Training Splits for Athletes

What training split is the most effective for an athlete in the off-season?

A lot of people are big fans of WS4SB, and so am I, but why just stick to one style of training. I was reading through Polquin’s articles, and he says he trains top level athletes, on bodypart splits.

What is more effective for someone looking to get faster?

Surely not every fast athlete is training WS4SB!

[quote]OooahhhCANTONA wrote:
What is more effective for someone looking to get faster?
[/quote]

What are the fastest guys out there doing? Probably not bodypart splits. In fact, weights probably aren’t the main component of their training but instead a supplemental factor.

prob push/pull splits because they are more functional imo than upper/lower and bodypart splits. i do push/off/pull/off/cardio/off repeat. do plyos on cardio day and power cleans on pull day. thats what im doing

What kind of athelete? How long is the off season? Where are the imbalances? How about micro-injuries? . . . . The list goes on.

There are a lot variables. I remeber CP writing an article that once he understood he had a hockey enforcer with tragically weak External Rotators - that focus help construct an off season program that put 22lbs of lean mass on 1 guy in 12 weeks.

Strength training is certainly supplimental unless you are an O Lifter or Powerlifiting guy.

For a 100/200m sprinter. About 2 months till my first race of the season.

I am going along with WS4SB at the moment.

Monday- MAX-EFFORT UPPER

Tuesday- MAX-EFFORT LOWER

Thursday- REPETITION UPPER

SPEED DAY:

PLYOS- Sets of vertical jumps OR broad jumps.
Some stuff to add in- bounds,heidens,high-knee skips,power skip thirds.

ACCELERATION WORK- Flying 30s/50s,Push-ups into starts.

Short sprints not exceeding 60m.

ENDURANCE DAY:

Thinking of doing runs in the region of 120-180m for now, just not sure on the volume needed?

What are you best times in the 100m and 200m? What are your current strength levels? Vertical jump? How old are you? How long have you been training?

If Getting faster was my only goal, I’d do something like this:

M - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
T - Tempo Runs + abs
W - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
T - Tempo Runs + abs
F - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
S - Tempo Runs + abs
S - Off

[quote]duck_dodger23 wrote:
What are you best times in the 100m and 200m? What are your current strength levels? Vertical jump? How old are you? How long have you been training?[/quote]

I haven’t ran competed in either the 100 or 200 for several months. After leaving high school, I just lifted heavy weights and had no real aim in sports.

Now I’ve got back to training for track.

At school my fastest 100m was 11.57, aged 16 (now 17).
And fastest 200 was around 23.00.

I’m looking to get around 11.1 to 11.3 in the next couple of months.

Squat- 310lbs+
Bench- 285lbs
Deadlift- 385lbs, most probably pushing on 400lbs now

Vertical jump- Never tested, but now I’ve heard americans saying about it, am gonna give it a go

Years training- 3/4 years, the last 8-12 months smart though, before that just max benching everyday and some deadlifts. Like a lot of beginners I didn’t have a clue.

[quote]vision1 wrote:
If Getting faster was my only goal, I’d do something like this:

M - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
T - Tempo Runs + abs
W - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
T - Tempo Runs + abs
F - Sprints + Jumps/throws + Fullbody weights
S - Tempo Runs + abs
S - Off[/quote]

The reason I go with 2 Upper body sessions, and 1 lower body is for recovery. So I get a rest from training Upper and lower all the time.

Also I don’t think I could give these sessions my all, training 6 days in a row.

What do you suggest for tempo runs?

Yeah, that’s way too much running. For pure speed you probably don’t need more than about 3 sprint days per week.

How you setup your training is a very personal thing, some people fail to see, that total body vs bodypart in athletics is insignificant, it’s what allows you to make YOUR body stronger the fastest. If squatting once a week does that for you then by all means, do it. However, IMO most people are best off on a upper/lower or push/pull split of some sort.

just my 2cents

Tempo runs aid for recovery.

It’s the basic template you’ll find that Charlie Francis gives to his Sprinters

Charlie Francis is also there to personally monitor his athletes’ form. If you don’t have Charlie Francis there, you’ll probably end up doing too much.

I have to say, i think 6 is over-the top, more is not better. Only better is better.

I don’t think I’ll be running good times, if training on a fullbody split as well. As training legs on 3 different days, along with running is a difficult task.

What do people suggest for non-speed days?

Hey, go out and measure your standing long jump and your standing triple jump and let us know how it is.

Judging from your times I’m guessing accel is your weakness?

Program wise, check out CharlieFrancis.com to get an idea of what your speed work should be like.

A weekly program for you should prolly look something like this:

M: accell (very low volume on the sprints, try to AUTOREG and cut the session when your time starts going up), heavy squats (something like 2-4 sets of 2-3 reps @ 265 - 290 depending on how you feel), bench 5 x 5 @ 80%

T: Tempo runs (10-12 runs 100-200m @ 65-70% with short rests and abs between reps, run on a soft surface and with good form), then go in the gym and do some sort of accessory strength circuit for 12 - 15 min. stuff like Rev hyper, GHR, Lat pulldown, Sh raise, arm stuff…doesn’t really matter just keep moving and keep it low intensity

W: jumps, bounds,med ball throws, top speed work (once again low vol high intensity on speed work)

T: off but do some very light cardio then stretching or something

F: repeat monday

S: repeat tuesday

S: off

This should get you started but get some of charlie’s stuff. also check out elitetrack.com there is good stuff over there. keep us updated on your progress

though, the best thing would prolly be to get with a GOOD coach in your area, what part of england are you from?

You guys are making this something it’s not. The tempo runs aid with recovery, they’re no worse than having days off. There are 3 hi intensity days, and 3 low intensity days. The weights on the hi days are kept to a minimal, the focus is on sprinting. You could do something like 3x3 of Clean, Squat, Bench going fairly light on all of them.

EDIT: If you only goal is to get faster, I really don’t see a need to dedicate 2 days to only upperbody training.

You could also use this set up(which gives you more days off):

M - Speed + Lower weights
T - Upper + Tempo Runs
W - off
T - Speed + Lower weights
F - Upper + Tempo Runs
S - off
S - off

[quote]duck_dodger23 wrote:
Hey, go out and measure your standing long jump and your standing triple jump and let us know how it is.

Judging from your times I’m guessing accel is your weakness?

Program wise, check out CharlieFrancis.com to get an idea of what your speed work should be like.

A weekly program for you should prolly look something like this:

M: accell (very low volume on the sprints, try to AUTOREG and cut the session when your time starts going up), heavy squats (something like 2-4 sets of 2-3 reps @ 265 - 290 depending on how you feel), bench 5 x 5 @ 80%

T: Tempo runs (10-12 runs 100-200m @ 65-70% with short rests and abs between reps, run on a soft surface and with good form), then go in the gym and do some sort of accessory strength circuit for 12 - 15 min. stuff like Rev hyper, GHR, Lat pulldown, Sh raise, arm stuff…doesn’t really matter just keep moving and keep it low intensity

W: jumps, bounds,med ball throws, top speed work (once again low vol high intensity on speed work)

T: off but do some very light cardio then stretching or something

F: repeat monday

S: repeat tuesday

S: off

This should get you started but get some of charlie’s stuff. also check out elitetrack.com there is good stuff over there. keep us updated on your progress

though, the best thing would prolly be to get with a GOOD coach in your area, what part of england are you from?
[/quote]

I’m going the track tomorrow morning, so I’ll test my standing long jump, not running long jump?

Ye, acceleration is my problem. So on my speed days, I’ll be concentrating on beating my 10-60m times, each session.

Thanks for that site as well.

Track athletes unite!
What do you guys think my training is like for GPP? I’m 5’5" 135 pounds and 16 years old. My open sprint PRs: 12.35 100m, 7.72FAT 55m indoor. I’m mainly a hurdler though but I’m better in the open sprints. That’s why I’m spending the entire offseason on hurdles.

Basically High Hurdle work to prepare me for indoor. And the weights and the high volume of tempo will develop total body fitness. This will help me in the 4x400 and 4x200 relays as well as preparing myself for the 400mh in outdoor.

Day 1 - Hurdle Start, rest, ME Lower
Day 2 - 5(4x200), rest, DE Upper
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Hurdle Start, 3x120 DE Lower
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6 - 2(10x200), rest, ME Upper
Day 7 - Rest

Day 2+6 extensive tempo
Day 4 - speed endurance

My speed endurance will progress into one extra 120m every week. Then it would be like 2(3x120) once it passes 5.

Hey vision, any suggestions?

Nice of you to join!

Maybe we can a sprinter’s owns ection, if some more join.

I forgot to say before, I live in the North east of England, nr Middlesbrough, about 50mins south of Newcastle, and 50mins north of Leeds.

I can’t help you specifically for track, cause I don’t have the experience.

In terms of how the overall week is laid out, it looks good to me. It seems you’ll have enough recovery.

How is the weightlifting part of the day setup?