more easily and more readily than if you remained at one constant speed. Plus, the only way to learn how to run fast is to --- at least occasionally --- run fast.
How to Use It
The best way of running --- or bicycling, or weightlifting, or walking or any other exercise with an aerobic component --- a fartlek workout is to pick specific segments during which to increase effort. In running and cycling you can pick out a telephone pole up ahead and sprint to that pole. Or, increase speed for four telephone poles then ease it back for four. You can also increase effort for periods of time. Run or bike faster for one minute, then relax for two. In weightlifting you can increase the intensity however you want for periods of time as well. The best part is, the time, the effort, and the improvement are all of your making.
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