David
I am 62 and an active participant in the USATF Masters Division normally running middle distance events. I compete as a member of the SoCal track Club and most recently won a silver medal in the 4 x 800 relay at the National Masters Indoor Meet in Boston in March 2014. Longer term, I am interested in running shorter, sprint distances and started working with Jacques DeVore at Sirens &Titans Fitness, since April 2014, to improve my speed and power and am very pleased with the results in the six months of training.
Jacques and his team understand my objectives and have developed a program designed to achieve them. S&TF does not promote a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. Individual attention is a hallmark of the S&TF approach and method. Right now my weekly regime consists of three 30 minute VersaClimber cardiovascular sessions, and two or three 45 minute Elite Workouts consisting of strength and power training sessions for upper body, legs and core.
The VersaClimber sessions include about four or five different routines that are rotated over a two week cycle and provide an intense, non-impact cardiovascular workout that, depending on the routine, emphasize aerobic or anaerobic development or both. They are a great supplement to the 3 days of actual running/road work I do. There is no question that my anaerobic fitness has improved as a result of the VersaClimber workouts and without the pounding of actual road work.
The Elite sessions cover strength, power, flexibility and stability and pack a lot of work into 45 minutes. Jacques has state of the art knowledge of the physiology of exercise and fitnessand understands the difference between speed and power and the importance of both. As well, we are constantly working on stability and flexibility as those provide the foundation for strength and power. Not surprisingly, both my gross strength and my power have noticeably improved since I started these workouts. Again, the workouts are individually designed, and Jacques and Coach Rob Robinson pay careful attention to technique and mechanics in the performance of the exercises.
Finally, Jacques understands the importance of appropriate and adequate rest and recovery in the training regime, particularly for older athletes. Yes, I admit I am an “older” athlete. Significantly, I have not lost any time to injury or over-training as a result of any work at S&TF.
David W.
USATF Masters Division Runner
