The most successful sprints coaches possess three fundamental skills:

1. Knowing which workouts to do and when
2. Knowing how to teach the technical elements of the activities involved in those workouts (speed drills, technical feedback, weight training, bounding, etc.)
3. Getting athletes to buy into training so they give their best effort all the time

These skills all depend on each other if you want to get optimal results. But first and foremost, you have to know how to write good workouts.

That’s why I created this video showing you a really easy method for breaking up your season into manageable chunks. I’ll also show you the progressions and workouts I use with my sprinters and explain the logic behind them.

Click here to register for my free Webinar covering How to Develop Faster Sprinters.

The event will be held on Tuesday November 17, 2009 at 8:30pm EST and will cover information like I talked about today, but much, much more of it.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

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Earlier this week we held our Indoor Track team signup meetings.

With over 140 kids signed up between the boys and girls teams (so far) track season has officially begun.

(And so has the stress of figuring out how to manage those numbers with no track!)

I know I’ve been putting some serious time into making sure my workout planning is better this year than it was last year.

So to help make sure you have the same experience with your sprinters, I’m running a Webinar (an online seminar) where I’ll be covering everything you need to know about setting up your sprints program.

Click here to register.

I’m holding the program on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:30pm Eastern and it should run about an hour.

If you’ve been following the 400 program I’ve been posting all fall or want to know more about how I train my sprinters, you’ll want to be there for this live event.

 Click here to sign up for the free webinar.

 To your success,

 Latif Thomas

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Here is the final week of our 12 week fall training program for 400m runners. If you’ve been following this program, I’d be willing to bet your athletes are in near personal best shape right now.

An anticlimactic ending to the fall program? On the surface, possibly. But rest is critical to the overall goals of training. So you may be ‘unimpressed’ by the complexity of week 12, but your athletes will thank you. I always give my athletes 2 weeks off between seasons whenever possible.

The first week I call ‘bon bon week’, meaning I want them to go home after school and sit on the couch eating bon bons. Take naps. Play video games. Don’t run or lift or train. Week 2 is a period of active rest – jogging, stretching, foam rolling, light tempo work, etc. This should get them refreshed for the start of the next training cycle.

As always, feel free to post your questions below.

Here are the workouts for previous weeks:

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.
For Week 7 workouts, click here.
For Week 8 workouts, click here.
For Week 9 workouts, click here.
For week 10 workouts, click here.
For week 11 workouts, click here.

M: 5-8 x 100m @ B: 12.5 – 13.5, G: 15.0 – 16.0. R = 7’
Lift Day 1

T: 10’ jog, foam roll, stretch, core

W: Off

TH: Off

F: Off

Now the real fun begins as the real season starts!

Don’t forget to click here to register for my upcoming webinar on ‘How to develop faster sprinters’ being held on Tuesday November 17 at 8:30pm Eastern. If you coach sprinters, you’ll want to attend this free, live event.

- Latif Thomas

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Next week is the 12th and final week, I’ll be posting a preseason training program geared toward developmental (HS) 400m runners.

If you’ve been following the program (or intend to) and don’t know what to do after it ends, I recommend this program for more detailed help with workout planning for your sprinters.

Here are the workouts for previous weeks:

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.
For Week 7 workouts, click here.
For Week 8 workouts, click here.
For Week 9 workouts, click here.
For week 10 workouts, click here.
 

M: 5 x 60m, 5 x 10 (5 each leg) alternate leg bounds. R = 7′

Lift Day 1:

A1: Hang clean/high pull/DB snatch 4 x 5

B1: Bulgarian split squat (BSS) 4 x 6 e.l.
B2: DB Bench 4 x 6

C1: Step up 4 x 8 e.l.
C2: Chin up 4 x 6 (weighted)

10′ foam roll/static stretch after lifting

T: 3 x 500. (through 400m @ 85%) R = 8-10′

B = 1st 200 – 29.9/2nd 200 – 30.0 (59.9 @ 400m) – finish 500m sub 80
G = 1st 200 – 36.4/2nd 200 – 36.5 (72.9 @ 400m) – finish 500m sub 95

Lift Day 2:

A1: Deadlift 5 x 5
A2: DB Incline 4 x 5

B1: Single leg dead lift 3 x 8 e.l.
B2: Inverted row 3 x 8 (if too easy, put feet up on
box or bench

10′ foam roll/static stretch after lifting

W: 2 x 10 x 100m @ 75%, R = 45″/3′

B = 15.0 – 15.5, G = 18.0 – 18.5

400m barefoot warm down
Core – stabilization

TH: 6 x 150m. R = 250m walk

150m pace:

1st 50m = 75%
2nd 50m = 85%
3rd 50m = 95%

Lift Day 3:

A1: Hang clean/high pull/DB Snatch 4 x 5

B1: BSS 5 x 5
B2: one arm row 4 x 6

C1: Explosive step up 4 x 6 e.l.

10′ foam roll/static stretch after lift

F: 9 x 200, R = 2′

B = 32.0, G = 36.0

400m barefoot warmdown
Core – stabilization

10′ foam roll/static stretch

This week’s audio breakdown:

The HS indoor season starts at the end of this month. If you haven’t made any improvements to the way you write, run and progress your workouts, there’s still time. But it’s running out.

Click here for more information on structuring, planning, writing and progressing all your workouts so your athletes peak at the right time.

Click here for more information on improving running form, speed drills, strength training, plyos and dynamic warm up.

 To your success,

 Latif Thomas

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