I’ve been following most of the principles in CFTS for a few years now. I think they work well even though I’m now a senior (50). Curious to know if there are other seniors on this site and would like to hear opinions about whether adaptations should be made for those of us who wake up a little more stiff and sore after a hard workout than we did when we were younger.
During indoor season, I do speed, plyos and weights on M-W-F and tempo on T-T and sometimes Saturday with Sunday off. Volume on speed days is about 300 meters and on tempo days about 2000 meters (50-70%). Later, I back off on plyos and weights to 2x/wk. Sometimes, I throw in some extra rest rather than a tempo workout when my joints and back are aching too much.
I’m closing in on 40, and am not a sprinter by trade, although I have taken it up recently as a hobby. [If you can call all-consuming interest and commitment a ‘hobby’!] I can tell you two things from my perspective:
1] Two speed days rather than three works much better for me. Fresher, faster, less injured, more able to actually work for a living.
2] Doing weights on speed days [even weights in half-assed fashion which is not my personality] kills me-I have to do them the following day even after only 200-300m speed work. Otherwise, the CNS fatigue is way too much.
PS-plyos 2-3 times a week too? How do you recover my friend? I think my recovery ability must be less than yours. Nice to hear from a masters guy on the board.
I’m 40 next year ( I’m saying it while I still can lol ) - and I’ve found that two speed days and one pure weights day makes life a lot easier CNS wise and also allows for easier strength gains and maintenance -
I do minimal weights after track - but I try and restrict it to one compound lift if possible -
Tempo for me is largely done on an x-trainer - to save my achilles tendons - but I would use the pool if this was an option ( our local pool is full of viruses )
But like was mentioned - recovery is everything -
Short to long is probably also a big help - I know for a fact that my body would not last a winter of putting in miles of sub max speed in cold wet conditions - stay indoors as much as possible and monitor volume amounts in every area .
I´m far from 40 now, but i´m starting now ( 2 months ago ), at age 26,
after 8 years working in a office ( marketingman ) without any body work or Physical activity, besides weights for once or twice a week.
My body weight and my body fat is ok ( 1,83m->76kg / 8% fat ),
but i know, i need more heart/lung conditioning as you can see in my times, theres a big hole between 100m and 200m times.
100m: 11.15s
200m: 28.25s
300m: 49.15s
400m: 69s
About wake up a little more stiff and sore after a hard workout than we did when we were younger,
well,
i´m training 2 follow days and stopping for another 2 days, because of soreness,
i´ve read CFTS and ST but those infos are more specifics to master sprinters,
now, i´m waiting for my DVD GPP to create my own program.
AP INTERVIEW: Haunted by past, Ben Johnson dreams of `one more race’
By ROB GLOSTER
.c The Associated Press
Johnson, who turns 42 on Tuesday, is still sprinting and hoping for one more chance at vindication. He’s still fast, still in great shape.
``We’re going to show the world we’re not old, we can still fly,’’ Johnson says.
Johnson says he’ll be running the 100 in about 10.2 seconds this summer, and guys who work out with him say he could break 10 seconds by August.
I got one more race left,'' Johnson says. Just make sure this race comes off because I’m working out very hard.’’
Do you guys think it is possible ?
Just what i know is that Linford won his last title in 1996 with 36 age,
and i have to confess that Linford is for much more than a inspiration,
his first title was in 1986 with 26 age…
I would guess so, after all he runs a service training other people. It wouldn’t make his company look credible if he hired someone else to coach him for this race.
After Christmas I am thinking about going back to two speed workouts a week with weights one day a week
I am only 30 but doing weights/speed in one day has been killing me.
My lower body lifts are approx 30% stronger doing them the next day versus immediately after speed. (would this be a sign of CNS fatigue or just muscular fatigue?)
I am also going to start doing my tempo in the pool.
I have to be careful as I average about 6 hours sleep a night during the week and work about 50-60 hours a week on average. Overtraining is easy for me even though my volumes are very low.
Sounds like too much in total for one day and lack of sleep is a major stressor of the CNS. Using an alternate day for the lifts depends on the quality and vol of speed work. I cover this on the DVD, showing how the weights can be alternated in conjunction with the shift from hill work (which is tough but not as demanding on the CNS because of the difference in contact time and reduced landing shock) to pure sprinting throughout the GPP.
Recovery is the key for masters as it’s the one element that can cause no harm. also I’d take great care in using plyos when weights can cover so many needs with much greater safety!
Thanks for the input. Lest anyone thinks I’m out there killing myself, my speed day volume is relatively low; the plyos are ankle hops, skips, jumps up to a box (step down), tuck jumps and bounds – about 50 contacts. My major day weight workout involves hack squats (to protect my back), reverse leg press, hang cleans and push presses – typically four sets of four reps. I do other lifts, reverse hypers, light squats or jump squats, incline or bench press and lat pulls or rows on another day. Once in a while, I’ll do a third day – even lighter.
A few of the replies to my initial post suggest doing the weights other than a day when speed is done. I thought you needed to all the heavy CNS stuff on one day and then back off the next day for recovery. If you push the weights to the day following speed, how does the CNS recover? I could see dropping one speed day and using that as the heavy weight day, though, going with slightly less intensive weight work on the two remaining speed days.
My thought is that at our age, [and Chris30 this probably applies to you too], with what I’m sure in most cases is years of solid strength training behind us, that we are really just trying to maintain decent levels of strength while we sprint. There are tons of guys weaker than me that can kick my ass on a track, and Chris you are stronger than me. We need to take our existing 225-350 pound squats and teach those damn legs how to turn over! Strength maintenance I can do quite easily on the day following speed work without many sets or crazy intensity, thus sparing my CNS somewhat. Speed work and weights on the same day–THAT for me kills my CNS and I’m groggy for days!
Nice to hear you say that-I dropped them 3 months ago on a similiar gut feeling but have had periodic guilt until now as a result. Tough on my ankles and knees!
Incidentally Chris, a lot of your commentary on the pitfalls of trying to return to being fast after years away mirrors my own experiences [except I’m still in the 12’s!]. But you don’t know how lucky you are in T.O. having that indoor track! It’s painful in Vancouver dude, trying to get faster while soaked and cold!
I know what you mean man. This is the first year I have been able to train indoors ever. (No indoor tracks on the east coast hehe)
What exercises are you doing for your maintainence weights and are you doing them once or twice a week after speed?
How does this setup look? Still too much weights?
Day 1 Speed 1 (Short speed)
Day 2 Weights/Core
Day 3 Pool Work
Day 4 Speed 2 (Longer speed)
Day 5 Weights/Core
Day 6 REST
Day 7 REST
Day 1 - Speed 1 (Short speed)
Speed:
4 x 50 (6 minutes rest)
4 x 30 (5 minutes rest)
3 sets hang cleans
3 sets weighted jump squats
Day 2 Weights/Core
cycling 10 minutes
3 sets squats
2 x light (leg extension, ham curl, calf raise)
3 sets bench
3 sets bent over row
Core:
3 x hanging leg raises
3 x weighted incline situps
2 x weighted side bends
2 x hypers
Day 3 - Pool work/tempo
10 x 45 seconds running A’s in the pool
Day 4 - Speed 2 (Longer speed)
6 x 120 at 85-90% (Not sure on rest times here)
3 sets hangcleans
Day 5 - Weights/Core
3 x squats
3 x standing shoulder press/Push press
3 x weighted chins
Core:
3 x hanging leg raises
3 x weighted incline situps
2 x weighted side bends
2 x hypers
Day 6 - REST
Day 7 - REST
thanks!
Chris
ps - When I am running at top speed now (or what I perceive to be top speed) it feels like tempo/interval runs used to feel when I was in University. Like I am missing a gear. It really pisses me off sometimes!
Chris-Just my opinion, but bodyparts twice a week on weights? In addition to sprint work? 4 CNS crushing days per week? That would cook me. Like you, I keep it simple with compund movements [squat, lat pulls, bench] of usually 3-6 reps. and no more than an hour in the gym. You won’t lose one ounce of strength training each bodypart once per week, and you’ll be fresher!
