my past journal can be found here -> http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=21972
as usual, any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated, i recognize i do not know everything about sprint training and could use all the help i can get to reach my goals
-so during the spring i played centerfield for my high school’s baseball team and lifted weights. i would like to start somewhat of a gpp for this year’s indoor track. i did cf style training for last years season, but i didnt show significant improvement which i contribute to lack of planning on my part as i increased my volume in season and kept intensity the same so i never peaked. plus i only really did an spp. i will read speedtrap and maybe some other of the cf store stuff over the summer but i have a better idea of how the stuff works and how to structure my season this year so i am hoping for success.
-compared to my competition, im on the weaker and smaller side so i plan on implementing weights into my program and my facilities are limited once it gets towards later fall and winter so i have to get a little creative.
-my progression in high school has been 9->7.23 10->6.98 11->6.92,38.23 (55m and 300m respectively) (my 300 time couldve been much better (probably mid-high 37’s) except i was sick during my only 300m run on an actual track)
-i hope to be able to hit 6.5x’s in the 55 before college so i can walk on the track team there. that means i should aim for a 6.6x at least this year. my school’s records are a 6.6h in the 55m and 35.45 in the 300m; i’d like to take at least the 55m, and considering i ran a 6.7h last year thinking the finish line was ~5m earlier i think i could take it early season. a 6.4h would be nice bc thats the district record
-its tough with so many in season meets to structure a season correctly, but i plan to do a strength concentrated gpp in the summer, a more running-based one in the fall and then somewhat of a l-s in the winter
-in my younger years i had an awful start but my top end speed was good, but it seemed to have flip flopped on me last year, maybe due to more weightlifting and less running
-I am 5’6" 144 lbs and 17 years old (though im pretty sure my body is not close to full maturity yet) and will be entering my sr yr this coming school year
-as for supplements, i take whey protein during and after workouts and take a multivit when i wake up. i plan on trying zma over the summer, and maybe creatine if i can control my hydration a little better (i have enough trouble hydrating properly while just using protein powder)
mon may 31
4 min erg warm up
stretch checks
3 3 point start warm ups
sleds:
-5x10m
-5x20m
-5x30m*
(R: wb, 3’)
plyos 2x10 contacts
(R: 2’)
a. cleans 5x5,4,3,3,3@165,175,180
a. bench 5x8,6,4,4,4@155,165,165/160
a. seated rows 5x8,6,4,4,4@110,120,125*
b. squat 5x8,6,4,4,4@250,260,265#
b. side cable pull downs 3x12,10,10@25,30
c. rdl 5x10,8,6,6,6@105,115,120#
c. med ball throws 5x100@8
static stretching
notes:
-though ive read that the progression for running usually goes hills->sleds->grass->track ive switched sleds and hills because hills will be easier to do further distances, will be at a greater speed and will be easier to do in the fall or later in the summer
-all runs will be done from a 3-point stance unless its stated ive used blocks
-my bench press has gotten noticeably worse, but this is probably because i have not benched since before baseball season. i am sure my weight will climb its way back up quickly because my pectoral strength and triceps stregth are better than they were before baseball.
-volume on the sled felt a bit high
tues june 1
weigh in -> 142
warm up jog
marching a’s 4x30 sec
kinesthetic awareness exercises
2 min erg warm up
a. single leg alt curl 3x12,10,10@40,50
a. incline db alt curl 3x12,10,10@22.5,25
a. overhead tri ext 3x12,10,10@40,45#
b. single calf ledge raise 3x10,8,8@65,70
b. side shoulder raise 3x12,10,10@17.5,20
b. 6 min abs
some jump rope
light stretching
notes:
-#means i will increase weight if i can next session, * means i should decrease, obviously i wont increase weight until my form is perfect for the weight im at, and ill decrease if i notice really bad form or i simply couldnt make the reps staright
-im doing the kinesthetic stuff to improve my control over my body which i think could benefit me as an athlete overall. anything like flips, human flag poles, jump rope, pretty much any gymnatic moves etc.
thurs june 3
warm up jog
stretch checks
3 warm up sprints
a. broad jump 2x10 (R:2 min)
a. vertical jump 2x10 (R: 3,5 min)
b. one footed bounds 1x5 each
human flags
depletion push ups 43,17,13
depletion pull ups (neutral grip) 16,7,6
2 min abs
light stretch
saturday june 5
stomach vacuums variations 5x10
light stretch
notes:
-i can start my regular schedule this coming tuesday, but i have been very busy for this stretch in time and havent had time
sun june 6
a. explosive pull ups 2x10,8
a. explosive push-ups 2x10,8
a. one leg depth jumps 2x5,3
a. 6 min abs
notes:
-just wanted to do a little physical work today so i could sleep well, nothing more nothin less
mon june 7
stomach vacuum variations 5x10
light stretching
notes:
-my schedule opens up starting tomorrow and i think my training will be close to uninterrupted for the rest of june
tues june 8
warm up jog
body kinesthetics
marching a’s 4x1 min
a. bb biceps curls 3x10,8,8@55,60#
a. skull crushers 3x10,8,8@55,60#
a. leg curls 3x10,8,8@90,100#
b. weighted pogo jumps 3x12,10,10@70,75/80#
b. bentover raise 3x12,10,10@12.5,15/17.5
b. 2 min abs
c. light stretch
wed june 9
5 min warm up jog
stretch checks
2x100,100,100;100,200,100;100,100,100@grass tempo R: 50m walk, 100m walk
1 min erg warm up
a. weighted sit ups 2x20@50,55
a. high cable twists 2x20each@30,35
a. side bends 2x20each@60,65
a. stomach vacuums 2x10@5sec
light stretch
notes:
-im restructuring this core workout day to have lower reps
-tempo felt very easy today, not sure if i just was running slower or what. ill time myself from now on to make sure im running at 60-70%, no slower (i predict i could run like an 11.5 hundred so ill try for 15-18 sec 100s depneding on conditions)
is this your gpp? You are doing gpp during baseball season and into the fall and winter…?
How are you going to work your speed work during the winter? I am trying to compare our programs here 
during baseball the only thing i really had time to do that was relevant to track was lifting, so i wouldnt really consider what i did during baseball as anything but trying to make some size gains (in retrospect)
what i do over the summer i would consider my gpp, ill do somewhat of a gpp-spp mix in the fall and during the winter ill be relying primarily on meets as my speed work. ill do sleds->hills->grass-> track as my progression for speed work
my times are not too fast (6.92 55m) so i think improving myself as an athlete in general is the most important thing for me this year. in winter, the track team’s meet schedule gets very hectic during the middle of the season so i will not have trouble getting in sprinting volume. i plan to do block starts year round, and to progress from longer races in the beginning of the year (400m-300m) to my concentration (55m) by the end to make sure i do not repeat my mistake in increasing volume midseason.
during the beginning of the season or late fall (when weather becomes poorer but i do not have meets yet) i plan on implementing a lot of plyos and intensive tempo, maybe some sleds… thats the best i can come up with my available resources
whats ur program structured like?
I am not doing any lower body weight training this summer in GPP. Getting ready for fall (football). My strength is quite inadequate, but doing squats etc take too much away from my speed work. Everything Ive done lower body has been:
Ive done the most track sprints 30-70m 2x week
then tempo 100s 2x week
then plyo jumping etc 1x week
then resisted sprints 1x week
then … like agility stuff about 1x week or so
I wish I would have spent a lot more time during the winter and into the spring developing strength. I don’t think strength is crutial for speed, but I believe it helps to improve strength in the offseason pre GPP. But… at the time, I didn’t think lifting was necessary- so I didn’t do any lower body. Funny how quickly my mind can change…
obviously the most important part of any speed program is sprinting fast, so id just do what u believe in. personally i like weights in the program just because my 55 competition tends to be much more heavily muscled than i am. im decently strong (squat 2x my BW to parallel) and would rather beat them in the dash than be bigger than them, but i think evening out the strength advantage could be beneficial for me. plus my squat and my clean are my only two heavy lifts, im pretty weak in most other aspects of the weightroom
personally im not a fan of agility stuff outside of like position specific training just because agility work usually ends up involving ladders or some type of device that forces u into a stride length. plus i once read charlie telling someone that too much directional change work can actually loosen ankle tendons/ligaments and could be detrimental to agility (something along those lines)
what do you mean by strength inadequate? if you’re playing football u cant possibly be too weak or you’d get trucked. and how long have u been doing speed training/how is your program going so far?
i play quarterback, and i’d have to say i am weak. I was able to squat 315 at my PR in spring 2009. My Sr year of high school in 08 i squatted a mere 255 at BW of 200. I was fastest at the end of 09 track season when my squat was developed and my speed training was 5x week with meets. I have squatted on and off since then, but I have not since early march. If I were to guess, my strength is probably still similar to fall of 08, just because I grew and got older…
I don’t need to concentrate on Lower strength IMO. I was too focused on taht during High school despite still being weak. I couldnt help notice all of the top HS QBs around the nation were very weak (185 lb bench 225 squat). It was shocking to me. the thing they had over me was speed. I was slower (4.9 40) and they were 4.6-4.8. I was 6’4 200, all-state, but got no looks from D-1.
Therefor, SPEED SPEED SPEED. (And the QB stuff )
of course, no one would be on this forum if there ultimate goal was to have a huge squat. speed is the concentration of my program too. i do know that as far as 40 times, it is mostly an acceleration and gains in max strength tend to correlate with start explosiveness, though strength is not an end all type of thing. i personally weigh in the 140-150 range, so i could definitely afford to fill out. until i start pushing 160-170 i think that any gains in muscle couldnt be anything but beneficial for me
thurs june 10
2:30 jump rope warm up
stretch checks
3 3-point start warm up runs
2x6x30m sled runs R:90",5’
2x5 box jumps
2x10 hurdle hops
various light plyos 70 contacts
a. high pulls 5x8,6,4,4,4@165,175,180
a. incline bench 5x10,8,6,6,6@115,125,135
a. lat pull downs 5x10,8,6,6,6@100,110,115
b. front squats 2x10,8@175,175
b. seated high rows 1x10@85
b. reverse hypers 1x10@40
c. light stretch
notes:
-i began to feel nauseous after my second set of squats so i called it quits for the day
-sled runs are feeling very fluid, i can finally do low heel recovery and it feels awesome. i havent timed anything but im sure im already making improvements considering i fixed a major technical flaw ive had
-for the first time i really felt my core working hard during the squats, probably because i did more intense core work yesterday than i usually do so i must not be fully recovered (though soreness is only concentrated in my upper obliques)
fri june 11
4 min jog
stretch checks
body kinesthetics
marching a’s 5x1 min R: wb
a. single leg curls 3x12,10,10@40,50#
a. decline biceps curls 3x12,10,10@22.5,25
a. overhead tri ext 3x12,10,10@45,50#
b. ledge calf raises 3x10,8,8@65,70#
b. side shoulder raise 3x12,10,10@17.5,20
b. 6 min abs
sat june 12
4 min jog
stretch checks
build up
2x3x100@13-15s R: wb,5 min
depletion push ups 45,16,11
depletion pull ups (neutral grip) 14,7,5
500 reps core
light stretch
notes:
-did my first intensive tempo training in over a year, felt horrible, but i think including one int tempo day a week over the summer should help me
sun june 13
microstretching
notes:
-i did all the recommended stretches so it took one hour, once i get a better feel for which ones i specifically need more/less of i will trim down