Speed, Need to get faster? Read this!

[Wenger]

If you intend to improve your performance on a football pitch, forget all these 5 km runs, and focus on interval training instead. You need to focus on fast recovery and explositivity, neither comes from long runs. Before the season starts, or when you are totally out of shape, long runs may be the way to gain some basic strenght though. Otherwise, you need training similar to playing games (if you are one of the walking players this do not go for you). Example of training might be an interval of runs, i.e. speed over the full pitch - jog half pitch - speed half - jog half - speed half,,, and over again. Do 4-5 sets increase to 2 times as you get fit. When you are getting fitter I suggest you make the runs even shorter and with less rest in between. My favorite is the"idiot" where you run 4 different distances, the longest being just 40 meters, in full speed. The shorter the runs and higher the intesity you must listen to your body. Slow down and lenghten the runs as you get signs of overtraining. Do not forget that your body need the right input of nutrients to gain and recover from hard exercise (you can read more under that topic). If you are one of the athlets doing multi sports on daily basis, sorry, but hardly you will gain and recover from all, likely you will take a step backwars instead. / Wenger

[Hardcore]

I can confirm that intervall training has its benefits over long cardio sessions. In fact it has so many benefits I've long time ago switched to intervall sessions and my fitness has greatly improved as well as my body composition. Good article, Wenger.