Yup. I remember the writeups but there was no mention of tempo at al, which I saw him doing in Munich, so take it for what it’s worth
Yes sorry my mistake its the other way round. But the recent research I am refering to relates to the work of Lacour, Locatelli not Petrovski.
Which kind of Tempo did you saw?
I guess Tempo might fall into their system C (D existed as well but this had no training effect).
Again, in the large Petrovsky/Borzov litterature, there are always differences between which is written as planned, what is actually done at training, and what is written as reports…
Coach Maslakov said that Petrovsky planned up to 60KM for Borzov’s maximum speed work during a single season, but when when checking his diary, the sum-up of what had actually been done was 24-25KM.
I’ve red/was told things that i find hard to believe in term of volume/intensity, for both Borzov and Mennea, however, their injury issue might come from their search of highest volume possible in lactic power (and possibly plyometrics?).
Here are the references:
“Relationships between postcompetition blood lactate
concentration and average running velocity over 100-m
and 200-m races”
Eur J Appl Physiol (1994) 68:508-513
“The importance of anaerobic glycolysis and stiffness in sprints (60,100 and 200m)”.
New Studies in Athletics, 1996 VOL 11:2/3 P121-125
“The mechanics and energetics of 100m sprint”
New Studies in Athletics, 1995 VOL 10:1 P81-87
the tempo was 10 x 250m easy on grass with a walk-around recovery.
The volumes originally published re Borzov were certainly BS as evidenced by the strong 100s but poor 200s, though the volumes with Mennea were massive, confirmed to me by Pavoni, who was a training partner in 1982 and 83.
The supposed introduction of tempo and, likely, a change in the nature of the Special End for Borzov occurred between 1970 and 1971, coinciding with a huge drop in 200m times.
I was told about this by Gerrard Mach, who apparently was there for some of the work, though I have no details beyond what I mention here and what I saw in Munich.
BTW, the volume of 60km is not unbelievable at all if you consider it over enough weeks and 3 x per week. Ben was that high at times. What was originally published in the west would have totalled far more.
Again, all this depends on how long the speed work is spread out over.
I have never seen anything on Borzov’s plyo work and would be interested.
Borzov emerged in late '60s, after the USSR tried to push the amount of work to its limits. So he surely avoided the mistakes done.
I have examples for female sprinters from the late 50’s -early '60s who would do close over 180KM in the 10m-600m distance range, while Privalova in mid 90’s “only” did around 120KM. As for jumps, the pioneers did around 800 jumps/year, but it was before plyo was popularized by Borzov, so Privalova did around 4000 jumps/year.
A popular exercises done by Borzov and Privalova was single leg hops for 30m from blocks, timed, they were able to do it in the low 4 sec. I think it underlines the importance of plyo work done in order to achieve this exercise with this quality AND staying injury free.
In Europe (i supposed else where in the World), Borzov is the intellectual reference for coaches, Borzov did this, Borzov did that, all this created the myth of Soviet sprinting secrets, while Borzov is the only individual sprinter from USSR who could beat the US guys, following the training of a scientific biologist, not an “official” coach, so out of the USSR system, Privalova didn’t do the USSR camp, Pintusevich-block, European Junior Champ with USSR had her best results while training in US, so all the (ex-)USSR all-time bests acted in margin of the system.
It’s a lot easier to beat the US guys when they’re not at the starting line 
PJ, have you got anything about the progression of their plyometric training over the years? In general and/or specifically for such exercises?
Because Privalova’s video was unbelievable!
Thanks!
No i don’t have details for the progression.
mortac8 do you serioulsy believe these guys were able to beat Borzov in Münich? They ran 9.9 thanks to generous timers at Trials, while Borzov was surely able to do 9.8 if he had run his QF or Final at full effort.
I don’t know. That’s why they run the race! I didn’t believe that Obikwelu would beat Mo and Asafa in 2004 but it happened. You just never know.
I was there and I can assure you that no one was going to beat Borzov in Munich. The 9.9h in Oregon, on a lightning fast track, was the equivalent of 10.14 at absolute best (assuming the hand timers got a good flash at the start). Borzov ran an easy 10.14 on an absolute shit track for the 100 in the final with a 10.07 in the QFs.
The system during these Trials was semi-automatic (start hand time but photofinish) and the results were:
- Eddy Hart 9.88
- Reynaud Robinson 9.90
- Robert Taylor 9.93
It’s impossible to estimate the FAT here, but it could be mid 10.1. Weather was good and wind +0.9.
During their career, Hart and Robinson never ran under 10.20 at sea level…
Borzov did just enough to win in München on this slow track and virtually no wind +0.3.
- Valeriy Borzov 10.14
- Robert Taylor 10.24
- Lennox Miller 10.33
And the US athletes were working off the correct schedule coming up to the 200m. Borzov dominant there too.
Do you think Borzov would have gone under 10.00 if he ran in this era (with current track surfaces)?
Well then, the times are SLOWER than full hand timing because there was all the reaction time to start the clock but no reaction time after the finish line at the end. Hand times are faster than electronic because there is a full reaction at the start but an anticipation of the finish allowing the watch to be stopped sooner after the line is crossed than it took to start it. When you stop the clock instantly at the finish and start manually, the difference is prob about .34 rather than the usual .24.
Eugene was very special maybe you’ve run there, the timers were very weird, when Steve Williams did the WR in 1975, 9.8, the full automatic device said 10.19 (diff +0.39!). Hart’s time could be anything 10.1 or 10.2, 10.3 why not. Timers were crazy!
Probably yes, the 10.07 was done with 0.0 wind on slow track and stopping effort before the finish. Also there was less occasions to run fast on these days.
Yes, I’m sure of it. Munich’s track was slow for the 100m
Anyone have a idea of Borzov’s PR’s when starting out and as a junior?
why not?
What about Chatlie’s programs like
4x30m
60m
80m
120m
150m