Autumn is already in full swing, and skiers are starting to look ahead to the upcoming competition season – Team Edux’s Lauri Mannila shares his September training tip to sharpen form.

Maastohiihto.com’s and Team Edux’s training tips continue now with a September workout, provided by Lauri Mannila, who achieved great success in summer roller ski races.

The September training tip is a hard intensity workout that Lauri Mannila is doing several times this autumn. Below is Lauri’s favorite session in his own words:

“As the racing season approaches, it’s important to do demanding VO2max workouts, and here’s one that I’ve been doing and will continue to do throughout the autumn. The session can be performed with almost any training method, but I personally prefer to use the SkiErg for this workout,” Mannila says to Maastohiihto.com.

Warm-up: 30–45 minutes, starting at easy endurance (Zone 1) and finishing at threshold endurance (Zone 3).

Intervals: 3–4 × 10’ (40”/20”), recovery between sets 4 minutes.

“So, 3–4 times 10 minutes, with 40 seconds of hard effort—already above the anaerobic threshold right from the start—followed by 20 seconds of relaxed, light work that allows partial recovery but keeps the metabolism high. After completing 10 × 40”/20”, take a relatively long 4-minute set recovery, during which it’s good to keep moving lightly to flush out lactate before the next set.”

“The key here is to make sure the pace doesn’t fade, but by the end, breathing should be at a very high level. I like this workout because it really stresses oxygen uptake from the very beginning. The session is also well-suited for pole-running uphill, running, or roller skiing with any technique.”

Lauri’s September training tip is quite similar to a workout favored by Mattias Reck. Read more about that here – Mattias Reck: “I coach skiers the same way I coach cyclists”

Also Read: Lauri Mannila – from sprint skier to long-distance podium contender?

Are you interested in training for long-distance, traditional cross-country skiing, and biathlon? Click HERE and read more about it.