How to use this manual

This ebook consists of a number of chapters that you can easily access using thebookmarks function in Adobe Acrobat Reader/ Or Adobe Ebook reader. Pleasesee our diagram below that shows the bookmarks on the left panel.

As you read the book, you will see questions in plain non bolded text. CharlieFrancis will appear in bold text (bold).

*Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, and Ebook Reader are copywrite Adobe Systems Inc.

Introduction

When the original forum started, we had no idea where it might go. What questions might beasked, if, indeed, after such a prolonged absence, there would be questions at all?

For a while, the answer remained unclear, with only 52 hits in the first month. The second month’s1650 hits showed promise, but things began to roll in the third, today we are overwhelmed with18,000 visitors per month..

We did no promotional advertising and relied on nothing more than word of mouth, nonetheless,word went out and in less than a year the site was straining at the limits of its capacity, with closeto 1,000,000 hits a month.

It became clear that we’d have to introduce a new forum much sooner than we’d anticipated, withgreater functionality to handle the growing demand. Our action was quickly justified by a furtherdoubling of traffic.

The new forum also gave us the opportunity to introduce some new features, including advancedsearch functions, instant messaging for members, polls, and a place to finally keep a decenttraining journal online.

The Old Forum is a rich resource, with over 15,000 posts, but mining it can be a challenge, as asearch for the answer to a specific question can leave the most valuable information untapped, sowe’ve done it for you. We will be introducing an updated archive in 2003/04, so watch for it.

This E-book presents the content from the Old Forum that best expresses the essence of mycoaching philosophy and clarifies and expands the material found in Speed Trap and C.F.T.S. Asan added feature, this E-book is supported by graphs and descriptive literature never been seenin print before.

I want to thank our website Administrator, Rupert Young for his hard work in putting this booktogether, and Derek Hansen for his assistance in creating the graphics for which we are greatful,and Carl Valle for his editing assistance.

Enjoy

Charlie Francis

I always found this confusing ... So after experimenting I noticed that when I ate less carbs theday before competition my bodyweight decreased by a kilo on the day of competition! But thisdecrease didn’t result in a better performance as I felt that the “depletion” reduced my strengthand my result was obviously worse. Maybe I should experiment once again .. who knows ?

Nutrition

I’d be careful about reducing carbs the day before. You may be setting up aprolonged period of hypo- glycemia which can cause the essential amino acids to beconverted into sugars for the brain. I still maintain that low carbs on the day ofcompetition is the way to go as the body doesn’t utilize much of the fuel you add oncompetition day due to nerves (blood is moved away from the digestion into muscleand brain in a “fight or flight” response. Some athletes have had great successloading in fuel the night before competition. The East Germans used to eat a largesize chocolate bar immediately before bed the night before competition and noteating the day of competition. One of my athletes tried it and won the Olympics,though I can’t say I’d recommend it to everyone! If you do try this, it’s critical that yougo to bed the minute you finish eating. If you don’t, you’ll wind up wide awake staringat the ceiling all night!

What will taking 5 grams of arginine about 1 hour before competition do for my performancebefore a race. I have been taking 3 grams of arginine in the morning before the track meet. SoI woke up took some arginine , stretched and relaxed then ate some food then went threw mywhole thing ate again then about 3 hours ran my race. So would it still be good to take about 3grams in the morning then take another 5 grams before the race?

Arginine is a precursor to the Krebs cycle. (Say, didn’t I see her in “From Russia WithLove”? Nice Shoes!) This is a means of providing a fuel supply without water reten-tion. AM arginine raises GH levels (on an empty stomach)

I’m a fitness coach working for a volleyball team playing in the Italian league . This year severalcases of cramps , especially in calves ,occurred . We trained smart and hard enough andfollowed a program of supplementation including proteins , omega 3 , creatine +ribose ,glutamine , amino acids . I found no answer to it , my question is , there any evidence thatsupplementation can cause these cramps.

Creatine + ribose would be my suspicion. Either remove the supplement or reducethe daily total amount and split the intake 50% before and 50% after training.

There is a new supplement on the scene called Kynoselen. It is a mixture of vitamins and minerals.Its active ingredient is AMP. Has anyone heard of this supplement?

First of all, fat percentages could only be estimated based on commonly used criteria,which may be inaccurate towards the low side, but, obviously they were very lean. Theirdiets varied widely depending on training loads and individual metabolisms. The main thingto ensure is adequate protein intake- at a minimum 1g/kg/day.Would it be possible that you post an example of a single day diet of one of your athletes, if available?

Glutamine?Should we use that Zone diet by Dr. Sears? I heard that ratio is the best for athletes. Brent McFarlanespoke about how he ate with donovan bailey and Bruny Surin and they were eating a zone diet. DidBen Johnson eat a zone diet? A lot of swimmers use the diet even though they need a lot of carbs fortraining. What gives?

Ben ate a modified version of that diet, but only immediately prior to big meets. The rest ofthe time his diet was varied, with lots of protein, but with a lot of the complex carbs typicalof a West Indian diet. From what I saw, Linford ate the same way.

We have had post-workout nutrition and pre-workout nutrition. So what is everyone taking or havingtheir athletes take during training.No doubt it will vary due to the size of the athlete, and the type ofworkout they are doing, so details would be helpful to the rest of us.

After the first 90min of high intensity training, I use 5grams of pure leucine/isoleucine/valenetaken each 1/2hr for the remainder of the workout.

Any diet must be for the specific needs of the individual, therefore it is no use to look at theeating habits of others. The main thing to say about the diets of our athletes in generalwas- they ate a diverse menu with a lot of complex carbs, didn’t avoid fats, and had a highprotein intake.

I don’t know anything about the product in particular, but AMP is adenosine mono-phosphate. In theKrebs cycle, ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is broken down into ADP (adenosine di-phospate),which then re-combines with AMP to re-form ATP. Both ATP and AMP can be supplemented. Inject-able ATP is contained in Striadine, produced in France, though there is some suspicion that it has anextremely short half-life in the body. Perhaps this is why AMP is used in this case.

I read Ben Johnson was taking Inosine. Does anyone know about how much to take and whatbrand works well?

It is manufactured in Japan, comes in a foil wrap pkg and is expensive. We found aninjectable version that could be mixed with B12. Unfortunately, I didn’t procure it so Idon’t know the company.Inosine degrades rapidly when exposed to air, so it must be delivered in tablet or capsuleform (the Japanese tablets are in pop-out foil wrap). Loose powder will oxydize as soonas you open it. This is why we got it mixed with injectable B12. If it is bio-active, it works.There have been recent studies suggesting that inosine is linked to nerve enhancementand regeneration. (I read it in the newspaper last week, so I don’t have a reference,though I was amused that scientists are just catching on when we were using it so manyyears ago.)

Would you consider ATP an effective nootropic or are its effects limited to muscle tissue, as far asyou know? As far as I know, ATP is not effective orally. Is that correct?

ATP can be effective orally, though it is usually injected (research currently being doneon ATP uses an oral prep as they couldn’t get approval from the research committee foran injectable prep.) Musashi did research with oral ATP some years ago, with favourableresults, though the cost was frightful- over 2000USD/kg wholesale!Piracetam was used for years with sprinters and jumpers, especially in England, but wenever used it. It is used extensively in France to help with the concentration abilities ofthe elderly.

There is a German B12 product named “Vita sprint”, although you take it orally, I think it’s prettygood. One of the few products I really feel working.

Pay attention to the B12 products, as there is co-enzyme B12- dibencoside, and reg B12-cyanacobalamine. both are useful. The co-B12 is usually oral, and has cell volumizingproperties that can influence recovery from training and jet-lag- but it should be usedpost training. I’d check the label on the German product- it might be co-B12. They comein 1mg tabs and you’ll probably get the best effect with 6/day.As for ATP and nervous system recovery. Italian products for NS recovery have been availablesince the 1960s, and they include ATP, Bvits, and sometimes carnitine in combination ininjectible forms.

Did your group use anything specifically to increase CNS recovery, or did the B-12/inosine combopretty much cover this?

Nutrition > Nootropics

We used a B1,6,12 combo with inosine in an injectable form, along with oral co-B12, ATP(there is an injectable version of ATP now available called Striadine(sp?)), creatinephosphate, tyrosine, arginine, methionine, RNA, choline, inositol, and carnitine.(Carnitine helps with nerve firing as well as being a fat burner- I’ve seen amazing shortterm recoveries from receptor downgrades with this supplement) A proper mineralbalance is critical as well, including Cal,Mag,Zinc, etc. As an example, the hormonesreleased during intense activity, send out signals from the receptor sites via messengerRNA and cal. It has to come from somewhere, and the more intense the activity, the morelikely a deficiency will develop. If adequate levels of calcium aren’t present, ca must beleached from the serum, causing muscle tightness, or the bone, possibly contributing tostress fractures. Magnesium may have a calcium sparing effect. Zinc deficiency is tied tothe down-regulation of testosterone. Tyrosine blocks out the sedating effects oftryptophan, released during heavy exercise, by out-competing for their commonreceptor sites in the brain. Arginine is a precursor to the production of ATP/CP. Sodiumcitrate was used at times to buffer PH changes that adversely affect nerve transmission.Of course, as mentionned earlier, the number one neuro-transmitter is water.

Are 95% of supplements a simple waste of money? How much money should I invest into them?

A healthy, well-balanced diet is the starting point for any program, but, there is no chancethat all bases will be covered by this means alone. With a variety of info on regimes andtheir subjective results, at which point we can try to establish a series ofrecommendations with budgetary priorities.

I supplement with BCAA’s during intense work outs with quite good results. There’s no deadfeeling towards the end of the session, and I feel it aids recovery over the next few hours. Haven’ttried glutamine in this fashion however ive been happy with its supplementation in the past.

What role does glutamine play in the brain?

Glutamine may well substitute for L, I, V; I just haven’t used it in place yet.

Has anyone had any positive experiences with glucosamine/chondroitin as an aid in healingAchilles or other connective tissue injuries?

Flax seed oil is helpful (often low fat diets lead to trouble as fats lubricate the jointspaces) but I would include glucosamine and chondroiten as well.

I heard that Mark drank coffee as part of his training, why did he do this?

Coffee can be very effective for competition- but only if you don’t drink it all the time!Timing is individual and, like anything else, the more nervous the athlete is, the farther inadvance you take it (less blood in the digestive system

Is it possible to take in to much water when training?

Sometimes over hydration can happen subsequent to IV fluid administration. Sometimesathletes are using IV drips for amino acid preparations, or, as in Atlanta, cases whereextreme heat is an issue, etc. I forget the name of the amino prep (it’s from Finland) butit’s very effective and commonly used, and must be administered over a number of hoursto prevent “burn” to the vein.

I’ve read about the “Metabolic diet” where you spend the week eating only 30g of carbs a day andthen eat a whole bunch on the weekend. Is this really effective? Are low carb diets in generaleffective?

These diets are effective for body-builders but I’m not sure about athletes with muchhigher energy demands. Swings from one extreme to the other may leave you feelingsluggish.

I have tuna or salmon at for lunch and dinner with an array of vegetables, but I am having aproblem finding ways to get healthy oils for breakfast, any thoughts?

What about Udo’s oils withoatmeal(not processed) with protein powder mixed in? It canbe made quite tolerable with a topping of sautéed nuts/raisons/blueberry/banana-youname it combo

How would you cycle in/out ZMA, Glutamine, and Arginene? What would be the best times of dayto take each? Morning? Before Bed? Pre-workout? From what I’ve seen it seems like theGlutamine and ZMA should be before bed?

I would use the glutamine post workout and between meals in divided doses with theZMA at night and use 5 grams arginine 45min pre workout.

Charlie, I hear different schools of thought: 1) wait at least an hour after a heavy workout beforeeating, or 2) eat up right after your workout and even down a protein shake before leaving thegym. What’s better in your estimation? Do we get a thermogenic benefit from holding back fromingesting food right after the workout, or do the depleted muscles need nourishment right away? Iwant to build lean muscle mass during my next training phase.

I’d try to get the essential aminos in as soon as possible after the workout. After intensework it may be advisable to use a high glycemic index drink to promote an insulinresponse to drive in the aminos faster, though I wouldn’t do it routinely. A protein shakeshould follow about 30min later.

Charlie, in your book Speed Trap, Ben drank Beer. With all of the research on ethanol and proteinrepair showing the problems, how did you combat this? I know Ben had a fast metabolism tohandle the alcohol, but the biochemical stress is huge! Ben might have been a freak, but I canemail anyone the pathway chart to show how bad a few beers can screw your anabolic drive. Wasit just a few beers on the weekend? How often and how much did he drink?

Ben probably drank 2 beers a week on average. Sometimes he’d drink Guinness Stoutwith some sort of egg concoction- yuck! None during the main competition phase. I don’tthink it was much of an issue.

Did you know anything about your athletes’ cheat meals? Or don’t you care at all as long as thebody composition looks okay? How strict were their diets?

You can’t set up a diet that you can’t live with. What happens when you leave home for atraining camp or a competition series? Most of these diets are set up for bodybuilders,who can’t run (or move much for that matter). Leanness is the key, and the leaner youare, the easier it is to stay that way.

Did you control your athletes’ way of eating at all?

A lot of diet control is reactive. If they have a problem, you need to do something, but, ifthey don’t -you don’t. The leaner and fitter the athlete, the easier it is to stay that way, asthe metabolism is elevated.

I am a bit doubtful about the statement that modern sprinters peak two or three times a year,unless these “peaks” are quite different in the athletic shape reached and how it is achieved. Isay this because Pfaff’s guys don’t really do much unloading for the indoors, in fact they run inthe 6.60ish most of the times; then comes the outdoor (when they actually unload to peak) andthey go 9.90 or 10 flat.I wouldn’t presume to speak for Dan Pfaff, however I can speak for myself and a lot ofothers. Example- Ben Johnson- two peaks- World Record at World IndoorChampionships- World Record at World Championships outdoors. Maurice Green-three peaks- World Record Indoors- World Record outdoors, early summer- WorldChampionship,late summer with 9.80 (.01 off record) John Smith, who preparedMaurice this way, is also Bolden’s coach. Also, there’s a difference betweenperiodization (the qualities being enhanced) and unloading for an optimalperformance (the final taper}.I am particularly interested in knowing how to plan a double peak in the summer (e.g. Nationalsin late July and Worlds mid August), can you please elaborate on that. Can sub-elite athletesbenefit from a 10 days taper? How would you adjust the intensity/volume/rest intervals of theheavy workout ten days away from the main competition for the different athletes?

A 10 day taper probably serves a male sprinter best at a level of 10.20 or faster,otherwise 5 to 7 days might suffice. However the 10 day taper always applies tocompetitions before important meets. If your athlete should unfortunately be injured,with 10 days left, he might well recover. With less than 10 days left’ he won’t. As forannual planning, I would direct you to my training manual first which is available atmy website.

I’m trying to peak for outdoor NCAAs this season. It is a difficult situation, this NCAA qualifying.For those of us in northern climates, we have only a 5 or 6 week time frame in which to getraces under our belt and post a qualifying time. I’d like to train through some of these earlyApril meets, but hesitate to because with so few meets on the schedule, an athlete has to takeadvantage of good weather to post quality times.

Peaking for Competition

How would you approach such a season? Do you feel 6 races is enough to get a 110m hurdlerinto peak racing shape?

It usually takes 6 to 7 sprint hurdle races to lead to a peak. The 100 meters usuallytakes 5 to 6. The 200meters takes 4 to 5 and the 400meters takes about 3 dependingon the preparation method. I would ensure that your max strength phase is finishedfairly early so that you are in your maintenance phase during your attempts to qualify.

See illustration

How long do your athletes train in the fall before they begin real speed work (and at whatintensities? Sub-max or max) and at what point do you do specific maximal velocity work?

We start speed work within a month of the start of fall training, but the speed is sub-maximal (95th percentile) ,over short distances, which reduces stresses by keeping thespeed down and limiting the range of motion required for the strides. These speedsessions can often be done in spikes on a smooth grass surface for at least 4 weeks.This saves a lot of wear and tear later on.Does an unload week permit recovery and restoration due the decrease in volume and/ordecrease (even if just slightly) in relative intensity (from say 100% down to 95%)?.

You’re right on both counts. Though dropping the volume is the main difference, areduction of intensity as you describe boosts recovery greatly, yet allows thereintroduction of full load training without any adjustment problems.

As a high school coach, we always have a built in day of complete rest on Sunday though if wehave had a meet on Saturday I like them to at least do a short warm-up and a low tempo volumefinishing off with a short static stretch routine (on their own). Our national high school federationmandates this as a day of no organized practice. My question is how do you know when tapering/peaking when to take additional days off to contribute to recovery as opposed to active recoverywork to accelerate regeneration?I’d take Sunday off and try to do an extended warm down right after the meet. There aremany questions here. What about travel to the recovery session. When’s the next meetetc. Later, as the season heads to a peak, I’d consider the odd additional day off.Though I have never believed in dropping plyometric exercise completely from a training program,some do this in a peaking phase. What do others believe in the old plyo “rule” about dropping/eliminating all plyos from training in the last 10-14 days prior to a major competition?

Lower the volume but keep the plyos in. Even 10 can be stimulatory yet easy tohandle.Is the relationship between tempo volume and sprint/SE volume linear? In other words, as thevolume of speed work goes up does the volume of tempo goes up as well?

Volume of tempo maxes before volume of speed on way up and volume of speed dropsmore than volume of tempo in taper phase.

The immune sytem is vital for muscle recovery and staying healthy. The first response of muscleremodeling is the immune system (neutraphils..ect.) what do you guys do? My two of my athletesran this weekend, one was sick and performed poorly. What do people do in terms of nutrition? Ihave found some interesting research on resting insulin level and immunity.Could a zone like (higher protien and fat, but carbs over 50 percent) diet help? I feel that lowglycemic meals can be a real answer.

It’s hard to avoid the bugs going around. All you can do is minimize the chances bymonitoring their recovery status. You’ve probably noticed that athletes often performbetter at the beginning of a cold (response to extra heat from fever) but much worse astime passes even though they begin to feel better (cumulative fatigue from battling thecold). So as a general rule, let them compete if they just started the cold but pull them outif they’ve had it for awhile.

Since I am a decathlete I realize that maybe some intermediate work may help build some runningstrength for my events. Charlie suggested running 300’s at 95-100% to improve my 400. Doesthat mean I should be running those this time of year, or wait until say a month berore indoorstarts? The workouts we usaully do start at 60% and work up to around 95% towards the end ofthe year and usaually only have 3-5 minutes rest. Maybe you could give me a basic outline of howyou schedule your workouts through the year?

A tempo base must be developed (runs at 75% of best time or slower) but if you progressin speed all year through the middle speed zone you will only have a short time forspecific speed work and the annual total speed volume (95% up) would be completelyinadequate. As well, training at middle intensity is too slow to be of any specific benefityet is too high to recover from easily and middle intensity work competes with other highintensity training eements for CNS reserves.When should I start the 300’s at 95% if I have nationals in March and May? Also should these beran once a week along with a tempo run and two speed workouts?The 95th percentile for high intensity work applies to runs at the distance prescribed(95th percentile for 300m athlete with a best of 31.0= 32.6 or faster. This would be in therace pace range for a 400m runner of this quality. The high intensity threshold changeswith ability throughout the season as absolute performance capacity improves. No-oneexpects an athlete to run 32.6 for the first special endurance workout of the seasonunless other SE qualities have been perfected before-hand. Also, the high intensitythreshold for weights is not the same- most likely around 80%. That said- it IS correct tosay that CNS stress is LESS for the 400m than for the 100m.

The 75/95 % theory is interesting and I understand the concepts.In an ideal world I would have thetime/facilities and climatic conditions to do this however its not an ideal world, here where I trainconditions conspire against us in the winter- as in temp of 5degrees or less at night, heavy rain,wind, wet track ( I could go on but you get the picture). Also track access is limited and we donthave indoor facilities So the results of this were running sessions in the 80-90% range lastwinter.Many nights it is impossible to go at 95%. (We would do 95% sessions on a Saturday aftera day off and during the day when temp is warmer) Are there any ways around this? Next year Iwas planning to try doing my sessions at a slightly lower intensity than last year and then go to the75/95% model a fortnight before competitions start and continue throughout comp phase as Iwould have more track time, only performing maintenance weights etc (hope for the best in thewinter and conditions/time etc should be ok in the summer). Is this appropriate? Also does hillrunning during the winter conditioning (80m 20degree slope)tax the CNS and is it appropriate theday after a serious acceleration/weight session? last year I couldnt run fast up the hills even if Iwanted to after strength training the previous night! Should my hill sessions be 75% also? (Kindafeels as though I wouldnt be training at this speed up a hill but- less is more?) We only train once aday due to work etc so it feels as though we should try to put a fair effort into each session .Anythoughts Charlie

Peaking for Competition > 75%-95%

See illustration

Givin your description of the hill workouts, it is clear that they have a very high demand on the centralnervous system (cns) and it is no surprize that you couldn’t handle this training the day after speedwork.

The principal of high/low intensity is designed to create a reference for you to understand trainingdemands and to provide context for your own experience - not to create limitations.

First: The limitation on the frequency of high intensity training is based on both INTENSITY andDURATION (height and bredth). Limited volumes of high-intensity elements can be contained in daily training regimes. In my case,Power-Speed drills are used daily, even though they are essentially a high-intensity element. The short durant and relatively limited volumes make this possible.

In the following diagram, example “A” has LESS cns demand than example “B”, even though itspeak intesity is higher.

See illustration 1

See illustration 2

Secondly

The 75th percentile was chosen by me to be absolutley sure of CNS recovery after extreamly taxingCNS work, and it has a cushion of 5% from the probable true limit of tolerance.

This can certainly be approached when the maximum CNS output cannot be achieved due to condi-tions.

Lastly

The highest intensities likely cannot be approached in the early stages of a training cycle. So thedifferentials may be less during this stage.

Please see the following tables for performance guidelines

With the international season beginning around May, this makes for an exceptionally long season,and many are starting to believe that this could be conducive to our high injury rate (3 of our topsprinters have been injured severely in the past 2 months), and lack of consistant performances.I was just wondering how the group feels this lay out would effect the ability of an athlete to developany sort of training base and to peak for major meets?

The competition layout should allow you to plan a peak for major international meets(though the later in the summer the better). I’d be more concerned with the US orEuropean training base conditions you may need. You can always preceed you move byspending time in the Gold Coast first. I know the Aussies used to go to Cologne, whichhas a good club/sports school.

Peaking for Competition > Season Structure

I have read that no matter how fast you lift in the gym you cant replicate track speed of movementso one should just lift heavy and then go into maintenance weights work in the track season. Sopower convert or not, thoughts anyone??

Peaking for Competition > Power conversion or not power conversion?

The differential between velocities in Max strenght lifting and Conversion phase liftingspeeds are irrelevent to sprinters therefore I’d move from Max strength to Maintenancedirectly. This does not apply to all sports however.

Your job as a beginner is to improve at any time it’s possible, as often as possible. Gainexperience whenever you can. Don’t worry about peaking until you’re at a more competitivelevel.

Weights and hills are both high intensity elements so they need 48hrs recovery. Perhaps youshould do both on the same day (with the necessary modification in volume), using the hills as areplacement for speed in inclement weather. This way you can still use the 75/95% concept.

What exactly is the difference between CNS fatigue and muscle fatigue? And in explaining thisdifference, could you perhaps give a generalist definition of CNS fatigue. Did it start as aconcept, or something observed and then understood?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the concept of CNS fatigue, perhapsbecause of the term itself, which is sometimes used to define the body’s self- defencemechanism to prevent total peripheral muscular exhaustion (death!) In this case I amreferring to the phenomena seen after very demanding, very high intensity activities.Everyone who is capable of putting out this kind of effort (and this doesn’t include awhole lot of doctors or physiologists!) knows it’s there. The real question is, how doyou adjust for it and recover from it? Muscular training requires 24hrs for recovery atmost but high intensity training requires at least 48hrs for full recovery. Thisdifference can be described as the CNS effect.Is it a matter of individual differences/responses in terms of the volume of extensive tempo thatyou would prescribe for an athlete? It seems that there is a fine line between a certain amountof tempo volume to enhance recovery (on a recovery day) and enough to actually deaden thelegs with regards to spring/elastic response and speed EVEN for the next day’s work. Also,Charlie, do you ever have your athletes perform intensive tempo work or is this too much likelocking in middle distance pace?

It is a matter of individual adaptation how much tempo work to give the athletes butgenerally I recommend 2000 to 2200 meters per session for sprinters and about 3000meters per session for 400meter runners. I don’t like intensive intervals as they fallinto the middle speed category- too fast to recover from easily yet too slow toinfluence speed development. As your athlete gets into better shape the runs maystart getting faster to the point where they are pushing the low intensity speed limits.In this case simply shorten the rest intervals to keep raising the challenge withoutchanging the nature of the work. Keep this type of work on the grass if at all possibleto avoid deadening the legs.

Recovery & Regeneration

Charlie, you mentioned in NYC that 300m extensive tempo runs provide “recovery support” for400m sprinters. What type of volumes per session and how long a recovery between reps?Would the athlete walk 300m after running the same distance?

Just for illustration purposes, Ben used to run 7x300 in 45 to 48 sec with a 100m walkrecovery ( slower than 75% of best time ) though by the later stages of his career hetended to stay with distances of 200m and below. These runs were done on grasswherever possible. A 400m runner might do 10reps of a similar nature.

Is there a method of estimating 100, 200, or 300 times for setting up the tempo intensitiessince when training in the fall, it might have been some time since the athlete has run such adistance at or near race speeds (example would be we know the intensity range 65-75% butwhat times (pr’s) are these tempo runs based on). Should the coach/athlete estimate timeswith controls tables using shorter distances or how would this be done?

The 75% of best time is the upper limit, so you’re free to start at any slower pace thatpresents some challenge so long as your athletes can finish at the rate they startedwith.How Cold is the Cold Shower?

If you want a COLD shower, come to Toronto! Lake Ontario (where our water comesfrom) is 900ft deep so it never warms up above 60degrees. Actually, this is a problemin a lot of areas. You may have to improvise using an ice bath for contrast.

Why the cold towel Charlie? I love saunas, and is there a pattern between cold showers andsaunas and the head temperature? How long, how hot? Ben liked them what did he say? Afterspeed or before bed, or both?

You don’t want to cook your brain! Ben liked the Sauna, though he tended to use itwith contrast. It’s hard to give a time for the Sauna portion of a hot/cold contrast, asthe temps vary so widely. You have to judge it by how hot you feel. Though I’d alwaysend on cold. Saunas can be done any time except shortly before intense work,though most people use them at night.

Charlie, would the volume of tempo and rest intervals remain the same year around? Also, do theathletes perform exercises between reps on some of the recovery days year round?The volumes of tempo remained constant and the speed couldn’t be increased muchdue to the 75% limit, so the rest periods were shortened to maintain the training effectover the long term.

Please tell me how to compute/calculate tempo times for athletes based upon max/p.r. times. Forexample would a 10.0 and 20.5 athlete run 12.5-13.5 for his 100’s and approx. 25.6-27.6 for his200’s. If this is so, my athletes have been running too slow. To keep in the range of 65%-75%should you multiply time by 1.35 and 1.25 respectively?

A simple way to calculate tempo is to use a cheap calculator (I used to have one on aCasio watch) and divide your best time by .75. Example 200m best time= 20.7. Divided by.75= 27.6. Remember, though, this time is a track time, under the same conditions as thePB, and would be slowed down further for runs on the grass. There is always asubjective factor involved, just err on the conservative side. Please refer to the tempotables in the previous chapter.

Charlie, in your first meso, how long do your athletes perform accelerations in terms of distances15m, 30m, or what?

In the first meso-cycle, we concentrate the acceleration work on distances up to30meters as the most intense acceleration takes place within this distance. The speedincrease beyond this point is much more gradual. I’m currently working on a newmanual which I hope to have out in the next few months, time permitting!

Is it a matter of individual differences/responses in terms of the volume of extensive tempo thatyou would proscribe for an athlete?

It is a matter of individual adaptation how much tempo work to give the athletes butgenerally I recommend 2000 to 2200 meters per session for sprinters and about 3000meters per session for 400meter runners. I don’t like intensive intervals as they fall intothe middle speed category- too fast to recover from easily yet too slow to influencespeed development. As your athlete gets into better shape the runs may start gettingfaster to the point where they are pushing the low intensity speed limits. In this casesimply shorten the rest intervals to keep raising the challenge without changing thenature of the work. Keep this type of work on the grass if at all possible to avoid deaden-ing the legs.

Charlie, in looking at the charts in the CFTS it appears that your athletes reach their peak volumeof tempo (and maintain this for some time) in about 4 weeks. Is this correct?

For athletes with a training background, four weeks is plenty to introduce the full volumeof tempo, but for beginners it may take much longer. Adjust the rate of volume increaseby tolerance (the effort level should feel relatively constant even though the volume isincreasing progressively.)

You indicated earlier that Ben would perform 7x300 in 45-48 seconds with a 100 walk betweenreps. Besides working up to 10x300, would the 400 runner run faster or with different recoveriesthen Ben’s pace since the distance might be more relevant to their race?

For 400m the pace would be the same. The volume of tempo is higher and of course thespecial endurance runs are longer.

Is there any way of estimating a 300m time off of a 200 time to develop the program? Or is thereany way other than running a 300 to estimate the proper time? Charlie, have you ever substitutedpool work for tempo on the grass for those with shin splints?

A typical tempo session in the pool is 2 sets of 10x45 sec running in place (touchingbottom or with flotation) with 15sec break. Rate and break between sets must beindividual. Re 300 pace from 200m time- it depends on the type of runner- don’t get toocaught up in pace- just keep it easy and you should be fine.

How long during training year do the athletes continue their push-ups, sit-ups? When doing theseexercises between reps do the athletes walk the same distance (50m) after doing say push-ups?

We used to do 2 sets of 10x100 with PU at one end and SU at the other. There was no50m walk break (though there could be for a beginner) the 100m runs were the recoverybetween the exercises- so you can see how easy they had to be. We did these rightthrough the season- though we dropped to one set at the very end.

Could you clarify the push ups and sit-ups you prescribe? You mentioned 2 sets of 10x300, I’mconfused, is that like 1 set of 10x100 sit-ups and one set of 10x100 push-ups?Did you vary the style of sit-up and push-up between sets?Also 10x300, is that meant to mean 10 sets of 100 reps? For each sit-up and push-up set?

Holy Cow!

I better clear this one up before your arms fall off! This workout is 10 x 100 meter runsdone with a set of push ups or sit ups (alternated) done at the completion of each run.You do up to 10 push ups or up to 25 sit ups after each run.

How did your athletes respond to stretching post workout? Many times it is hard for them to relaxafter being so explosive. Precisely when do you have them stretched after cool down?With all of the hype with ice baths, when do you do those? If cooling the the body slows down yourmetabolic rate, wouldn’t that slow down repair as well? If an elevated metabolic rate increases activitywould you lift and then go into a suana after drinking your recovery drink? What gives?

Post workout stretching should be relatively static with long holds and great care shouldbe taken not to overstretch. Cold therapy initially increases blood flow before prolongedexposure reduces it. Short applications of cold or hot and cold contrasts are very helpfulfor recovery.What are the mechanisms behind contrast showers in accelerating recovery? Is it strictly the influenceon increasing circulation?

Go into the shower, Run the water over your whole body,head included for 3min hot as youcan stand it, followed by 1min cold as you can stand it. Repeat the cycle three times.

I thought I was going to pass out! The change did something very strange. While I felt good after, Iusually feel good after a shower period. I did finish with warm water since I had to actually shampooand soap up to get clean, so I hope that didn’t screw up the protocol. Charlie, something happens butI just don’t look forward to that type of recovery as much as a massage or sauna.

I would suggest using a warm bath to take care of the washing routine and finish up withthe hot and cold shower. It is important to finish with cold. I’m sure there are more pleasantmeans to recover but you can’t beat the price!

Last night I was sore from a long day, so what did I do? A contrast shower. I put it on as hot as Icould take it, then went to cold (very cold), then repeated two more times.

What massage techniques do you find to be effective. What about stretching? What do you look forin a therapist?There are all sorts of massage techniques- light slapping before speed, flushing massageafter speed, deep tissue work on the tempo days. As for therapists- try to get someone whowill complement the skills that you learn to do yourself (yes- you’re going to have to learnto do it yourself. You’ll never have enough support to do all the work) Try to emulate whatyou have found works on you, get some tapes of skilled masseurs and practice. You don’thave to be a rocket scientist to be better than the alternative(nothing!)and, after a while,you’ll learn to be pretty damn good- Just start in, put your mind in neutral and rub!How much range of motion is enough? I feel that 115-120 degrees for the hamstrings is optimal formost sprinters. How do you monitor flexiblity day to day?Could you explain in a little more detail the 10-day hamstring rehab method developed by GerardMach? This was mentioned briefly in the Training System book, and you recently referred to DonovanBailey’s 11 day rehab in another thread. I’m just curious about how this method is structured.

I describe the rehab process in the training manual briefly though it’s hard to give a blanketanswer to what is an individual solution for an individual problem. The idea is to develop agradual re-introduction of training componants to your program and to ramp up the speedin a controllable and predictable way. It’s based on the nature of acceleration. Simply, thefarther you accelerate, the faster you will go, so you start with accels over a very limiteddistance- depending on the severity of the injury- lets say 10 meters. You can do a fairlylarge number of reps safely at this distance. You can then move the distance out, as able, in2.5 meter increments. Stay away from B skips or running Bs during the first while.

One of my professors recently told me that during a study, athletes who were instructed to think abouttheir sports movements exhibited a significant activity in the motor cortex.

This leads me to pose a question ... could always thinking about training, or being obsessed, lead tothe drainage of nervous energy?

Visualizing is great but I’m talking about obsessing. Hang around top level, full time athleteslong enough and you’ll see what I mean. When the normanl stresses most of us face ineveryday life, such as work, bills, etc. are removed, as is the case with top level athletes,the focus can narrow to the truly trivial. It is essential that the mind be occupied with stimulusfrom a source outside the sport.What should my legs feel like after a massage?How deep should a massage go?When should I get a massage?

When you have limited access to massage and when you alternate high and lowintensity days, get the treatment on the low intensity day so you can steepen theupswing of the recovery curve for the high intensity work.

What do you do if you have no massage?

If no massage available, use hot and colds.

How do we determine when and if the athlete has fully recovered?Is this individual?Can this be improved?

Recoveries vary, though they should be complete. In your case temperature may limit thetime you can take unless you can get inside between reps.

Is a heart rate monitor a valuable tool for sprinters?

Heart rate is a poor tool with sprinters (except to monitor recovery on rising in the AM)1: Heart rate will have returned to normal long before the nervous system is ready for thenext high speed run.2: Sprinters generally display a different response to interval work than do distancerunners.Sprinters generally don’t do a high enough vol of tempo to increase the heart’s strokevolume, as it is more efficient for occasional stresses to accelerate the heart rate to veryhigh levels during runs, though the recovery to below 120BPMs occurrs rapidly. Thisphenominon can result in a trained sprinter reaching a higher peak heart rate than asedentary individual during the same workload,yet return to resting heart rate muchsooner. Distance runners increase their stroke volume through interval training, thus therise in heart rate is not nearly as great during the runs.

What temperature is good for the cold portion, and should larger muscled athletes do differentprotocols? Perhaps the pressure and water distribution is important?

It’s hard to set a temp as the “cold” in the pipes varies by area, from extremely cold (low50s) in our area to unuseably warm in others. If the “cold” isn’t, you can use an ice watercontrast with a hot shower and a cold tub. The more water pressure the better.I’m about to get a med ball , and not having used one before I wondered what weight I should get .I’m 6 ft 180 pounds fairly good core strength , but not particularly powerful?

I like 4 to 7k balls for the various exercises. If you are limited to just one, choose a 4k.

I am looking for research on the actual stimulation of the muscle during sports specific movementsas opposed to after of before a work out, thoughts?

I’d forget about EMS assisted exercises.EMS is basically isometric in nature and thecomplete, simultaneous firing of all fibers in the muscle group is sure to interfere with thenatural rolling contractions of muscles in movement. Use it separately.

Charlie I have worked with a massage therapist who was trained by the great Jack Meaghar the“father of sports massage” as you probally know him better. He is considered on of the topauthorities in the world for this subject. I have found though that using the whirpool (100-104) inconjuction with the pool(80-85) works better overall on recovery. Can you comment on the use ofwhirpools by sprinters.

The whirlpool can be a useful tool, but,when dealing with higher temperatures, be carefulof the timing of full body emersions and always finish with a cold shower (at least coolfor the faint hearted). We generally keep the water level below the diaphram to preventany lasting fatigue.

Recovery and Regeneration > Whirlpool?

I was interested to read your comments about athletes performing WR’s while incubating viruses.Ive noticed many athletes run comparitively fast times a week or so after an illness (particularlythose which affect the nervous system: Flu, chicken pox, coldsores). Is this due to having time offallowing the body to recover from training or from a supercompensation from the stresses placedon the body from the illness?

I think a week is a bit long. Higher results are usually seen in the first couple of days of acold. After that the athlete looses too much strength.

Even a week after recovery may be tough unless the illness was very mild. The morelikely scenario for enhanced performance after enforced recovery is a mild injury- aslight ankle sprain for example.

Recovery and Regeneration > Illness

I’ve found contrast showers to be of paramount importance in recovery since joining this forum , infact I wonder how I ever got by without them .I was just wondering how other members use ice or heat in recovery , is it beneficial ? - or if it’sstrictly limited to post injury situations .For instance , if my front leg achilles is just a bit sore from returning to block starts - not actuallystrained , would it benefit from an ice pack post training - and if so what sort of time span wouldhelp it best ?

Ice can be used after training- or occasionally to enhance contrast therapy in areaswhere the “cold” tap water isn’t really very cold.

Recovery and Regeneration > Ice - When to use it?

We only checked heart rates when we suspected that overtraining might be apossibility-training camps for example. Body temp and HR on rising at the same time in the AM.

Do you get all your athletes to test their hear rate in the morning?

If so, what method do they use, ie. fingers and a watch or a heart rate monitor?

The coaches in the mid west seems to have hidden from any literature in regards todeveloping a long term plan for success in the quarter mile. My back ground stems from westcoast coaches in the us. We were periodized to peach twice once at the end of the indoorseason and once at the end of outdoor. I am currently dealing with programs that involve onepeak at the end of outdoor. My 400 meter runners are being made to run 5-7 mile 4 times aweek. The attempt at speed work is 8 x 200 with a 200 jog for rest. These workouts seems tobe draining my athletes for any quality weight training. Our focus in the gym is in the 3-5 repsrange with 3-5 minutes rest periods in order to allow full nervous system recovery andstimulation. I would much rather see speed endurance work out such as ladders and maybesome slightly over distance intervals (450 - 500 meters ) 3 times per week with addition daysbeing devoted to development of maximal speed (remember 400 runners here) like 60 to 100meter build ups and or some accelerate hold speed and accelerate once more to simulate400 tempo.- any input?

This is a HUGE volume of running. A typical 400 program has a total volume of 11000meters per week (2000 meters of speedwork and 9000 meters of tempo running). Theprogram you describe has a volume of 30000 to 50000 meters per week! 8x200 meterswith a 200 meters jog rest is, in fact a tempo session, not speed work. I would directyou towards the training manual for a more detailed answer, but remember that bothspeed work and speed endurance work are high intensity elements and should beseparated by 48hours.

Charlie, what is your opinion of use of the wide stance box squat, as practiced by somepowerlifters ?The box squat is a good exercise, but I’m not sure that it is superior to other options.Remember, weights are a means to an end and not an end in themselves. It couldhelp when the clean is not an option, or when a posterior chain weakness has beenidentified.

Strength & Conditioning

What do you recommend for specific speed work for quarter milers?s I have spoke with VernGambetta and he distances as low as 60 meters, which I know you reccomend for 100 meterrunners, but is that applicable for 400 meter runners. Historically we have used 80’s and 120’sas our speed distances with full rest ( 3min - 5min recovery).

I would treat the speed development the same for the 400 meters as I would for the100 meters. If your Athletes are young, they need both speed development and speedendurance. For the speed endurance, I would use 2 reps of distances ranging from300 to 450 meters once a week (Wed), with speed work 2 times a week (Mon& Fri),with Tues., Thurs., Sat reserved for easy tempo work. Recovery between speedendurance runs should range from 15 to 30 minutes depending on their level. A tip fortempo. Always make sure the athletes can finish at the same speed they start with. Ifthey can’t, they’re running too fast.

What are your thoughts on identifying lifting tempos as part of a strength training program?

The lifting tempo-2-1-2 or other variations are best used in the accumulation phase, orwhere improvement has become stalled. I sometimes use this pattern in the acc phasebut I have never used it during the max strength phase.You are big on posterior chain strengthening. I recently heard a strength coach at Kansas has theirplayers use the butt blaster machine over cleans to increase vertical leap and speed what do youthink of this device?

I’m not sure which machine is being described, but I’m big on reverse hypers, bothstraight and bent leg. We do up to 3x12 of each with full range and enough resistance toprevent a “crack the whip” action at the end of the motion. We approach this exercisegradually because of the degree of back involvement and hit the bigger numbers in theaccumulation phase of lifting.

At the level 2 school I attended about two years ago I spoke with Irvin “boo” schexnayder who was incharge of the biomechanic and jumping part of the clinic. According to him, a sprinters bench pressand power clean should be equal and his squat should be at least 1 1/2 times his bench. His exactwords were “I have noticed that an athletes form and technique really comes together when hispower clean comes close to his bench”. Vincent Henderson(9.95) also told me the same thing. Hispowerclean is 320 something, his words.

Body type and technique play a huge role although the ratios described above soundrealistic for a medium build, skilled lifter- but PLEASE don’t take this as gospel.

How the heck does balancing on a swiss ball help you run faster? If you are using it for rehab purposesthat is one thing, but these functional gurus need to realx a bit. There is no coorelation that if oneimproves balane on an unstable surface, that balance will improve on a stable surface. Where arepeople going with this?

The only problem with the integration of the Swiss Ball is that you will have to run backwardson top of the ball if you want to go forwards down the track with it. Or, perhaps “integration”isn’t such a great idea.

Ive heard to build a strong midsection that you need to do low reps and more weight but Iv alsoheard that you need to so 500-1000 crunches per day. Whats is the best in everyones opinion tohave a strong midsection overall?

1:Any high intensity requirement for this area will be addressed by the high intensitytraining itself2: For reasons of efficiency, the body concentrates White (fast twitch)fiber in the drivemuscles while Red (slow twitch) fiber is concentrated in the support areas because ofthe lower power but higher endurance requirements.3: As there is a limited capacity for the body to handle high intensity work, this type oftraining should be reserved for essential tasks only- with all other training tasks handledby low intensity means.

See illustration

What are your thoughts on resisted running?Resisted running can work well if the resistance is restricted to a 10% decrement inperformance. For example, if the best time for 30 meters is 4.0 sec, the resisted timeshould be no slower than 4.4sec. Higher resistances change the mechanics and theelastic properties of the work. 30 meters is as far as I’d go as the bulk of the accelerationhas taken place by then, even for a top sprinter. The resistance can be provided byseveral means. We still have access to a resistance device called an Excelerator, madein the mid- eighties that provides very precise loads. Unfortunately, it is no longer made.I believe the Isorobic Exerciser is still being made. When this device is equipped with along nylon line, it can work very well. Some sled devices can work well also, but Iwouldn’t recommend a parachute because wind conditions make it extremely difficult toregulate the resistance.What are you thoughts on creatine?Creatine is well known as a cell- volumizer, but it is probably most useful in speedevents as a cell volume stabilizer. In an over- training state, the cells lose too much fluidcreating an unfavorable environment for the transfer of nutrients into and wasteproducts out of the cells. Creatine can mitigate this problem and can play a role insupercharging the fuel supply. BUT the cell volumizing effect is a two- edged sword.Increasing the fluid volume in the muscle favorably changes the mechanical leverageallowing for improved lifts, but this increased muscle pump makes for more resistanceas the muscles move over each other at high speed, making injury more likely. This hastwo obvious implications. 1 Do not use a loading phase with creatine. Start in graduallyand raise the dose only as long as the muscles remain supple. 2 Split the dose pre andpost workout. You might also consider using Arginine/ Methionine in a 5/1 ratio one hrprior to the workout and 1/2 hr before the creatine to ensure a steady feul supply withoutthe tightness. Musashi makes this combo( precursers to ATP/CP).I would love to hear what people to for protocols on gastroc/soleous system. What are people doingto get the foot stronger since the arch and other structures contribute to sprinting.Since 13 percent of the drive comes from the ankle and foot, what do people do? How do peopleknow looking at video that this structure is prepared? What about the anterior tib?

We used to do some barefoot running and drills on grass with the following provisos 1:The grass must be in perfect shape, 2: It must be soft (well watered) 3: You must walk theintended path several times in advance of practice to check for debree or sharp objects.The runners must not vary from the intended path. Failure to follow step 3 could have direconsequences. The grass is often the most suitable for this in the early spring, which suitsthe transition training following the end of the indoor competition period.Have any of you tried EMS on the feet to strengthen the muscles supporting the arch. Usethe stim in the max strength mode (10x10sec contractions/ 50 sec.relaxation). You do thiswhile standing on the pads(ball + heel).

See illustration

See illustration

Several studies they say have consistantly found that sedentary people have more IIx fibers than dofit active people. “What happens when exercise stops? In one of their studies of sedentary men...Iknow...just bare with me...the IIx composition was reduced from an average of 9% to 2% in the v.lateralis. Over the next 3 months of no training, the percent of IIx fibers surpassed the original mark of9% to a pretty amazing 18%...interesting. What does this have to do with sprinters?

The best bet for favourable fibre conversion is intensification. This requires timing of thework,selection of tolerable volume,and alternation with low intensity work. This raisesanother thought. What if the low intensity work that I have strictly adhered to is belowsome sort of load threshold. Maybe there is an unexpected additional conversion effect. Iwouldn’t try laying off however, the sedentary conversion effect also hits muscle groupsyou don’t want to hit, such as the abdominals/ stabilizers. This is a well known problem indisease states, such as muscular dystrophy.

What sort of intensities would be used during the maintenance phase in terms of 1 rep maximums?Should the intensities vary during the maintenance phase from week to week so as to give the CNSsome slight, yet not taxing, stimulation?We went pretty high but for very few reps. Ben went (ideally) 2x2 at 365 bench. Squats alsowere high but numbers were down and he went much less deep since he wanted stimulationonly. Ten days before Seoul Ben did 4x600 but only quarter squat. Six days before he went2x525 for Quarter squat. Closer in he did upper body only. Forget the story you might haveheard about Ben squating 600 half a hour before the race. NEVER HAPPENED. Couldn’thappen anyway as there are no weights at the warm-up track.

You indicated earlier in this thread that maintenance could be continued up to eight weeks in durationbefore gradual strength losses begin to outweigh freshness. During that eight week period, wouldthe intensities vary from week to week or would you maintain at a constant intensity? Would youdecrease the number of days of lifting sessions and number of exercises that you would performcompared to the max. strength phase?I’d rather lift on the same number of days with a drop in the number of lifts. As tolerance ishighly individual, I’d be careful about giving an exact formula. For example, some athletesin this period might have to drop the stimulus numbers from, say 3x2 to 1x2, for others thiskind of drop may not be needed. I do prefer to keep the weight relatively constant if it canbe handled easily.

You mentioned in NYC that in maintenance work your athletes would perform around 2-3 reps for anexercise where they could perform between 5-6 reps. Does that mean you would take the athletes’ 5or 6 rep maximum for a given exercise and perform say 2 sets(after warm-up of course) of 2-3 repsand perform these over say a 6-8 week period of maintenance? How heavy is maintenance work?You might go slightly lower than the 5 to 6 RM and do sets of 2. You may have to drop setsthrough the maintenance phase to maintain freshness.

Angela Issajenko had problem with shin splints, how did you handle this? I found that the sand fromthe beach can really help with developing the foot. In Conquering Heroes 19:3 you mentioned thatyou eliminated the calf exercies from Tudor Bompa. Would a few sets of calf raises help those thatare not blessed with gastroc development?

I treat shin splints with the usual therapy- ice and aspirin, though I’m probably moreaggressive than most in changing the exercise program away from running. The soooneryou get off the shins, the sooner you can come back. As for the calves, we did so manydrills and so much quality sprinting that I felt that the sprinters couldn’t tolerate any morecalf work. (Even though the ankle joint is involved in the second highest power output attop speed, it is still 1/7th as much as at the hip.)

I’m really curious about the factors that went into the high strength levels achieved by your athletes.And I’m sure others are curious as well. We started talking about this on another thread, but I thinkit deserves its own thread.We all know that your strength programs were secondary to speed training. However, with thatqualification in mind, I’m still trying to understand how Ben, Desai and Mark achieved suchextraordinary strength levels, especially considering that their strength training was a secondpriority. There are weight trainers all over the world who do nothing but strength train and nevercome anywhere near those kinds of strength levels, even though it’s their primary goal. And a lot ofthose lifters are much heavier than your sprinters. Steroids are a red herring, there are tons oflifters using amounts far greater than the miniscule doses your sprinters used, and yet theirstrength levels still don’t compare.It’s not a question of prescribing specific programs. Every athlete has different needs and workcapacities. But there have to be certain factors in your overall program that allowed so many ofyour sprinters to achieve such outrageous strength levels, especially at such modest bodyweights.For example, I’m 5’10", 175lbs. and my strength levels are only about half of Ben’s peak level. I’mtrying to understand what factors need to be improved. It’s as if there’s some fundamantalunderlying factor(s) that I’ve been overlooking. I know it’s not just a matter of doing so many setsand reps every so many days and adding weight at such and such rate.

When you look at a training program, remember, it’s history, not philosophy. You have toaccept that all the pieces were involved in the results, in exactly the ratio described, withexactly the people described. You are, of course, free to interpret the reason why it worked,just as I am doing. You just can’t add or subtract parts and expect the same results. Look atwhat I did and see how it might (or might not) fit with your program, and only make changeswhen you are absolutly convinced it will be for the better.

I am having difficulty finding any research or ideas on the maximum amount of aerobic volume that a400/800m Hybrid should accrue through each microcycle. I understand that it is up to each individual’sphysiological make-up, but the problem I am having is that my Head Coach follows a more Europeansystem, such as Sebastian Coe’s. My athlete’s that I share with him are a female freshman who isrunning a 56.7 and 2:16. as well as a male who is running a low 48 and a 1:59. We are located in theAppalachian mountains, so the distance runs they have done this year has been mainly strength-building in nature (with all the hills). I am against adding more aerobic volume, but I would like to knowif anyone has any information about the cutoff.

The aerobic volume can be dropped even as the program is intensified by converting muchof the continuous running to interval work. My understanding of Coe’s training was thatthe volumes were lower than average though he developed great speed for a 800/1500man. In 1979, Coe anchored Britain’s 4x400 team at the European Cup with a 45.5 split!

All adaptation is based on force production. The connective tissue responds to muscleoutput, the tendon structures respond to additional force from the muscles, then the bonyattachments respond to the additional force transmitted through the tendon (kind of likethe knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone etc). Therefore, the faster the strength is putin place, the greater the stresses on the connective processes down the line, thereforedoesn’t it make sense to go through a gradual adaptation process at least in the initialphases of training (where strength gains will be the most rapid)?After the initial adaptation period, subsequent adaptation periods will become progressivelyshorter as the percentage of strength change becomes much less (Toping out around 3 to6%) and the hormonal influence is increased with greater ultimate intensity.

As for increasing the rate of lifting and/or decreasing set time. This would be considered aclassic conversion phase in lifting which we never did. In the sprint, the maximum rate ofmoment at the hamstring is 22.5 metres per second, whereas the speed of a maximumsquat is 0.5 metres per second. Increasing the rate to 0.6 metres per second is functionallyirrelevent yet introduces a risk.

I was curious to know if any of you prescribe a short (maybe 3 week) cycle of anatomical adaptationin the early fall, which reinforces specific movements by working on single-extremity lifts. For example,single dumbbell snatches, single leg squats, alternate dumbbell chest press, etc. My next questionpertains to the implementation of speed lifting. I have read the posts on rep-range and intensityduring the outdoor season, but I may be overlooking the posts on the speed of movement. Hasanyone increased the intensity by maintaining the percent of weight used for a given lift and insteaddecreased the amount of time given to perform the reps?

Could much (if not all) of creatine’s benefit be achieved with alactic speed endurance work? Also, ifATP+CP-system is already well-conditioned could water retention due to creatine supplementationactually decrease performance?The answer is yes to both questions.

Does anyone have ideas on setting up a strength and conditioning program that is specific tosoccer. Are there any lifts that I should avoid?Perhaps a starting point is to define the demands of the game. No one will argue thatthere is alot of running involved in the game, but is special endurance a big factor as it isin sprinting? I would argue that it isn’t, though general endurance is far more importantfor soccer. With weight training, I would argue that the emphasis should not go too far inthe direction of max strength as this might conflict with the demands of generalendurance.I am also interested in what you would typically do for abs. What exercises, sets, reps andfrequency?

I like tons of reps at low intensity. Your high intensity needs are covered by specificpower actions but there is a need for significant endurance in the support groups asthey a low power requirement but must never fail in their support role during poweractivities. For mature sprinters, we did 500 abs on speed days and 1000 abs on tempodays for a total of 4500 per week.

I have two Finnish sprinting books from 80’s and there are samples of Borzow’s training and anothereastern block countries coaching methods. As far as I know Finnish and Eastern block sport scientistshad quite much co-operation during 70’s and 80’s. Former eastern block countries actively searchedtalented kids for their training academies. Those books include some test norms for young kids theyused. Verticals, short sprint times, ground contact times etc. After they had selected talented kidsthere was science constantly applied in everything.The main difference you tend to see is the lack of heavy weight training compared to modern methods.Book claims that Borzow didn’t really do any training with barbell. Then again, many of those samplesare from 70’s so I don’t know how much heavy weights were used by western sprinters then.. Also,maybe the easterns didn’t reveal all their secrets to westerns then. Good example is the still popularmisbelief that Bulgarians weight trained in 90-100RM zone al the time. I’ve heard that many Finnssuffered CNS overtraining after constantly applying coach Spassov’s max strenght “triple pyramid”which goes goes to 1RM three times during one session. something like 85%-95%-100%-90%-100%-90%-100%-90%-85%.(I don’t have exact percentages handy but you get the picture). ChrisThibaudeau wrote about this thing in his training block article. They actually trained about 30% insuch high intensities.(If my memory serves me right?) So either there has been misunderstandingsor they have talked BS on purpose to get westerns overtrained!One of those book also include some pretty unorthodox training strategies e.g. Moscow olympicgold medalist Allan Wells training! BTW, I think Borzow actually ran 10.00.Charlie, you’ve seen all this first hand during 80’s. How open the easterns really were? Did easternand western coaches ever share experiences? Did they talk BS about their training on purpose etc?There are a number of caveats in reviewing the Soviet literature on sprints. First is Borzov(best time 10.07, 20.00, 1972- world sea level bests at the time). Borzov and his coach, Dr.Petrovski were not popular with the Soviet authorities at the time because he would notparticipate in National training camps, due to the requirement to adhere to the nationaltraining program, which Borzov was not doing. Borzov did do weights, but, as he couldalready squat 200kg to the floor, he felt he was strong enough, and was interested only inmaintaining his strength while stressing the Speed Endurance aspect of his program. Hewas an outstanding talent, with a 10.2 clocking as a junior, but his pre-eminence cameabout after he developed his speed endurance to the 20.00 level.The Soviet ideology of the time promoted the importance of the State over the individual. Ifthe Soviet program “made” Borzov, as they claimed, there would have been dozens ofBorzovs- but there was only one. Some fast times were recorded by some others but theywere never substantiated in the big meets. One sprinter recorded a 10.05 before the GoodwillGames in 1986, but at the games, in good conditions, when Ben ran 9.95 even though hisblocks slipped, this fellow was over 10.30 as I recall.

Is it correct that Ben was running just above 11 at age 16?

No- Ben ran 10.3 hand timed (10.66E)at age 16. He ran 11.8h at 14years before he had agrowth spurt at age 15.

What exercises do you mainly use in ab training? Do you just use one exercise or multiple? Forexample, 500 crunches or 250 crunches/250 hanging leg raises?

We did as wide a variety of abs as we could, including med-ball work and hanging legraises, (front and sides, bent and straight legs).

You’ve mentioned both GPP and SPP in some of your posts. Can you briefly outline some of thedifferences between the two for a 100 meter sprinter? I’m most concerned with what changes takeplace in the weightroom and on the track as one goes from GPP to SPP. By reading some of yourposts, I might conclude that many trainers are too preoccupied with SPP training for youngathletes. Is this an accurate statement?It is probably true that too much emphasis is placed on SPP with very young sprinters(in the 13 to 16 age bracket).1: The returns are greatest by initially improving overall fitness rather than trying toimprove performance in specific, limited elements. ie; It’s better to knock 2 or 3 secondsoff the 200 at the end rather than trying to gain 0.2 or 0.3sec at the start.2: Technique learned without the required underlying strength fundamentals must bewrong and will have to be unlearned and then re-learned later, wasting time andincreasing the risk of “paralysis by analysis”.

Strength & Conditioning > Characteristics of GPP/SPP for Sprinters

I’ll take a stab at this. I think almost all of us are influenced by Charlie’s approach, so I’ll use that asan underlying assumption.

The training has three major components:Speed (specific)Tempo (general)Strength/weights (general)All three components are included in the training during most of the year. So as we can see,general preparation is always present. Therefore, the GPP and SPP would be differentiatedprimarily by the relative emphasis of each component.In the GPP, the emphasis is placed on building the tempo volume and weight training.Furthermore, the weights would be of lower relative intensity (8-10 reps). Speed work might not bepresent at all if the GPP is short (3 wks) or might be introduced in very small volumes toward theend if the GPP is longer.The SPP would obviously include the introduction or increase of speed work, the tempo volume(now in place) would be maintained, and the weights, while still general in nature, would increasein relative intensity (3-6 reps) and drop in volume (mostly due to less reps per set).The Competition phase would see a reduction of tempo and weight training volume, with thespeed volume maintained or even increased slightly. So it all comes down to relative prioritiesamong components.This is only a broad stroke, but does this sound about right, Charlie?

I’ve also noticed another difference between Charlie’s approach and traditional periodization.Most traditional models emphasize high volume of low intensity work at the very beginning. Bycontrast, Charlie introduces the general work in low volumes and builds the work capacity, andthen once the volume of general training is in place it is maintained while the higher intensitycomponents are introduced.

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Ab work: Can this be done after the main workout. Either, first thing in the morning or later in theevening, before bed.

You can spread the abs out any way you want, as long as you get the reps in. AM is agood time to get some numbers in as it helps you for the warm-up for the main workoutlater in the day.

A couple of thoughts on the model1: The volume of tempo does not drop until the very end of the comp period, as it is easyto tolerate and enhances recovery.2: The volume of speed work does drop through the Maintenance Phase to allow for therecovery necessary for maximum intensification.3: The volume of lifting drops (and the absolute weight amts drop slightly as well) duringthe Maintenance Phase, again to support the intensification of the sprints.4: The time required for the GPP drops with the development of the athlete, year afteryear.

In Training for Speed, in the sample training diary, situps were listed as the most common abexercise used. Are situps the best exercise? I have heard that they are terrible on the back andutilize the hip flexors too much. Are crunches or other movements superior?A wide variety is best- what’s wrong with activating the hip flexors?One of the biggest mistakes in fitness is people think sit ups strengthen the back. Even a lot ofPhysio guys believe this to be true. The abdominals do contribute staically to trunk and pelvisstabilization. However, it is the importance of the erector spinae which helps the trunk stay erect.The strongest abs in the world will not hold your back up straight (Siff)

All abs do is flex the trunk forward not hold it upright(in most cases). To protect the lower back, dolower back exercises. 1000’s of sit ups will do little to strengthen your abs. You need progressiveoverload. All standing multi joint movements help strengthen this area. Strengthen all of the trunkmuscles in your program and you will be on the way to better performance.

Charlie recommends 1000’s of sit ups, that is fine, but you better be doing low back exercise too.What about overloading the abs?Abs don’t strengthen the back. If you want to be a good sprinter, you better have astrong set of erector spinae. Re specific “overload” in the abs- this is taken care of in thesprint and power portion of your program. There’s enough high intensity work to juggleas it is- don’t look for more to add! 1000s of abs won’t strengthen your back, but they willmaintain stabilization throughout any demand you may require.Watch out for some of the “tests” Gurus suggest. One favourite is the one where you lieface up and lower your straight legs to the ground without having your back leave theground. I doubt there’s a top sprinter alive who’ll pass that one! It ignores leg to torsolength ratio, leg size(weight), activation patterns, erector spinae, etc. Use commonsense.

Strength & Conditioning > Which Ab excercises?

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Did you ever perform a standing Long Jump test on Ben or any of your athletes? If so what weretheir marks?

We didn’t test for standing long jump specifically, though the sprinters who did the SLJwere all between 9 1/2ft and 10 1/2ft. These are not impressive numbers when comparedto throwers, for example, (the world SLJ record is held by a shot-putter at 12ft 4in and,when I was at the Denver Broncos some years ago, every lineman was over 11ft!)andthis points out one of the difficulties in designing tests for sprinters. Research by DrGeoff Dyson in the 1960s showed that sprinters seldom excelled in any one area oftesting compared to other events in T+F. The key is the appropriate balance of allcomponants, and the stop-watch will be your best guide.What do you think of downhill sprints, and other methods of overspeed, what kind of results didyou get?

Downhill running may change your mechanics, unless it’s only about 2degrees on acompletely smooth sprinting surface (something you’re unlikely to find)Towing is BAD NEWS! It only pulls you faster through the air (if this could help- weshould all take a plane trip). The only way to get faster is to shorten ground contact time.With towing, ground contact times are INCREASED, due to being pulled into a landingfarther in front of the center of mass. The risk of injury is also greatly increased for thesame reason. The best method for overspeed is to run with a tailwind.

Strength & Conditioning > Ben Johnson’s SLJ Test

Not to seem like I’m attacking any overspeed proponents, but after Charlies seminar I’ve got toask “why?”Why does one need to do overspeed?As charlie said, everyone can cycle their legs at 5 strides per second in the air (lying on thereback, whatever), so it can’t improve frequency at all. Stride length? What happens to that newlytrained overspeed stride when your running flat, without towing?Problem is, the faster you are the WORSE overspeed is. Let’s think about it. These guyssuggest 10% overspeed. Who’s under more stress, the guy who can run 11.80 beingtowed at 10.62, or the guy running 9.80 being towed at 8.82?? And if you have propersprint mechanics, you’ll soon loose them!

Strength & Conditioning > Sprint Training Tools - Good vs. Bad

It seems everybody here mentions weight training after speed work; how much time inbetween thetwo sessions is reasonable? Do you go right to it, or wait a few hours?

We did weights rights after sprint work. We didn’t need as many warm-up sets and wedidn’t do huge volumes most of the time. The exception was in training camp settings,where split workouts could be done easily. I would suggest either right after the sprintsor approx 4hrs later (with a full warm-up).

It certainly seems that excessive loading volume on the calves would be a predisposer to injury.However there are perhaps,a few noteworthy considerations in this discussion:

1)It has been proven that the achilles is the longest and strongest tendon in the body. Whenlooking at the anatomy of top sprinters, the mounting points and length of tendons appears to be acommon denominator. Calves also seem to be relatively high and small (yet dense) relative tooverall leg musculature.

2) Calves are said, and proven in my experience, to have the fastest recovery rate of all legmusculature. They also do not tax the CNS to the same degree (when worked exclusively),possibly based on their size, rom, fiber type and position in the overall musculature.

3) It never ceases to amaze me how many times that I have witnessed athletes, of all maturity andskill levels, who reach a personal best after a long layoff (injury induced or volitional). This has alsobeen true when another sport such as basketball has been played during the hiatus (Marion). Thishas also been my personal experience.

As for shin splints, toe raises have helped greatly, as has temporary emphasis on grass workouts.

I must however, qualify myself as a young, beginning track coach who works primarily with highschool athletes and is fascinated with the opportunity to provide inner city athletes with this kind ofworld-class training insights, particularly given our meager staff, resources and support.

For top speed action around the hip is number one followed by the ankle, with the knee adistant third.1: You point out that sprinters have relatively longer achilles (and therefore shorter calfmuscles), indicating that the weight that must be carried at the end of a lever outweighsthe benefits of a more powerful (longer) calf muscle.Sprinters vary from those with very short calf muscles, such as Donovan Bailey, to thosewith a medium length, such as Jesse Owens, Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, Mo Green. Thereare no examples of great sprinters with long calf muscles/short achilles.2: The calf muscles don’t cause a big drain on the CNS because they represent a smallpercentage of the body’s musculature. This is just as well as they are substantiallyinvolved in training every day.3: Grass should be used for training at every opportunity, not just to re-hab injury.

Walk in platform shoes 3 times a week for 30mins. Watch your calves get big and strong fast!

I added an inch to my calves in 3 weeks, and melted 3/4 an inch of waist in fat.

I made mine from nailing a block of wood under some old shoes, from the inside of the shoe withwooden nails.

There is quite a bit of eccentric force and stretching on the calf and achilles tendon even with justwalking. The tendon does thicken as a result.

After viewing and reviewing several of the verical jump-40 yd. dash programms, particularly thosewhich boast the highest success rates, it is immediatly apparent that an overwhelming emphasisis placed on calf/achilles development. In one program a study is presented which attributes 35%of vertical force and 50 % horizontal (standing long) to ankle extension. Hip extension accountedfor approx. 50% and 40% respectively and knee extension was measured at 25% and 10%.

I am familiar with some of the arguments regarding the high toll which is taken on the calvesthrough sprinting. I can’t help but notice that ballistic calf work and general strengthening of theankle extensors using vertical force application may be an overlooked training protocol.Sprinters vary from those with very short calf muscles, such as Donovan Bailey, to thosewith a medium length, such as Jesse Owens, Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, Mo Green. Thereare no examples of great sprinters with long calf muscles/short achilles.2: The calf muscles don’t cause a big drain on the CNS because they represent a smallpercentage of the body’s musculature. This is just as well as they are substantiallyinvolved in training every day.3: Grass should be used for training at every opportunity, not just to re-hab injury.

Strength & Conditioning > Calf Development and Explosiveness

1: Platforms- Sounds like those calf-blaster shoes. I hope you’re kidding about this. Therisk of achilles injury is large- don’t do it. Nails in the soles of you feet aren’t good either,unless you’re interested in a career in religion. Why can’t you train with drills. If you canhandle them, your calves are strong enough. On the subject of religion, I feel like I’mbeing asked for a blessing instead of advice- (How can I do what I want to do anywaywithin your program)

2: RE calves and starting- How much are calves involved in determining how effectiveyour start is. Donovan’s start difficulty was dictated by his build proportions. He had lesstorso to drive forward and therefore his first 2 steps landed slightly ahead of his CofM,causing a slight delay in force delivery, till he “rolled over” his C of M. This disadvantagewas rapidly outweighed by the advantage of having less torso to carry later.

Would be very interested to hear what board members think of the benifits of ‘muscle vibrationand stimulation training’ through the use of equipment, thoughts?

Such equipment is very expensive. While I would be extremely sceptical of the extent of the aboveclaims, I would be interested to know of its exact effect. Will it have any real marginal effect on analready complete program? Is EMS training an adequate substitute?Some heavy hitters are interested in this approach(Carmelo Bosco, Henk Kraaijenhoff).This opens up questions about the whole nature of exercise- something I’m glad to seeas I’ve been at odds with traditional assumptions about exercise for years. (Traditionalscience argues that 65% of my training program is of too low an intensity to generate theconditions for muscular development.) A number of questions need to be answered. Inwhat ways and under what conditions can this approach have an advantage overtraditional lifting? How would this be integrated with lifting? What is the CNS cost of thiswork vs traditional lifting? What is the optimal hertz? What is the optimal rep andduration sequence? (There were significant differences in the protocols used)

Strength & Conditioning > Neuro-Mechanical Stimulation

Ken Mannie points out, “Science has not been able to define an exact number of sets to beperformed,” but in the meantime is appears that one is as good as three. If any coach would like toshare their thought on sets send it to us and we’ll post ‘em-up!

Is this true? Whats everyone else’s thoughts on it?

Ken Mannie is at Michigan State. Check their injury stats. There are two sites for this- onewith the NCAA and one with SI. The essence of good coaching is to train your athletes totheir capacity- never beyond. “Failure” is by definition a failure on the part of the coachand the program. After all, if your athlete can’t do it, why did you assign it? One set? Letsapply this logic to sprinting. We’ll have our sprinters do one rep where they take off at fullspeed and run till they drop. We’re sure to get great results with a program like that!These programs proliferate where there is no system for comparison. Track athletes whotrained this way would get their asses handed to them on a plate!Here’s a test for interested coaches to try on themselves before they cause anyproblems for anyone else. Pick the bench press, an appropriate weight, rep to failure,and count the number. Now train to failure on the exercise for three months and re-test.While we’re on the subject of Michigan State, I ran across one of the team members. Hehad done the initial BP test at 225pounds and completed 24 reps. Under the sterlingministrations of this program- going to failure- and beyond with neg reps- he was able tocomplete the program with the ability to do 225 for 12 reps. (He also provided me with thelinks to the sites that recorded the record number of injuries- sorry it was this last winterand I’ve lost the links, but they should be easy to find.) Quite a testament to the program.

Strength & Conditioning > Is one set enough?

I would like to start doing some medicine ball and plyometric work in my training, but I need a littlehelp with writing the program.

Generally speaking, in medicine ball training how many sets are done in a typical session? Andhow many reps in each set? (I’m guessing around 3 reps?)

What medicine ball exercises are generally used? (Descriptions would be great). I’m guessingchest throws, forward and backward ‘scoop’ throws, lateral throws to the side, anything else?

For plyometrics I am only planning to do it once a week. Should I be aiming for around 30-40 footcontacts per session? How many foot contacts in each ‘set’? (around 6-10?)

What plyometric exercises are generally used? Low hurdle hops (for max speed), depth jumps,what else?

Only the most explosive med ball work will hit the CNS hard. It’s OK to experiment to findyour own tolerance level- YOU are the best judge.

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What style of squatting did you have Ben, Mark, and Desai perform? Was there a style youprefered, or did you base it on whichever movement they were the most succesful with, and/orfound the easiest to execute ( by easy I mean biomechanically, taking into account limb length,etc.)

Sprinters with long legs and short torsos tend to go farther forward in the down positionwith the squat. I worked with one of the top sprinters last year and he had the sameproblem, though at 162lbs, he did manage to squat with 385 to the floor.

Strength & Conditioning > Squat style

The combination of strength and endurance do not give the same increase in performance astraining of one quality alone . A training model where one quality is increased before the other one, might be better than training both qualities at the same time . According to you which qualityshould be trained before?These qualities are, to some extent, in opposition to each other. If there is the need, I’dtrain the strength element first. But weigh your needs carefully, especially in theendurance area, which is often pursued too far.What do you mean by saying “if is there any need ?If adequate strength is in place for a sport, the training for that element shifts fromstrengthening to maintenance. Strength and endurance elements do conflict, so youshould weigh the needs and emphasize them separately.

Strength & Conditioning > Strengh + endurance training

I can’t remember if Charlie stated this or not correct me if I’m wrong. Did he state in one of hisbooks TFS/CFTS that a world class sprinter must be able to bench 330lbs to run on the elitelevel? I don’t know if that’s the exact words, did anyone else see this anywhere?The comments about the bench were intended to illustrate strength levels of one athlete,not to prescribe a formula. there is no magic formula, and if you had to bench 330 to befast, the world list would be half-empty. Strength can be attained in many ways, includingwithout weights at all.

Strength & Conditioning > Upper Body Strength

What is the exact role played by the pecs, the lats or the deltoids when it comes to sprinting? Whyis it that the bench press is used as the corner-stone of upper body development and it has nosimilarity to the movement used in sprinting? I could understand the squat, since there is hip andknee extension just as in sprinting. Most of the upper body exercises used for it’s development arenot similar to the upper body movement during sprinting. Why?As much of the strength work is general and as it is always the most effective to train toyour strengths, I don’t see why the bench rows shouldn’t be effective, though I wouldnormally favour front pull-downs. Remember that the percentage of muscularinvolvement will be less and must be supplemented with other exercises, making thisapproach more useful in the accumulation phase.

I gather from what i can remember from Speed Trap that you used a horizontal exercise sequencefor the weights sessions was this by choice or purely for it’s practicality (a lot of athletes working atthe same time)?

Also just out of interest, I remember you favouring front lat pulldowns was this with palms facingtowards or away from you? Why not chins / pull ups?

Weights will always be a compromise to some extent. What you describe as horizontal, Icall stage training. Circuits are usually used early in the prep period with strengthtraining using the stage method(easier to stay on the equipment also). As for front pulldowns, we used a hands away grip but you can certainly use pull-ups instead.

Strength & Conditioning > Training excercise sequence

After having spoken with several musculo-skeletal doctors, PH/D physiotherapists, the currentconsensus on the composition of the internal oblique and transersus muscles is that they are fasttwitch and that they infact contain among the highest percentage of phasic motor units in the body.This is necessary for these two support muscles to fire before any other muscle in the body.Therectus abdominus and external oblique were considered to consist of a rather mixed bag of fibertypes.

If this is the case it would have profound implications on the way we perform core work, placinggreater importance on heavier ab lifts rather than massive volumes. Has anyone any furtherinformation on this?

White fibre is concentrated where it’s needed most- in the drive muscles. Supportstructures tend to be red as they must maintain their support function for prolongedperiods. The studies you seem to be referring to were done on body-builders, whogenerally avoid abs for fear of abd size. This and their unparalleled “nutritional activities”can influence fibre composition. Also, the ORDER of muscle firing and the RATE ofmuscle contraction are not the same thing. The white fibre that IS naturally present isworked proportionately as part of the rest of your explosive routine. I looked at this froma work distribution point of view and found that by doing about 4500 low intensity absper week, I would maintain the same high to low intensity relationship with the abs that Imaintained elsewhere. Don’t look for additional ways to tax the already over-burdenedCNS. Did you ever see a good sprinter who DIDN’T have a good six-pack?

Strength & Conditioning > Ab composition and strength

Whats the best way to increase tendon strength?

Tendons are strengthened by stimulus from the muscles, and must therefore follow thedevelopment of the muscle slightly. Therefore the best method for safe tendondevelopment is a conservative and progressive training load increase.

Strength & Conditioning > Increasing tendon strength

Due to time restrictions and the fact that I do my track sessions and weights session in twodifferent places I cannot do a weights session directly before or after a track session. Could I doit(weights session) earlier in the day without detrimental effects on my track session?If possible, do the track work first. If it isn’t, the weights should be kept to a level that willnot interfere with the track work and if you are unsure of your tolerance, don’t be afraidto leave out the weights the odd time. A good separation minimum between sessionswould be 4 hours.If one trains once a day, how would you guys do the speed & weight sessions? Would you do theweights (lower body) on the same day right after a speed session, or leave the weight session acouple of days apart from hard sprinting? Do you think there is a possibility to “save time” (orincrease the number of high intensity training sessions) in doing weights right after speed, thenhave a 48 - 72 hour break with low intensity training until you train high intensity (speed&weights)again?Doing weights right after speed maximizes the time for recovery and lowers the numberof warm-up lifts you need. It lowers the total of lifts you can do, but so what? Theobjective is speed and the lifts serve a supporting role. Earlier in the training year/phase,where lifts may be part of the process of strengthening weak links, ect, the CNS demandof the speed tends to be a little lower as the emphasis is on short acceleration, so it ispossible to handle the larger volume of lifting that special strengthening exercises mightadd.

Is there a minimal amount of contractions that one needs to perform at a specific intensity? Areyou saying that if one works at 2-3 RM in the squat after sprinting, they only need to do 3 setsversus 6 sets? Does this stimulatory effect allow me to get the exact same result with less volumeor am I adjusting for reasons of available CNS energy?

You can limit your warm-up sets on the way up to the real working range. ie Squatsession 6xbar or 135,1 or 2x315,1 or 2x405,5x495.

Strength & Conditioning > Time between track and weights

If tempo runs works well,why not tempo type weightlifting, ultra high reps like a hundred for thebench press?

Strength & Conditioning > Tempo Weightlifting

That’s a tough one to answer in only one way. First, depletion push-ups can help maxbench as a secondary means of working the maximum amount of fibre (by seriallyworking through all the involved muscle groups’ fibre- the primary means is throughmaximal recruitment). This complementary method allows you to avoid reaching aplateau as early, and the push-up method has maximal effect on the muscles with limitedimpact on the CNS. The depletion method can be used once per week for a few weeks inthe training cycle or when a plateau has been reached with traditional max strengthmethods, as follows: Max possible number- wait 90sec, max no again- wait 90sec, maxpossible no for the final time. (The biggest drop in numbers should be between the firstand second set. If the drop is not over half the first number, you probably wimped out onthe first set. Don’t worry about it, you’ll get another chance the followig week- but notbefore!)As for med ball work: It breaks down into high (explosive throws with limited numbersand long breaks) and low (high rep med ball core work).

How do I differ in training for each sport , saying what do i do different for hockey to increasemy speed, or for cycling how do i increase my speed for that? What are some trainingmethods I could use to increase in those sports?

Each sport must be studied to determine which high intensity elements are requiredfor success and the training program should be centered around those elements. Asan example, even though hockey requires a lot of general endurance (best trained bylow intensity aerobic means), there is NO requirement for speed endurance (you can’tgo at max speed far enough or often enough to need it) There is however a greatneed for pure power and acceleration.In the last 10 years or so, the stick drill has become much more popular. In the book, “SportsSpecific Speed,” Gary Winckler describes different applications of this drill, some affect stridelength, while another affects stride frequency.How useful do you feel it is to try to choreographthe evolution of stride amplitude and frequency? Are these stick drills overrated?

It never ceases to amaze me how many people use these drills. They come withinstructions for the progression of the sticks/ ladders etc. How can everybody be thesame? Are you 5foot 5 or 6foot6? Long legs? Short legs? Sprinting is a hind- brainactivity, where simple functions (alternations)can be performed at great speed.Adding complexity to a basically simple activity (and adding a targeting function aswell) moves tasking to the fore- brain, which processes actions more slowly. It alsoencourages tightness, which is death to the sprinter. As for drum drills etc, they mayhelp if relaxation is maintained, however, power influences the improvement of BOTHstride length and stride frequency (Through decreasing the ground contact time) andanyone can perform 5 stride cycles per second through the air!

Prof. Tudor Bompa suggests that a sprinter should use a volume of 10-18 tonnes per week inthe preparatory phase, 4 tonnes/week in the competitive phase and 2 tonnes/week in thetransition phase. Do you agree with this type of approach ?Also, lately I started using Complex training! Is this better than doing weights on Day1 andPlyos + Sprints on Day 2 ? Should one include the jumps as well in the volume of strengthtraining ?

Remember that the accumulation phase depends on the athlete. A sprinter in the earlystages of development needs a lot of cross- section training, but a top sprinter mostlikely has the cross section he needs so a short accumulation is all he needs. Hedoesn’t want to get bigger, but rather he wants to improve the strength- to- weightratio (recruitment), so the main emphasis is in the max strength phase. Also, as theperformance level goes up, the amount of additional strength it is possible to gaindecreases, so the max strength phases become shorter and are repeated more oftenin the year. If your athlete has the skill, I would use complex lifts- particularly towardsthe competition period as they can reduce the total lifting volume needed. Of coursemany different methods can be used.

Training 101

You stated in Speed Trap about “adding distance to the speed, not speed to the distance.” Couldyou elaborate a little?

It is possible to go in two different directions in the seasonal plan. From short to longerdistances or from long to shorter distances. I prefer the first option as shorteracceleration bursts can easily coincide with the extensive weight- lifting program weuse in phase one. Also, speed endurance is specific to the speed of execution only. Forexample, even the most intensive 300meter runs cannot be carried out at a speed thatwill have any impact on the speed needed in the closing stages of the 100meters. Thetop speed needs to be developed first and then endurance can be developed at thatexact speed.

Would you suggest a volume of sprints to develop conditioning, or maybe a 140m specialendurance? Or would you shorten the rest interval? Would you do a broken 100m to work on thelast 20m? Would you let the racing in meets train for the last part of the 100? How do you train forendurance in the 100 without doing the 100?

I would answer the question of sprint endurance in two ways. First, speed endurance iseventually done, but it is done after the required speed level is in place (perfected inalactic conditions). Thus, the speed endurance is superior in quality to that which couldhave been done earlier. Second, an adequate volume of alactic sprints, when done overan adequate period of the season will enhance alactic capacity by as much as .5 sec(from 7.5 to 8.0 sec) a huge amount when you consider that as performance goes up,the 100 time comes down- all of the time shaved off is in the lactic anaerobic portion ofthe race.

I understand that with your training you develop accleration first than maximum speed, and thenspeed endurance. I was wondering how many specific actual phases or meso-cycles do you haveover the complete program and how long is each phase. From what I’ve read I’ve been able topick up that phase one is the acceleration period and phase three is the maximum speed period.

It depends on the time available, working backwards from the date when topperformance is required. I use triple periodization for a whole year plan but, I suppose,the real question is what is the shortest time frame before you switch to a doubleperiod? I think it depends, to a large extent, on the type of athlete you’re dealing with.The more explosive the training is, the shorter the training cycles can become.

Hill running has been a method used by many to help with acceleration. What do you guys think?What grade should be used? What distance? Should you do it at all?

Hill running can be used in many ways. For an athlete who doesn’t have the strength tohandle an extreme forward lean on the track, you can tilt the ground instead of the athlete.A hill of only a few degrees can improve start mechanics for those who need it. Hills are atool in your inventory, like any other. Just don’t go crazy with them.

When using a triple periodization over a whole year do you have three even cycles of about 16weeks or is this too simplistic. Would you do something like 20 weeks, 16 weeks and 12weeks allowing for the cycles to become more intensive, shorter and less of an aerobiccomponent as you build towards your major meets. Within each cycle you have the phases ofacceleration, maximum speed, speed endurance and then a mix of maximum speed andacceleration before the competition.

Basically I take out the distance and then bring it back before the competition. What I’m not tosure of is the time that should be spent on developing each of the attributes (i.e. accel, max,endure). Surely not each attribute takes an even amount of time to develop fully. I also guess itwould also depend on the athlete. My guess is that it would take more time to developendurance then maximum speed and then acceleration. On the other hand acceleration andmaximum speed contribute more to you overall performance in a 100m. I work in lots of fourweeks with three weeks of more intense training followed by a regeneration week. Is this ok orshould it be different depending on the phase of training I am in?

The second scenario is most likely. The initial phase has the main requirement for thebuildup and cross- sectional phase, as the subsequent phases are closer together.

I was told that you’ve been toying (maybe more than that) with possible relation betweensprinting speed and upper body strength (bench press). Would you mind elaborating on thissubject?

I think of weights as general, not specific strength. You are strengthening the entireorganism, therefore all strength affects all other strength (crossover), upper or lower.A search for specificity would limit the number of muscles you could train throughweight-lifting. The process is also reversible, so weights help sprinting and sprintinghelps weights. Because of the general nature of weights, I have not been toying withthe idea of establishing ratios between upper body strength and sprint speed as thevariability between individuals is far too great- I have merely designed programs totake advantage of every opportunity to spread the work-load around.

Charlie, interesting note about weight training being referred to as general strength. This leadseven more that weight training is only one component contributing to sprinting speed. I hear somany “experts” claiming you must find sport specific weight exercises that closely mimic thesport movement. The bottom line is there is none nor will there ever be any weight exercisethat will mimic the sprint. Now there are certainly certain movements that will have acontributing/carryover effect in improving certain aspects of sprint performance. But how in theworld are you going to find a weight exercise the mimics a sprinter going 12mps. Charlie,didn’t you say in other words that the majority of hamstring injuries are due to impropertechnical flaws and not strength imbalances. How much of an imbalance is too much/howwould we test this or can we? Would that lead into the notion that what may be an imbalance ata slow velocity may not be an imbalance at the high velocity you have stated regarding theforce impact that the hammies take at ground contact, etc?

Obviously, the upper body must be strong enough to pump the arms at anyconceivable rate the legs can follow, but I have always advocated upper bodystrength levels that run far beyond the demands of this role. If arm speed was theonly contribution from the upper body, it would make sense to limit strength work inthis area to sufficiency in order to limit the bodyweight that must be carried (as theEuropeans have tried), but this is not the case. The crossover effect of training (withall means except EMS) means that every muscle that is strengthened leads to thestrengthening of every other muscle in the body. This phenominon allows you tospread the training load across the whole body, not just on the legs and back. Onceyou accept this, then it is clear that total useable power output will be greater whenthe whole body is involved in the strengthening process. Likewise, the distribution ofthe training load allows for higher quality speed sessions, as the legs can be freshermore often as they needn’t carry the whole strength building load. Also, when youunderstand the general nature of strength, you will understand that it is a reversibleequation. That is, just as weight work allows you to generate more power on thetrack, the generation of more power on the track allows you to develop greaterstrength in the weight room. Bottom line- don’t be afraid if you miss the odd weightsession because you’re fried from a great sprint workout, you’re going to getstronger anyway!

I do agree with the above statement to a certain degree. I think the arms preceed the legs, but Idon’t necessarily believe they control them.Have you ever noticed the athletes with the most arm action have a tendency to overstride orpush too long against the ground?

At max velocity, the forces are largely vertical in nature. The horizontal component comes intoplay when the sprinter breaks a touch down and when he attempts to reaccelerate his bodythrough the back zone. The more efficent the sprinter, the less absoulte horizontal forcerequired.

However, during acceleration(backside mechanics is a focus) where horizontal forces are great.The arms must work through a greater range of motion and more powerfully to counter balance.

The reason I mention the above is this: look at an athlete with little back side mechanics at maxvelocity(Marion Jones)arm action is always smaller. Someone with more backside at maxvelocity(Leroy Burell)it’s larger. Athletes that overstride have no choice but to reaccelerate throughthe back zone, the result is more back side mechanics with results in more arm drive needed. Themore backside the more arm action. This is the legs controlling what the arms do.

This is always a tough determination, as conditions can vary during the outdoorcompetitions (wind, rain, temp). I usually made my calculations based on training timesbecause there were more opportunities to get good conditions. For example, I knew thatBen was capable of at least 9.90 in 1986,but conditions didn’t allow him to achieve it in ameet. As to the second part of your question, I do think that the conditions of a big meetcan lead to higher performance (Ben ran faster in big meets at sea level than in smallermeets at altitude)but all my practice times were hand timed, which I converted to anelectronic equivalent so, perhaps I built in a margin to compensate for the big meeteffect.

Found this re:150m Bailey v Johnson

Table 1: Predicted splits (s) and speed (m/s) compared with official for Bailey’s 100 m final inAtlanta. Reaction time is rounded to +0.17 s.Split 10 m 20 m 30 m 40 m 50 m 60 m 70 m 80 m 90 m 100 mSpeed (s) 9.32 10.95 11.67 11.99 12.10 12.10 11.99 11.85 11.67 11.47Raw 1.89 2.90 3.79 4.64 5.47 6.29 7.12 7.96 8.81 9. 67+reaction 2.06 3.07 3.96 4.81 5.64 6.46 7.29 8.13 8.98 9.84Official 1.9 3.1 4.1 4.9 5.6 6.5 7.2 8.1 9.0 9.84Why has top speed in this race been claimed as fastest ever? Top speed is the same asBen and Carl ran 8 years earlier (.83 for 10m). Ben also recorded a .81 segment in Zurichin 1986 (comming from an easier start). Probably Lewis has shown a similar top speedfrom a more relaxed start also. It is the combination of all factors that counts.

Reading your manual I see that Ben’s training times didn’t change much during the year. I alsounderstand that the times shown are FAT and performed by an athlete that could have run 9.60.Thus my question is: according to your experience, what times (60, 80, 150) should a sprinter runin training to be running 9.90ish in competition?

The arms CAN control the legs when things are going right but they CAN’T help whenmechanics go south (pushing out the back) With good arm action the “pull” is downnot back, just as the action is with the legs.

How does torso rotation improve performance? While doing tempo work our athletes relax andallow their shoulders to stay loose and rotate. Why would this add a meter in distance? does itimprove stride length at top speed by a few centimeters per step? Does this only help the middle/end parts of the race or just the drive phase? What does too much rotation do to the stride? Doesit screw with it’s rhythm? Are there certain speeds that this happens or does this happen with 10.2people? What’s the secret?

Just a point of interest on splits. Everyone seems to think that Ben won everything at the start,but look at the split differences with Maurice in his 9.80 in Seville. At 30m Ben has .01,but themargin grows from there all the way to 80 when Ben shut it down. The margins in Ben’s favorwere as follows; 40m-.02, 50m-.05, 60m-.06, 70m-.07, 80m-.07! Too bad he didn’t run throughthe line!

Clearly athletes don’t want to over-rotate but the natural rotation of the hip towards thecenterline should’nt be negated by holding the hips in a locked position or holding theshoulders up which prevents hip ratation by preventing shoulder counter-rotation. Thenatural rotation towards the centerline takes place in the fully upright position only andis worth about 1.5 inches per stride.

Would a conversion phase be relevent or even useful for young(not absolute beginners)sprinterssince the speed and strength capacities are less developed? Since they are not reaching the speedsof the elites, would this type of training be of some use? I would think that one reason the elites wouldnot require such a training phase is because their sprints/jumps are of such high quality a phasewould be unnecessary?

Weights and other strength development means are general, not specific to sprinting. Theconversion to specific strength comes from the sprinting itself. This is especially usefulwith beginners, where the general nature of strength work allows you to spread the workout over a large percentage of the body’s musculature, preventing overload in any onemuscle group.

I was hoping to get some input in coming up with a reasonable conversion for one of my formerathletes. She was 17 years old and ran 35.32 (FAT) for 300 yards indoors on a 200 meter bankedtrack. She was a 200/400 athlete. What would be a reasonable estimate for a 300 meter time underthe same conditions?

Just a rough estimate but 39.8 for 300m sounds about right under the same conditions

Should I be going through the full-warmup with In’s & Outs runs on my light tempo days? Since Ins &Outs are done at full speed, would that mean I’m doing too much speed work?

This is speed work and shouldn’t be done on tempo days. Keep the intensity low on thetempo days so that you can recover and produce better quality on the speed days. Ofcourse this is less of an issue for a beginner than a mature athlete.

Charlie talked about stair climbing as a CNS stress, in Training For Speed. He also did it in the“Black and Silver Bible of Speed” AKA Speed Trap.Like sleds and incline running, does it help?

Stair runs can be used if the distances between steps allow for good form. The same loadingrules apply as for hills.

How does one decide when it would be advantageous to add more muscle mass? I’m a “big” sprinter6’1", 210 pounds, (but a moderately-sized football player!) Since I am mostly interested in shortsprints...the 40 for football and 60m for track perhaps stretching to 100m, what is the best strategy?

I hope I don’t get on the slippery slope of offering rules and routines for lifting. Everythingmust be predicated on the primary goal- MORE SPEED. As far as cross-sectional liftinggoes- we often lifted in the 10rep range (based on the strength endurance qualities theathletes already posessed) though there was much less cross section work as the yearswent by as the desired cross section was already in place. As for lifting highs, Ben squatedto parallel 2x6x600, Desai and Mark both did 2x6x525. Mark was also a proficient cleaner,with a best of over 335 later in his career. In the bench, Mark did 365, Desai did 385, but Bendid 4x5x405, with a double at approx 450 just before Seoul ( this was due to a miscalculationof the Olympic plates- intended, 6 plates at 20kg+ 2 plates at 10kg- actual 6 plates at 25kg +2 plates at 12.5 kg + end clips). PLEASE remember that the weight programs progressedupwards over many years and the weight program never interfered with the speed work. Ifit came to a choice, speed work always won out.

Just few questions regarding maximal velocity sprint work. I know the answers can vary greatlyfrom athlete to athlete, but a general idea will suffice.

-At what point in the year do you introduce 100% intensity sprint work? (Not in terms of mid-periodX or late period Y, but the calendar year)

-How long a period do you allow the athlete to attempt these efforts?

-If you keep an athlete at 95-98% for some time,how can you be sure that you’re making progresstowards new, higher velocities?

-If performing cone work or fly-in sprints how do you arrive at a percent intensity? If the velocityvaries, how do you account for the average intensity performed during the run?

This is a tough question in some ways. The easy part first. Your sprinting at 30m and belowwill almost always be at or near 100% Longer runs are more problematic. First,when youget a personal best on a run this is assumed to be a 100% effort but is it really if you haveimproved more? (assume it is for safety reasons) Second how well do you tolerate maximalsprinting? This will always be an individual call. How about some input from the groupwith reference to individual experiences.I have a question about speed endurance...if I understood it well, this is close to maximum speedruns over longer distances( 110, 120, 150?). How do you implement it? Do you push for a bestpossible time on the distance (which will sometimes mean a slower start) or do you ask for maximalacceleration and an attempt to retain as much speed over the remainder of the distance?I’d prefer a slightly easier start, if necessary to ensure relaxation throughout the run.As you have started to do so, could you identify upper body posture in running. You mentioned 1.shoulders down ,2. shoulders back in line with the ears what else?I guess I would say proper sprint posture is the same as proper standing posture. This isnot always taught, as many coaches believe that the shoulders should be rolled slightlyforward with the hips tucked under. I disagree as this limits extension and prevents therotation of the hips towards the centerline.

You mentioned briefly that sprinters tend to gain flexibility and ROM as they become faster becausethe muscle fibers learn to contract and relax together. Could you explain this a little more?

It’s a possibility, but what you can say for sure is that better tone is influenced by higherspeeds. As more fibers within the muscles contract together (recruitment), more fiberssubsequently relax together.

Doesn’t the intensity need to be more exact than “at or near maximal intensity?”

When, do you begin to let an athlete “blast off” in practice? Let’s say it’s a US collegiate sprinterwith a double periodized year.

It’s hard to give an all-purpose answer. Earlier in a career an athlete will register PBs closertogether in training, but later they’ll be harder to come by and to recover from. You will haveto constantly adjust the intensity according to the athlete’s status. I will say this: wheneveryou have your athlete go 100%, you’d like to see a PB. If you’re not expecting one from theathlete, why are you asking him for one? A slight modification can keep progressions ontrack in the long run.

Charlie, I was curious to know what kind of an evaluation procedure, in terms of identifyingimbalances or weaknesses, you use when meeting with a new client. Some trainers utilize stabilitytools ( sit-fit, wobble board, etc...) as aids in evaluating their clients. Are these methods reliable?Also, does Scap influence you in this area?

Be careful when you do initial assessments that you distinguish between functional andnon- functional imbalances or if indeed an apparent imbalance is just related to musclestatus. Most of the time, when Dr Scappiticci (hereafter referred to as Scap to save ink)finds an imbalance, he can correct it with a few minutes of treatment. This would not bepossible if was more than tonus related.

Please comment on technique and wind. This sounds like a great point.You made a very clearexplanation of it in Toronto, please expand on this since this can change many programs.

They are totally different as towing causes prolonged foot contact times due to the footbeing pulled into the ground too far ahead of the CG. Wind assistance need not changeany mechanics as the wind is not pushing you (unless it’s a hell of a wind) It’s helping toreduce air resistance. I would always run with the wind unless I was concerned aboutmuscle tightness or it was very cold (a head wind shortens the stride and may serve aprotective function in some cases)

How do you prepare a 43-44 man? Why is the World record so much faster then the current timesfor women, (training only concepts only). Do we need more christmas lights Charlie? Can speedendurance be added like the 100m? How much aerobic work is too much?

There are many ways to prepare for the 400m and the athlete’s individual strengthsshould be considered. I would suggest that women are more likely to benefit fromshorter work as they are less able to approach the event from the strength angle andspeed reserve is the key (the difference between best 200m time and 400m race split at200m).

During the seven week max. strength phase in your book “The Training System” (two three weekcycles separated by one unload week), are the weights progressing up during each of those weeks1,2,3 and 5,6,7? Do you try to get a certain percentage jump each week or do you just lift progressivelyheavier each week?

If you accept that speed is your no1 priority then you can’t have a set progression with theweights, as they must be adjusted to account for the output on the track. Perhaps counter-intuitively, though, you will find that lifting strength has gone up in a reasonably linearfashion during the phase (when the lifting is tested fresh!) due to the interplay betweenspeed work and weights. You can set reasonable overall objectives, if you consider thestarting level of the athlete, the distances over which you will accelerate, and the length ofthe training phase.Apart from the obvious (quads, hamstrings, glutes and hips) what are the other major muscle groupssprinters should be flexible in?Make sure the traps are relaxed so the shoulders can stay down at speed. Make sure youstretch the pecs/arms etc after your bench-happy crew leave the weight room. This aids isproper sprint posture (shoulders back in line with the ears). Ever seen relay practices afterbench sessions? The receiving arm goes out to the side instead of back!I am just beginning my sprint training, despite my formative years, 29yrs old. I played soccerpreviously at a semi-professional level. I currently train by myself, and I have noticed that there isalot of drills being mentioned in the forums:A’s, B’s, In’s and Outs, Turnarounds.Can anyone tell me what drills I should be doing and what ones I should be avoiding. Also, cananyone describe these drills? If they are to difficult to describe, can you recommend any booksand/or videos I can purchase that would help me.I have Charlie’s books: Speed Trap, Training for Speed, and Charlie Francis Training System).

Kevin O’Donnell and Loren Seagraves have more videos that you can buy. Why not get all 4 foronly $191.00 ? I respect Loren greatly and enjoy his lectures but....did he invent the A and B drills?Did he go to Arizona with the Navajos and eat payotte and then come back to LSU and start usingthe drills from his night vison by the fire? No. In Speed Trap it goes into how the drills that Gerardinvented were used with Charlies athletes. I can’t find any Mach books or videos, just BrentMcFarlane and The Science of Hurdling and Speed.

I am doing a hypertrophy phase next fall, I am doing tempo work with a lot of volume. When the fiberis larger, I will then skip the basic strength phase so I can get back to the numbers I was getting in thesummer. Is this smart, or should I do more 5x5 work to get a “foundation”? Does the new fiber havetype one and type two characteristics?

I’d take my cue on the weights from the speed and speed endurance results you’re gettingnow. If those componants are advancing then you may be able to advance your demandsin other areas. But if you havn’t got everything in place on the running front, stay with amaintenance phase and leave the strength advances till after this competition period isover. I would not skip the maximum strength phase, however.

Keep it simple. Over-drilling athletes is a sure recipe for “paralysis by analysis”. Sprintingis simple- You start in A (with forward lean you can’t swing the shin forward from the knee)and finish in B (the shin swings out and the leg straightens on the way down and back).Many athletes have difficulties with the running Bs so I prefer straight leg bounds. Anyother drills should be added with a specific purpose in mind (other than impressing yourcharges with the breadth of your esoteric knowledge). It never ceases to amaze me howmany people have helped themselves to Gerrard’s work, portraying themselves as expertson his drills despite never having worked with him, and, in many cases, never having methim. Always watch out for people who make a living out of “interpreting” other people’sprograms. Remember the lecturer who went around telling everyone willing to part withtheir money the “inside story” of how Ben squatted 600lbs (or was it 660?) 30minutesbefore the final in Seoul? (Complete BS, in case anyone missed the point. In fact, if thatparticular “Guru” had even been at the Olympics, he’d have known that there were noweights in the warm-up area). Gerrard has published books on the subject, and I wouldsuggest starting with the original source. The place to start looking is at Athletics Canada.They could at least put you in touch with him.

Kevin O’Donnell’s Drills for Speed is probably the best single source of drill demonstrations.However, don’t just perform every drill on the video in a shotgun manner and expect to see animprovement. As Ian King points out quite correctly in his own speed videos, many athletesperform lots of drills and don’t improve at all.

In addition, I’m not crazy about all of the drills, especially the B drills. Get the video as a reference,but read the discussion on this forum for better insight into how to apply the drills.

What exactly does this drill teach or reinforce? I’ve used it as an athlete, however, knowing what Iknow now I can’t quite see the benefits.

The A drill does NOT mean stepping over the support knee, rather the foot lifts up directlyunder the knee.(This is one of those interpretations I was talking about).”Stepping over”is part of the running Bs, but due to the coordination difficulties, I’d leave it to therunning portion of the program where there is enough air time to allow for the step overin coordination with the rotation of the hip. Don’t “learn” something as a drill that youmust “unlearn” in order to perfect running technique later.

Before Charlie (BC) I always looked at Tempo work. Since you do five times more tempo workthen sprint workouts (1:1 ratio this is much more since you only sprint a few days a week) you mustdo tempo work correctly. This is were I am jerk about good technique. Since you are runningslower you can work on mechanics, theoretically transfering over at high speeds. As Tom Jager(gold medal sprinter in swimming) “You got to learn to swim slow correctly.” I always have them gettheir hips up before any drill. They walk up to the line get set in the balanced position and run.

For speed it is another story. I videotape every speed workout. My opinion is that video taping cantighten up athltetes at first from trying to look good on tape, but they they get use to it and freedomof movement improves. I have one hurdler who is weak at top speeds, I thing time will help....I don’tknow.

I think it is a strength issue. What do you think?

I have a couple of thoughts about observation. First, I think drills are a starting point. Pickonly what’s necessary and make sure they’re done perfectly. There is often confusion overthe role of drills, with coaches pushing for the speed of execution,which can conpromisethe technique (complete extension in the drill) and relaxation. Second, be careful ofoveremphasizing technique in tempo runs, as the lower speed may not allow the completeextension possible with a drill or high speed work (though, certainly you can concentrateon relaxation and perfection through the range that is possible). Third, if at all possible,have someone else video your training sessions and use your own eyes for observation.Mistakes are harder to spot on slow-mo because everything looks smoother. I’ve alwaysthought that my ability to spot problems wasn’t based on what I was seeing, but, ratherwhat I was not seeing. (the ability to isolate on one issue while shutting out everythingelse)

When doing various training runs, could people tell me what they do for inter-rep recovery. Howabout the following.

1)stimulus type and rest protocol (time)2)recovery technique (massage for the wealthy, or jogging..)

Example I like keeping all rests longer then 5 minutes for speed, and walk around with somedynamic stretches.

I always like to have the athletes spend some of the rest time lying down, shaking theirlegs to promote recovery. A typical example might be- 20min break- flats on, walk/ jog for3 to 5min - then stretch/ shake on the ground 5 to 7 min- then spikes on and 1 or 2 jogstrides for 20 to 30meters. Sit or lie and shake the legs until it’s time for the next rep.

What work do you do in the early stages when distances are limited to 30m, are there specific drillsect you use to teach acceleration mechanics, and do you limit the total number of runs in a sessionas 500m worth of 30’s is a lot of accelerations?

After the first held breath - 0 - 30 when you get to 30 do you quickly exhale, and then inhale again?How do you maintain core stability during that exhalation? Increase your voluntary activation?When should the next breath be held to? 60-70m?Are there any individual differences in the timing of the breath?Do you need 3 breaths?The only time you hold your breath is on the set command (you inhale and hold). Whenthe gun goes off,you exhale slowly under pressure (valsalva). Beyond exhaling underpressure with each breath, the rest is automatic- don’t worry about it. You usually havethree breaths in the 100m.I appreciate that bad habits are automatic, but training to rectify automatic bad habits e.g.technical is different, as you rightly said the 100m is artificial. My point was that breathing is notartificial. Running is a willed action but breathing just happens..In a race I suppose it could be seenthat athletes appear to breathe, though I’ve never seen it personally. But breathing increasinganyway when one is aroused or in a state of stress. I can’t see why a runner would be needing tobreath so much in a 100m when the energy system being used doesn’t require oxygen?Breathing is automatic, so don’t worry about it (other than on set). It’s just the effects ontime segments in the race that need to be noted and understanding the valsalva effectlets you use it in training for “flying 20s” etc.

How are the cleans and squats placed? On speed days? Could you go over a microcycle of how youpersonally do things. As for strength and speed improvements at the same time, it can be done to alimit. We are going up on our lifts but we could do more if we wanted. I’d rather us express the poweron the track right now since US nationals are in two weeks.

There is another factor here in combining lifts and sprints. The farther you accelerate thefaster you go therefore the more range and ease of movement you require, therefore themore conflict there can be with the volume of lifts.Does the start not require a lot of flexibility also, could focusing on acceleration mechanics whilerange is poor (relatively) not cause a lot of difficulties in learning. Should we be working accelerationbut avoiding blocks until power qualities are in place and the volume of strength work has beenreduced?

Certainly starts require some range of movement, just less than higher speeds. This is all amatter of degrees. I would never suggest pushing an athlete in the weight room to thepoint where he became relatively immobile!I’ve been told in the past that I “run on my heels.” Can someone give me a better explanation ofthis problem?

This is often an issue of strength. Once the hip is higher relative to the ground, the foot isable to sweep farther back before ground contact, solvng the problem. This was thecase with Angella Taylor in the early stages.

What’s your take on plyometrics - specifically bounding and multi-jump/hop _ stadium bench boundingetc - type of training?I see a place for them on almost any surface as long as the numbers are small and heightsare reasonable for the athlete, though I’ll use grass whenever possible. I think problemscome with the periodizing concept of moving from slow to fast/ simple to complex, andfrom trying to maximise individual componants serially (weights to plyos to sprints). I havethem all present all the time in interrelated quantities.

What muscles require strengthening in order to keep the hips high, and in fact to be ale to get thehips higher in the first instance when sprinting?

As this is an issue that usually affects athletes early in their development, I woulddescribe this as a “whole body” issue, rather than something affecting one or twomuscle groups.If I’m not mistaken, increased stride frequency is the result of decreased ground contact time?What other work besides sprinting should one do to increase stride frequency?

Decreased ground contact time is a result of higher hip height- which, in turn, is a result ofgreater strength and improved technique (better force delivery).

I’ve been told in the past that I “run on my heels.” Can someone give me a better explanation ofthis problem?This is often an issue of strength. Once the hip is higher relative to the ground, the foot isable to sweep farther back before ground contact, solvng the problem. This was thecase with Angella Taylor in the early stages.

What muscles require strengthening in order to keep the hips high, and in fact to be ale to get thehips higher in the first instance when sprinting?As this is an issue that usually affects athletes early in their development, I woulddescribe this as a “whole body” issue, rather than something affecting one or twomuscle groups.If I’m not mistaken, increased stride frequency is the result of decreased ground contact time?What other work besides sprinting should one do to increase stride frequency?Decreased ground contact time is a result of higher hip height- which, in turn, is a result ofgreater strength and improved technique (better force delivery).

Based on what Charlie has written previously, I don’t think it’s a matter of more height with bothfeet. Plyometrics are still general in nature whether single or double leg. Single leg jumps carry theadditional risk of overloading the joints and other structure, without a significant correspondingincrease in specificity or effectiveness. In other words, more risk for the same results.

Single leg work is a recipe for injury. There’s one sprint group that continues with thisapproach, in spite of a continuous stream of calf/ankle/achilles injuries. I just don’t get it.All these problems are utterly avoidable and load can be adjusted to make double leg oralternate leg work effective as well as safe.

What’s “background noise” ?

By this I mean the additional signals sent out along the neural pathways, by muscles in astate of tension that shouldn’t be working at a particular time in a sprinting action. Thebiggest difference between the top sprinters and the rest is in the rate at which they canshut down antagonists between actions. This is why,in a completely relaxed state, theyenter a zone. By eliminating extraneous muscular activity, time seems to slow down, andthey can sense each action, while the backmarkers sense only a collection of strugglingbody parts.

Are you supposed to run on your toes?Yesterday I was running on the track trying to get faster, Istarted running faster and it felt like I was running on my toes. I have read that your supposed to runon the balls of your feet,but how do you know if your running on your toes or the balls of your feet.You run on the balls of your feet but leave the ground rolling off the toes at full extension.Perhaps that’s what you were feeling.

Training 101 > Improving SSC

Training 101 > “Background Noise”

Training 101 > Running Mechanics

Is it true that someone that you worked with has achieved a 3.7 40 yd. dash time. Was this a flying40?The football 40 is from first motion. Ben ran a 3.7 and Desai Williams ran a 3.9 in 1988 fora scout in Toronto.

Training 101 > 40yd dash times

What type of difference could you notice in your sprinters between a standing start for 40 yardsand starting from the blocks for same distance. Were they essentially the same?We always timed runs from the standing position. We didn’t time block starts because Ialways did the timing and the starting, so I couldn’t be in two places at once. Block startsdo yield slower times. You are farther back of the line- must be completely motionless,and must react to the gun. The difference should be on the order of 0.2sec.

My question is in relation to body fat.how can a male get it down to 6% range?

Work on improving your overall program first and your BF second. Attempts to limit BFoften lead to muscle loss. While the selection of training tasks will play a role, it is muchsmaller than the total work done (vol x intensity), which will determine your increase inmetabolic rate after training, where most of the burn takes place. Be careful how youmeasure BF as many of the methods are inaccurate. Use your own eyes. They’ll tell youwhat’s up.

Training 101 > Reducing body fat levels?

My question is in relation to body fat.how can a male get it down to 6% range?

Work on improving your overall program first and your BF second. Attempts to limit BFoften lead to muscle loss. While the selection of training tasks will play a role, it is muchsmaller than the total work done (vol x intensity), which will determine your increase inmetabolic rate after training, where most of the burn takes place. Be careful how youmeasure BF as many of the methods are inaccurate. Use your own eyes. They’ll tell youwhat’s up.

How would you approach the balance between low intensity/high intensity work for a decathlete.Most decathletes do not get to sassy about technical training in the different events and thereforeend up with a lot of all out throws/jumps/runs?how would you go about balancing it out in a time efficient way, considering the amount technicalwork to be done?That’s a very individual question depending on each athlete’s learning curve, but it’sworth remembering that the event training cycle can be spread over more than a week.

Training 101 > Decathlon Training

I would like to hear some ideas - perhaps with sample rep/set/session - on the age-old issue ofconverting strength gained in the gym into power capable of being expressed in sprinting.As we sprint year round, the integration of the strength into sprinting is happening all thetime rather than after a specific, dedicated strength phase as occurs in most classicalperiodization schemes.

Having been unable to train for sprints for two whole years I’ve found that it is my acceleration thathas suffered most - it’s almost as tho I can’t remember how to turn it on quickly . I’m not panickingas it’s still early days in my recent speed training and my cadence and speed feel ok when I getgoing , but should I aim for a choppier more powerful stride in acceleration ( first 15- 20 m )? orshould I just be patient and wait for the acceleration to come back naturally thru time and training .Also as a beginner ( I’m seeing this as a complete start from scratch ) would my overallperformance in the short term ( this season )benefit from more speed endurance and accellerationwork as opposed to flying 20’s which are by far the strongest part of my training at present .I just want to get the most out of this season before beginning the program anew in the fall .I’d really appreciate any advice .1: Don’t screw with your mechanics and never force the rate (though separate frequencydrills can be done with no emphasis on covering ground)- run relaxed and wait for thestrength to catch up.2: When starting from scratch, you’re better to work on general fitness and speedendurance runs first- just like a beginner would, though it won’t take nearly as long to re-gain fitness as it took to get it in the first place.

Training 101 > Patience or a short term solution?

How should I alter my program to increase speed endurance ?My fitness is fairly good , I could hardly walk at christmas thru a back injury and I eased back intorunning thru extensive fartlek , cross country and grass speed runs of 2 - 400m . I did 5 months ofthis and general gym fitness b4 I hit the track in june and put together a program based on what I’dread in ur manual and what others had posted here . This is roughly what I’m doing at the moment- and times and weights except my bench press are improving every week ( they were so bad atfirst they could only improve ) I have a bad tendency to overtrain but I feel pretty fresh on thisamount.Abs every day in morning or night

Mon Speed - 6xflying 20’s from 50m 6x30m acc Plyos - 3x3 Squat jumps 3 x 3 med - ball wallthrows 3 x 3 launch from squat Weights - Reverse leg press Dumbell Snatch Dead lift Bi/Tri curls

Tues Tempo - 1+1+1,1+2+1+1 /,1+1+2+2, With press-ups/twists in between adding 1+2+1+1,/1+1+1

Wed Acclr8 - 2x50m gradual acclr8 6x30m acc Standing start 2 x 50m Plyos - 3 x 3 double leghops into pit 3 x 3 med - ball wall throws Weights - Bench press Shoulder Press Ham Curls

Thur Off - double ab routine

Fri Speed endurance 2 x 100m 1 x 200m 3 x 50m sprints but relaxed Plyo’s - Hurdle hops 3 x 3Squat jumps Weights - Squat Glute ham raises Good mornings

Sat Tempo - 6x200 easy Reverse Hypers extra Abs and fitnessLat pull downs rows to chest

Sun Off Abs

Might lengthen the Friday Speed end runs. This might also reduce stress from the other2 speed work sessions as this session would be sufficiently different in stress on theCNS. Potential examples- 2x200 w full recovery or 120,150,180 with full recovery.

Training 101 > Percy Duncan DrillsI remember a description of a drill from Speed Trap I think Percy Duncan prescribed for youCharlie , when you first began working with him -It consisted of 100m runs made up of 20m slow -20m fast alternately , in an effort to become more conscious of control over your own speed andform ( at least that’s how it felt to me when I tried them ) .I was wondering that if you still advocatethese type of runs -Where you would fit them in a schedule How many reps you would doHow much effort to put into the fast sections and - recovery times?

Percy usually used “flying 20s” with a very gradual build-up to allow you to concentrateon form before entering the top speed zone- much longer than a 20 meter build-up-usually 50 or 60m. I occasionally used a 20 meter build-up simply to limit the speed (risk)of the drills.

You mention there’re many ways to skin a cat, Ben got great results without plyos and Carl gotsimilar results without weights, but power was the determining factor.Also you wrote in one post that some athletes with relatively long limbs used the power clean togreat advantage over the squats(Donovan).Lastly you wrote somethig along the lines of once general strength requirements are inplacespeed improvement comes from speed work on the track.My question is this, how do you know when the required strength levels are inplace? I am guessingyou can’t use the same test for Donovan, Ben and Carl since they aquire their strength via differentlifts(squats vs cleans)and different methods(weights vs plyos). And does strength requirements goup as times improve?

The sprints will always be a balancing act, where componants must be weighed on acost/benefit basis with other high intensity elements for the finite nervous systemresources of the individual sprinter. This is the most challenging (and rewarding- if youget it right) aspect of coaching high level sprinters. There can never be a set rule forstrength-work with the highest levels- only guidelines to help you start out.

Guidline 1: Work to your athletes strength not his weakness- you will gain the most thisway.

Guideline 2: Start with fitness/ conditionning first- Seconds are available at the end of the200 where tenths are the limit at the start.

Guideline 3: Get the fundamentals done before you venture out into esoteric training.Individual programming comes only after the fundamentals are in place.As for strength requirements- They are always going up if performance is to improve.The Force/Time curve must improve for contact times to shorten, as the required,constant lifting force must be generated in a shorter time. This also brings up the wholequestion of recruitment velocities vs absolute output.

Training 101 > How much strength is enough?

Would natural strength be considered a “strength” that you would work towards? I have an athletethat bp 315, sq 405 and cleans 270 with little effort. Since this comes so easy for him, is thissomething I should work towards Or when you said “...work to your athletes strength...” you werereferring to strenghts in the race, eg. acceleration/max velocity.

Assuming that your athlete is not straining to do these lifts and that he is not a beginnerand is not losing flexibility in the pursuit of strength, then yes he can continue to pursuemore strength. (You havn’t given his height and weight)

I noticed last night that my arms were punping very fast out of the blocks, but when I reach about25 and I am “up” then I stop pumping my arms hard, and everything becomes more rythmic.

Should I continue to try to pump the arms fast, as this could precede higher speeds, or is the armslowing down natural?The arm action you describe sounds right, provided you maintain relaxation in the faceand shoulders at all times. When you get into a rhythm after 30meters, you will rise inspeed naturally, without perceiving any real change.Frequency usually tops out around30 and increasing stride length takes care of the rest.

Training 101 > How fast should you pump your arms?

What would be your opinion about long/triple jumpers speed training? Would you still prefer thewhole triple scheme (acc, max, endurance) although maybe modified or would you only focus onfor example acceleration/max speed only? Usually the runup for the jumps is only 40 – 45 meters.Do you think this would also let the jumpers focus more on weight training (longer period) due thegood relationship between weight - acceleration training? Also, do you think there will be aproblem with stagnation if one trains too long with high intensity? If so, how would you change theworkouts in order to keep the body adaptive and fresh?

As you rightly point out, speed endurance is not a factor in the jumps, so more attentioncan be paid to pure speed and the weights, as the program will be concentrated more tothe left on the power to endurance continuum. Generally, as programs move to the left,there is more need for the rotation of componants (as there are less of them). This makestriple periodization very advantageous.

Training 101 > Speed for the jumps

I am wondering if the less is more principle applies to athletes of all training ages. I notice in yourbooks that you developed and refined this principle with time. Does that mean that in the earlieryears that doing some more actually helped some of your athletes, and that as their skills andtimes progressed that this principle became more important?

The less is more concept applies to the number of drills and componants. Everythingmust have a reason to be there. As for volume, a beginner may see improvements in bothvolume and quality in high intensity componants. After a few years, the volume mustlevel off and, ultimately decrease if intensification is to continue.

Training 101 > Less is more

Will you go into greater detail about the starting techique of the sprints? I am having problems withone of my hurdlers with his set position.

The starting drill (staggered jump landing on one foot into an acceleration) sounds like adisaster waiting to happen. If you understand that the limitation on starting position isstrength, why would you select a drill that requires even more strength and carries a riskelement with it, to say nothing of adding neural pattern confusion? Most athletes can’taccelerate remotely fast enough to achieve a 45D angle out of the blocks on their ownfor more than a couple of steps. To work on lower departure angles with beginners,instead of moving the ATHLETE DOWN towards the track, why not move the GROUNDUP towards the sthlete by using a shallow angle hill? This way the athlete can work oncorrect form in a controlled way. There are many simple drills that can help with the startand I will discuss them in detail in the manual. In the meantime- improve and simplifyyour program- don’t degrade and simplify your athletes by loading them down withconfusing neural garbage and workloads they can’t handle!

Training 101 > Projecting COG from blocks

“Vertical Velocity”1)The eccentric phase possesses various amounts of vertical deceleration during sprinting.a)Greatest in the last part of the race at distances over 80m.2)The concetric phase possesses various amounts of vertical acceleration during sprinting.a)Greatest in the early portion of the race prior to reaching maximum speed.”

Is this the reason why Ben Johnson did so good during early acceleration; because the verticalforces are highly concentric and he could squat over 600lb? And, at the same time could thereason Carl Lewis is so good towards the end be, because the vertical forces are highly eccentricin this phase and he did a lot of plyometrics?

Power applies across the board. Contrary to myth Ben had the best start AND thehighest top speed, and Carl had excellent early acceleration as well as his well-knowntop end by the time he started performing his best times. Look at the films and timesegments from Rome and Seoul and you can see where the action takes place. In Korea,Ben really broke the race open in the middle (top speed section)and pulled away fromthe field up to 80 meters when he shut down. This is clearly shown by the splits.

Training 101 > Hip Height

What do you think about an athlete like Jon Drummond who gets out super fast but diesoff at the end 70- 100 meters? Is this due to lower velocity or strength levels?

John Drummond tends to tighten up in the big ones. He’s pretty fit and if he could stayrelaxed he wouldn’t come back to the competition so easily.I have my athletes run/ sprint w/ a potato chip in their hands. Are there any other methods out therethat’ll help this problem?

Good idea. Watch that shoulders are down and relaxed and that the face is loose. It’shard to be tight when these areas are right. When you see the shoulders creepig up-stop the run if possible and start again- or if you suspect fatigue is the cause, change thedrill.

I just got the east german textbook of athletics, and having skimmed it last night, I found thefollowing:

Pg 124:Curve of stride length in the 100m. The best guys have about a 215cm stride length from 40-90m.

Pg 125:Curve of stride frequency in the 100m. The best guys are striding about 0.25 strides per secondfaster than the average guys, throughout the whole race.

Pg 137:“... In good sprinters the velocity of the forward swing is up to 20m/sec.”

Does anyone have any more information on these things? Any data supporting these models?

Everything the East Germans say is supported by their own data, you can be sure!Additional data has been assembled by Charles University in Prague and by “quickfacts” in Cologne. You can take the data from various world championships and buildyour own models if you feel the need. The only difference you’ll find from the WC data isthat the best male sprinters of today reach higher speeds, and do so by acceleratinglonger into the race, and decelerate less (the EG male stats were based on the availableEuropean sprinters who were not at the level of their female sprinters- look at thedeceleration patterns)

Training 101 > East German textbook of Athletics

Despite long and gruelling pre-season training for soccer - my fitness/speed, etc are alwaysterrible for the first few games. Until the actual games itself ‘trains’ my body alot better to the actualdemands of my sport, thoughts?

It’s not the lower speed vol that’s the problem, it’s the special end and intermediate speedwork that doesn’t apply. You don’t “break out” for 300 meters in a soccer game.

Given that “lactic acid abilities can be optimised in 6 weeks” and that the goal of Macro 1 is toensure “sufficient speed to achieve their goal time” why are sessions such as special endurance(3x300m or 300m, 250m, 200m) prescribed in this Macro. If maximising 200m time is theobjective, would it not be more benifical to include a more speed orientated shorther specialendurance session instead and introduce the ‘real’ 400m spec. endurance (2-3 x 350m) in the 2ndMacro.?

Anyone else have suggestions as to how/when special endurance should be added to a 400mprogramme. How should this be ‘maintained’ in the competition phase? Sessions like 1 x 350 or 1x 300+150 in this Comp. phase once adequate endurance is obtained??

The longer distances could be done as split runs-ie 300m= 100+100+100 or 150+150 etcto allow earlier intensification. (+ = 60 to 90 secs.break)

Training 101 > 400m

Ok I am approaching our competition phase of approx 5 weeks. OUr speed volume is around1500-1600m per week and our tempo is around 5kms/wkIs their a specific formula to reduce volume over that time leading into a 10 day taper? Do I drop10% per week of volume in each component and even drop a whole tempo day?I know that we drop a speed day for competitions, so does this mean our speed drops weeklyfrom 1600m precomp to about 1200in comp (two speed sessions and a 100 and 200m race onweekend).your help is appreciated!

You don’t need to drop the tempo volume at all until the very end. Tempo causes nodrain on the CNS and, in fact, operates as a form of active recovery as it flushes out themuscles. As tempo serves a flushing role, when you want to reduce the volume, lowerthe amout per session rather than the number of sessions per week. It is the volume ofhigh intensity work that must be weighed against intensification. Remember, as speedwork is present for a large part of the year, there is time enough to make the progressionof intensification very moderate, even though the ultimate result may be a World Record.

Training 101 > Intensification

Here is a problem...being a 10.5 100m sprinter leads me to believe that i should be running a 21.0200m sprint. i know i am somewhat out of shape for the strong deuce, but here is anotherproblem....THE CURVE....While running the curve, i feel like a drunk monkey on a bicycle...weaving in and out like i amflunking a DUI/DWI test. how is the curve truly ran...i know there are people faster than me and theycan hold it...any ideas?

Perhaps you are pushing in your stride. During your next speed session, try a series ofruns off the curve from the top, concentrating on keeping your arm in a little closer thanusual, tilting your head slightly down and to the left. Keep the hands moving from facelevel to the hip, legs moving up and down and “stepping over”- don’t push at all.

Training 101 > 200 meter curve

How the absence of driving applies to the start and accelleration of a 200m.Could this be the reason why 100m guys with great leg drive (Donovan, Linford and Co.) don’tstand out as much in the 200 as athletes with a high turn over (MJ, Frankie)?

The start of the 200 must be maximal, while controlled. Not everyone spends the time toperfect the 200. Guys like Donovan and Lindford (who was a great 200 man also) had totake a pay cut every time they ran a 200- so they reserved appearances in the event fortimes that they were sub-maximally ready for the 100.

What sprinting cues should be used when doing Tempo? Arm Action and Foot-over-the-Support-Leg when sprinting. But how does it differ? I certainly think relaxation (face & shoulders) andcorrect arm action are two important cues to be working on when doing Tempo. What about cuesfor Leg Action?

Forget the technique work with tempo. Just stay relaxed. You can’t have full range withyour arms if you don’t fully extend with your legs- which you won’t at a slow speed.Concentrate on speed technique when you’re doing speed. You can work on form inyour drills daily.

1) Breathing - do you favour using a particular breathing pattern for the 400m (particularly downthe back straight).

2)On a similar topic, is trying to breathe through your nose during tempo runs a good idea?(Obviously at some point this becomes impossible) I have been reading some material on theButeyko method (mainly for asthma) and am wondering if some of their principles may apply to thedemands of a 400m. The premise behind trying to breathe through your nose is that you increaseyour body’s capacity to endure higher levels of CO2 in the blood (through limiting the amount ofoxyegen available). If you can endure higher levels of CO2 then you can run aerobically longer withless discomfort (a good thing for 400m?).

3) What cues do you use to develop the smooth speed needed for the back straight. My coachtaught me to ‘relax’ on the back stretch but my body interprets ‘relax’ as ‘drop your hips and have abit of a lie on the track’. The cue that seems to work for me is ‘back and up’ - trying to pull my legback and stay high through my hips. Any thoughts?

I’d be careful of worrying about breathing patterns in the 400m.As for the backstraight, the emphasis must be on maintaining a relaxed stride withoutoverstriding (a natural, but mistaken tendency when you’re trying to save energy). Atabout 170 to 180m it is important to re-emphasize the arms or the athlete is likely to “sit”and slow down during the critical 200 to 300m segment (where so many races are lost).

How do you coach the 100 meters as far as the race setup to eliminate the GREATERDECELERATION during the later parts of the race? I read several weeks ago Mike McFarlane(Dwain Chambers) coach stated that their basic principle is to get to 50 meters in good pace.“But each sprinter has a different perspective.” With Chambers the plan is to run the 30-40 metersin “driving mode” before switching to “sprinting mode.”

Funny, I though the work being done with Chambers was by Remi. I wonder if he’d agreewith this philosophy? As for delaying acceleration and all that- an athlete who gets outand stays out will kill the guy with the casual acceleration. That’s not to say that the faststarter can’t also be smooth and relaxed. I covered this concept in some detail in SpeedTrap. Try a casual acceleration against Maurice and see what happens-I don’t care howmuch energy you save- you won’t be comming back at the end (when he’s ready)! Youcan’t just re-distribute the energy you have already- you have to train for more. You haveto combine the ability to get out with the strength to finish if you want to set a WR thesedays!

Training 101 > 100m Race Model for Advanced Athletes

Have any of you experienced calf problems from performing tempo work? For the last two weeks,I’ve been consistently sidelined for a couple of days due to sharp pain in the calves, specificallyaround the peroneal muscles and flexor digitorum longus, gastroc and soleus feel fine.

Tempo should be done in flats. If you’re having calf or shin problems, stop the temporunning and train in the pool for awhile and get therapy.

Training 101 > Question on tempo runs?

Taking into consideration that the 100m dash is basically pure acceleration,why shoudl alot ofemphasis be placed on endurance.i personally see it pointless to do runs @ 75% with totallydifferent technique.YOU DON’T BUY A FERRARI TO GO SLOW!

Also i read that these SE workouts enhance recovery.would a day off and maybe sauna,massageor recovery ems not do the same thing?It is correct to say that speed endurance plays less of a role as speed increases and theathlete accelerates farther into the race but no one accelerates to the end (unless he’sdogging it early). Check out the other threads on tempo- it IS NOT speed endurance. Itsrole is to support the speed and speed endurance done in other sessions.

Training 101 > Question on tempo work

I recall Kevin Young (WR 400mH) never putting on his spikes until he got into the blocks. Is itpossible to go near 100% top speed with training flats on the warmup track (or grass)? Can themuscles & neurons achieve 100% “readiness” with sub-maximal warm-up speeds? Or is timemore important?

If the purpose of the warm-up is to heat the muscles and reach a critical temp at thecerebral cortex to set in motion a series of responses, then does it matter how fast yougo? This brings up the whole issue of “rehearsal” and specificity in the warm-up. Howabout comments based on personal experiences/ Say, for example, you’re very tight atthe start of the warm-up... Do you struggle to complete your normal warm-up or do youmodify the warm-up to concentrate on low intensity activities for a longer duration?

Training 101 > Pre competition warm up

Can anyone offer any insight onto how I should go about incorporating hill workouts into myprogram. I understand that they are high intensity and therefore need 48 hr recovery but I havesome other questions. How long should the runs be if my main goal is specific strength/acceleration? Should I stick with the standard volume of 500 meter speed work or should it belowered do to the hills? How steep should the hill be?

Hill work can be varied, but for acceleration I’d use hills of less than 7 degrees and nomore than 30 meters long. They are usually done in sets of 4 with full recovery. If hillwork were to comprise the whole workout for a mature athlete,it might include 3 to 4 setsof 30 meters at maximum speed or 4 to 5 sets at a slightly submaximal speed.

Training 101 > Hill Workouts

My stats:Age - 16 (turn 17 in one month)Height - 5’10.75Weight - 152 lb @ 7% bf (down from 157@6% - I’ve barely had any physical activity in the lastmonth because of my back pain, this is explained later)

Anyway, I have a structural problem in my legs (tibias specifically) called “genu varus” When I standwith my feet together in a relaxed manner, the centers of the top of my tibias are about 8" apart.The left tibia curves inward slightly more than my right leg, thus it is about 1/4" to 1/8" shorter thanmy right when I lay on my back (so I am told, but this might be a problem with my hips). This alsocreates a greater than normal angle at my ankle (due to this, my feet can easily roll toward theoutside, but not the inside). This also places the vertical load onto the inside of the tibia rather thanthe middle. My chiro/ART practitioner recommends I get orthotics because of this. He alsorecommends that I don’t do Westside-style squats (ultra-wide stance), but this suggestion makeno sense to me... My question is: how is this condition going to affect sprinting and sprint training?Are there any specific changes I should make because of this? I probably need to strengthen myarches also, should I only do tempo on grass (it is very hard where I live)?

I also have a myriad of other problems (most of which are related I’m sure), which includes:lordosis, slight degree of scoliosis, forward-rolled shoulders, forward head carriage... I also had aburning pain across my whole upper back when I ran, jogged, or lifted one arm to the side/overhead, which is slowly subsiding. My chiro is treating most of these currently (but from what I’veread, my lordosis doesn’t seem to be a problem).

I have also found an article at asthma-asthme-asma.com/chaussA.htm that links most of thesesymptoms to athletic shoes and heavy backpacks. I also have some of the other symptoms:sports-induced asthma and excessive sweating.

What can I do to fix these postural problems, and how will they affect my sprinting/training? Whenshould I be able to start training?

Training 101 > Genu varus and postural problems

If your main competion of the year takes place over lets say two days and the athlete has to run100 heats and final plus 4x100 heats and final on the first day and the 200 heats and finals on thesecond day, how should the training reflect the athletes need to prepare to run at personal bestlevels on both days?

A prolonged exposure to speed development helps with multi-day, multi-event situations,but experience with this circumstance, and the energy management it fosters, helps- butI find race simulations don’t as they can’t duplicate the full circumstances of a meet, andmay lead to trouble. One analogy. Have you ever noticed that you can competeeffectively in weather conditions you wouldn’t dream of training in?

Training 101 > Competition and CNS fatigue

Does anyone know how much the hamstrings are used in full front squats? My doctor has told meto drop back squats for a month because of back problems, and so I was wondering if front squatshit the hams at all.Doctors also say that you should clean the same as you bench. Some of these conceptsmay apply where breakthroughs are needed in the lifts.... but, how often are“breakthroughs” necessary with sprinters (or in most other explosive running events).Generally, a normal weight-training progression is all that can be tolerated whencompeting with the other demands of explosive events, without sacrificing somethingfrom some, if not all, the other explosive qualities.

Just how much time is necessary to ensure complete recovery between specific distances? Forexample time necessary for 15m, 30m, 60m, etc. during a phase of speed development torecover completely(between reps and sets).This is a whole topic in itself, as the time varies, not only by distance, but by the level ofthe performer, and whether the run is at 95% or 100%- or a personal best (PB) which canbe 101% or more, to say nothing of weather conditions.

Training 101 > Front Squats & Hamstrings

Training 101 > Duration of Rest Intervals to ensure complete recovery?

The conditions you describe are not unusual, though I think you should have the leglength issue carefulls checked to see how mush of the discrepancy is real and howmuch is due to altered hip position, which can be adjusted. If orthotics are necessary,make sure that you are not over-corrected. Comes under the heading, the operation wasa success, unfortunately the patient died. Get rid of the back-pack right away. I can’tcomment on the asthma, but it is very common with athletes.

I am considering running the 100m this spring. What do you guys think of this general schedule? Itis from Ian King in a Q&A in T-mag. Any other advice you could give me on specific sprinting drillsand total volume control would be greatly appreciated.

General Preparation Phase (2-3 Months)

Sunday: RestMonday AM: STR—LBMonday PM: SPE—20 minute startsTuesday AM: STR—UB*Tuesday PM: SPE—20 minute drillWednesday: Recovery method (stretch or message)Thursday AM: STR—LBFriday: STR—UBSaturday: Recovery activity (swim, bike, or jog 20 minutes)

*STR—LB means strength-training for the lower body, while UB means, of course, the upper body,and SPE refers to speed training.

Specific Preparation Phase (2-3 Months)

Sunday: RestMonday AM: STR—LBMonday PM: SPE—Starts and accelTuesday: Recovery methodWednesday AM: STR—UBWednesday PM: SPE—Max velocityThursday: Recovery activityFriday AM: STR—LBFriday PM: SPE—Speed/enduranceSaturday: Recovery method

Competitive Phase (2-3 Months)

Sunday: RestMonday AM: SPE—Starts and accelTuesday AM: SPE—Technique/drillTuesday PM: STR—LBWednesday: Recovery methodThursday AM: SPE—Max velocity and speed/enduranceFriday AM: SPE—Technique/drillFriday PM: STR—UBSaturday: Recovery method

Training 101 > Sprint Training

To be fair to Ian, he is suggesting weights before speed during the early speeddevelopment period and reversing that order during the max velocity period. This canwork, though I’d like to see the details of recovery and if tempo means are included. Theone major change I’d make in parts 2 and 3 would be to switch the max vel to Fri, with thespeed endurance on Wed ( SE is less taxing to the CNS, making recovery easier in thetime available)

Thoughts on changing stimuli and advantages/disadvantages on sprinting, i have read on otherthe threads supporting the idea of various stimuli for weights training.

What about changing stimuli on track sessions, so the microcycle and mesocycle vary in the typesof training componement done. eg

week 1 ( overloading week)special endurance 2xplys 2xtempo x1

week 2 ( unloading week)tempo 3plys x1speed x1Comments?

Loading and unloading of speed. the speed componant must always be varied, not onlyby the nature of the work, but by the intensity. At the highest levels, the intensity is key,with 100% efforts being used sparingly. Variability is not only designed in, it is usedreactively as well. There is a huge amount of room between the 95th and 100th percentileof performance.

Ian King has suggested doing weights before speed. Isn’t this a contradiction to what you’resaying about prioritizing training? Won’t the weightlifting already be done before its impact on thespeedwork is known?

To me, arguing about what is more important - hip extension or flexion - is simply chasing your owntail. The harder you pull your leg back the more tension you can create in your hip flexors(stretchreflex). This tension translates into a faster and more powerful knee drive forward. The same istrue at the other end. The harder you drive your knee forward the more tension you can create inyour hamstrings when you extend your foot. So, if you pull back harder (and your body is strongand powerful enough to successfully use this extra tension) then the quicker you can whip yourknee forward (and vice versa).

I would explain MJ’s technique thus - a) he has a strong knee drive (as do all top sprinters)however, b) instead of letting his knee rise towards the horizontal as a result of this powerful drive(as most other sprinters do) he stops his forward drive prematurely with an extremely powerful legpull-back (his hamstrings must be very powerful to be able to turn his leg around so early!) Thisexplains the enormous power that he can exert against the track. Stronger stretch = more potentialpower!

I think an interesting point of discussion would be which skill (the knee drive or leg pull-back) ismore important developmentally. I would suggest that both should be taught at the same timehowever a new approch is needed to approch knee drive. Most coaches seem to teach athletesto pull their knee up rather than to concentrate on driving the knee forward from behind the body. Ithink that we should rethink the way that we teach athletes to utilise this powerful stretch.

I’m a little uneasy with your description of the sprint action. The action off the ground isreally pretty easy, fluid,and cyclical. Think in terms of allowing the knee to move forward,rather than forcing or cutting off any action. Michael Johnson couldn’t be workingagainst himself while displaying such staggering efficiency (in the 200 in Atlanta, splits of10.11/9.21 which, allowing for the initial acceleration from zero, represents a decelerationof .10 over the ENTIRE RACE!)The forward action of the knee is a contributor to force into the ground, particularly withthe rotation of the hip about the centerline. Anyone can understand the role of the freeleg in the high jump, how come it’s so tough in the sprints. This discussion is getting outof hand. I don’t care how many scientists can fit on the head of a forceplate! Somesprinters may be so fortunate that they instinctively know how to prepare for groundcontact. Most others (like myself) have to learn it. Scientists seem to think it can’t betaught. It can! The problem with these studies seems to be the lack of capacity tounderstand how far in advance of the action the preparation for ground contact really is.

Biomechanics and the Physiology of Sprinting

Note to Charlie: How far forward should the trunk be tilted from the first stride until stride number12 (0-20m) ?I have read from Ato Bolden site that John Smith teaches, knees to the chest out of blocks, whatsyour view on this?

First, we hear there’s no horizontal impetus at full speed. Now we learn that Ben (topspeed in Seoul 12.1 MPS, best top speed ever 12.35 MPS, Zurich 1986, achieved ontracks that were markedly inferior to those in use today) should have used the techniqueof Maurice Green (top speed recorded- 11.9 MPS)Newtonian Lesson 1: If you push only down, you go only up.Newtonian Lesson 2:Corollary A: To go faster, you need more force. The more force you apply, the higher youwill rise off the ground.Corollary B: The higher you are off the ground, the more extended your limbs will bewhen they strike and leave the ground.Newtonian Lesson 3: In a relaxed state, with flexibility and sufficient power, you will getfull extention, unless you deliberately prevent it by locking your hips in a turned underposition, cutting off your stride before completion, or by keeping your foot dorsiflexed atall times- BAD IDEAS!With top sprinters, extension beyond straight at the hip only occurs AFTER the initialacceleration phase. The photo library will be up and running in a few days. I think someof the illustrations will help clarify the situation. (The pictures will be numbered so theycan be referenced in discussions.)Let common sense be your guide. Be careful that the “arched bow” effect isn’t carried toa point where the head ends up in the butt.

When exactly would you suggest using the Isorobic Exerciser? Would you try to use it for theduration ofa microcyle in efforts to greatly improve power? And how much benefit is ther n using itover just unresisted short sprinting?

I would use resisted runs out to 30 meters- the limit of max-rate acceleration. Initially resistedruns (up to 10% decriment in best time) can be done in sets of 4. IE 4x10, 4x20, 4x30. Later,the resisted nos drop with the addition of unresisted sprints within the set. IE next step2x[1x10m resisted (r), 1x10 unresisted (u)]etc. Next 1x10 r, 3x10 u, etc. Finally, all runsunresisted. The number and duration of resisted work would depend on the individualneeds of the athlete and the type of program the athlete chooses (a long to short programwould have more emphasis on resisted sprints in phase 2, while a short to long programwould have more emphasis on resisted sprints in phase 1.I am aiming for a competition in October, it is about 16 weeks away, so if I want 5 race tune ups,how soon should I change my program to include more speed?

Work backwards from the date you must be ready, use a 10day taper, then look on thefixtures list for five appropriate races, then plan back from there. Remember, in thecompetition period, the races are your special endurance.

Why do we compare every sprint model ever developed to Ben Johnson’s? If that were the case,the fastest man in the world right now does power cleans. Should every one now do powercleans?

It’s seems as though Mark McMcoy, Colin Jackson, and Tony Dees were very successful 100mrunners and ran it more often than they did the 200m (I haven’t seen any 200m time none of theseathletes). There may not be any specific connection between the 110’s and the 200 or the 110’sand 100 other than an athlete preference?

There is a strong relationship between 200m and 110Hurdles. Great fitness is requiredfor both, but the X factor here may be rythem. The training of this quality may lend itselfto the relaxed execution of the 200m. Renaldo Neamiah contested both the 200 metresand the 110 hurdles extensively in 1979 and was undefeated in both.Mark McKoy and 200m- He didn’t run many with me, though he did run 20.50s in 1984.Based on his subsequent improvement over the 100m, His capability in the 200m wouldhave improved also. I suspect you will see less and less 200s from the great hurdlers astime goes by. You have to remember, top caliber performers are paid to perform their ownevent. Fans pay to see a great hurdles- not a pretty good 200m.

According to Kinetics of Human movement ground reaction forces GRF is the single mostsignificant factor in sprinting speed( Law of Reaction, for every action there is an equal andopposite reaction, when one body exerts a force on a second, the second body exerts a reactionforce that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body) so horizontal andvertical components of speed are determined by the Force being applied back downward on thetrack.

How is GRF optimized? what contributions are made by hip, foot, upper body, etc?

What exercises can optimize GRF?

Do you agree that ground reaction forces is the most significant factor in sprinting speed, or therate of movement through the air?

For the 100m sprinting, how important is the Anareobic threshold, ( also known as lactatethreshold, and Onset of Blood lactate), do 100msprinters need to develop there lactate system, and at what intensity should they train there lactatesystem?

There are different “horses for courses”. The weights must suit the individual’s needs.For example,if Ben had been able to do more plyos, he would have had to reduce hisvolume of lifts, meaning that Olympic lifts would have been more important (their higherpercentage of muscle involvement makes lower lifting vols possible). While it is good tolook at specific examples, they are just that- examples specific to that person. Balance allinformation with your own experience and your athlete’s needs.

Ground support is the key- but don’t run off on a tangent. Top speed is a vague conceptas there is considerable doubt that any two steps are at the same speed. The fact is, it’sacademic. It doesn’t matter to the athlete! The key is how to set up to insure that availableforce is delivered. Things happen in sprinting so fast that they can only be influencedvoluntarily by the actions you take beforehand.

How frequently does one need to train to achieve the desired training effect? In economics it wasreferred to as the law of diminishing returns. If I can achieve a specific result in 2 sessions perweek, why perform 3-4 of them?

The role of tempo as a form of active recovery makes its use after speed sessionsvaluable and the limited workload that can be performed in a single session withoutinitiating unfavorable changes in fibre role favors more frequent sessions. The definitionof tempo is also an issue, as you have to decide if it only defines a running workout, or ifit can include other forms of low intensity work. The most common number of weeklytempo running sessions is two to three.

As a tempo should not exceed 2200m (or 3000m for 400m runner) once an athlete becomessaccustomed to tempo running I am interested to what extent Low Intensity Excercises can beincluded and yet still remain in the L.I bracket. While I understand that you don’t want to prescribespecific sessions, does the following session, for a well conditioned athlete, deviate from your thisconcept too much?

Sample Tempo Session:5 x (100+100+200+100)+ denotes a 50m walkMini-Circiuit to be completed after every set followed by a 100m walk.(e.g. 30 Press-Ups, 30 Sit-Ups, 20 Burpees/ Star Jumps )

This could be carried out 1-2 per week, with the other 1-2 (to make 3 per week) dropping theCircuit Excercises or doing a simple 6 x 200m easy session.

More GenerallyI personally believe that the inclusion of what Dan Pfaff (Bailey’s Coach) terms Rudimentry Work isimportant, especially in the GPP phase. This includes Low Intensity:- Plyo’s- Med-Ball Work- and, Mini-Circuits (as described above), for general conditioning.Do you believe that such work has a place in specific Sprint Training? Could you suggestparameters for its inclusion in your ‘training system’?

Low intensity med ball core work and general exercises have formed part of our lowintensity work for the last 27 years.

Physiology of Tempo training

I’d like to know is wether Ben Johnson did any towed/resisted sprinting?

Ben never used any towing devise and I’d strongly recommend against it. he used someresistance sprints and some weighted power speed drills- 5 to 10lbs max.

Muscle Fibre TransformationThe aim with the first phase of the training program is to transform the type 1 fibres (which areendurance profiled) into the more explosive type 2A fibres. When this phase is completed thetraining changes direction with the aim to transform type 2A fibres into the strongest type of fibres,namely type 2X”I like to know if this is even possible. Can one type of muscle fibre transform intoanother?

Is it a shock that the body can adapt to demand? As a sprint coach, I was counting on it!As for the motor neurons, they can be made more effective by lowering their electricalresistance by heating them through increased local blood supply (capillary density). Thisis why, perhaps counter-intuitively, 65% of our running volume was low intensity. As wellas enhancing capillary density, this interspersing of low intensity training allowed thevolume and frequency of high intensity work to be lowered to level that could allow forthe continual, and, ultimately, extreme intensification that could bring these changesabout.

What puzzles me is that the Fast Twitch fibres have fewer capillaries around them than the SlowTwitch fibres.Probably the low-intensity work, (what is the definition of thatanyway) increase performance evenin sprinters, but most likely by balancing out the high sympathetic activation by sprinting, bounding,weights and explosive work by increasing the parasympathetic part of the nervous system, thuspreventing overtraining in sprinters or burnout of the sprinter.I have no indication that low intensity training which might induce a higher density of capillaries, willlower the threshold for firing. Would this mean that middle- and long distance runners or athleteswith more capillaries would have a lowered threshold than explosive athletes. Also low-intensitytraining at high volume is known to decrease e.g. testosterone, which is a pre-requisite forexplosive muscular functioning. And low-intensity training will probably (dependent on thedefinition) shift muscle fibre composition and fuel use from anaerobic to aerobic energy systems.Even stronger aerobic training is known to decrease the power of the lactic anaerobic system e.g.by lowering the LDH enzyme and shifting isoenzymes from LDH-5 to LDH-1.In short: I agree with the fact that low-intensity work has to be done, even for explosive athletes, butmy opinion is that the mechanism through which this might be beneficial is not throughcapillarisation or increasing the work capacity of the muscle, but through balancing the autonomicnervous system back to the parasympathetic sideBut like all of us, I might be wrong...

I though I’d get a rise out of somebody with this proposition, though I wasn’t sure if youwould reply. (For those on the list who aren’t familiar with the sprint scene, Henk is oneof the world’s leading authorities on sprinting, having coached Merlene Ottey, amongothers.)First, I agree that speed and power work are paramount in the development of sprintersand that low-intensity work (runs at 75% of best time or slower) is, in large part, a form ofactive recovery between explosive sessions, but I don’t think it’s the only role it plays.21 years ago, I worked with Dr Joseph Cywinski, The Director of Medical Engineering atthe Harvard Medical Centre and President of the American Society of ElectricalEngineers, creating muscle stimulating equipment and protocols for their use. Dr.Cywinski was, arguably, the worlds leading expert on EMS, with over 200 patents, and,while still in Poland, developed EMS equipment for Soviet National teams as early as1952. During the course of our work, he explained why subjects receiving maximal EMSexhibited stronger contractions on reps 3 through 6 or 7 (out of 10x10sec contractionswith 50sec rest) without any change in input. Increases in temperature, due to increasedblood flow, lowered electrical resistance. The implication was intriguing.

Now, I’ll try to answer your reservations:

1: The fact that FT fibres have fewer capillaries is immaterial as they are already doingthe job- it is the others we want to influence.

2: Increased capillarization generates more heat throughout the muscle, which, as Dr.Cywinski pointed out, allows the fixed nervous system output to spill over to a largerpercentage of a muscle’s fibre, ultimately influencing its characteristics.

3: Increased capillarization maintains the increased heat longer. As you know, thefantastic speeds being generated in training by sprinters today can require recoverybreaks of up to 35 minutes to insure optimal intensification and InternationalCompetitions may keep athletes in the control room for up to 30 minutes before theevent.

4: For decades, athletes have been adamant that ATP supplementation boostsperformance in power events, but scientists could see no means by which musclescould be supercharged with ATP and, even if they could, it wouldn’t explain any instantpower increase. Recently, however, scientists began looking at ATP’s role in stimulatingthe circulatory system as the means by which performance is enhanced.

5: Low intensity work will not lower testosterone levels unless the demands of effort andvolume far exceed the conservative threshold proposed by me ( 75th percentile for nomore than 2200 meters/ session)

Of course, enhanced circulation isn’t the only means by which increased heat isgenerated as athletes improve. Increased muscle density and leanness will increase themetabolic rate, and improved recruitment will generate more heat in a given musclevolume, and, given the small low intensity load, capillary enhancement must be modest,but it does appear to play a role.

What are the favored jump exercises for acceleration development(and for that matter max.velocity)?The best plyo drills for top speed are vertical in nature, ie hurdle hops or hops initiatedfrom a slight height, but stay below 30inchs! Anything higher will kill the elastic responseyou’re looking for. Watch the volume as well. I like to keep the number of contacts down toaround 30 to 40. I don’t like speed bounds, as the ground contact (the only thing thatmatters) is longer. As for specificity, the only thing specific to sprinting is sprinting. Weighttraining and even plyos (still double the ground contact time of sprint steps) enhanceGENERAL strength which is incorporated into specific strength by the sprinting itself. Ifyou view these exercises this way, you won’t lose sight of your real objective.

Once the required general qualities of strength are in place, the key to developing top speedlies in the speed work itself. Any work on this quality must be carried out when the athleteis completely fresh, with complete recovery breaks to keep the session alactic, and oververy short distances. As we know that top speed only lasts for 20meters in a 100meterrace, “flying 20s” are a good drill. Do a gradual buildup for about 50meters, then pump thearms to increase speed through the 20 concentrating on complete relaxation. The gradualbuildup allows you to check your form, ensuring that you are stepping over your supportknee. Keep the rep numbers low, probably no more than 6. If there is any deterioration,stop sooner.

Sidenote

What factors do you look at when deciding whether or not to supplement the sprint training withplyometrics?For example, Ben is a great example of a sprinter who achieved the ultimate in sprint performancewithout additional plyometrics. I know he couldn’t do plyos because of knee problems, but do youthink he would have been faster had he been able to incorporate plyos into his training? If not, thenwhy should sprinters bother with plyos when the sprinting itself provides such an elastic stimulus.Why burden them with the extra workload?

Favorite Plyos/Exercises

Don’t draw conclusions based on one individual. All this tells you is that there’s more thanone way to skin a cat. Most sprinters will benefit from appropriate doses ( this meanssmall!) of plyos.Since all plyos have longer ground contacts than the actual sprints, wouldn’t plyos help more withthe first 14 steps? Or do plyos help at all speeds and not worry about it.Should we just be KISS and do plyos in general or get specific with phases and plyometrics thatcomplement what we do?I am confused, plyos are more effective for what phase of the race? Do we get specific inamplitude such as pogo and other ranges of knee bend?Maybe it’s best to think of them as a means of intense stimulation first and of anyspecific application second. I still would match the plyo type to the phase/quality you areworking on (down during top speed work etc)

Ian King has suggested that plyos contribute more to max velocity than to acceleration, becauseof the greater relative contribution of reactive strength to max velocity. Any thoughts on this?

Ian is right in part. Plyos do contribute more to top speed when performed in the downmode (one example- set up low box and 2 hurdles to your comfortable height anddistance- jump down, over, over, with quick ground contacts, two to six times with fullrecovery). These plyos affect top speed, because of the vertical nature of the powerrequirement to lift a constant body weight, with a relatively straight leg, in an evershorter period of time (earlier on the force/time curve)Acceleration is more affected withplyos in the up mode, due to greater movement around the knee, though longer groundcontact times (one example- hops from ground onto a box into the high-jump pit, six toten reps. The down plyos are done in lower numbers because of their greater nervoussystem impact. Of course, no plyo has exclusive properties because all workstrengthens the entire organism in the general sense. I would be careful of using aweighted vest for sprinting, as the additional weight lowers the hips causing footstriketo occur farther ahead of the body, increasing ground contact times and increasing therisk of a hamstring pull during co-contraction. Better to do vertical hops with the vest.

Charlie, I wonder if the exclusion of plyometric training in Ben’s program, because of his kneeproblems, were offset not only by the obviously plyometric sprinting and lifting(?) but by theplyometric nature of his starting technique. It seems that every time he did a start he wasperforming a specific plyo. What are your feelings on this? Or did nothing need to be offset sincehis capacities in other areas were beyond mere mortals and even other elite sprinters?

As I’ve already mentioned, Ben’s case shows that there’s more than one way to skin acat. Just as Carl Lewis was able to do plyos without weights. Most do both though, asyou say, ultimate results will depend to some measure on explosive ability.

I was wondering what people think about the general running drills that you see performed all overthe place. One of the problems I have with some of these drills, is that they tend to over emphasizethe importance of lifting the knee high. This can often get people in the frame of mind that theyneed to run with the knees rather than their feet. Where in fact, you will naturally get the high kneelift if you get nice drive of the ground by having an active foot strike. That is if they use a slightclawing action to the ground with a springing and reactive push of the gound. To often I hear aperson saying to somebody run with high knees. What are you opinions and what drills do youthink benefit sprinting.

Drills can be very helpful as training tools with a few provisos. The most importantthing is to learn the drills properly and with complete relaxation first and to raise therate of the drills later as able. Too often coaches push the athletes to increase the ratebefore the athlete is ready, causing the athlete to be tight, to shorten the action ratherthan completing the full range the drill requires. This is especially bad as drills areoften incorporated into the warm- up, leading to injuries and tightness in the runsthemselves- the very things the drills were designed to prevent. Please note that notall drills can be done with the stepover action that you want in a full speed run asthere isn’t enough air-time, but everything can be taught at the appropriate point inthe workout.

Charlie, what drills or drill progression do you find beneficial for sprinters? I would guess that thiswould somewhat depend upon the existing skill level of the sprinter(s) in question. What drillsreinforce/cue skills which are NOT applicable to proper sprinting technique?Remember that drills are teaching elements as well as training elements. You are free touse specific drills for specific purposes and with specific individuals where required.You don’t need a “one size fits all” approach.

Is it important for sprinters to maintain a relatively constant elbow angle during sprinting to avoiddissipating elastic energy stored in the upper body muscles during arm swing?

If so, would strengthening the arm muscles be the best way to maintain constant arm angle, asopposed to coaching cues which would make the sprinter too self-conscious of technique?

A constant angle is seldom maintained with the arms usually moving from around 85degreesin front to about 95 to 100degrees on the backswing, which is within the acceptable range(arms too close to the torso in front may limit hip rotation and too open in the back maychange the center of balance,delay the return, and diminish the elastic response aroundthe shoulder) . It shouldn’t take alot of arm strength to maintain the proper arm angles oreven the rate. The main contribution of upper body strength is to the general strength ofthe entire organism.Do you think the mechanics of driving the leg backward in preparation for ground contact should bespecifically trained at all? It seems to me that general/postural strength and flexibility are moreimportant, as they help ensure that the hips are high and loose, allowing the drive leg to sweep backnaturally at full extension.The foot must be pre-tensed. This is accomplished by cocking the big toe up and pointingthe ball of the foot towards the ground. This action will activate the dorsiflectors but I’m notsuggesting pulling the whole foot up! There is also some confusion about when to preparethe foot for ground contact. One “Guru” has even suggested leaving the foot pre-tensed atall times! Of course, this would have the unfortunate effect of eliminating the final extentionaround the ankle at take off. The best time for foot preparation is just as the foot is passingover the support knee.This is the by-product of proper mechanics and hip height- not a deliberate emphasis onpulling the foot back. I have attempted to describe the sensation of proper mechanics inSpeed Trap.

In Speed Trap you wrote, “Out of his half-second of total improvement in the 100 since 1981, morethan 80 percent had derived from his boosting that frequency. IT WAS THE SINGLE GREATESTKEY TO HIS SUPREMACY”. What I would like to know is, was Ben’s increase in frequency purely aresult of him increasing his strength or were there technical factors that also contributed.It’s hard to separate the two qualities as strength leads to ease,relaxation and superiortechnique, but strength is the deciding factor in the long run, allowing a higher hip positionand therefore a shorter ground contact.

What, if any, other replacements could I use in situations where track work is not available...

Also, if I were crazy I might go and do it anyway, but im not... but if I had, then would it only havenegative effects? The chances of injury would be increased, I would be stiffer and thus not as fluid...any others?

Drills are always possible in any weather. Sometimes you can make the conditions workfor you. Strength Endurance- running As for prolonged distances/times (up to 120metersor 90sec max per rep- time is probably a better guide under variable conditions- with 2 to 6reps per session) can be done uphill in knee deep snow- provided perfect technique ismaintained. Be careful that you know the terrain beneath the snow. These can replacespecial endurance runs for a significant period and they’ll get you in shape in a hurry!(Gerrard used to do this with his 400meter people at 8000ft altitude!)

From your experience, what temps are too low for top speed work?

It’s hard to have a universal rule as individuals have different tolerances- usually the moremuscular sprinters have more cold tolerance (more internal volume vs surface area)- alsowind and humidity play a huge role. The best plan when bucks are tight is to have a repetoireof different sprint options, A few examples- when it’s cold, run into the wind instead of withit- reduces extention slightly. Colder still, shorten the acceleration distances. Colder still,-change the session to strength endurance( running As for time for from 30 to 75sec).

I’ve found that you can compete in weather you couldn’t train in,due to the extra adrenalinthat competition provides.

What, if any, other replacements could I use in situations where track work is not available...

Also, if I were crazy I might go and do it anyway, but im not... but if I had, then would it only havenegative effects? The chances of injury would be increased, I would be stiffer and thus not as fluid...any others?

Drills are always possible in any weather. Sometimes you can make the conditions workfor you. Strength Endurance- running As for prolonged distances/times (up to 120metersor 90sec max per rep- time is probably a better guide under variable conditions- with 2 to 6reps per session) can be done uphill in knee deep snow- provided perfect technique ismaintained. Be careful that you know the terrain beneath the snow. These can replacespecial endurance runs for a significant period and they’ll get you in shape in a hurry!(Gerrard used to do this with his 400meter people at 8000ft altitude!)

Charlie, I noticed in your Training for Speed book that you don’t mention running “B” drills, justskipping A and B drills. Do you think running B’s are necessary or does it just depend on theathlete? For example, I am a sprinter, but when I reach top speed all I feel is my heels hitting mybutt, especially during the last 50m of a 200m race, it’s like I am floating on my toes. Any techniquesuggestions?

You’re right, I didn’t use them but I don’t really have a great reason. When I learned thedrill myself, I sprained my ankle the first day (this was because no one told me I shouldstart with the running A drill for a few steps and then transition into the running B drill).After a while, I never went back to it and, as I felt that the ground contact portion of thedrill was the part that mattered, I began using straight leg bounds instead (sometimescalled heel and toe drills).

You mentioned substituting the toe/heel drill in place of running B’s because ground contact iswhat matters. But isn’t the B specifically desinged for improving the rear acceleration of the leg inpreparation for ground contact? How is the B skip significantly different from the run?The cast and grab action of the B drill hits me as more appropriate to hurdlers than sprinters.Couldn’t it teach overstriding?

I think you’re right about the possibility of the B skip leading to overstriding

You mentioned doing drills in any weather, since, we get more than our fair share of bad weather inScotland: How many drills should make up a session and what distance should the drills be donefor?

Power-speed drills are of a short duration, while strength endurance uses the same drillover a prolonged period to develop endurance. For example a SE running A drill is highknee runs with forward progress at a slow walking pace for distances up to 200 or even300 meters in the case of 400 meter athletes. Such drills may take up to 3 minutes, thoughthey must never be done beyond the distance (time) over which perfect form can bemaintained. This is ideal training for bad weather environments. Strength Endurance isusually done once per week, though it can be done 2x/wk for short periods.

With your sprint training you first develop acceleration, then maximum speed and then speedendurance. I was wondering how many specific phases or meso-cycles there is and the durationof each phase.The general plan emphasized acceleration, speed, then speed- endurance. This is whereit gets a little confusing. Speed is worked on all year, but there are many aspects tospeed training and some technical elements can be perfected at less than maximumspeed. “Flying 20s” with a full run up are the ultimate goal but “Pick- up drills” with a fast20meter segment after a short run- up will work on many of the qualities needed withoutthe stress of the full run- up and can be done earlier in the season (by the middle ofphase one)Speed is the hardest quality to improve and can be so taxing that it must behoned in small doses over many months of training sessions.When would you introduce special endurance runs in the annual plan for a 400m runner, do you stillprogress through accel-vmax-SE before introducing special end (300-500m) or can it be incudedin earlier phases?

You can include it early. Remember that during the acceleration phase,top speed may belimited but there is plenty of speed available for the longer SE runs. For example, if youcan accelerate for 20m and maintain it you can run a world class 500. It all depends onhow you want to structure your plan.Are there benefits for 100-200m sprinters to perform special endurance runs in the 300-500mrange? If so, could those runs be introduced during the early fall/winter phases before the speedendurance 80-150m runs are added in the spring? And if so, would the longer special enduranceruns be dropped once the speed endurance runs are introduced, to account for limited availableenergy?It depends on the individual. Someone whose tolerance for speed work is a little lowermight well benefit from a longer protocol. One of my sprinters, Tony Sharpe (Oly finalist1984, PBs 10.11,20.22) found the longer special endurance beneficial. He ran out to 500meters on occasion.Charlie, I’m guessing that you would want to have sprinters perform some maximal velocity workbefore performing speed or special endurance work. Is this correct?I’m not sure I understand your question but we always had a speed componant in ourtraining from early in the season, regardless of the approach. If you think of overallspeed volumes, you half to start early to get an adequate volume. For example, Bentotalled over 60,000 meters of speed work annually,yet he seldom ran over 500- 600meters in any one session.(3x500x40wks=60,000). Although sufficient speed must be inplace before quality speed endurance can be carried out, that sufficiency varies with theSE. Once accel to 30meters is in place, there’s enough speed available for a world recordat distances of 300 meters or greater, but you need speed perfected all the way to max(60meters) to expect optimal SE between 80 and 150 meters. I hope this is a little moreclear. I just don’t want to be so dogmatic that there’s no room for individual differences.

Structure of Sprint Training

See illustration

Here is my dilemma: no matter what After every time i run hard my hamstrings are totally sore thenext day... i always make sure to warm up/cool down and stretch with both. in the weight room imake sure to train my hammys slightly more than my quads by doing SL deadlifts, glute-hamraises, and good mornings, not to mention that the hamstrings get worked while doing certainquad exercises such as squats, step ups, etc. my only thinking is that putting on some weight hassomehow affected my hamstrings, i am 6’3" 218 lbs

This hamstring soreness may have more to do with your running technique ( hips low atfootstrike). Make sure your technique is correct before you worry about ham strength.Based on what you’ve said, it isn’t likely that your hams are weak.

I am a football player (wide receiver) and do not spend any time on running technique, i am morefocused on making cuts and switching directions as fast as i possibly can. but, when i do runstraight sprints in training (up to 100 yards) my hammys become pumped pretty quickly and mylegs feel heavy. what can i do, technique wise, so my hips aren’t low when my foot strike occurs?

I can only point out common problems. The most common technique problem ispushing or driving too hard.The point of getting stronger is to make the sprint actionseasier. Think of a spinning bicycle wheel. If you want the wheel to go faster, would youpush along it or would you strike it in a short action after accelerating your hand first?It’s the same with ground contact. As you sprint,the ground is moving backwards underyou (relatively). You must accelerate your foot before foot strike so that it is movingbackwards faster than the ground is moving backwards (negative foot speed). Thecontact times become shorter as speed improves. One clue that may help you decide ifyou’re pushing too long on the ground, the soreness you experience will beconcentrated lower in the hamstrings.

Does anyone have a home model of the reverse hyper? There isn’t enough room in my apartmentfor a full size one, and I’m not going to wait until hell freezes over for my gym to get one. I know thehome model only holds 100lbs., but I figure if I do unilateral reverse hypers that might be sufficientoverload. Has anyone else tried this?

Certainly these can be done at the end of a bench/physio table/box-horse as long as youhave one or two partners.(one to secure you on the apparatus and one to add resistanceto your legs on the reverse hypers (at the heels). The resistance is light, just increasingenough at the end of the ROM to control the rate of movement. Reverse hypers can bedone with both straight and bent legs (in this case hands of partner pressing down onthe subject’s feet). If I had access to a good reverse leg press machine, I might considerusing the hypers/reverse hypers during the accumulation phase and the reverse legpress during the max strength phase, as the straight leg reverse hypers can irritatebehind the knee if the load is too high.

Hamstring Development

A few caveats about the link example you provided: 1: backwards med-ball throws aregreat- but never round your back! This can be prevented by keeping your head up andback flat in the starting position. 2: If you have worked to the point that you are puking-what status will your muscles be in for the subsequent speed work??? (keep some icehandy) 3: Who cares how long you can balance on one leg in one spot??? We want toleave each “spot” as quickly as possible. Save your physical resources for the importanttasks.

I dont have a reverse hyper, but improvisations are abundant.Lie over a bench and do them. Do this with bands/pulleys. Use a hyperextension and use itbackwards. Use a swiss ball. Lie on a table. Tie weights around your ankles.

Seems strange to me no one has mentioned it aprat from the original post, but isnt the BESTexercise for hamstring development Glut-Ham-Raises?

Charlie - did Ben-or any others do them? How many/how much weight could they do.

I found these on T-Mag to show how i do them as i dont have a machine(and the machines are tooeasy anyway )

Do you think there’s any value to reverse leg presses in a regular press machine (sled on anangle)? I’ve tried it before and it was a little awkward, but not THAT awkward once I got used to it. Ithink I stopped doing them because they were so damn hard. But those always seem to be thebest exercises (like deadlifts and military press).

Every machine is different. You just have to try it out and see if it works.

Any advice on really good hamstring exercises that i can do without much gym stuff at all ? Like 2-3 hamstring exercises that i can do to get them really strong.

Aside from weights, try drilling “stiff-leg dollies” to fatigue on a track (over time, graduallymoving out to 100m and, when you can progress from that, take it up a slight inclinebuilding the distance and reps. It’s amazing how much lactic you can generate in theglute/ham/gastroc. Emphasis on hamstrings development and conditioning should bewhen the muscles are in a long position (that is, not shortened as in hammy curls)

Advice from KitKat

KitKat, how exactly are stiff-leg dollies performed? Do you mean running with straight legs?Also, could u please tell me where DC used to do his hill work? I don’t know why it has to be sotop secret! I haven’t been able to find a good place to do hills in Sydney, that’s all.

“Stiff-leg dollies” are named after a child’s game of running with stiff legs (yes, straight knees). Butyou run with toes up (dorsiflexed), contact as close to centre of mass (COM) as possible. In otherwords you don’t shoot your foot way out a metre in front of COM. It needs be only 10cm out in front.Then you use the arms to accelerate the stiff-leg run. Things to be aware of: Don’t lean backwards,don’t bend forwards at the waist, don’t kick out too far in front, run up tall, keep elbow at 90-degrees (not straight) during the drill.This really is a nice simple drill which duplicates the moment of track contact. Get this right and alot of other things will fall into place.

Sydney Hills: DC, Maree and David Dworjanyn (1989 Nat 100m winner) ran Lang Road westernside of Centennial Park from the first side gate up nearly to Oxford St. That’s easy 360m (10-12-degrees, grass, wide enough for three people to run side-by-side). BUt when we got back fromSeoul, the council had dug up the grass, buried storm water pipes, and covered with gravel andsand. So we had to abandon. They also planted T-tree bushes there. Check, maybe you can find aclear pathway again by now?

We switched to Mitchell Rd, North Strathfield which was OK, I had Kylie Hanigan (Atlanta 4x100and 4x400) run that nice little hill (360m, at 12-degrees, grass), but then council planted bottlebrush bushes all the way up, so we abandoned that one.

Now I’m recommending a hill at Macquarie Mental Hospital (no wise-cracks please, heard themall) at North Ryde. Locals call it the funny farm. Jana Pittman and Rohan Robinson did a decentsession there with Phil King and me from down the bottom where there is a white sign poststraight up through some pine trees to the top of the hill right where there is a bus shelter on themain road. The area is wide enough for 50 people to run side-by-side, although there areundulations. It is possible to pick a very flat and straight line (from the advice above). A young guyI’m working with currently (James Gurr) runs nearly to the top and turns left and runs to the streetcorner where there is a large clump of bushes. That gives him about 360m. The angle again isabout 10-degrees. It doesn’t seem like anything until you get to the top and look down. You cansee all over Sydney CBD from up there. But there are no toilet facilities (other than the trees andno drinking facility). In an emergency you can go over to the hospital wards, but we’ve lost somegood athletes there

Advice from KitKat

Training theories, then and now

Anymore info on Koch’s training would be great, or a little more detail on the progressionmentioned in your previous posts. Did she use tempo + special endurance? Did she use weights?

I know she had at least two tempo phases of training. I believe they were separateperiods though I don’t know how long they lasted. During this phase, she would do runslike 10x400 meters in 65 to 70 seconds with a short break (though I don’t know how long)Interestingly, her tempo fell within the same rate as ours did- 75% of best time or slower. Iwonder if anyone can get hold of Wolfgang Meyer to ask him for more details. I heardthat Marita and Wolfgang had opened a sporting goods store in Germany a few yearsago.How do you balance the workload between longer SE (300m+) and shorter speed endurance (80-150m)?

For example, for a 400 runner you recommend once a week for the longer SE, similar to the once-a-week recommendation of 80-150 work for a 100 runner. Would it be too exhaustive for a 400 runnerto do both a 300+ workout and a 80-150 workout every week? Or should the 400 runner not botherwith the shorter 80-150 work, but just concentrate on 60-80m speed work and 300+ SE?

SE can be added as soon as enough speed is in place. This occurs at different times. Forexample 300meter SE speed is already in place when the athlete can accel at full effort to30meters but 80 to 120meter SE peed is only in place when all speed qualities are in place.

How much should a 400m runner be on flats vs spikes? The same ratio as a sprinter? Is is grass fortempo, and track for speed? Why does the 400 stink now (women mainly). Why were the womenrunning faster in the 80’s?

Any tempo should be on grass if at all possible. Because of the pounding effect and therelease characteristics of rubberized tracks, the volume should be restricted to what isabsolutely necessary. It never ceases to amaze me how many people LIVE on the track.They warm-up on it, do tempo on it, bound on it, do drills on it, you name it. Give your bodya break and train on the grass whenever possible. As for the women’s 400m, you have toget the right people to do it. I have no doubt that Flo-Jo would have broken the WorldRecord in the 400m also, had she been so inclined. Her Special Endurance numbers staggerthe imagination. How about running 2x640meters- going through the 400 split at 49.7 and50.0 ,with no apparent decelleration and walking away at the end without bending over! Orhow about 6x160m (not 150) in 16.4 from a standing start with a 240m walk in between!Today’s only apparent threat to the 400m record is Marion Jones, should she get seriousabout it. With her 100m and 200m speed and physical size, there is absolutely no doubtshe could break the record, with the right preparation. So far, without Marion, the event iswide open.

Did you ever use short recovery 60’s at 95%(eg 3-4 x 60m with 1min or less rec), I think they cansometimes be usedful in controlling technical deterioration, while still getting a speed enduranceeffect. your thoughts?

This is split rep special endurance (all the reps count as one SE run with total recoverybetween sets) We used split runs of a variety of types as a plateau busting method.RE:Bud Winters I know he placed tremendous emphasis on Speed, Speed Endurance,and relaxation. I know he gave Tommy Smith 2x200 from blocks. If Tommy could hit under20.2 on the first- he didn’t have to do the second. What I didn’t know then,but learned yearslater from Sue Wilson, a sport psychologist, was that Bud was a renowned specialist inrelaxation,who was published on the subject. In fact, he taught relaxation to Navy pilotsduring WW2.

How much has your training philosophy changed since working with Ben? What things do you knownow that you feel could have made Ben even faster, from a training stand point? Nothing too specific,just some general ideas and/or exapmples.

I wouldn’t change anything unless we had hit the wall, but we hadn’t. He improved linearlyevery year. Had he run through the line in Seoul he could have run 9.72 (Ben was clockedat 8.02 at 80meters in Seoul. For comparison Maurice was 8.09 in his 9.80 in Seville). AsBen was capable of 9.80 in 1987,if everything had gone right, that was an improvement of.08. There’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t have continued to improve at least half thatmuch again, had his career not been cut short. This would have put him in the 9.68 range.Add to that the faster tracks that are used now and who knows!

The thing that amazed me with Flo-Jo was the strength of her hamstrings ect, any Idea’s on what shewas doing in the weight room?

I don’t know much about her weight program. I only spoke to people who saw the runningportion of her program. I only know that the group preferred full squats. I do know thatBobby used the Isorobic Exerciser (a modern version of the old exergenie that feeds out anylon line with adjustable tension). This way, Flo-Jo could do drills with some resistance tohelp her get up into a good sprint position- running A drills for example. This was anapproach used by Leo Davis (Quarrie’s old coach) many years ago. I’ve used it with athleteswhen necessary and it helps, but keep the resistance light!

Would there be a pharmacology change since those days?There are many different neuro-transmitters or substances involved in this process,including choline, inositol, carnitine, caffeine, inosine, calcium, messenger RNA, B vits,and so on. We used a number of them, though I would have added the Power Drive to thepre-race mix if it had been available.Do you believe that if you had trained Borzov that he would have been faster than he ran in Munich?

Every athlete is different! Borzov was followed from early on by a coach who was entirelyfamiliar with his strengths and weaknesses. For his time, he was the greatest and his Munichperformances, then world sea-level bests run on an inferior surface remain noteworthy. If Ihave a question about his training, it would be:”Could he have done more upper bodywork, and would that have aided his overall performance?” It would be necessary to knowif his existing training load could tolerate any additional work and, if not, what would haveto be sacrificed in other areas to make a cost/benefit analysis.

I have all Angella’s PBs in competitions for distances from 50y to 400m, but i wasn’t aware of the600m, could you tell me her time? I presume it was indoors?Could you tell me how much can she lift (bench, squat, 1/2 squat) in comparison to other world-classfemale sprinters? About speed endurance, Irina Privalova owns the current 50mWR 5.96, and did600m training test in 1:29 in the meantime. Pérec in 1991 was able to run 10.96 and after a quitehard training cession 1:29 test too.

I think her best was 1:27.9, though the time was later bettered by Molly Killingbeck andCamille Cato at 1:27.41. I’m pretty sure that Privalova ran alot faster than the time you havelisted. I heard low 1:26 but that may have been practice.

Just a quick thought. When Marita Koch did a period of “tempo” after a speed phase, anexample given to me was 10x400m at 65sec. Based on her 400m best, this is well within thelow-intensity catagory (47.60 devided by .75 = 63.4)

Were your athletes able to recover from 4 CNS sessions per week? I was under the impressionthat you recommended a maximum of 3 cns sessions & 2-3 tempo sessions per week. I justnoticed that you did speed, weights, ems on monday, wednesday & friday with speed enduranceon saturday. Also were these sessions included in the GPP or SPP or both.

Also if your doing 2 tempo sessions per week as opposed to 3, do you increase the volume persession or maintain approximatley 2000m per session?

With a 313 loading system are you maintaining strength for the last few weeks of the GPP or SPPcycle, or are you still looking for improvements in strength? eg if you are on a 12-16week GPP/SPP macrocycle.1:The number of sessions per week can be flexible as EMS bypasses the CNS. The mostlikely circumstance is that you’ll tolerate more EMS sessions in the beginning as youroverall strength levels will be lower. As strength improves via all training means, theeffect of EMS on your muscles becomes greater within each individual session(synergy).

You also mentionned the concept of speed on Mon, Wed, and Fri, with Speed Enduranceon Sat. This is possible because of the relatively lower demand on the CNS of SpeedEndurance and the fact that there’s still a day off before Speed occurs again. This occursprimarily in the SPP (though there may be some overlap) as follows: Mon- Short andMedium distance speed, Wed- Longer Speed, Fri- Short speed, Sat- Speed End (tempoTues, Thurs). But again as in EMS, this is more likely to be tolerable in the earlier careerstages before intensification is maximized. Then a typical distribution would be: Mon-Speed, Wed- Speed Endurance, Fri- Speed (tempo Tues, Thurs, Sat).

EMS sessions can be adjusted as performance improves as follows: First: Mon, Wed,Fri, Sat. Second: Mon, Wed, Sat (while Speed Endurance still on Sat). Third: Mon, Wed,Fri.Of course, sprint programs can be established to progress from longer to shorterSpecial Endurance or from shorter to longer. Note that sprinters following a progressionfrom longer to shorter will likely find that they respond best by staying on a 4x/weekschedule longer, as max strength will progress a little more slowly due to the conflictingsystemic demands of greater endurance work. (This will be true for weights also.)

2: Tempo sessions have a restorative role so the volume shouldn’t be raised becausethere are less sessions, but, after the changeover to three speed sessions/week, temporeplaces Speed End on Sat.

3: Strength Maintenance generally only occurs in the Competitive/ Maintenance phase,where Max Strength EMS is least likely to be used, barring injury.

The Truth About EMS

You mentioned that you were using a 313 loading system and after every 3 weeks you would haveone week of medium intensity. Could you please describe what you would do during a week ofmedium intensity? Was it the same as usual, except with speed work done at lower speeds (eg.95%) and training with less load in the gym? Or was it just mostly tempo and recovery work?

Lowered intensity doesn’t mean it falls into the medium intensity catagory. Staying at the 95th percentilein speed can feel very easy, yet is in the high intensity catagory. Weights can be lowered to the 80thpercentile and still be classified as high intensity. While the intensity is slightly lowered (or at least notintensified) during the “down week”, the volume is dropped to stimulate recovery/consolidation.

Lowered intensity doesn’t mean it falls into the medium intensity catagory. Staying at the95th percentile in speed can feel very easy, yet is in the high intensity catagory. Weightscan be lowered to the 80th percentile and still be classified as high intensity. While theintensity is slightly lowered (or at least not intensified) during the “down week”, the volumeis dropped to stimulate recovery/consolidation.

In Bompa’s “Periodisation for Sport” details of a 12 week Max.Strength programme, with the 3-weeks on 1-weeks off principle, used by Ben is outlined. While your excercise prescription for Benevolved (dropping amount of excercises and type e.g. dropping Cleans), were the reps, sets andintensities schemas outlined in it still appropriate?

Certainly EMS can, and should be used during injury periods. EMS can generate a maximalworkout while safely bypassing the injured area. As other high intensity activities may notbe possible during the injury period, EMS can be applied daily(10x10sec contr with 50secrest) up to 3x/day provided there is a 4hr break between sessions. Of course, such anextreme use would only occur when: A: The injury occured early in the training period(unlikely), or B: When the injury is severe and training will be interrupted for a substantialperiod and major training losses are anticipated(at least 4 to 6 weeks). This scenario shouldlast no more than 2 weeks at a time and should be reduced to 1 session, 4x/week within 3weeks of the anticipated return to sprinting. As EMS bypasses the CNS, trains only themuscles directly stimulated (no crossover), and is usually restricted to the hamstring(s)quad(s), glutes, erector spinae, and soles of the feet, it must be complemented by asubstantial increase in upper body lifting to adequately stimulate the CNS and create acrossover effect into the untrained injured area.From a therapeutic standpoint, EMS can be applied in a pulsing mode immediately abovethe injury site for the first few days to promote drainage. After a few days, pulsed EMS canbe applied around the injury site, eventually progressing to very mild contractions. Ofcourse, the EMS must be complemented by competent and aggressive therapy.

Tudor Bompa helped in the structure of the weight program in 1984 although the programwas modified from 1985 on, in order to limit the lifting volume to limit CNS competition withgreater sprint intensities and modify max testing procedures, which would have becomerisky at the very high strength levels being achieved.

Can EMS with max-strength protocols (10 x 10 on - 50 off) be used independent of the max-strengthperiod in the weight room (i.e. during injury periods)?

Id like to know your thoughts on ems usage for shorter macrocycles? eg 3 weeks, using a 2,1,2,1approach, as opposed to 3,1,3,1. My main events are the long & triple jumps, & Im thinking thatthe jump events may need shorter cycles to aid recovery from CNS and the higher impacts. I findweek 3 my toughest week physically & I look forward to a lighter week 4. I follow a 3 cns, 3 tempoday schedule. I usually do:

Mon. 30m sprints. weights.Tue. Tempo.Wed. Run ups. Jumps. weights.Thu. Tempo.Fri. Fly in 20s or 60m sprints. weights.Sat. Tempo.

Sometimes I replace 30m sprints with run ups.

First, I presume you are referring to overall training, not just EMS. If you do go with a 2/1scheme, you must use EMS for 1 of those two weeks, not both, otherwise the loadingprogression cannot be stepped adequately. As for the fatigue that requires the 2/1scheme, I’d prefer the spread the high intensity training elements you’re doing now over3 weeks. This way your reducing the weekly volume and density, yet you’re overallloading won’t really be reduced because:1: The “down time” is reduced to 25% from the 33% you propose.2: You’re less likely to get injured, reducing training losses further.3: The spreading out of the high intensity componants should allow intensification toproceed more effectively.

As I understand it, this 50 sec is crucial, and is the minimum allowable break. Is there an upper limitto this allowable break? Would a 60 sec, or 75 sec rest be too much?

As there is a limit to time available, 50 sec is realistic, though it is possible to approach maxstrength EMS in another way within the normal time frame. If the need for ultimate strengthoutweighs strength endurance, it is possible at the highest levels to move from a 10/50sequence to a 6/54 or 5/55 sequence over time. It is also possible to move the rep numbersdown- from 10 to as low as 6 for example. Shortening the contraction times during thesame season would only work well in a long-to-short training plan. In short to long plansthe timing would only drop season to season, or else the nature of the strength sequencefor EMS would be moving in the other direction from the rest of the plan.

I don’t understand what the problem is with bodyfat. I have seen some huge shot guys and theywere much leaner then some lineman I’ve seen. I was in Golds Gym and saw a lineman putting uprather weak numbers. In fact, his numbers were similar to mine in the squat. I realize that his 300pound frame was double mine, adding more “true” load, but I just don’t think a lineman should besquating 325 pounds.

My question, with some of the new 350 rookies, were are we going with American football andathletism?

I’ve seen some great bodies on linemen, and some not-so-great. What are the programsthat produce the former? Are attempts to “lean out” linemen (the dreaded wind sprints orother “Aerobic” activities)counter-productive? Aren’t wind sprints with short recoveryexactly the type of medium speed work that we try so hard to aviod for sprinters? Whendesigning a program, should we try to maximize an athlete’s strengths or should wespend an inordinant amount of time training his weaknesses- where, by definition,progress will be minimal? I have worked with world class shot putters and discusthrowers and I’ve never seen any doing “gassers”.

Could it be a misconceived perception that size rules on the offensive line?

Is it perhaps an eating issue and not a training issue?

Some shotputters have big stomachs too. I recently worked on a big NFL lineman (6ft2335). He had a high res. ultra-sound on his leg- and the technicians were surprised tosee that there was no fat. I wouldn’t try to speak for all linemen but if this guy was anyexample, they may be a lot leaner than you think. ( He was also incredibly fast and agile!)

Football

I would like to improve my start out of the fullback position for football as well as improve my 40yard dash time. Does anyone have any suggestions?

During the start from the line, many backs keep their arms farther back than the optimalposition for acceleration used by a sprinter, in order to allow them to change directionand decellerate as needed. This causes a slight rock-back at the start, something thatwould be death to the sprinter but might be acceptable for the back- unless he’s on a flypattern. (Most backs execute their patterns at about 85% of max vel) The fullback mightleave the mark with a more forward arm carriage. the real key to perforance during theinitial acceleration is to relax, with the emphasis on arm action without over-pushing withthe legs, which slows the action down.

I was wondering if you could possibly comment on methods that you would utilize in traininglinemen (i.e. speed development, strength training, conditioning, recovery/regeneration, etc..)based upon what you have seen as a consultant to various NFL teams. Or if you could commenton specific weaknesses or qualities that are lacking based upon your observations.

When training ANYONE, not just linemen, look to their strengths first. Unfortunately, theopposite approach is taken when people see a big lineman. They think- wow he’s strongas the proverbial brick s-house- now let’s do cardio and lean him out! First off, this guy’sstrong because he’s almost pure white fibre so he has no capacity to handle intensivecardio work AT ALL! If he does develop this capacity, it will be at the expense of hispower due to fibre conversion. Often the very best of the line guys are considered tohave a “bad attitude” precisely because they WON’T train against what they recognise tobe their main strength. And, once the trainer has demonstrated he’s a fool to the athletein one area, he won’t have any credibility on any other subject, even where he may beright, such as diet.One athlete I saw was being viciously criticized, (behind his back, of course), because hewasn’t doing the cardio work he’d been assigned. Here’s a guy who’s 5ft 11in at 320lbs,who I saw stuff a basketball with both hands from a stand, and benched 500lbs the firstday he’d ever lifted! And they think this guy should be doing gassers. He didn’t listen-and became all-pro. He could go from the middle and had the speed to catch the fullbackon a sweep! He was also using a tactic that isn’t often discussed- counting plays. He’dgo against his opponant and basically lull him into a sense of confidence, then every 8 to10 plays he’d blow him away and make a huge play.Back to your original question, linemen, like shot-putters, respond extremely well toexplosive medicine ball work with long recoveries between throws, and, of course,weight training, with reps in the 6 and lower range. Sprints should be in the 10 to 20yardrange, in sets of 4 to 6reps for each set ie 2 sets of 6x 10y,long recovery break then 1 or2sets of 4x 20y with very long breaks to ensure that training remains in alacticconditions. This means no “gassers” at the end of training.

I was wondering if you could elaborate on the tempo work that you would use with football players.Youhad mentioned 100’s for the backs and 50’s for the linemen. I wanted to know if you could providetimes that you would like for these to be run in and also times for recovery? One other question is thedistance in meters or yards?

Same principle applies as for sprinters- 75% of best time or slower- so if a lineman runs abest 50y of 6.0, his tempo pace would be approx 8.0sec or slower. as the seasonprogresses, the demands of games and practice cover most training except for weights(the weights must be maintained as strength is the quality that is lost the fastest withoutcontinued work. As for the line guy’s squat- I guess you could say: “whatever he wants!”

Is there really a need for linemen to do any running training at all? They usually only take one or twosteps (at most) before they hit the other player.

I think the linemen need speed work out to 20m, with the occasional run out to 40m. Inreality, they are the pure sprinters in the game. the runs should have full recovery whereverpossible. The sprints will certainly complement their lifts. Who has had experience withHIT training? This is a killer for linemen (actually it’s bad for everyone but worst for the lineguys who have the most power)

It has been shown that HIT causes more problems then it prevents. By training on machines, one setto failure and/or extremely slowly they are training the body to do things that are no benefit to speedpower athletes and in fact creating a more dangerous situation. Leaving stabilization muscles andmuscle groups out of training you are actually creating a situation where injury is MORE likely. Agreedalso on the importance of first developing straight ahead speed before training significant volumesof c.o.d. work. I believe that if this progression is not performed it is akin to doing speed endurancework before developing speed. Why worry about enduring at a velocity that will ultimately limit yoursuccess anyway?

The worst fault with hit is that it trains to failure. The hit proponants are the ones that claimthat “closed skills” like weights are less important than “open skills like the game itself. Sowhy train a quality that by your own admission is less important to failure- thuscompromising your other training?Do you believe in coaching front-side mechanics? Back in my college days I was coached my ClydeDuncan who shares the tellezian school of thought of “letting the knee lead”. What’s your thoughts onthis?I’m not sure I can answer your question as I don’t know the ratio you have, nor do I knowhow such a ratio could be measured. I’ve always felt that the quads- particularly the VMOplay a mainly eccentric role at max V (the VMO must be more specific in this function,otherwise how can you explain its higher rate of wasting during inactivity?)What tempo distance or volumes would you reccomend if at all for footballers in particular forlinemen. I guess the answer would related to the training background/history of the athletes inquestion. Would distances of 50m be appropriate for linemen?

The tempo distances would probably be slightly modified for the backs (mostly 100s)and Line (mostly 50s) but the key would be for the runs to be in the low intensity range.As for the endurance to play the whole game, low int tempo and general exercises canhelp with general fitness, but intermediate speed work (read gassers) will have anegative impact on speed. As for the speed work I suggested above, this is the means todevelop the maximum amount of speed tolerance in the alactic zone- where they mustperform.

I’m not sure that flying 20’s are all that applicable to football training. It is somewhat positiondependent - CB, WR and KR would have the most need for them - but most of football running iseither accerating or decellerating. Don’t skip the 10, 20, 30 yd accelerations in favor of the flying20’s.Flying 20s would only apply to football if they were from a 10 to 20 meter build-up, but nofurther.

Football > Flying 20’s and football sprinting schedule

Increased power influences acceleration but increasing your acceleration alone doesn’tnecessarily lead to higher top speed. You might just reach your current limit sooner. Youneed to work on all aspects.

I’ve noticed the girls I currently coach and the ones I was once teammates with respond well to 3 to 4sets of 8 to 10 reps. Their strength increased with minimal size/mass increases. However, that setand rep regimen was primarily used with upper body lifts. Also, I guess the most interesting observationto me was that they recovered quicker after lifting sessions than their male counter parts and theywere able to lift closer to major competitions.This may be true for several reasons. 1 Endurance plays more of a role in womens’ sprintssince they reach their relative top speed sooner. 2 The upper body max lifting representsless total body stress for women due to the proportional upper body strength differencescompared to a male ( 65-70% of male strength upper/ 95% of male strength lower). 3 I havefound that, regardless of their relative capacities, work is work and male sprinters can putout more and, therefore must recover more.Charlie, with this in mind what differences were there in Angela’s program to that of your male athletes?I have noticed a lot of female 100m sprinters tend to have tend to have a greater range of performanceie 60-400m, is this due to a need for more training time to be spend in the lactic anerobic area’s?

This is true. Angella did do more special endurance than the guys. In fact, in the indoorseasons Angella set many World Records over a range of distances from 50meters to 300meters, as well as Canadian Records out to 600 meters. This is also true of other worldclass women sprinters.

So would something along these lines be suitable in the early prep Phases:M) accel to 30mT) TempoWed) Special End (2 x 300m-500m) full recThurs) tempoFri) Accel to 30mSat) Tempo

with one of the accel sessions extending to vmax then speed endurance (80-150m) as the yearprogresses.

Training for Women

After working with a female swimmer for a year she became the fastest on her team. One problembeing the fastest is that it was hard for her to train without a person to push her...I had her train withguys! She could not do a pull-up! She was a great kicker so we went and did all hypertrophy work(upperbody only) for a year except for the last three meso cycles.(2) Then strength/power training becamemore effective. If you increase power charlie don’t you accelerate better? If you accelerate faster youincrease velocity. If you increase velocity in the same amount of time would you cover more distance?

Endurance plays more of a role inwomens’ sprints since they reach theirrelative top speed sooner.Charlie Francis

I have noticed with a sub 12 100m female athlete that I coach that the amount of vertical forceproduced is probably the biggest variable from workout to workout. It seems that every othertraining element can be met more easily than this one.

At the start of each four week cycle, the single speed session per week shows very impressivevertical force production facilitating excellent hip height and turnover. By week three, the times maybe the same or slightly faster than week one, but there is less hip height and as a consequence,loss of form.

After the recovery week, the vertical force appears to be restored and times are a little fasteragain.

It seems to me that vertical force is suppressed by just about any training element aside fromtempo and also seems to be particularly affected by CNS condition.

My questions:

a). Is this common amongst female athletes?b). Is this a chicken or egg thing? i.e. Keeping in mind that our season doesn’t start untilNovember, do you have to simply accept that this is going to happen in order to strengthen theorganism as a whole or should training be lightened in order to keep better form whilst limitingstrength gains.

It appears to be an endurance problem as she is able to attain the height in the first place(half the battle), but the endurance solution must be to do speed work only in the correctposition. Intervals must be set up over the distance correct form can be held andrepeated only so long as the form can be maintained.

Along the theme of you must produce it before you can reduce it, you’re back to squareone. Once you have selected the right Special Endurance work, it really doesn’t matterwhat the levels are, since the body must adapt anyway. That leaves only one use for lactatetesting- that is recovery monitoring. This brings up the real problem. The sprinter is oftenMORE recovered when his lactate levels are high. For example, it’s easier to get over a SEsession of 2x300 than it is to get over an alactic speed session of the same volume (ie.4x30m block starts followed by 2x4x60m with full recovery). Is it worth testing lactates?

Sounds good. This is fairly similar to the program we used, though we didn’t wait too longto extend to Mon+ Fri sessions out to 60m runs, even though they were often controlled (30accel+30 maintain)

Any information of comparisons of lactate levels at the end of 100/200m (ie a comparison betweenelite male and female sprinters)?

I would like to hear any thoughts on planning training for female athletes, particularly weightlifters,based on their menstrual cycle.I have heard some general theories, but very little detailedapproaches or scientific research. In general there would seem to be a theoretical basis for doingso if you can link the hormonal status to training execution and effectiveness. I’ll admit hormonalexercise physiology is not a strong suit of mine, but it doesn’t seem that we’ve got a firm hold onthe relationship between hormonal responses and training effects quite yet.Since there are many levels on which hormonal status could influence training; structural muscleadaptation, neuromuscular adaptation, neuromuscular activation, psychological factors, nutritionalstatus, subsequent hormonal responses, etc.. its hard to be definative.In the literature their isconflicting opinions and a limited amount of research. Any thoughts on this?

In the former East Germany, the medical staff tried to consider this in the establishmentof an annual plan. They asked each woman when, in her cycle, did she feel the best?(there was no set answer) Based on her answer, they worked backwards from the mostimportant competition date and adjusted the birth control pills to allow her to be at herpreferred stage when it counted.

Sprints

I am planning to work on my max speed later in the training year, is this a good idea?The improvement of max speed, both as technical improvement, primarily at sub-maxspeeds, and as capacity/tolerance, which will be at maximum speed only, must preceedthe capacity to accelerate longer at a GIVEN ACCELERATION RATE. Delayingacceleration in a race allows the EXISTING top speed to occur later, but doesn’t reallyimprove performance unless you are deficient in fitness. You have to improveeverywhere in the race, by working on all aspects separately.

Any comments on neural patterning of flying 20s and 30s?Neural patterning only requires ONE episode. The point I’m trying to make is that the useof “flying 20s” is, by definition, almost always SUB-MAX, due to the difficulty in gettingPBs in this narrow area, and because it works as a learning tool by lowering the breadthof exposure rather than raising the height. We sprint all along the way, it is the PBs thatare spread, and occur in different ways-ie PB in a 150m run or in a flying 20, or a 30mblock start. Also neural facilitation is occurring by other means as well, such as weightPBs, etc. Neural Patterning occurs when a certain speed is imprinted- ie a wind aidedtime which is later achieved without the wind.The more gradual acceleration conserves energy at the start, which ideally allows you to achieve ahigher top speed. Do you think the energy saved at the start is balanced out by the increasedCNS output for the higher velocity? Do you find that max flying 20s require more or less rest thanan equivalent sprint from a crouch (60-70m)?I would hesitate to dictate a formula written in stone as the conditions and velocities areso varied. As suggested above, the rest period for flying 20s increases as the run-updistance increases (remember, as the run-ups are at a controlled rate, the run-updistances to a set velocity will be greater than in a race, where the acceleration ismaximal). You will note that Ben always had a substantial pick-up at about 10m into hisraces. This was as a result of the velocity pattern developed in the 20m easy, 20m fast,20m easy drills. In the races,he hit the practice take-off velocity by 10meters. As a roughguideline, the rests might start at 4 min between reps, with 4 reps per set with a 20 to 30mrun-up ( three set max with 10min minimum between sets) , and extend all the way to 10mfor run-ups of 60m, which should bring the sprinter close to top speed,again with 4 runsper set, with a one set limit and any additional runs in the session done at sub-maximaleffort.

Where did the different run-up distances fit in YOUR training program with regard to yourmicrocycles. I know that you have 2 cycles in period I after the accumulation of training phase andagain in the period II after a week or 2 in transition phase from indoor to early outdoor. So I’m justwondering where things fit. I know that you said that these cone drills can be done at the end ofphase I. I gather this would mean that cone drills with a 20m run-up would be done in the 2nd cycleof period I?

It depends on the structure of your season. For example, I usually emphasizedacceleration in phase 1, so I wouldn’t do accels into the flying 20 m section beyond 20m,though we did do 20m fast from stand into 20m easy into 20m fast at times, but in phase2, where the emphasis was on top speed, I might do flying 20s with a full run-up. As afurther exception, top speed form can be worked on at both max and sub-max speeds,so run-up distances would still vary. As a general principle, the more technical work youneed, the more time you’ll spend at sub-max speeds.Don’t forget, these runs are by no means the only runs being done, and the velocityachieved in these other runs counts too. In most cases, the velocity in the regular runsends up higher than the flying 20s unless a long build up is used. So the majority offlying 20s are sub-maximal and are for form/acceleration work. The only adaptation thatis really required is when the velocity exceeds that which is done elsewhere.Additionally, the higher CNS demands of speed change runs limit their use in the overallscheme of things, making a steady progression of velocities with these drills too costlyin other areas.

We also have to consider the differential in speed we’re talking about. Example: In Korea,with a maximal acceleration, Ben’s top speed was 12.1mps. In Zurich, with an easieracceleration, Ben hit 12.3mps. This gives a differetial of 1.5%- incredible (anddemanding) though it is, a far cry from the 10% that the towing advocates recommend!

Whenever you enter new territory, great care must be taken, and such “supermaximalsessions must be few and far between at the highest levels.Can firing sequences become better by increased power and hip height?Working TIME is reduced by each incremental raising of hip-height, which, in turn,shrinks the GC time.Additionally, the ease of movement associated with increasedabsolute power abilities encourage relaxation, which lowers the working fibrepercentage, limits extraneous muscle involvement, and maximizes INHIBITION times,which lowers working time still further.

Which muscle group plays a bigger part in stoping vertical deceleration, the knee extensors or hipextensor?. Also, are plyos as effective in developing the hip extensors as they are for the kneeextensors?

Stopping vert deceleration is a function of hip height (does the chicken and the eggcome to mind?) Of course, higher hip height allows the knee to straighten more onground contact. The straighter the knee the stronger its resistance to vert deceleration.So, the stronger the forces imparted around the hip at takeoff, the less forces arerequired around the knee on landing.

What does it feel like to be at top speed? I was looking at the head movements with Ben vs theslower runners in Seoul. It appears that the higher the hip position the shorter the wave frequencyof the spine.

When it’s going right, it feels like a pulse wave going up to the neck, starting with asensation of being shoved slightly in the low back, rather than like any sort of consciousaction.

Integrating Plyometrics into Speed TrainingThis is a running debate in the sports science community about the definition of plyometrics..Verkhoshansky limits his definition of plyometrics to what most would call the shock method (whichwas Verkhoshansky’s original name for it). The term “plyometrics” these days usually refers to anystretch-shortening-cycle (SSC) movement. Needless to say, this covers almost everything, whichis what drives Verkhoshansky crazy.

I’m hesitant to over-define plyos, for, if I define them too narrowly, it may be interpretedthat anything outside my definition could be done in any volume. When I work directlywith an individual, I can see the work and adjust/classify it accordingly.

What are the favored jump exercises for acceleration development, and for that matter, max.velocity?

The best plyo drills for top speed are vertical in nature, ie hurdle hops or hops initiatedfrom a slight height, but stay below 30inchs! Anything higher will kill the elastic responseyou’re looking for. Watch the volume as well. I like to keep the number of contacts downto around 30 to 40. I don’t like speed bounds, as the ground contact (the only thing thatmatters) is longer. As for specificity, the only thing specific to sprinting is sprinting.Weight training and even plyos (still double the ground contact time of sprint steps)enhance GENERAL strength which is incorporated into specific strength by thesprinting itself. If you view these exercises this way, you won’t lose sight of your realobjective. Once the required general qualities of strength are in place, the key todeveloping top speed lies in the speed work itself. Any work on this quality must becarried out when the athlete is completely fresh, with complete recovery breaks to keepthe session alactic, and over very short distances. As we know that top speed only lastsfor 20meters in a 100meter race, “flying 20s” are a good drill. Do a gradual buildup forabout 50meters, then pump the arms to increase speed through the 20 concentrating oncomplete relaxation. The gradual buildup allows you to check your form, ensuring thatyou are stepping over your support knee. Keep the rep numbers low, probably no morethan 6. If there is any deterioration, stop sooner.

Should the short jumps come before acceleration work and more elastic jumps after max velocitywork, as many contend? About how many contacts should be used in a given session?

I always felt that plyos should be restricted to a low number- probably no more than 30 to40 per session. If plyos were to be done before speed, I’d restrict the numbers evenmore. I’m sure, however that these restrictions apply more to the top athletes.

There are issues here that go beyond the best means to develop strength. Sometimesthere are problems in sprinting that need a solution but if you try to teach the solutionthrough the sprinting itself, you risk paralysis by analysis. If you can teach shortercoupling times by plyometric means, or drills for example, the athlete may improve hisrunning mechanics without the need to even think about it. Remember we want to keepsprinting as a hind brain activity ( the hind brain scan handle simple alternating actionsmore rapidly than the reasoning centers in the fore brain).Do plyos contribute more to max velocity than to acceleration, because of the greater relativecontribution of reactive strength to max velocity. Any thoughts on this?

Plyos do contribute more to top speed when performed in the down mode (one example-set up low box and 2 hurdles to your comfortable height and distance- jump down, over,over, with quick ground contacts, two to six times with full recovery). These plyos affecttop speed, because of the vertical nature of the power requirement to lift a constant bodyweight, with a relatively straight leg, in an ever shorter period of time (earlier on the force/time curve)Acceleration is more affected with plyos in the up mode, due to greatermovement around the knee, though longer ground contact times (one example- hopsfrom ground onto a box into the high-jump pit, six to ten reps. The down plyos are donein lower numbers because of their greater nervous system impact. Of course, no plyohas exclusive properties because all work strengthens the entire organism in the generalsense. I would be careful of using a weighted vest for sprinting, as the additional weightlowers the hips causing footstrike to occur farther ahead of the body, increasing groundcontact times and increasing the risk of a hamstring pull during co-contraction. Better todo vertical hops with the vest.

Since all plyometric ground contacts are longer then actual sprints, wouldn’t plyos help more withthe first 14 steps of Sprinting? Or do plyometrics help at all speeds?

Maybe it’s best to think of them as a means of intense stimulation first and of any specificapplication second. I still would match the plyo type to the phase/quality you are workingon (down during top speed work etc)East German Sprint TrainingWhat was the East German training system like? How did they train their sprinters?

The EG training was relatively conservative on the women’s side, though the men did alot of crazy weighted plyos before they were taken over by the women’s head coach. Infact, it was Marlies who told me how crazy the men’s plyos were. From a techniquestandpoint, their form seemed to eminate from literature and techniques used in Francefrom the early 1960s when they were very successful. The arm carriage was an attemptto compensate for the lower force production capabilities for the upper bodies of thewomen. This was the achilles heel of the program. The total reliance on frequency limitedtheir ultimate top speed and left them vulnerable to those with more complete extension-the ultimate example, Flo Jo.I also remember one of the Canadian girls comming back from a US college, saying thather coach had the “official EG weight program”, which I found interesting as theprogram of Horst Hilla (Stecher, Gohr, Wockel, Aurswald, and many others) did NOWEIGHTS.

See illustration

What was their plyometric Training like in terms of volume and exercise selection?

I just had a discussion with an athlete who attended some training camps with the EGwomen and she confirmed that their women did large numbers of plyos, ranging up to600 foot contacts at some periods, for some athletes, though there was no mention of 2meter depth jumps or weights. I had always heard that weights were not used by Hilla’scamp (sorry to hear of his passing)- replaced by weighted tire pulls out to 80 meters,though I never spoke directly with anyone about this componant of training. I did haveseveral conversations with Marlies Gohr about her Special Endurance times (15.4 for 150meters)and Horst Hilla himself, from whom I got the information that led to my taper plan.

Peaking for Sprint EventsSeems like less and less èlite sprinters plan a peak for the indoor season. I know there is notmuch money involved.. but Bompa and the Russian authors wrote that a double peakperiodization plan would allow a better performance for the outdoor. If this is the case, why is it thatthe best outdoor performer (except for Mo and Tim) run in the 6.60ish and some others, thatactually seem to peak for the indoor and run 6.50ish or better, then don’t have an outdoorperformance which is as good?

Most modern sprint training is based on double, if not triple periodization. I would like toput a few points up for discussion.

First- Top speed should be reflected by 60meter times, as top sprinters reach top speedby then. For example,to achieve 9.90 in the 100, you need to hit 6.46 to 6.48 at 60. Ofcourse,this doesn’t mean that everyone who runs 6.46 has the speed endurance in placeto hit 9.90. Speed endurance is specific to a given speed, so the required speed shouldbe in place early.

Second- What are the training conditions? For example,the Brits have very poor trainingconditions at home and they usually head for better conditions (IE Australia)before theyregister too many indoor results. Likewise, the Americans on the West Coast may notwant to leave optimal training conditions for competitions unless the money is big.

Third- Don’t assume that, because you don’t see a result, that the top sprinters cannothit the required 60 times in practice at that time of year.

For those of us in northern climates, we have only a 5 or 6 week time frame in which to get racesunder our belt and post a qualifying time. I’d like to train through some of these early April meets,but hesitate to because with so few meets on the schedule, an athlete has to take advantage ofgood weather to post quality times.How would you approach such a season? Do you feel 6 races is enough to get a 110m hurdlerinto peak racing shape?

It usually takes 6 to 7 sprint hurdle races to lead to a peak. The 100meters usually takes 5to 6. The 200meters takes 4 to 5 and the 400meters takes about 3 depending on thepreparation method. I would ensure that your max strength phase is finished fairly earlyso that you are in your maintenance phase during your attempts to qualify.

Recognizing that there is more of a role for Special End for a female sprinter, there aredifferent approaches. You are right to suggest that the 60s have a small endurancecomponant for females, but, given a finite amount of CNS energy, would it be better towork this additional volume demand via more of the same distance reps or via longerreps in combination?

Would you give speed sessions less frequently of a greater volume to developing sprinters ormore frequently of less volume?A loaded question. The answer is entirely dependent on the age and development levelof the athlete. For example, with athletes age 16 and below, special endurance distancesshould be restricted to 150m and below, with the main conditioning emphasis on generalfitness. Later, the emphasis changes to a ratoi of about 50/50 between alactic and lacticspeed work. In the final development stages for top athletes the emphasis shifts moreand more towards alactic speed.

I know that the SE is 90-150m, SPE is 150-300m, SPE-II is 300-500m. I know that SPE-II can beworked on all year (once the athlete can accelerate out to 30m). The endurance phase begins withsome SE which later progresses into SPE. My question is, what is the purpose of SPE in a 100msprinter’s program. Wouldn’t SE be enough to satisfy the endurance needs of a 100m sprinter?(and SPE for 200m sprinters). Yet all 100m runners (even if that is their only event) seem to do150-300m work? I am just wondering why this is? Why not just do more 90-150m work (rather than150-300m)?

Not necessarily. Ben didn’t go beyond 150m very often after 1981, except for theoccasional 200m race or the odd 200m special endurance session. This is true of othersas well - Allan Wells and Donovan Bailey come to mind.

How often were these conducted. By odd you mean infrequently. How often was this type of SEconducted in practice?

Most 200m races by Ben after 1985 were for recovery only- as he took a substantialfinancial hit each time he ran one, compared to the 100m. In training, he ran very few-sometimes only 1 or 2 sets per year. The last time was 3 weeks before Seoul, when heran 2 x 200 in 19.5 from first motion, (probably equal to slightly under 20.00e from blocks)with a 45 min break between. His best ever comp time was 20.29 in 1985.What about regular SE? Is it merely there to bridge the gap between speed and specialendurance? (eg, 3-4 weeks of SE to provide a foundation before an athlete can begin doing 150+work) or does it have some greater purpose?

Think of it this way. When you begin to train, the biggest differential in times betweenyour performance and world record performances lies to the “right” of the time curve.Why spend your time fighting for hundredths of a second over the first 30m when youcan gain whole seconds over the 200m section. But, as you advance, your requirementsmove steadily to the “left” of the training continuum. You must also consider yourstrengths when deciding on what speed or special endurance to do. Eventually, oncetotal fitness is in place, the only real way to continue to improve is by improving maxspeed- which must be done in alactic conditions- methods such as speed work, plyos ormax strength weights.

When doing the special endurance, I’m not able to keep up the pace. I’m falling off substantiallyafter 100m. In fact, I’m falling off enough that I can notice it around 80m. Should I do more SPE ormore (or longer) SE reps?

Whatever the special endurance, there is an appropriate pace. If you’re doing 300s, youdon’t go out at a pace that will have you dropping off at 80m! General fitness is requiredas well as special endurance. In fact, at younger ages (up to 16), the general fitness willbe the most important element, as the ability to handle special endurance will be limited.

I use intermediate speeds for lactate work something I would not do for the shorter sprints is this agood idea?

I wouldn’t use intermediate speeds, I’d adjust the SE distances and increase the lowintensity tempo volume from approx 2000 to 3000meters.For the 400m athlete - do you start with Special Endurance right from the Preparation periods?

Depending on the athlete, you can go from long to short OR short to long. If you go fromlong to short, the special endurance elements can start sooner because the speedrequired is lower for longer runs. BUT, if you go from short to long, you must maximizespeed earlier and add speed endurance after speed is in place. This means that speedend will start later in the program. Additionally, the time required to maximize speeddepends on where the athlete is starting from. If the athlete is close to the speed levelrequired for his event, it may not take so much time to achieve it. For others, it may takelonger.Any comments on John Smith’s training methods?

I spoke to John in 1988 about his 400 meter training. He described it as similar to what Iwas doing with one big change. After he spoke to Clyde Hart about the energy systemchange that occurred at 40sec, he shifted his special endurance runs from 300meters to350meters. This change moved much of the season’s work to times above 40sec. As theathletes got faster and approached the 40sec threshold, he shortened the rest periods tokeep them above 40sec a little longer. Then when he wanted them to start peaking, hespread the rest periods and let them fly! Of course, with the people he produced, some ofthem started turning out 350s in the 37sec range towards the end. Of course,as in allcases, you need to know the whole program to see how the componants interplay.

Charlie, when introducing special endurance runs for a 400m runner is it wise to keep the runsshorter ie 200-250m and stretch out to 300-500m as your tolerance of lactatic acid improves, orcould you jump straight in with the longer runs?

400 meter Special Endurance must start early in training (although the longer SE runsshouldn’t affect acceleration work,as the speed necessary isn’t that high. In this case thehighest speed work will have to come a little later.) Special Endurance work for thesprints can start a little later, perhaps by as much as 3 to 4 weeks, depending on thestructure of the program and the development stage of the athlete. The ratio of speed tospeed endurance volumes runs between 2 and 3 to 1.I think that the selection of distances is individual, but if the administration of volume andpace is careful you shouldn’t go wrong.I understand that Mennea went out to 700meters at times though I don’t know the pace. Ispoke at some length with Pavoni, who trained with Mennea early on in his career, andhe confirmed the high volumes of short sprints, and plyos preceeding sprint work (eg10x10 hurdle hops, followed by 4x4x60 at sub maximal pace).What is the advantage of getting a 400m to do their aerobic work in the form of tempo runs, whichwill span a few miles yet coaches would tell the 800m to go and run those two miles at 7min milepace. Is the tempo run more for CNS recovery or the basis for aerobic fitness?...Regardingspecial endurance runs it has been suggested that the distance varies according to the athlete inquestion. Is this also the case with rest, i.e. the athlete should only run when fully recovered?Tempo runs are extensive, meaning that they are low intensity but with incompleterecovery. As such, they serve to flush out the system, promoting CNS recovery (activerest) and promote cardio fitness. There’s no reason Extensive tempo couldn’t replacecontinuous runs for the 800.Special Endurance recovery is individual to some extent and should be total. Recoverytimes can be limited by the background of the athlete. Those with less cardiobackground will have a harder time maintaining their warm-up for longer periods.Are we essentially saying that perhaps 2 sessions a week are speed work with one specialendurance session with say three tempo sessions?..Most of the work I have done and know mostother people to have done is based on work such as repeat 300’s/200’s etc. Are you thereforesaying that these sessions are misplaced in being given to the 400m runner. Most of my offseason has always been based on repeat work?Repetition work is tempo, and as long as it is extensive, it is no problem. Two speedsessions, one special endurance session and three tempo sessions per week is usual.For those of us in northern climates, we have only a 5 or 6 week time frame in which to get racesunder our belt and post a qualifying time. I’d like to train through some of these early April meets,but hesitate to because with so few meets on the schedule, an athlete has to take advantage ofgood weather to post quality times.How would you approach such a season? Do you feel 6 races is enough to get a 110m hurdlerinto peak racing shape?It usually takes 6 to 7 sprint hurdle races to lead to a peak. The 100meters usually takes 5to 6. The 200meters takes 4 to 5 and the 400meters takes about 3 depending on thepreparation method. I would ensure that your max strength phase is finished fairly earlyso that you are in your maintenance phase during your attempts to qualify.

The way I coached my 200m athletes was to explode from the start then relax and maintain rhythm onthe curve then accelerate out of the curve into the last 100.

The problem I struggle with is that my athlete was 6’5" and unless he got an outside lane I was afraidof him using too much energy on the curve, even though he ran 20.78 indoors.

The old expression is “burn the turn”, which is true, but perhaps not in the way it iscommonly understood. The common instruction is to accelerate hard off the turn- and thisalways appears to be the case when you see films of races, but appearances can bedeceptive, since, as the athletes come off the curve, their true position minus the staggerbecomes apparent. In reality, most of the damage has been done in the initial stages out ofthe blocks. The key to the 200m is to accelerate as strongly as possible up to approximately45 to 50m, where top speed in the race will be achieved, and then maintain that speed foras long as possible. The emphasis is on smooth, cyclic action, with the head tilted slightlydown and to the left to help the athlete negotiate the turn. The arms are carried at 90Degreesat the elbow. No other adjustment should be necessary. Attempts to increase the pace orchange the stride pattern on the edge of the turn are the reason for the vast majority ofinjuries in the 200m. At the very least, a change in mechanics at this point will carry theathlete to the outside of the lane causing him to travel an extra distance.

“The arms are carried at 90Degrees at the elbow.”

Charlie, is the arm carriage the same as the 100m, held at 90 degrees but allowed to close on theup swing and open on the back stroke or the angle is held at 90 degrees all the way.The reasoning behind this question is many coaches advocate not letting the hands drop belowthe hip on the curve.

The arms tend to be kept in a little closer on the turn than they would be in the 100m, asthe ability to increase stride length is pretty limited in this phase. As for opening up onthe backswing- this isn’t a deliberate action, merely the result of the force of the swing. Ifthe arm opens up too much, the elastic response about the shoulder, that enhances thereturn swing, is diminished.

Also by stepping over does the other foot cross over at the support knee level with the toes“corked-up”?.Without getting you to explain your self again,Is the pushing with regards to the back leg. If theback leg is not pushing(fully extended) is that not encourging “darting”(lack of full extension)?Isthere a picture you can refer me to explain this point better.

As long as you are relaxed, sufficiently flexible, and don’t try to cut off the stride byfighting for frequency, full extension should happen automatically. The desired actionsare the result of preparatory actions, ie pump the arms with the emphasis on the DOWNstroke and the backward forces will be there— same thing with the legs- the sprinter onlyreally feels the down action, as the proper backward action happens over such a shortduration that it can barely be sensed, and any attempt to emphasize the backwardmotion will result in a breakdown of form.... Just try the drills I suggest, and, hopefully,you’ll get the results.

With a 96kg athlete:1,how can you use the weight sessions to reduce this in the off season? I noticed on the otherthread you advocate lifting heavy when you do weight, will that not make this athlet a lot moreheavy?2,Would you traing a 200meters runner the same way you trained the sprinters you werecoaching?

Medium weights with high numbers increases cross-section (and body-weight) butheavy weights with low numbers improves recruitment, not cross section, so strengthgoes up without weight gain.On the subject of 100 meterAs distance increases, the role of weights (primarily influencing the first few steps fromthe blocks) decreases, so the relative importance of weights is somewhat less for the200m than the 100m, though it is still a critical componant, as the 200m is hardly themarathon.I have worked with some reasonable 200 guys- 20.20 range, though most of my workwas concentrated in the 100m, as this was where the interest lay at the time. As for 200prep, there are many factors to consider in selecting Special Endurance work. What isthe athletes capacity to tolerate CNS work? Those with a high tolerance may concentrateon shorter work, but those with less tolerance may thrive on longer SE work (300s orlonger). Ben was at his highest level for the 200m just before Seoul, when he ran 2x200min 19.5 from a stand (probably equivalent to 19.90 to 20.00 for 200m- his best official timeof 20.29 was recorded back in 1985.) Tony Sharpe (official 20.22) had a lower tolerancefor CNS work and concentrated on longer SE work (examples 25.2 for 250, 31.2 for 300)

Re toe up action, which pretenses the foot before ground contact- this happens as thefoot passes over the support knee, providing adequate time to prepare for the nextground contact. Any attempt to “toe up” earlier may result in a limitation of automaticankle extention at the end of ground contact- “Toe up” any later and it may be too late toeffect an active landing.Re 95%- This speed range is still in the high speed catagory but is easy to handle. If anathlete can run 10.00,then 95%= 10.50, which should be a “walk in the park” for him.

Does an unload week permit recovery and restoration due the decrease in volume and/ordecrease(even if just slightly) in relative intensity(from say 100% down to 95%)?.

Speed Endurance GuidelinesWhat types of things would you see a developing female sprinter do to help her finish the 100 and200?

The main thing to remember is that there is more speed endurance involved in thewomen’s 100, as top speed is reached much sooner (usually by 40 meters).

It is primarily based on a slight decrease in intensity, and secondarily, on a decrease in volume.

Central Drive, Energy Envelope, and Organism Strength Concepts

Charlie, I notice that you drop the pulling movements for the back near peaking, allowing the runsto provide the stimulis for the back. I have the following questions.1)Why are the pressing movements allowed since the pectoralis and shoulders are used for armaction?2)What would happen if pulling movements were allowed and the pressing movements weredropped?3) Does this reflect any interaction with the motor unit chart in your new manual.4)Last but not least, how does this interact with organism strength. I was talking to Siff at the SWISconferenceand it seems that CNS stress in the neuromuscular system may overide the sportspecific training. Could functional training hurt organism strength? It seems that a higher organismstrength is more important then isolated movements with very elite athletes.

I think there might be some confusion regarding our discussion. I don’t remove pullingmovements right before an absolute peak, but I do reduce them as absolute trackperformance goes up. Those that are in the program are done, in extremely low numbersup to 6 days before a big meet (upper work to 4 days before). I’m just saying that a lot ofpulling movements might not be needed as the sprinting itself works these areas soeffectively. And as the training is “pull- dominated”, maybe the pushes balance thingsout.

There are several issues:

1: This principle expands with performance, as, at the highest levels, the power deliveredon the track outstrips anything possible in the weight room by a wide margin.

2: The pushes use a smaller percentage of all motor units, so they can be used inrelatively higher numbers when close to meets. This will be addressed in the newmanual by the motor unit chart,which you have seen.

3: I feel weights develop a general quality (crossover) and provide high intensitystimulus, discussed elsewhere. It makes sense to get the required stimulus by meansthat are less taxing to the muscles most directly involved in the action near to theperformance date.

4: This principle would seem to be borne out by the greater success of generaldevelopment weight programs in the Americas vs the specific weight-training favored inEurope.

The biggest training stimulus for the posterior chain musculature, not only is found on the track, butincreases dramatically as velocities and length of runs increases. Can different phases createimbalances or overload because of running position? Should we alter the strength program basedon the mechanical stress type of the run?

As for the VMO, it should be strong but the stress of landing from a higher hip position issomewhat alleviated by the resultant straighter leg. Also these concepts would applyonly after a balanced development was in place and performance was at a very highlevel. Ben didn’t begin to make these adjustments until he’d run 10.12 in 1984. You’vebrought up a huge point. So far, all we’ve discussed is the height of the stimulus. Whatabout the breadth? For Example, no one would expect Tim Montgomery to be trashedfor ten days if he ran a PB in the “flying 20”.

I notice that Said Aouita’s (the new Australian head distance coach) program uses a high/lowintensity principle. Obviously volumes are far higher than for sprinting, but the philosphy is thesame. i.e. no aimless slogging. Of course it has got lots of our coaches in an uproar. Justsomething that made me smile a little.The whole point is that coaches across the spectrum of sport are catching on.Theprinciple is elaborated in the training manual, but, in a nutshell, intermediate speed workis too slow to be specific and too fast to recover from in the short term and may lead to afibre shift towards red. I decided more than 25 years ago to eliminate intermediate speedwork altogether, and stay with velocities of 95% of best time or faster, or 75% of best timeor slower with nothing in between. This has implications in why I developed verticleintegration as well- you can’t follow a classical periodization plan without spending asubstantial amount of your training time at intermediate speeds. This was verycontroversial for sprinting at the time, though it is pretty much accepted now. The theoryhas expanded as swim coaches picked up this concept (some from direct discussionswith me) and adapted it with a rash of recent world records. Recently, one of thesuccessful Aussie swim coaches was hired by Britain and his first statement to the localcoaches was: “The problem here is that your slow work is too fast and your fast work istoo slow”Said Aouita recently started coaching in Aus and he uses the same concept. He’s met astorm of criticism, but, sooner or later, everyone will have to catch on- or be left behind.

My question is “can the energy envelope be expanded through training?”

I was thinking that:1. The CNS envelope can regenerate to the previous size faster though training and be assistedfurther by recovery methods- so a higher stimulus can be presented later.2. The Size of the CNS envelope can be expanded to have more intense work done to help withrounds and general training capacity. Then I was wondering about the general organism strengthand how those factors that build the organism strength interact with the energy envelope?

Which energy system? Are thresholds fixed, so that training must be adjusted aroundthem, or is it possible, through the selection and execution of work, to alter thethresholds favourably? The capacity to deliver work and the rate of recovery do notnecessarily move in lock-step. They might, in fact, move the other way. If the quality(therefore intensity) of work improves, the recovery time would be improved if itremained the same. I think it is important to separate the two elements- Training andRecovery. While both improve, it is the intensification of training that is the key, even ifrecovery must be extended in some cases. Perhaps we could use a squat analogy- asfar as it goes. A 475 squat capacity will shorten the recovery requirements for a 400squat. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 475 squat will have the SAME recoveryrequirement as the earlier 400 best. High neural intensity (achieved by ever-more tradingof high output volume for intensification) increases the energy envelope for the singlesession output, for the reasons I outlined earlier. This expansion of the energy envelopebecomes critical for further development once deceleration is no longer an issue, andgreater top speed is the sole means to better times. Greater speed can only beaccomplished by ever-more training in alactic conditions, and this higher intensity isharder to maintain in unfavorable ph conditions.

Could we get into the details of your theories in work capacity and organism strength?1)Is organism strength related to work capacity?2)How do we monitor organism strength? How much is enough? (the RMT question)3)Does specific work carry over to general organism strength when combined with otherelements? Like when Ben doing isolated erector work, bench press, lat pull downs.Does the partsadd up to general fitness of the body as a whole?4)Low intensity work such as tempo and body weight exercises, do we eliminate/change themduring comp phases?5)Does the Organism strength prime the energy envelope in terms of recovery? (not the directeffects such as blood flow for tempo, but general fitness of the body)

This is probably the single most complex area we will deal with, but I’ll try to start off withthe “Cliff Notes” version:

1: Yes in terms of output but not necessarily in terms of frequency/density of training.

2A: Because we are dealing primarily with sprinters here, the key measure of generalorganism strength is monitoring times over the distances of interest to sprinting.Perhaps individual segment times (ie 30m time) could be referred to as special strengths/qualities, whereas the overall average of all the segments (ie 30 to 150m times) could becalled a reflection of general strength.

2B: By the definition above, general strength is never totally adequate, as we are alwaystrying to raise the bar.3A: All specific componants add to the general organism strength.The best way to think of the effect is by assigning values to exercises, not only bypercentage of load, but also by percentage of motor units involved (obviously, a 95thpercentile clean has more impact on the general organism than a 95th percentilepreacher curl). For example, a reverse hyper might use slightly above 50% of all motorunits. It’s hard to be very exact but the exercise is worth doing if you want to know whatsreally going on with the work you assign.

3B: Exercises DO add up, but not in a linear way, as some muscles are specificallyworked and strengthened in a general way by the cross-over effect from work doneelsewhere and some muscles are strengthened primarily by the cross-over effect.

3C: Assessing the role of specific vs general strengthening. For example, thestrengthening of the erector spinae has a very large direct impact on the first extensionout of the blocks and a somewhat smaller direct impact elsewhere, though the indirectstrengthening of the whole organism caused by the special erector spinae exercises hasan impact everywhere.

4: Low intensity exercises do not have to be dropped much during the comp phase.

5: Does organism strength prime the energy envelope in terms of recovery? The intuitiveanswer would be no, as the increase in power output always has an exponentially highercost BUT there are some special circumstances related to sprinting:

A: Only some of the actions in a 100% sprint require the muscles to operate at 100%,while most of the cyclical actions are slightly sub-maximal (strength reserve benefits).

B: Increased power yields shorter ground contact times, causing a two-fold drop inworking time.

a: because the total race time is shorter.

b: total time under contraction within the new shorter time frame is reduced by a muchgreater amount than the actual difference in race time.

c: because of the greater ease of movement that power brings, relaxation, which shouldbe present regardless of performance level, is much more likely to actually be realised.

So, to make a long story longer- yes, it will increase the energy envelope in a singlesprint, but no it will not improve recovery time from that new level of performancebecause of increased CNS stress.

Charlie, back in 99 an article i read made a big deal out of energy being wasted at the start of arace, citing a quote by Dan Pfaff that his biggest break through with Bruny came with reducing theamount of energy expended at the start of the race enabling him to have a greater top speed andto hold it for longer. This seems to be reflected by your annecdote regarding Ben’s 10.06 in Zurichwhere he hit 12.35m/s after a poor start and acceleration phase. How could you apply thisexample of an energy envelope to a race structure, particularly in an event such as the 200mwhere far more time is available for improvement in the final 30m than there is in the first?

Not necessarily. The EFFICIENCY of Bruny’s start was improved. Claims of delayedacceleration just don’t stand up since Bruny’s fastest 30m time was in his PB 9.84 inSeville 99. Recognising that the new, faster tracks yield most of their benefit in the first30, he’s faster than he’s ever been on equivalent surfaces and as fast as Ben to 30m, yetslower over the second half, even though Ben shut down at 80m.

The 200m is a slightly different story, though the savings with an easier start don’tnecessarily add up at the other end, as the musculature involved in the early stages(think significant knee movement) isn’t all working at the same level over the uprightportion of the race. So the question becomes: Is it more efficient to try to make most ofyour energy savings at the start, or would it make more sense to go for most of theenergy savings by smoothing out the average velocity of the upright portion of thecomplete run.I found the splits for the 30m and Bruny was 3.79 vs 3.80 for Ben! So muchfor the delayed acceleration.

I would read this as an increase use of elastic energy reducing metabolic cost, so speedendurance improves. My queston would be, what is the relationship between maximum strengthand the stretch shortening cycle or does reactive strength or maximum strength contribute most tokeeping the hips up?

You are asking another general vs specific training question. If you believe me, then youwill accept that work anywhere on the body will enhance performance everywhere onthe body, and that work anywhere on the force/time curve will enhance performanceeverywhere on the curve provided the nature, extent, and duration of the training meansare within certain limits. (Recruitment velocity can be advanced only so long as theseverity and duration of maximum strength work is limited.)

If you believe in the pure specificity thoughts, then all work must be specific to eachmuscle, joint angle, and body part, and recruitment velocity can only be stimulated fromthe right (max strength).

If you believe me, you must further accept that the one and only unalterably specificrequirement for improvement in sprint performance is the acquisition of the capacity tohit the specific speed required, and then the extension of the distance over which therequired speed can be maintained.

Paradoxically, if you believe specific only theories, speed is the one and only aspect oftraining that does NOT require specific work- advancement of strength is enough.

The implications are profound, not only in terms of performance but also in terms ofinjuries. (If you must specifically stress only the muscles involved directly in the action,your training options and load-sharing strategies are limited.) I don’t want to get intonames (and please don’t try on this site!) but one group which has been successful witha specific style of training has had a rash of career- ending overuse injuries, while topgroups with a general approach have not had these problems.

See illustration

I look after an a 25 year old athlete at the moment . His personal best is 10.4 and he is at his bestone of the best in his country.

The main problem is he is a very big boy 6’2,he has been known to run some races at “15 stone2”, he has always been a big boy(can clean 145Kg) His stride is not the longest for hisheight.When i took over his training about 4 mths ago he reluctantly agreed he will have to losesome weight.

He had a championship at the weekend and didt run well at all(10.7)He ran the race at 15 stones.We went through the 10 day taper and i included some flying 100(1 or 2) at the end of some of thefast days.On his last session he clocked 10.00 flat for the last 100, his 30’s have been good andhand time 3.6,3.7. We have another major meet in 4weeks and i could do with some suggestionto the following questions

1,Do you believe in the drive phase in the first 30(marice style)?

2,What can i do about his weight?His there something ‘allowable’ we can incorperate into hissupplement to help with the weight?

3,Do we have to to go through the taper again for there second major meet?

4, He also seem to go “up and down” at full speed instead of Forward.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I think most of the current needs for strength are in place, so I wouldn’t make bigchanges in training now. Simply have him do “flying 20s” from various run-up distances,starting with a 20meter approach, as this will provide a controlled speed that can berepeated more often. The approach run must be easy and the beginning of the measured20 must entered in the full upright position. The concentration here is on stepping overthe support knee without pushing at all. It shouldn’t be too hard to do as you are notadding anything, you’re just taking something unneccessary out. As the technique ismastered at the controlled speed, extend the run-up as able to increase the entry speedinto the 20 until you reach top speed. With a controlled run-up, this will take a longerdistance than with a full-out acceleration- probably 65 to 70 meters.Once this drill has been mastered, the start can be added. The concentration here is tolet the feet land without thought about stride length, driving or reaching. With a properstart position and arm mechanics, the foot landings will take care of themselves.

More Discussion

According to Speed Trap it stated that “Ben’s first step was down by.4 sec, his third by.8". Bylooking at these numbers it seemed that Ben was aiming at an high frequency not length. So thistells me that Ben wasn’t in the air long during his first 5 steps it was all quickness/ power.

Ben’s quick first steps were a reaction to the extreme departure angle generated by hisinitial starting impulse. His feet had to get down quickly to save him from falling. Bottomline... more force out of the blocks= faster and shorter first steps.Increased frequency at high speed is the result of shortened ground contact, which iscontrolled by hip height, which, in turn, is controlled by the power delivered.

Top speed was 60 to 70 meters in Zurich. After a rather casual start, he was barely aheadat 50 meters, but a tremendous burst opened up a 3.5 meter lead by 80 meters on thebest field of the year, with a fist raise and a total stop over the last 10 meters (finalsegment over 1 second!). Final result 10.03 (second 10.26). You’re right, that equals .81.

Is there more torque at Top speed? If it is more why does the joint drop, and if it is less why does itchange if the torque is higher?

The deeper the angles during early acceleration, the more likely deflection will occur aspower demands on the athlete approach (or even exceed) his capacity. It is also likelythat the arm drive will go farther back than necessary, during extreme effort, throwing offbalance and rythem (arm action is front biased at the start as maximum effectiveextension is straight from head to toe and the knee rises much closer to the torso than inthe full upright sprint position). The backward and upward arm drive at the start alsoforces the torso down which can exacerbate any balance or power deficiency problemsand make forward arm recovery more difficult. Many times the backward and upwardarm action is deliberately exaggerated at the start to keep the torso down.

“The deeper the angles during early acceleration, the more likely deflection will occur as powerdemands on the athlete approach (or even exceed) his capacity”.

Charlie, can you please explain the above?

The more force you deliver in the blocks the lower the departure angle and the fartherahead of the CG your torso gets, therefore the deeper the knee angles and the moreforce each subsequent step must deliver to keep from stumbling or even falling. On theedge of control, the knee often wows out to the side, causing unwanted sidewaysmotion.

I thought Donovan Bailey held the land speed record at 27.1mph. Ben’s 12.35mps converts to27.6mph. Is Ben’s record not recognized because of his + test?

I have seen no official split on Donovan and the discussion is that it is an assumedmaximum speed from the fastest point of the fastest segment rather than an average forwhole 10 meter segments as Ben’s were. For this claim to stand up, there would have tobe at least one official 10 meter segment faster than .83. In any event, it’s moot as Ben ran9.79 while easing off over the final 20 meters, while Donovan ran 9.84, running wire towire. The fastest officially recorded segments were the .83s recorded by Ben and Carl.Each ran 20 meters at this average speed, and as they entered and left this zone at alower speed and reached their highest speed in the middle, the peak speed there had tobe significantly faster. Ben’s .81 in Zurich was done from film analysis, not from officialIAAF splits.

With your elite guys that you coach, How many stumble in their starting practices?Just curious.

Virtually everyone stumbles from time to time. This is nothing to worry about. When youuse lightly resisted starts (sled etc) interspersed with free starts, your athletes will allstumble the first time because they are so shocked by the force they deliver. You have toteach them to “scramble out of there” concentrating on arm action and not to worryabout foot placement. Technique will smooth out with time.

There are any number of options, depending on whether you go from short to long orlong to short. The only thing I wouldn’t do is remain stagnant. That said, you can stayclose to the 300 mark by starting with split runs and moving towards complete 300s, ie100+100+100- 1 min between, progress to 150+100+50- with 1 min between, to 150+150-with 1 min between, to 200+100- with 1 min between, and finally 300.

How would you break up a 500m special endurance run (to allow for earlier intensification asmentioned with your 300 example)

A 500m SE run can be broken up any number of ways. You could start out with100+200+100+100, then move to 150+200+150, then to 200+200+100, then to 250+250,and finally to 500. Changes in the combination can be made depending on the status ofother conditionning and/or speed work.What would you prescribe for a rest interval? 60s? 90s?Split run Special Endurance usually has breaks of between 50 and 100m walks(approximately 30sec to 60secs) but, of course, you are free to adjust it to longer breaksin the early stages.

More Discussion > Heavy, medium and light day concept

How would you teach the athlete to cock the big toe at the right time? I doubt you would just say“cock the big toe as you step over the knee” because that would make the athlete self-conscious.

I’d tell him exactly that - cock the big toe as you pass over the support knee. But I’d do itas part of a series of training runs where this was the only technical emphasis. One thingat a time.

Our weights training program has a light medium and heavy and super heavy day... the heavy andsuper heavy (same intensity with more volume) are swapped week to week. The medium day isabout 80-85% intensity and the heavy builds from 80-85 intensity to 100% lifts over the 10 weekweights period.

We also have a light day which is at an intensity of 70%. Are you suggesting we drop the light dayand maybe shift a few exercises from the other two harder days onto that day instead to spreadthe volume and increase the intensity? Our heavy days we try and go heavy enough to fail on arep, whereas our medium days we try and complete the sets and reps to a point where we coulddo another rep if we had a spot.

You should stay with what works. If the results are there- leave it. If, as intensificationadvances, you see a plateau in performance, either in sprints or lifting or both, you couldconsider spreading the high intensity lifting load across all the available days (and, inconjunction, lower total lifting volume).

“It is common belief that during sprinting hip extension contributes more to speed then footextension, however it is clear from film and force platforms analysis that foot extension is equalyimportant indicator of sprinting velocity.”

The larger range of motion, the greater distance over which torque is applied. I think this is whyCharlie has stated that the hip extensors contribute to sprinting 7x more than foot/ankle extension.

It has been claimed for years that foot extension equalled or even exceeded hip forces,but peak angular velocity at the ankle is not a reflection of total output (though it is a verygood reflection of why the foot must NOT remain dorsiflexed during ground contact!).Think about all the movement around the hip joint and the amount of musculatureinvolved, and draw your own conclusion. Otherwise, we’ll have studies to prove that topsprinters should have calves like Popeye and butts like Olive Oil.

Shouldn’t your departure angle be set regardless of force application.(eg 45 degree)Like you said in an earlier post, there is a 1:1 horizontal to vertical ratio with a 45 degree angledeparture. If a 45 degree angle is used wouldn’t this take care of stumbling or even falling? And is45 degree the optimal angle for starting?

The departure angle at the hip is determined by force available and is not universal. Abeginner wouldn’t have remotely enough force to handle a 45 degree angle. 45 degreesis, simply, an easy way to illustrate the effect of distance from the blocks on hip height-(1/1). Ben left at around 43D- no one else.

Charlie you have said , that departure angles should be at 45 degrees, so we are on the samepage, are you talking about departure angles of the trunk, front hip or rear hip, ?

Are these angles in set position, or just before the first contact?

I’m referring to the angle at the hip but I’m not suggesting that everyone should start withthis angle. This is a function of power and everyone should start from a block positionthat is effective for them and the departure angles will take care of themselves in largemeasure.

What is desired higher hip angles or lower hip angles in set?

Hip position in the blocks can be individual, but as a rule, a higher hip position allows themajority of athletes to get a better start.

The athletes being bent at the knee would be a result of their entire system. Most athletes simplyhave not done the postural strengthening to keep hips up. They also may not be strong/powerfulenough to prevent sinking on impact.Dorsiflexion allows for quicker contacts because there is less slack. It also allows for a latercontact which results in less loss of momentum in the early stages of impact.Dorsiflexion as early as possible in recovery tends to assist the ease of the stepping over effect.Try doing this with a floppy ankle , it is a longer lever and it is certainly slower.In Australia we have Kangaroos (not in our cities usually) and they are a very bouncy animal. Noslack in their feet and their calves would be prestretched on impact. They are a very tightly tunedanimal.I think for 30years far too many people have been taught to run UP on their toes and to leanforward. This creates pushing running who run too much off quads. They have a late recoveryaction and have to lean forward to prevent massive loss of momentum from overstriding. In manycases the same athletes have been taught to pump their arms up high which add excess lumbracurve into the system. Lowering hips further and making millions of dollars for physiotherapists intreating hamstrings each year.I have heard (from afar) that John Smith aims to minimize recovery time behind the body, keepinghips up and not allowing the femur to go very far behind the plane of the trunk. This preventhamstring problems and creates a situation where what is lost out the back is gained in hip height—> Knee Height —> The end result more vertical force production by glutes in the early phases ofit and more negative footspeed which along with dorsiflexion before impact.Try to accelerate your knee downward from a good sprint position with your toes pointed downand see how it feels compared to with dorsiflexion. The comparison is like flinging a rock with abent arm javelin like throw as compared to a straight arm throw. The foot can be flung backwardas an effect with less pulling if the foot is held up and the athlete is loose at the knee.

1: Kangaroos have big feet (though I havn’t seen yours). The idea of “running on yourtoes” has confused a lot of people over the years. Yes you want to cock the big toe upbefore foot strike but the ball of the foot is moving down towards the track during theleg-straightening phase, particularly if you have excellent hip height.2: The foot is fully extended at the end of the contact phase with all top sprinters- farbeyond the average.3: There is plenty of time to cock the big toe as it passes over the support knee. Anyattempt to maintain dorsiflexion throughout the stride will lengthen ground contact times( as will any other non-automatic action).4: The concept of restricting movement behind the torso at full speed is a mis-interpretation of a real phenominon. As athletes deliver more force, their hips rise higherover the ground. If the hip is higher the foot will have a smaller contact patch in front andbehind the torso(think of a pendulum in this case. This a natural outcome of theadditional power required to go faster. Any attempt to alter the natural action of the strideby cutting it off prematurely will result in a dramatic loss of performance.

I was curious about would be whether napping shortly before competition is recomended,beneficial or actually harmful in sprinting?

Also when is an athlete not getting enough rest and when is an athlete getting too much rest?

Sleep is certainly critical to performance and it’s hard to imagine getting too much. Astissue repair happens during sleep, 9 to 10 hours is typical. That said, you should beawake for at least 5 hours before expecting to perform at a high level, making all but thebriefest cat-nap a problem before a performance. Sometimes, a sleep-like conditioncomes over a performer shortly before the big event, but this is usually a nervousreaction.

More Discussion > Sleep & Its Effects on Performance

You recommend training on grass whenever possible. Would this include some of the speed workas well? Maybe acceleration? In Speed Trap you mentioned that St. Kitts did not have any trackfacilities, so I assume you had your sprinters just sprint on grass.

You can do your early speed training on good quality grass- especially in the fall. (NoteBen ran 10.06 on a grass track!)This helps protect the shins in particular and all musclesin general. Even if you don’t notice it right away, you’ll appreciate it later during theindoor training phase, when , due to bad weather, you’ll no longer have the choice ofsurface. It would be good if you can start the sprints in the first outdoor phase on grassin the spring as well. You may need to go to a training camp in warmer climes to getdecent conditions,as we did.

You’ve mentioned the idea that power development on the track might precede strength output inweight lifting by increasing the underlying force potential. I think it’s clear how this applies to poweroutput in the legs. I assume the upper body strength potential might be similarly developedbecause of the upper body power needed to counter balance the leg drive during sprinting.

I think of weights as general, not specific strength. You are strengthening the entireorganism, therefore all strength affects all other strength (crossover), upper or lower. Asearch for specificity would limit the number of muscles you could train throughweightlifting. The process is also reversible, so weights help sprinting and sprintinghelps weights. Because of the general nature of weights, I have not been toying with theidea of establishing ratios between upper body strength and sprint speed as thevariability between individuals is far too great- I have merely designed programs to takeadvantage of every opportunity to spread the workload around.

You have been quoted as saying “It shouldn’t take alot of arm strength to maintain theproper arm angles or even the rate. The main contribution of upper body strength is tothe general strength of the entire organism.”Can you get into this organism thing in detail. I thought that a improvement in the upperbody wouldimprove acceleration from faster arm action a few months ago, and now we are getting into the“whole organism” thing.

Obviously, the upper body must be strong enough to pump the arms at any conceivablerate the legs can follow, but I have always advocated upper body strength levels that runfar beyond the demands of this role. If arm speed was the only contribution from theupper body, it would make sense to limit strength work in this area to sufficiency in orderto limit the bodyweight that must be carried (as the Europeans have tried), but this is notthe case. The crossover effect of training (with all means except EMS) means that everymuscle that is strengthened leads to the strengthening of every other muscle in thebody. This phenominon allows you to spread the training load across the whole body,not just on the legs and back. Once you accept this, then it is clear that total useablepower output will be greater when the whole body is involved in the strengtheningprocess. Likewise, the distribution of the training load allows for higher quality speedsessions, as the legs can be fresher more often as they needn’t carry the whole strengthbuilding load. Also, when you understand the general nature of strength, you willunderstand that it is a reversible equation. That is, just as weight work allows you togenerate more power on the track, the generation of more power on the track allows youto develop greater strength in the weight room. Bottom line- don’t be afraid if you missthe odd weight session because you’re fried from a great sprint workout, you’re going toget stronger anyway!

Have you guys ever tried hypnosis to improve sprinting performance? I used to train with IwanThomas about 10 years ago when he was running 47.3. Our coach Mike Smith smith wasapproached by a hypnotist called Dr Ferrago who reckoned by working with a young nationalstandard athlete he could make them a world champion within 3 years, he was looking for publicitythrough tv. Anyway, Iwan was the ‘lucky’ one selected and work began. We all noticed a definatechange in his attitude in training and racing. The next year he ran 45.98...then eventuallyprogressed to a British record of 44.36!! Since quitting the hypnotist (coz he wanted paying now!!)Iwan has gone back to a high 46 low 47 runner....he’s had injuries as an excuse but haven’t we all.I’ve know other athletes who have tried hypnotic tapes with positive effects....what do you think?

Preparation first- psychology 2nd. Many people claimed that Borzov was in some sort oftrance in Munich. But in Montreal, after missing prep time with injuries, he “broke down”technically towards the end of the 100m. If psychology could control everything, thatwouldn’t have happened and he would have finished 2nd instead of 3rd in 1976.

Did Yuri Verkhoshanski invent depth jumps? He was a jumping coach so what changes need to bemade to his system for sprinting? These are his guide lines from faccioni.com.1. depth jumps from a height of .75 to 1.15 metres

from .75 metres develop maximal reactive ability

from 1.15 metres develops more dynamic strength

greater than 1.15 ineffective. The increased height changes the landing mechanism so neitherdynamic strength nor reactive ability is gained.

2. reps depend on athlete, for the developed athlete

two depth jumping sessions a week

maximum of 40 repetitions per session

What does the forum think of these guide lines? The heights are a little extreme. Did YuriVerkhoshanski get good results with this system? Or was it a selection system like the BulgarianButcher System in weightlifting i.e. only the best lifters and jumpers survive?

1.15m seems like a practical limit- (for a superbly trained, top-of-the-line athlete), not for adeveloping athlete, or even a top sprinter who wants to expand their plyometric program.The rule of thumb is to develop at 30 inches and below and keep the extremelydemanding plyos to a low number and vary the intensity by session. One scheme mightbe to use your highest plyo intensities every 10th day- coinsiding with starts or shortspeed work.

As a sprinter, I have studied and read from so many of the speed experts out there and have triedand accumulated an entire library of so called “sprint specific” drills. There have been times in mytraining where I have done many drills prior to my sprint workouts (maximalist approach) and timeswhere I have done hardly any at all (minimalist approach). Regardless of whether I did a few ormany drills, it doesn’t really seem to make a difference in my final times during a meet or a timedpractice sprint. If anything, prior to a race, I may feel physically and mentally more preparedbecause of the lengthy warm-up but it never reflected on my final time for the race.What do any of you think are the bare minimum drills for a sprinter and is there really any researchproving that all those fancy drills are any better than just doing repeated sprints at ever increasingintensities (speed) as a warm-up? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

As an avowed Minimalist, I will only make a few comments.1: The warm-up requires a progressive raising of the core temperature, which isincompatable with a large numbers of drills, as they would have to be introduced tooearly in the warm-up in order to be completed in a reasonable time-frame. (You then haveto warm-up before you can warm up.)2: The facilities to execute large numbers of specific drills are not always available(hurdles, track,etc) In Zurich, the biggest of all GP meets, you have a grass field for thewarm-up- that’s all.3: If you really need rehearsal at this late stage, you’re in a world of trouble already.

Charlie, you often make the point that virtually anyone can cycle their legs faster than 5 strides persecond. It is likely that the reason a sprinter’s cadence is limited is that they need to be concernednot just with quick turnover, but also with delivering force into the ground. That is, they need to stayon the ground long enough to deliver optimal levels of force for the speed they are running. Themore force they can deliver in a shorter period of time (impulse?)the faster should be able to go.What do you think?

Both Ben Johnson and Marlies Gohr exceeded 5 strides per second, in full flight inactual races, many years ago (Ben 5.1, Marlies 5.3). While decreases in contact time arethe principal reason, they are not the only one. Limb length, flexibility, and theintersecting points of the maximums of frequency and length, which occur at differentpoints in the race, all combine to create variations in swing time, however slight, evenwith the same individual. It seems that everyone is trying to adjust observations andreality to suit the study done by Peter Weyand rather than asking Weyand to explainreality. In fact, this argument is trivial compared to the observation that action must beautomatic during the ground contact phase and any attempt to alter the action duringthis phase (driving, pushing, etc) will have a negative effect.

I am still looking for some advice regarding a reasonable range of weight that would be pulled bya runner during sled training. I am in the process of having a sled built and I need this informationbefore I can get going. If we take into consideration the suggestion of “not more than 10%decrease in performance” when using the sled, then we are probably not looking at very heavyweights. Are these sleds being made to handle 45lb plates or merely the smaller plates, i.e. 5-25lbplates? Charlie Francis, what’s a max that your athletes have handled?

Sorry, I can’t really advise you on the load for a sled to achieve a 10% decrement in besttime because we used two kinds of nylon line-feeding resistance devices- an isorobicexerciser (which is still sold) and an “Excelerator” (which fed line from a large spool,which made the feed very smooth and finely variable, and which is, sadly, no longermade). I think it’s likely that the load required for the sled will be greatly influenced thebottom’s smoothness and the smoothness of the surface the sled will be pulled over.Smaller plates will most likely be enough, I imagine, so start out light and add weight tothe runs till you achieve the desired resistance.

I’m interested in hearing from list members who have used speed sleds and/or weighted speedvests for resisted sprint training. Is there a dramatic difference between the two modes?

Sleds are useful for improving acceleration, while weighted vests can be useful forenhancing top speed. The sled should be used for distances of up to 30 meters,providing a resistance which causes no more than a 10% drop in fastest time, while aweighted vest should be used only for drills of up to 8 sec duration, not for actualsprints.

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CNS RecoveryCNS recovery is rapid after the level of intensity that can begenerated at the beginning of a training period. As thecapacity for intensification/volumization rises, the shape ofthe recovery curves (Days 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) Changes to reflectadditional CNS recovery demands. As a result, Day 2 loadsrapidly reach peak tolerance, which then must be loweredand then leveled to allow continual intensification of primary(speed/speed endurance)days. The impact on the CNS isdetermined by Intensity x Volume, so that in the diagram atleft, the impact of Example A is less than the impact ofExample B, even though the intensity of ExampleAis higher.

Volume/Duration Interplay of High Intensity Components By Day

Volume

A

B