Fartlek

Fartlek

This type of training was designed by the Swedish Gösta Holmér, yet the most common type of fartlek is the polish fartlek which is more time oriented than the usual fartlek. Fartlek means speed play, so speed changes are basically what make this training. Aerobic and anaerobic exercise is performed during fartlek which means that strength, as well as resistance, are needed and used. A good physical state is quickly achieved by doing this training and if you are a beginner, or you do not tend to do much exercise, you should probably avoid this sport because of two reasons; one, is that your body will be very much massacred by it and second, as a consequence of the previous reason, you might get injured, which obviously is not good. You may go do fartlek being a beginner in sports, yet if that is the case you should have a trainer. A fartlek trainer. Having a football trainer teaching you how to swim just does not sound right - I think.

Two most popular fartlek types are:

· Fartlek (original Swedish)

· Polish fartlek

The difference between both, as previously mentioned, is really simple and basic. For instance in running, fartlek varies speed basically when you feel it to be the right moment; one day you may do 15 sprints yet the next day you may do 12 or 20; whereas polish fartlek, being based on times, has a definite amount of sprints; so if you run one hour daily and you sprint every 5 minutes for 30 seconds – having obviously a timer with you – then you will be doing 12 sprints during and hour, and this will not change the next day – unless you have different timetables for every day of the week or something alike.

Fartlek is not just for running, although it is much more performed with that specific sport. Fartlek may be done with, perhaps, any sport; or at least most of them. I, personally, find cycling fartlek to be very demanding and fun having not just various terrains where to go with various grades (slope), but you may also use the shifter not to make it easier and faster for you to travel, but to turn it into a strength exercise.

Possibilities for fartlek are virtually endless, so pick the exercise you like and make it better and more complete adding fartlek to it.