The TAN RUN as a test for AFL aerobic levels
The TAN is popular with thousands of people and particularly AFL players and sub elite groups and players. But how good a test is it? The myths and legends surrounding it just keep coming. And of course a run around the block will usually give a good indication of who has good aerobic levels. In reality the body doesnt know where it is. It just moves!
But the TAN is a messy run. The Anderson Street Hill, then the downhill slope and in fact the length. Add the fumes. Nice look about it but massive pollution levels.
For scientific purposes a 3km or even better a 2km run is better to do at local level. 2km willl tell you all you need to know if run on an athletics track and allows players to have a crack.
And if you want to be fancy the velocity one runs a 2km in can be useful information for a fitness person to base training on. IE The average speed. Then one can plan aerobic interval training efffectively.
One year I ran the TAN with the Essendon players as a 40 YO ex hammer thrower. Fit of course! Anyway I went hard up the Anderson St hill with some good fit players and hit the wall at the top and crawled home. Terrible time. 4 weeks later we retested and all I did was sit behind Choco Williams. I knew his time from before and waited till 10m from home ( not 20m!) and outsprinted him. 2 minutes faster by just not oercommitting up the hill.
So as a run great for AFL players, but as a test with some useful data no.
Certificate 4 fitness course at Advanced Athletes Performance
The lads have almost finished their Cert 4 PT course. Below are a few images from today. They had to run a few circuits then listened to a Motivational Psychology Lecture from Rudy Pilotto ( Serious Consulting). Rudy was a very good distance runner who now runs a consulting business in OZ and OS. The boys then observed Eric doing some squats outside and the crew from Soul Fresh doing a core strength workout. Thus they had the full range of experiences in the course from taking kids circuits to power lifting to corporate fitness. And they watched Joshua Ross doing starts!
Boys having a break from lectures at Advanced Athletes Performance CERT 4 course
Soul Fresh boys doing a CORE circuit
Georgiana Ruhrig after a session
Squats!
loris bertolacci 