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Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard
The biggest dream of every ambitious athlete is to win an Olympic Medal. Healthy Intelligent Training is the ultimate training guide for athletes and their coaches on their way to Olympic Gold. Athletes and coaches find straightforward answers to all training issues such as training intensity, overtraining and nutrition. The successful middle distance training program is based on the proven principles of the outstanding coach Arthur Lydiard.
279 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 28, 2017
I'm currently doing heart rate training with the Train Like A Mother club, and this book provides a fantastic explanation for why heart rate training works! I really enjoyed the chapters on physiology. Understanding what is happening in my body through training and the confidence that results can only solidify the other important piece of training - the mental game. Trust the training. This read was timely for me as the summer temperatures and humidity rise and my pace continues to slow to keep my HR down. Arthur Lydiard was a pioneer. Any serious runner should consider reading this book.
February 13, 2021
As an Athlete I have followed Lydiard principles for years via my Coach but never took the time to read about them myself.
Having done so now it’s reinforced the learning I had already done and given me a much deeper understanding as to the great benefits of this system!
The book itself doesn’t go too deep on science making it an easy read although it condenses a lot of information into its 273 pages and is a lot to take in. For me it’s now the perfect reference manual as I go through my training.
Having done so now it’s reinforced the learning I had already done and given me a much deeper understanding as to the great benefits of this system!
The book itself doesn’t go too deep on science making it an easy read although it condenses a lot of information into its 273 pages and is a lot to take in. For me it’s now the perfect reference manual as I go through my training.
April 5, 2012
Great training information for anyone looking to become a distance runner. Arthur Lydiard is possibly the most well respected and successful running coach of all time. His method is known for a period of building a strong aerobic base that will serve as the foundation for all of the harder more taxing training that will happen after.
Keith does a great job explaining why Lydiard's system works on a physiological level, why the body responds so well to what he suggests and also includes some of the basic training schedules of past champions. Also, he includes some helpful pace training tables for track intervals.
Highly recommended for the more serious runner, I don't think the 10-15 mile a week jogger would get much out of this. The organization of this book frustrated me and for that I deducted a star. Otherwise it was very helpful.
Keith does a great job explaining why Lydiard's system works on a physiological level, why the body responds so well to what he suggests and also includes some of the basic training schedules of past champions. Also, he includes some helpful pace training tables for track intervals.
Highly recommended for the more serious runner, I don't think the 10-15 mile a week jogger would get much out of this. The organization of this book frustrated me and for that I deducted a star. Otherwise it was very helpful.
May 13, 2013
Four stars for the serious runner, three stars for the less serious. A detailed look at effective, intensive training for runners. I believe in most of Lydiard's ideas. The writing had too many "stories" for my taste.
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October 27, 2022basics of lydiard
notes...
Aerobic is king. 100 mpw general benchmark
Sub threshold pushes up capacity
In races when you fatigue you will go to next lower energy system… so need to train each one progressively to max
Hr and lactate curves mirror each other. The threshold is at the inflection point… when rate of increase goes up. Around 4mmol
Or what you can do for about 9-10 miles
Middle distance running is mostly aerobic. 70% for 80, 80% for 1500
(I wonder if /how shoes change this?… make runners more efficient so vo2 max matters less?)
Always looking to minimize “acidosis” in the legs. That is where you can get in to trouble. Necessary closer to season but want to be careful with it early. and also not necessary bc want to build base of pyramid.
To get best vo2 max increase, first aerobic, then vo2 specific. Vo2 is going to be stressful on body. 5k pace is 95% this may be better. Reps of 2-5 min
Aerobic
Threshold
vo2 max - even though this is max aerobic it still counts as anaerobic training for him bc it by definition is using both systems… so puts a good amount of strain or “acidosis” in legs.
Glycolytic - 8/15 pace with long recovery
Alactic (under 10 seconds uses creatine doesn’t accumulate lactate)… sprints can do year round
Other stuff…
Talk about different muscle fibers. Which ones use what fuel stores (type 1 is fat, type 11 is more carbs. Type 11a can be made to be more like type 1. Type 11b is all explosive. Your body will use the lowest level first. Which is why it takes really long runs or hard lifts to get to type 11b. Except! On strong eccentric work you bypass that … hence the benefit of hills and ballistic eccentric gym exercises… train 11b
Weekly hill session , including long reps. This actually reminds me of the jerry fall program, they work up to 600 m hills
Specific hill running drills/form … steep hill running, bounding, springing
Remember that lifting is helpful but also going to tire you, if not getting adequate rest between reps or taking too long to get through a set you’re also building up lactate. (I definitely saw this in Jan/feb when gym felt like a workout.) Good to do just need to also account for that energy and be smart with it.
Deadlifts is great running exercise. Used all
Muscles in the way you use them while running (lengthening)
Point of this is if you can lengthen stride, cover more distance with same cadence, you will run faster.
Heart rate reserve vs heart rate.
Lowered resting hr is a sign of increased work capacity. Threshold will be around 85% hrr, 60-75% hrr is aerobic work
Specific layout base training
2x week at 3/4 effort around 160. Plus one fartlek
Vo2 max work Start about 9 -12 weeks out. Increased ability to buffer acids
Glycolitic is final few weeks
No gels on long runs bc point is efficient at using fatty acid
Need more water to use glycogen… marathoners might be heavier in days before marathon
notes...
Aerobic is king. 100 mpw general benchmark
Sub threshold pushes up capacity
In races when you fatigue you will go to next lower energy system… so need to train each one progressively to max
Hr and lactate curves mirror each other. The threshold is at the inflection point… when rate of increase goes up. Around 4mmol
Or what you can do for about 9-10 miles
Middle distance running is mostly aerobic. 70% for 80, 80% for 1500
(I wonder if /how shoes change this?… make runners more efficient so vo2 max matters less?)
Always looking to minimize “acidosis” in the legs. That is where you can get in to trouble. Necessary closer to season but want to be careful with it early. and also not necessary bc want to build base of pyramid.
To get best vo2 max increase, first aerobic, then vo2 specific. Vo2 is going to be stressful on body. 5k pace is 95% this may be better. Reps of 2-5 min
Aerobic
Threshold
vo2 max - even though this is max aerobic it still counts as anaerobic training for him bc it by definition is using both systems… so puts a good amount of strain or “acidosis” in legs.
Glycolytic - 8/15 pace with long recovery
Alactic (under 10 seconds uses creatine doesn’t accumulate lactate)… sprints can do year round
Other stuff…
Talk about different muscle fibers. Which ones use what fuel stores (type 1 is fat, type 11 is more carbs. Type 11a can be made to be more like type 1. Type 11b is all explosive. Your body will use the lowest level first. Which is why it takes really long runs or hard lifts to get to type 11b. Except! On strong eccentric work you bypass that … hence the benefit of hills and ballistic eccentric gym exercises… train 11b
Weekly hill session , including long reps. This actually reminds me of the jerry fall program, they work up to 600 m hills
Specific hill running drills/form … steep hill running, bounding, springing
Remember that lifting is helpful but also going to tire you, if not getting adequate rest between reps or taking too long to get through a set you’re also building up lactate. (I definitely saw this in Jan/feb when gym felt like a workout.) Good to do just need to also account for that energy and be smart with it.
Deadlifts is great running exercise. Used all
Muscles in the way you use them while running (lengthening)
Point of this is if you can lengthen stride, cover more distance with same cadence, you will run faster.
Heart rate reserve vs heart rate.
Lowered resting hr is a sign of increased work capacity. Threshold will be around 85% hrr, 60-75% hrr is aerobic work
Specific layout base training
2x week at 3/4 effort around 160. Plus one fartlek
Vo2 max work Start about 9 -12 weeks out. Increased ability to buffer acids
Glycolitic is final few weeks
No gels on long runs bc point is efficient at using fatty acid
Need more water to use glycogen… marathoners might be heavier in days before marathon
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 9, 2024"Healthy Intelligent Training" by Keith Livingstone is a great successor to the legacy of the great Kiwi coach Arthur Lydiard, the Runner's World Coach of the Century. Coach Lydiard's theory preferred fractions to explain effort during base building, but the science has since quantified it, and a percentage of heart rate reserve is a plus for those prone to push too hard. Funny drawings are a plus!
-Patron S.N.
-Patron S.N.
August 18, 2024
For anyone that wants additional information on understanding the Lydiard method, I found the book to be a good read. I feel like it’s at times it us geared more to elite athletes, and I wish I could find more books that help me understand how to coach middle schoolers for cross-country, but some of its basic principles will help any runner.
April 14, 2025
Good but not great. The training principal were covered well, but some of the stories went a bit too under for my liking
January 30, 2012
Great read. Aerobic development is where it's at and this books describes how some of the best ever used it to win Olympic gold and set world records.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews