Hello, i’m new to this forum and i’m astounded by the myriad of information. Though i am a sprinter it seems bodybuilding and sprintwork has alot in common. i have found a great workout for sprinters the WS4SB, if anyone disagrees please let me know, but my question is can anyone help with a sprinting workout at the track? i started track last year after never playing a sport and fell in love.i am currently a senior and am training for the 200m and 400m.
Personal best
200m- 23.5
400m- 49.8
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
If you’re trying to get faster you need to train your posterior chain which consists of your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Of course do not forget your calves. Straight leg dead lift and glut ham raises are great for the posterior chain.
i mean i had a track coach during track season but i just got general workouts which familiarized me with running the 400. Thanks man
What i really wanted to know was what to do at the track, like sets of 100m or anything such as that? thanks again.
There is massive amount of workout information freely available and as suggested you should certainly familiarise yourself with the work of Clyde Hart as one of, if not the most, succssful 400m coaches in the world.
I’ll mention here that one of the training decisions you need to make is whether to go from “short to long” or “long to short” and Hart is of the latter school working from greater volume and slower speed rather than developing speed first then building the endurance to maintain it.
One possible consideration in using a volume approach with regard to the 400m is the finding that it is 60/40 anaerobic/aerobic and hence there is reason to ensure that the aerobic system is fully developed.
You also do need to give some thought to how to progress and vary your sessions over the year so that you do not burn out with too many high intensity sessions too early in the year. You do not need to constantly test yourself to destruction.Think about building your capacity over the long term rather than your ability to endure the hardest sessions for the sake of it.
With that in mind a fairly conventional approach to track sessions would include:
Acceleration runs over 30-40m e.g 4 x 30m from blocks bulding up from 4 x 15-20m
Speed over 60-100m e.g 6-8 x 80-100m fast but relaxed with full recovery
Speed Endurance over 150-300m e.g 6 x 150m or 6-8 x 200m or 3 x 300m (about 40 seconds effort)
The above would follow a standard sprint warm up.
You can combine acceleration and speed on one day with acceleration and speed endurance the next with the speed endurance sessions varying between shorter reps on one day and longer reps the next but generally I would not do more than two speed endurance sessions a week.
Your speed endurance might for example develop over the following lines for the shorter reps:
Early in the season 10 x 120m runs at 400m pace with 5 min rest progressing to rests of 2-3 min. As your condition improves increase to 6 x 150m with 5 min rest progressing to 2 min at the same pace. Finally progress to 5-6 x 200m run at race pace.
The above needs to be balanced I think with easier longer runs for aerobic conditioning and recovery. Running cross country or hills is good conditioning and a hill seesion can be incorporated into your weekly routine in early season.
Feel free to use or disregard all the above. The main thing is to inform yourself, consider the information provided and try to devise a plan in which you believe and which is appropriate for your aims and circumstances.
And we know you came here for track workouts, but both heavy and high rep as well as explosive lifts such as the squat (also the box squat) hang clean and hip raise will definitely help you.
Another question plz, i am currently on the WS4SB but i feel one lower body workout day isn’t enough? does anyone agree and if you do what modifications should i make to lift more days to vary my workout schdedule?
That site has articles on workouts from Clyde Hart who someone already mentioned. It also has an article about workouts from Dwayne Miller who coaches LaShawn Merritt, the current #1 in the world at 400m.