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Optimizing Sprint Training

February 26, 2018 by

This post was provided by Complete Track and Field , a collection of great resources for coaches

How can high school coaches optimize the training of the sprinters in their program?

By Latif Thomas

“It depends.”

It’s the empty, but honest answer to nearly every training question I get from high school coaches about optimizing program design for their high school sprinters.

The reality is:

What you do at tomorrow’s practice doesn’t matter nearly as much as WHY you’re doing it and HOW you implement it.

We’ll go in circles forever if we go down the path of “What if…” so in this article I’m taking a slightly different approach.

Imagine you’re sitting at your computer planning your workouts/practices for the upcoming week. You schedule your standard speed related day for Monday.

So your biggest question now becomes:

What exactly should I do on Tuesday?

If your brain immediately blurted out ‘extensive tempo’ or ‘recovery’, keep reading.

Because I think you’re wrong.

 And I think I can sway you to my point of view.

In this three part series, I’ll tell you WHY you should change your approach. And show you exactly HOW to do it.

And I’ll give you three practice session formats you should be using if you want to design and administer more efficient and effective workouts for your athletes, especially if you coach large groups and/or multiple event groups at once.

Here in Part 1, we’re digging into…

 

Training Deeper In The Same Pool

 

Training deeper in the same pool means incorporating back to back sessions of high neuromuscular demand with the first being “lighter” and the second being more challenging. (It can also be for low neuromuscular demand type sessions, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.)

“OH OH But Latif! You can’t do back to back”

STOP.

I know what you might be frantic to remind me:

“Hard day Monday. Recovery day Tuesday. Everybody knows it takes 48-72 hours to recover from a CNS session. You’re going to injure your whole team doing that! What are you some sort of moron?” 

Mmmmm.

Nah.

Your ice cold take is #FakeNews though.

I don’t want to trigger you so early in my article, but here’s why you absolutely should be doing back to back neuro days…

Your sprinters are not good sprinters.

What I mean is…

…they’re bad at sprinting.

I didn’t say they don’t run fast. They’re just mostly bad at expressing the skill of sprinting so they’re not running as fast as they could be.

oops.

And if you don’t coach freaks you need to build technically proficient sprinters if you want to overperform from the top of your depth chart to the bottom.

In order to reach a level of skill acquisition where they can actualize (execute accurately in any environment) proper mechanics in competition, young sprinters need more frequent doses of specific work, but in lower volumes.

This approach is the most efficient means of helping them develop skill and, therefore, running faster times.

Training deeper in the same pool allows a ‘reset’ between sessions. This maximizes the number of practice opportunities you can facilitate in a given time period while minimizing the counterproductive technical deterioration resulting from, among other things, trying to jam too many activities into single training session.

In other words:

If you want them to get faster and express that speed consistently, they need to practice sprinting related activities as often as possible.

Training deeper in the same pool allows you to use Monday to set up Tuesday. In a ‘kind-of-but-not-really’ sort of way, you might consider it similar in concept to post activation potentiation. Just over multiple days.

Each individual session contains lower volume than they would following the traditional ‘hard, easy’ format. However, the quality of the work and the power output of each effort becomes significantly enhanced utilizing this format.

Additionally, it’s much less likely you’ll have to scrap plyos or parts of the weight room as often occurs on days where the practice runs long and you run out of time.

This format makes a great deal of sense when working with low skill teenagers.

But, let’s say you’re a proud dinosaur of the late ’10×400 is a viable practice option’ era and still setting up your week something like:

M: Neural
T: Tempo
W: General or Tempo
TH: Neural
F: Tempo or General
SA: Neural or Tempo
SU: Off

Well, here’s the fatal flaw in your design and administration:

After  trying to teach the skill of sprinting on Monday, they’re not seeing it again for 72 hours. And if you went “acceleration” on Monday and “Vmax” on Thursday, what are you doing Saturday?

Speed endurance?

Well, now they’re performing all efforts under a state of fatigue. So how does that teach *sprinters* how to *sprint*? (It doesn’t.)

Sprinting is a specific and technically demanding SKILL.

Sprinting is not fast running. Sprinting is not running fast.

If the foundation of your sprints training program builds on multiple days between administering specific work in practice, you’re simply not giving your sprinters enough opportunities to practice and develop sprint specific coordination, otherwise known as *skill*.

I mean you can do it, but you’ll likely arrive at faulty conclusions as to why your sprinters fall apart at the end of their races.

Let’s take a look at how you might set this up within your program and I’ll break it after the example below.

 

training themes for sprinters

Click on the image for more information.

 

Fundamentally, every unit within Monday’s practice is meant to be compatible with the other activities within the session. Not only is the goal to build upon the previous unit within the session, but compliment the ‘deeper’ activity in the equivalent part of Tuesday’s practice.

Tuesday activities are progressions from Monday in terms of volume, intensity, complexity, and specificity.

All of this is explained to my sprinters, continuously.

You must constantly remind your sprinters what the objective of practice is or they are only doing mindless exercise.

Telling a kid that a hex bar deadlift should be executed like the initial movement of a start helps them tie together how the track work and weightroom work assist each other.

Hex bar deadlift becomes an opportunity to practice more starts. And when doing starts, they understand they need to push/pull with the same intensity as when they have to move all that weight during the deadlift.

This is how kids can learn to transfer strength and power activities directly to the track instead of just being strong in the weight room without it specifically improving performance on the track.

Let’s break down the specific session units from the above image, but without going neck deep into the weeds. There are other places for that.

 

1. The warmup on both days follows an acceleration theme. So we’ll probably do the same thing both days. But, as I’m cueing, explaining, and correcting different activities, I’ll talk about them in context of the activities for that day.

2. Ultimately, these are extensions of the warmup. But, both set up the main session.

3. Monday, we’ll use an ‘acceleration complex’ consisting of three different drills (anything that isn’t the specific activity/whole movement) to teach elements of acceleration and finish with 3 pushes/steps of the whole activity to start to ‘put it together’ and overview the objective of Tuesday’s practice.

4. Monday: MultiThrow for power and coordination. Tuesday: Horiztontal multijumps/plyos because the are compatible with the theme of the day.

5. Monday: Partial and foundational activities, similar to the theme of the session. Tuesday: Olympic lifts are in quotes because we mostly don’t do them (for facility and equipment limitations, not philosophical). Older kids might deadlift with a staggered stance because it is similar to their blocks set up.

So those are the fundamentals of training deeper in the same pool.

If you’re not utilizing this type of practice set up in your program, consider playing with it. I have gotten great results since I began doing this 6 or 7 years ago.

If you’re already doing it, the next level is to get even more specific in terms of how compatible and complimentary you are with your exercise selection, as well as the clarity in which you explain to your athletes ‘why’ they’re doing each activity, even the most mundane.

 

Click here to read Part II: Training Shallower in the Same Pool

In it, I dig deeper into exercise/activity selection using max velocity/top end speed during Special Prep as the example.

Kids are more likely to get hurt in those types of sessions so it’s important to understand why these injuries occur, as well as how to get athletes out of the training room and back onto the track when they do happen.

My athletes rarely miss time due to shin splints, ankle/foot problems, hamstrings, adductors and/or hip flexors (commonly referred to as the ‘groin’), etc., despite the fact that I utilize back to back speed days throughout the year…

…and spend 1/2 of the entire combined indoor/outdoor season stuck inside a high school a hallway.

 

If you are interested in a comprehensive sprint training program I recommend that you check Latif ‘s Complete Speed Training 3 Program


Filed Under: Sprints

Speed Work

February 6, 2018 by

Speed work is important whether you are a sprinter or distance runner. Athletes need to be able to run fast when they are tired. Here is a speed drill from Baylor’s Clyde Hart that can be used for your sprinters as well as your middle and long distance runners.

Coach Hart is currently the Director of Track and Field at Baylor University and has coached multiple Olympic Gold Medalist, including the the legendary Michael Johnson. In the clip below, from a recent Glazier Track and Field Clinic, Coach Hart shares one of his favorite speed work drills.

This drill is done on a football field and is executed as follows. The athletes will begin in the end zone running as slow as possible parallel to the goal line. Once the reach the hash marks, they will turn and sprint full speed to the 60-yard line and then “swing down” from the 60-yard line to the goal line.  The “swing down” phase simple means to gradually slow down. Coach Hart instructs his athletes to quit swinging their arms as he believes this gets them to slow down more appropriately. The athletes will now run very slowly parallel to the goal line. When the reach the hash marks, they will turn and sprint to the 60-yard line and then “swing down” from their to the goal line. He typically has his sprinters run two continuous laps in this fashion to complete a set. He might ask his sprinters to complete two sets with a five minute rest between. He adjusts the workout to include additional laps and or sets for his distance runners.

In one variation of this drill, he has his athletes complete the first  two lap set just as described above (60-yards sprint, 40-yard swing down). The second set, however, is executed as follows. The first sprint 60 yards/40-yard swing down. The second sprint is 70 yards. The third sprint is 80 yards and the fourth is 90 yards. This is a continuous drill. The athlete should not stop until two laps have been completed. Coach Hart typically cuts the rest time between sets to 3 minutes in this variation.

If you are interested in gaining access to Coach Hart’s entire presentation, as well as hundreds of other great clinic presentations, click the link Glazier Track and Field Clinics. 

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned up and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools block access to YouTube.

 


Filed Under: Sprints

Fundamental Hurdling Drills

January 18, 2018 by

When is the last time you coached a successful hurdler? Are you having trouble getting your beginning hurdlers to 3-step? Here are three drills that will get you headed in the right direction with your hurdlers.

The following post is provided by our friend Hector Cotto

Hello, my name is Hector Cotto, and I am a Track & Field coach specializing in the sprint-hurdles.

I was once a star athlete myself. I ran 7.46s in the 55h as a senior earned myself a college scholarship and rode that success all the way to the Olympic Games. Now my only objective is to teach thousands how to hurdle so that I can see a day when it takes 13.99s to make the Conference Final.

It is my firm belief that every single city in the USA has at least 10 athletes that can run 13.99 seconds in the 110m hurdles. No need to debate whether you think it can be done, instead I will get to work on showing you the many many ways you can improve this week.

Here are 3 critical drills to help you train your hurdlers

Cycle Drill

Cycle Ladder Drill

Jammed Hurdling

What will the Cycle Drill do for your hurdlers?

  • build confidence in clearing hurdles.
  • develop the basic 3step rhythm
  • ingrain good habits when clearing hurdles
  • break the bad habit of opening the hips
  • break the bad habit of kicking the lead-leg forward
  • break the bad habit of bringing the trail-leg wide
  • ingrain the good habit of SWINGING the arms over the hurdles

Cycle Ladder Drill – Key Coaching Points

  • Pump the arms
  • Legs are cycling up to the hips and back to the ground
  • Keep a forward lean
  • The trail leg should be driving down into the ground ( it will feel like it is landing next the the lead leg and that is ok)
  • Set 4 hurdles  with increasing distance between them ( 11ft-13ft-15ft-17ft)
  • Once the athlete can 3 step those four, remove the fists hurdle and place one at the end that is 19ft apart.
  • Continue removing the first hurdle (once the can 3 step all four) and adding one at the end that is 2ft further apart than the previous hurdle. Continue in this fashion until you have the hurdles  race distance apart.

Jammed Hurdling – Set Up

  • Place the first hurdle at the normal mark for the athlete’s race
  • Place the second hurdle 4ft closer that its normal mark
  • Pace the third hurdle 8 ft closer than its normal mark
  • Place the fourth hurdle 12 ft closer than its normal mark
  • Place the fifth hurdle 16ft closer than its normal mark
  • Once the athlete is running over hurdles with rhythm and speed at  this distance , adjust the hurdles to 3ft apart (place the 2nd hurdle 3ft closer than normal mark, 3rd- 6ft closer than mark, 4th – 9ft closer , 5th – 12 ft closer)
  • You can continue in this fashion until you have the running smoothly over hurdles at race distance

These clips are just a samples from Coach Cotto’s  online training courses.

If you are interested in more opportunities to learn from Coach Cotto, he has these two hurdling courses available.  You can find out more about each by clicking the links below:

The Sprint Hurdles System–Developing Beginning Hurdlers

The Complete Course on Hurdling

The YouTube videos below have audio, so please make sure that your volume is turned up and that you have access to the site.  Some schools block access to YouTube.

The Cycle Drill

Cycle Hurdle Drill

Jammed Hurdling

 


Filed Under: Sprints

Drills to Develop Speed

January 8, 2018 by

If you need to ideas to help develop speed and power in sprints, relays and hurdles check out these tips from Joey Woody, University of Iowa director of track and field/cross country

In the three clips below Coach Woody demonstrates several drills that he utilizes to develop technique, speed and power for sprints, relays and hurdles.

In the first video Coach Woody explains the following drills:

  1. Ankle Hops – The athlete will stand facing forward with the knees slightly bent. He will then explode up off the track with his toes dorsiflexed (pointing up). This helps to prepare the athlete for a good foot strike
  2. Acceleration A March – focus on swinging the leg from the hip and keeping the knee in front. The athlete should have 90-degree angles at the ankle, knee,hip and elbows.
  3. Acceleration A Skip – The athlete should swing the leg from the hip and drive it straight down. He should focus force application down as fast and hard as possible.

In the second video Coach Woody demonstrates  three dynamic jumping exercises

  1.   Hurdle Maze – Here the athlete will focus on both on jumping forward and laterally. He will jump forward over a mini-hurdle and then laterally over one to his left. Then quickly forward over a mini-hurdle and then laterally to the left. Finally he will jump forward over a mini-hurdle. The athlete should focus on bringing his knee high towards the chest.
  2. Higher Hurdle Maze- Do not advance athletes to this drill until they demonstrate good landing technique and and body control at the lower hurdle height.
  3. Forward Hurdle Hops with a Pause – Using medium hurdles places about three feet apart the athlete will start in a quarter squat position and jump up and over the first hurdle. After landing properly, the athlete will pause and the jump the next hurdle.

In the third video discusses a form mechanic drill that call the Acceleration Line Drill. This drill focuses on using the proper mechanics and applying the foot properly so that the athlete will have the necessary rhythm as he moves down the track.

These drills come from Coach Woody’s instructional DVD entitled Developing Speed and Power for Sprints, Relays and Hurdles. For more information about that DVD simply click the link.

The YouTube videos below have audio, so please make sure that your volume is turned up and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools may block access to YouTube.

 


Filed Under: relays, Sprints

Speed Training

December 29, 2017 by

This article was provided by Training-Conditioning

The 60-yard sprint is a great way to measure speed and assess running mechanics. Longer than most typical sprints, it challenges athletes in different ways and will help you identify where their running needs to improve.

The following tips from Nick Brattain in a blog for the International Youth Conditioning Association, outline how to get the most out of this exercise.

Front Side Mechanics

Many athletes lack proper front side mechanics when they get into an upright running position. Front side mechanics refers to the movements that occur in front of the body during running, which includes the knee driving up and down, as well as the arm swinging in front of the body. More time is spent in the upright position during the 60-yard sprint compared with other shorter sprints. Therefore, coaches need to take time during training to help athletes perfect these important mechanics.

“As the athlete transitions from the acceleration phase into the upright position there is a lot of room for error,” writes Brattain, a former All-American track athlete and current owner of Brattain Sports Performance. “The body, from shoulder to hip, should move as one unit from the forward, acceleration posture into more of an upright position. There should be very little to no flexion or extension within the spine through this transition.”

Poor transition into the upright position can result in improper balance and tilt in the hips. This can limit the knee’s ability to drive and reposition, which will in turn limit the amount of force an athlete can exert with each stride. Athletes should also avoid rotating their hips from side to side as they plant each foot. This will put excessive force and stress on the hips and lower spine.

Supportive Strength

Athletes will need to build the necessary strength in order to maximize their linear sprinting ability. Some athletes are more agility based and will have a tougher time sprinting in a straight line for 60 yards. Consider the sport and position of each athlete, and identify the muscles they will need to strengthen in order to improve their running mechanics. If they have muscular weaknesses, their sprinting will suffer.

“These muscular weaknesses manifest themselves in improper movement patterns such as lack of extension at the hip, knee, or ankle, internal or external rotation at the hip following toe off, or rotation in the hips as the approach foot contacts the ground,” writes Brittain. “Each of these issues can be addressed and resolved with proper strength and technical training.”

Speed Endurance

Especially with a longer run like the 60-yard sprint, many athletes lack the endurance to finish the sprint strong or do multiple reps. Sprint endurance refers to an athlete’s ability to reach maximum velocity and maintain it for a set period of time before decelerating. Ideally, athletes will be able to maintain maximum velocity until the end of the sprint and then continue to do this for multiple reps. But it usually takes some work to get there.

Improving speed endurance doesn’t require running long distances. On the contrary, athletes should focus on running distances less than 30 meters at maximum speed. To train for the 60-yard sprint, have athletes run 20-40 yards through 4-10 reps. Also consider having them do reps while holding a PVC pipe over head to promote proper posture and front side mechanics. With the right training, your athletes will be able to run faster and maintain max speed for longer


Filed Under: Sprints

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