AFL Off Season Running Program - What is MAS? And how it can help you
In this article I am briefly going to simplify an effective strategy to help you get fitter this off-season.
As a former GWS Giant, now High Performance Coach my goal is to make elite-level coaching accessible to all - not just the pro's.
Continue below to learn more about MAS and how you can incorporate it into your AFL off season running program.
Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) for AFL an off season running program
Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) is more-or-less defined as the slowest speed at which an athlete reaches their V02 max.
It is a measure which can be used to prescribe specific intensities for individuals or groups of athletes for a particular training session.
It is a very common tool used in AFL clubs and high performance coaches on top of RPE.
To determine your Maximal Aerobic Speed, you need to undergo a test such as one seen here:
Source: Walker., O. Science for Sport. Maximal Aerobic Speed (Aug 2017)
Completing one of these tests will give you a measure of your fitness which you can repeat at a later date to track your progress. But it can also be used to determine your MAS which you can use for prescribing intensities of future trainings.
A commonly used test in the AFL, and what I have my athletes undergo in my AFL Training Program, is the 2km time trial. An alternative test that you could undergo is a max effort 6-minute run where you record the distance you travelled in that time.
For this example I will use the 2km time trial:
Take the time it took you to complete the 2km time trial and calculate your MAS by simply converting it into metres/second.
For example:
Your 2km time = 6:45s
To get metres:
2km x 1000m
= 2000m
To get seconds:
6 minutes x 60s = 360s
plus the leftover 45s
= 405s
2000m divided by 405s
= 4.9m/s
Therefore, based on your 2km time trial your MAS is 4.9m/s
Now you can convert this figure into percentages to individualise your training to make it more efficient.
For example 70% of MAS: (4.9m/s x 0.7) = 3.4 m/s
Percentage of MAS | metres per second | |
70% | = | 3.4m/s |
80% | = | 3.9m/s |
90% | = | 4.4m/s |
100% | = | 4.9m/s |
110% | = | 5.4m/s |
120% | = | 5.9m/s |
130% | = | 6.4m/s |
An example of long interval running could be performing 800m at 90% MAS with 4 minutes active recovery x 3. This would mean that the athlete has just over 3 minutes to complete the 800m.
Calculation:
800m divided by 4.4m/s (from the table above) = 181seconds.
181s/60s = 3.03 minutes
An example of short interval running could be an effort of 15 seconds at 110% MAS with 15 seconds passive recovery x 5. This would mean the athlete needs to cover 81m in 15 seconds.
Calculation
5.4m/s x 15s = 81 metres
You can now use your MAS to progress your training over the off/pre-season. There are many ways to progress, but a periodised plan will help get you the best results without overtraining.
Do you want a comprehensive Off-Season Training Program that incorporates MAS running? Click the button below to learn more
The Kicking Consultant aka Josh Growden is a High Performance Manager & expert kicking coach, making elite-level coaching accessible and affordable to all - not just the professionals. He played for the GWS Giants when they first entered the AFL and then became a punter for American Football where he played in front of 100,000 people weekly! He holds a Masters degree in High Performance Sport from the University of Technology Sydney, and a Bachelors degree in Sports Science from Louisiana State University.
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