Coach 55m-400m runners? Read this…
Let’s get right to it. Today’s article answers several important training questions covering a variety of topics. But the way the questions were asked shows this athlete is relatively inexperienced, or, at the very least, not getting answers at practice. And that makes me sad. (Which is why I provide this information every week.)
Here is this week’s training question:
“I have a few questions pertaining to performance training for short sprinters specifically for the 100m and 200m races. What lifts if any should be done to strengthen the hamstring group of muscles, also what can be done to develop the central nervous system to allow for faster reaction time, what can I do to increase my stride length and frequency, and finally coming out of blocks I have been struggling to find the precise median between stepping out to far and slow and taking a small first step and every time I attempt to correct my mistake I go from one extreme to the other.” – S. Nuff
Latif says:
Who's the Master?! Sho' Nuff!!
First, half the reason I’m answering this question is because of the name you used. I hope you are somehow related to the original Shogun of Harlem. If you are, give Bruce Leroy my best. (If you know the characters and movie I’m talking about, you are officially cool in my book.)
Let’s break down your questions:
- What lifts if any should be done to strengthen the hamstring group of muscles?
-
Posterior Chain aka The Running Muscles
In sprinting, the hamstrings, in large part, aid in contributing to hip extension. So it’s not just ‘hamstring’ strength you want to develop, but overall posterior chain development. In simple terms, this primarily means developing the glutes (butt) and hamstrings emphasizing glute activation and, again, hip extension.
If you’re having hamstring problems, the issue probably stems from some combination of the following: insufficient warm up and/or warm down, poor running mechanics (most likely foot strike taking place in front of the center of mass), too much speed work without sufficient recovery work, weak glutes, poor glute activation, subpar strength training program, excessive slow running, i.e., too much tempo and middle intensity work.
For hamstring rehab/strengthening outside the scope of specific speed development, read this article. And this one.
The strength training exercises that best develop this area are:
Core Lifts
Olympic Lifts (hang cleans, high pull, kettlebell clean/snatch, etc.)
Squats (and their variations)
Lunges (and their variations)
Deadlifts
Supplemental Lifts
SLDL
Good Mornings
Hyperextensions
2. What can be done to develop the central nervous system to allow for faster reaction time?
Faster reaction time would be one of many byproducts of a finely tuned Central Nervous System (CNS). By itself, it’s not a significant portion of running faster times.
Developing the CNS requires engaging in high intensity, explosive exercises. Most important, maximal development and efficiency requires performing these activities while fully recovered.
If you try to, for example, run a 50m sprint while fatigued, you will not achieve optimal firing patterns and will not see maximal improvements to the skill of running fast. (That’s the extreme ‘in a nutshell’ explanation.)
So which exercises lead to ideal CNS development?
- All the Core Lifts I mentioned above, as long as the rep range stays at 6 or less per set and you focus on moving the weight as quickly as possible.
- Plyometrics (Hopping, bounding, medicine ball throws)
- Speed Development (2 – 15 seconds duration, 90-100% intensity)
3. What can I do to increase my stride length and frequency?
Improvements to stride length and frequency are byproducts of increased force application. This means that you’ll take naturally longer and faster strides when you develop your ability to apply greater amounts of force to the ground in shorter periods of time.
There is absolutely no value in specifically trying to improve stride length or specifically trying to increase stride frequency. This causes more problems than it solves.
For more details on why this is and exactly how to address stride length and frequency, read this article.
But quickly, you develop the ability to improve force application by using the information I’ve already discussed in this article since it is all related and connected.
4. Coming out of blocks I have been struggling to find the precise median between stepping out to far and slow and taking a small first step and every time I attempt to correct my mistake I go from one extreme to the other.
Speed of efficient acceleration is the primary indicator of success or failure when breaking down sprint races at 200m or less. Coming out of blocks, I instruct athletes to take the biggest first step possible in order to increase the likelihood of achieving triple extension with the drive leg, clearing the blocks and maximizing force application.
The simple answer is this: Film it. If you see what you’re doing on film, you’ll quickly see your mistakes.
Video analysis is an important part of any effective coach’s speed development program and I simply could not get the kind of results I get if I did not film, watch and rewatch my athletes frame by frame.
Finding the right place for initial ground contact is fairly straightforward. Take the biggest first step possible, making sure that foot strike takes place directly underneath (or slightly behind) the hips. Of course, you also have to make sure you drive the lead arm, come out at a 45 degree angle, keep the head in line with the spine and reach triple extension before toe off. If you don’t do these things, you’ll compromise your speed of efficient acceleration and have a bad race.
The coach should be watching your starts and engaging in technical feedback to help fix this issue. If this isn’t a reality for you, film it and watch it yourself. That is what I would do.
To your success,
Latif Thomas
Resources I recommend (before you start your season):
Complete Speed Training Volume 2
Complete Program Design for Sprinters
Post your questions and comments below.
April 11th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Hey latif as always great work. Question- with my athletes that are new I at first try to teach a little shorter step than normal so they get a feel for a foot strike behind the hips then we work on it being a little longer. I feel as it works from the simple to complex mode but what would you say? I am just really trying to do my best so I appreciate any info given about starts and supplemental lifts you have to strenghten ankle support.
April 12th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Thanks a lot for this information dear Latif.I have some questions:
1.First about weights.you said 6 or less but how many during GPP, SPP and competetion phase?
2.My first steps out of the blocks don’t take place underneath the hips.what’s the solution?
April 12th, 2010 at 6:42 am
I think you should go international, Kerron Stewart, a former student of our still have to be trying to catch her compatriate fraser. I honestly think she shuold dump that coach and go to your camp. In the meantime i will try to emphasise in the current 8-15yr olds that sprinting is a skill and the other laws of sprinting.
April 12th, 2010 at 7:02 am
I think I am going to be a sprint coach at another school. Current head coach dont give me any ratings. He doesnt encourange athletes to ask questions as to their technical flaws, just passively recieving instructions doesnt lead to permanent learning. I think they should learn the HOW and WHY of sprinting. our championships is Wed-Friday (14th – 17 April) that dude will be on his own with his sprinters, throwers,jumpers and middle distance athletes. I\’ll be an official.
April 12th, 2010 at 7:06 am
1. Coach W: If you are getting results doing it that way than keep doing it. Your ‘reason why’ makes sense.
2. meysam: 1. During GPP, if I’m doing an anatomical adaptation phase (15-25 reps @ bodyweight) or hypertrophe phase (8-12 reps), I’ll do more than 6. But if we’re focusing on max strength or power, it’s always between 2-6 reps, whether GPP, SPP or Comp. 2. The solution is as I said in the article. You have not provided me enough information to give you an answer with any degree of accuracy.
4. james: They should learn how and why. But as I’ve mentioned, you don’t have to be qualified to coach at the HS level. Athletic directors just need a warm body to babysit kids after school, they don’t expect results.
LT
April 12th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Hi Coach Latif. I really do want help with my training in the 100m and 200m I’m 25 and running a 23sec 200 the result of not being corrected or taught techniques, how to weight train, and due to unfortunate family events making the sacrifice to not train during the summer. The sprinters coach at my school won’t help me but I was able to get a training regiment from a friend that is on the team. I wanted to know if this is really the best for what I’m trying to do which is to run 22.3 by Dec. (I know that’s pushing it a bit). I also have scoliosis so I’ve had to learn on my own how to do certain stretches and massages that help. I know I won’t be unable to do any unattached meets until May because of my classes. Here’s the regiment
Mon.
4x 200m, 23 sec. 20 min. rest or 300, 200, 150, 100, 60 rest 20/20/15/10/4 minutes
Weights (lower body: squats, lunges, leg ext. leg curls, calf raises, and abs)
TUE. Type of training: extensive tempo, aerobic
2 sets 5x 200m 28 sec. 2 min. rest/5min. between sets or 2 sets of 5x 150m 21 sec. 2 min. rest/5 min. between sets
Cool Down ½ mile/Stretch (static stretch)
WED.Type of training: strength endurance, anaerobic alactic
Stadium Stairs 6x hard or hills 6x hard, then 6x flying 60m sprints
4x 100m strides
Weights (upper body: bench press, incline press, cleans, lat pulldowns, triceps, shoulder press)
THU. Type of training: speed, anaerobic alactic
Block Starts 7x 30m 4min rest, 4x 100m buildups
Cool Down ½ mile/Stretch (static)
FRI.Type of training: extensive tempo, aerobic
Circuit Training or Ins & Outs (sprint 100m then jog 100m repeatedly) 12x 100m
Weights (lower body: squats, lunges, leg ext. leg curls, calf raises, and abs)
Thank you for your time,
Chas
>>>I don’t have any major disagreements with this. But I would make sure you’re doing your strength training on your fast days.
LT
April 12th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Latif,
My son is an 11 year old lacrosse player. We believe he has Calcaneal apophysitis otherwise known as Sever’s disease, given his heel pain. His x-rays are negative. We’re trying different cleats, considering just sneakers, etc. Any suggestions on exercise/stretches to work on to loosen what is diagnosed as a tight heel cord? Rest is key, but hard to break his heart and not let him play.
>>>Tough to explain here, but I would Google Aaron Mattes and look at his materials and suggestions for addressing that area of the body.
LT
April 13th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Im a 200-400 high-school runner, and i’m torn between short and long-sprit groups. I have trained with the long-sprit group for the first 3-4 weeks of this season, but i’m worried that we are not doing enough speed work, lactic acid, or speed endurance. In a week we will have 3 “recovery days” where we do tempo work at 70-80%, and 2 intensive tempo days at 80-90%. I am coming off a winter season where i trained with a qualified long-sprit coach, and i feel i’m physically ready to handle some faster workout days and more relaxed recovery days instead of a mid-distance type program…On the other hand is the short sprint group. They do similar tempo recovery, but with less volume/intensity. Their workouts are usually all speed work though (i don’t think i’ve seen them do anything else). I know i could use the speed work, but without lactic acid and speed endurance i feel my 400 and even my 200 could suffer. The lifting is the same for both groups, and to hit a college scholarship i need a 22.7 in the 200 or a 51.0 in the 400. Which group is a better fit?
>>>Ralph – Tough call. Because what you’re calling a ‘long sprints’ group isn’t really anything that should legally have the word ’sprints’ in it. The short sprint group has gone to the opposite extreme. All speed work with what sounds like insufficient tempo/recovery volumes won’t really help your 200 or 400 times either.
If you had a good coach in winter and if you’ve been training all year, you don’t need to be doing base work. That makes little sense to me. I don’t understand why your current coach wouldn’t take your prior training into consideration. When you do a double peak (indoor and then outdoor) the base building phase of the second peak (outdoor) should be significantly shorter than the indoor version because you’re already in shape. So if your 12 week indoor season was 5 weeks GPP, 4 weeks SPP, 3 week Comp your 12 week outdoor season would look more like 3 weeks GPP, 4 weeks SPP, 5 weeks Comp. If you trained through the fall, ran cross country (modified I hope), etc., I’d have your spring looking like: 2 weeks GPP, 3 weeks SPP, 7 weeks Comp.
But you’re also right that the short sprint group doesn’t have enough speed endurance, lactacid capacity work or even special endurance work. It’s a tough call, but I think the ‘long sprint’ group is more damaging from a burnout/dead legs standpoint than the ’short sprints’ group. If I had to pick one, I’d send you to the short sprints group and have you extend the speed work to some speed endurance runs once a week and add some tempo volume to the short sprint recovery days. Not ideal, but training is cumulative so starting over from scratch *and* doing so in a program better suited for 800/1000m runners just isn’t going to do anything of value for you. You’ll probably just end up with shin splints and a pulled hamstring/quad/hip flexor, etc.
LT
April 13th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Dear Latif,
I’m currently an 8th grade student and I really appreciate all these articles you’ve written. I’ve never been on a track team but I’m interested in speed for sports like football basketball and lacrosse. I’ve been told too many times that I’m one step slow so if you know any training for that it would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been shooting for a 5.5 or lower at a 40 yard dash but at the moment I’m at around 5.9. Do you have drills to develops younger muscles? Also for an 8th grader around what is the average and best 40 times? Could you give me training program for my agegroup for just pure speed? Or if you have a link to a program if you could just point that out.
April 14th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Latif, I have a question about the weight lifting, when is it to late to start lifting? I got your program part way through the season, I made some changes to my current program, and however I’m hesitant to start weight training with my athletes. We only have 4 weeks till district qualifier and 5 weeks till districts. Would it be beneficial for my athletes to start lifting now, hypertrophy (2 weeks?) and then power for the next two weeks? I have been doing some general lifts (med. ball) or would it be better to start all the lifting next year? Thanks!
Cory
April 16th, 2010 at 12:05 am
latif provide me very good knowledge raleted to sprints event and as a player and as a coach its very use full for me.
April 18th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Hey Coach Thomas,
Is this correct? So the basic idea would be to start light with core lifts and supplemental lifts for higher reps earlier on and gradually increase intensity and lower reps as the season goes on into the comp. period, where maybe 1 maintenence lifting session per week when peaking?
Thanks
April 19th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Great stuff! i enjoy watchin your power sprinting videos and have incorporated most of what ive seen into my work out. im a junior running 21.5 in the 200m and 10.7 in the 100m but i cant seem to break out of running 49s…i ran a 49.01 in my freshman year and at the time i could only run a 22.6 in my 200m…i dont know what to do about it. because the 400m is the race i trully want to run and i have 2 district titles in. and also i need to improve on my form and running mechanics but im stuck… ive been doing my drills daily and i still run the same…with my shoulders above my neck making me too tense. my facial muscles unrelaxed, which in my opinion subsequently affects my neck and shoulders, and my foot is not dorsiflexed combined with no forward lean suggesting my back is too tense. please help me coach. my goal is to beat the Nike Indoor National 60m champion darrell wesh in the 200m who is also in my district.
April 19th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Really appreciate the CNS portion of article, great to address medical aspect as well as technique.
April 21st, 2010 at 11:10 am
Lorenzo – Basically, yes. If kids have never lifted, why put them in the weightroom? They’ll just get hurt. I prep kids for the weight room by starting with bodyweight training. Then we’ll get technique (with weight) down at lower weights, even if it isn’t the ‘optimal’ way to develop absolute strength. Then, when they can properly do a deadlift at moderate weight, we’ll increase intensity. To me, that is the safest way to do it. And safety is my first priority.
LT
April 21st, 2010 at 11:29 am
Walter – Impressive times! Nice job. Based on the small amount of information I have, if you want to run the 400 I’d guess you’re not doing enough middle intensity work (intervals at 80-89% intensity) early in the season. And you’re also not doing enough specific endurance work in practice – runs of 200-400 meters at 90-95% intensity with full or near full recovery. With your technique you just told me what you’re doing wrong. Remind yourself to drop the shoulders and drive the arms down and back when running. I don’t think a tense back is the cause of your lack of forward lean. Toes pointed down causes foot strike to take place in front of your hips and that kills your forward lean.
LT
April 21st, 2010 at 11:34 am
Tony – You need to get stronger, first and foremost. And improve your running technique becoming more efficient. But you need overall athletic development. I don’t have any full sample programs, but I always recommend using Complete Speed Training as the foundation of your athletic development.
Cory – I say start lifting now as long as you don’t think it’s going to trash their legs. But even going a bit light and focusing on technique and explosiveness will be better than nothing. Lifting is just too important to neglect.
LT
April 21st, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Always love your work Latif. I have somewhat of a good problem. I have an abundance of female 400m runners (around 9 or so) that are hovering around the range of 58-63 sec respectively. None of these athletes have any weight training background we started with tnterval work, and eventually worked in various things from 600m work, 500m time trials, 300m work, things of that nature. i guess my question is will starting a weight program in the summer after the high school season have a significant impact on those times or should i just “keep doing what im doing?”
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:02 am
Head Coach (16) – What an embarassment of riches! I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve rarely felt such pangs of jealousy! Man!! Anyways, you can start weight training in the summer as long as you bring them along slowly. I don’t know where you live so I don’t know when their primary competitive season is. But you’ve GOT to get them in the weightroom. To answer your question of will it have a significant impact on times? Yes, abosolutely. The number of girls on your team running 63 or faster will likely jump into the double digits and those 58-63s will go to 57 – 62, to say the very least. You win, sir.
LT
April 28th, 2010 at 7:40 am
Thanks Latif. I also would like a small favor. I have some video of some track starts and would like for you to give some very BASIC analysis of a couple of them. Im sure that you have PLENTY of people asking you to do this but I feel that if I dont ask ill never know if you would do it. If I need to give you my email address let me know.
>>>To be honest, I have far more than PLENTY of people asking for this type of thing. Therefore, the only requests I can consider honoring are those of my Complete Speed Training and/or Complete Program Design for Sprinters resources because customers of those big programs are my first priority.
April 29th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I have good sprint machins and speed endurance but i can’t focus on start. I always start slowly(weak reaction time) out of the blocks but at the end i’m the winner! if i solve this problem my personal best will be very good.
April 30th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
(18) messi: Weight room and plyos will solve that problem.
LT
May 1st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
hi latif
I’m a personal trainer 100 & 200.
Here’s pics of my sprinting style:
1: http://pic0.picsorlinks.com/ph_or_17215_2461194.jpg
2: http://pic0.picsorlinks.com/ph_or_17214_900168f.jpg
In pic 2,you see my stride don’t open well.what’s wrong? & what should I do?
tanx man
May 4th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
(23) lightning – Not enough information to answer that question. However, due to a nightmarish number of requests for this kind of thing, I only do technical analysis for customers of Complete Speed Training and Complete Program Design for Sprinters.
LT
May 14th, 2010 at 1:38 am
hi latif
my personal best: 100: 10.90s 200: 22.30s
If I train hard and smart what will be my personal best next year?
November 18th, 2010 at 11:32 am
In response to Chas’s post on 200m training, I would’ve thought you would take issue with the Thursday workout. It is a day training the anaerobic alactic system, when the previous day that same system was trained. Wouldn’t it make more sense to make Thursday the circuit training aerobic day (to allow for CNS recovery) and then make Friday the day to do the anaerobic alactic work? (plus the lifting that was listed for Friday). I would think come Thursday the CNS would still be fatigued from the Wednesday workout. Is that not the case? On
November 18th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Interesting, however there are supplemental lifts to add to the list for hip extension and more glute activation suchs as:
Hip Bridges both SL and double leg
Partner Glute-Ham raises
Physioball and slide board leg curls
and as for core lifts, really anything with triple extension with the three joints of the lower body ( hips, knee, ankles)
Knowing where the athletes are in the season is also a critical portion of designing a program (as you know Latif). Changing up the supplemental with the different core lifts throughout workout progressions should also stimulate muscle confusion, and raise the threshold for those posterior chain muscles. Certainly explosive triple extension movements that cover a large range of motion are probably the best option for the sprinters.
November 18th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Hi Latif
My 15 year daughter is slow out of the blocks, watching her last night she seems to rock back on the gun then drive out. She says she feels she gets a better drive out.
But shes half a metre behind right off the bat. she ran 3rd with a 5.0!! wind assisted 12.54 on the weekend .1 behind the winner. I am a original CST and CPDS owner.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Melanie: Great job, you’re right. I think I just glanced over it and missed the volume of accel work. Generally, we’ll do some degree of accel work every day of the week, even on tempo days, just in low volumes and, generally, submaximal effort. But I agree with your assessment.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Greg C.: Agreed. Though partner glute/ham raises are not something I do because they scare me (with low training age developmental kids) and if you work with large groups as I do and the vast majority of readers do, physioball leg curls and slideboard leg curls are not realistic options.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Guy L.: She says she feels like she gets better push, but the results show otherwise. She wants to do what feels comfortable and as I tell my kids, “If it feels comfortable, you’re doing it wrong.”
Sounds like her block settings are wrong. Read this:
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/startingblocks.html
November 20th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
HI! Latif
I am 200m-400m trainer and my best guy(17yers old) run 200m 23.01 and 400m 52.12 the What do you think about bad 400m.
November 20th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Serkan: Could be lack of general work capacity, could lack of specific endurance, could be a poor race plan, could be lack of mental toughness. hard to say.
December 9th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I am a senior female who has run the 400m my freshman 59.01, sophmore 58.8 and junior 58.3. For my senior year I want to break in to the low 57 but I have not worked out since June due to a lot of academic requirements (ACT, SAT, college Calculus, college application essay writing etc.) Having not built up my core or worked on strength since June 2010 will it be feasible for me to get in shape only having worked out from Jan 2011 – April 30th 2011 (1st week of May is State meet)?
December 21st, 2010 at 5:10 am
Amber: Sure it’s possible if you work hard, have good coaching and get proper rest and nutrition. But the heavy academic schedule and the stresses it creates can have an impact on training. But you’re going to need to start getting in shape pretty soon, especially if you don’t live somewhere with ideal training conditions, i.e. somewhere down south or out west where it is warm year round.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Latif
Question about program design. Again, in my state, high schools have a full indoor season and a full outdoor season (conference, counties, states, nationals for both indoor and outdoor). How do you recommend I periodize the training since I am looking to peak twice. If I use your designed program as a framework, do I set it up to last throughout the indoor season, then restart it during outdoor? or pick up deeper into the training phases during outdoor?
Thanks Again.
December 23rd, 2010 at 7:07 am
Michael: Good question. I also have a full indoor/outdoor season (and by full I mean that in HS terms: 12-14 weeks is a full season). So with all of my programs (CST2 & CPDS) that is how I set things up. However, I do not run two mirrored seasons. Because the kids are coming off of indoor, I don’t need to go back to square one outdoors. (Yes, the kids who only do spring track won’t peak as high, but oh well.) So, I shorten the general phases in the spring and spend more time in the competitive phases. So, theoretically, and, assuming two 12 week seasons (one winter, one spring), it might look like this:
Winter
GPP = 5 weeks
SPP = 3 weeks
COMP = 4 weeks
Spring
GPP = 3-4 weeks
SPP = 3 weeks
COMP = 5-6 weeks
December 30th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Hi Latif love your work.
I’m a college 1500m runner who has only 3 years background in running. My PB is not so good 4:25 from 2 years ago and has not improved since. To win i need to improve my times to below 4:10 range. Most of the guys who win have 400m times of about 52s while my best time is 57s. Am i right in thinking that i need to have a better 400m time first? And i need to increase my top speed first to do that? I don’t mind missing a season to develop a better sprint and greater speed reserve(quoting you) if it’s gonna help me in the long run as i want to be competitive even beyond my 30’s. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Regards
December 30th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
If it helps I have 7 years of strength training experience. Have worked on my Maximum strength (squats) before and would do whatever it takes to improve my 1500m time.
Thanks again
July 8th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Hey Latif I am new to track and field. I am a sprinter who runs the 100m and 200m. I was told that in order to become better at the 200m you should run the 400m in your workouts is this true? Also there is a possibility that My coach might want me to run the 400 nxt year if thats the case should incorporate 800m in my workouts to make the 400 easier. Is it possible to run the 400 in reps. Being its a brutal race is it possible to run the 400m like 3 or 4 times in practice. I saw your 400 vid and it seemed like no matter how much you run you cant be in full shape for the 400 meaning you will always be tired when you run it. Also would do you mean by intervals and 80- 85%. I don’t understand that training method. Thank you