GENERAL PERIODIZED PLAN FOR SPRINTER
Assumptions: Experienced and technically sound lifter
Training Phases
Will need adapting to objectives and competitive calendar
E.g.
PHASE
PREPARATORY: SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC (INDOOR)
APRIL, MAY
TRANSITION: JAN, FEB (I); JUNE, JULY (O)
COMPETITION: MARCH (I); AUGUST (O)
Core Exercises
- Squat Variations
- Olympic Lift Variations
· Specific to muscles used in sprinting (hip, knee and ankle extensors)
· Large muscle mass, multi joint exercises
· Improve motor control hence increasing ‘organism’ strength
· Provide high stimulus to ‘core’ (spinal flexors and extensors)
· Maximise hormonal (T & GH) response
· OLs permit ‘compensatory acceleration’ (i.e. velocity increases as joints extend)
Repetitions
· Predominantly doubles and triples
· Reduces deterioration in technique
· Maximises transition of type IIa to type IIb fibres (fast to faster)
· Minimises non-functional hypertrophy and maximises power to weight ratio
· Maximises improvements in motor control hence reducing Golgi Tendon Organ and antagonist inhibition
· Reduces variations in rest between reps hence permitting more accurate analysis of progression
Intensity
· Short cycles to reduce staleness
· ‘Oscillate twice within each macrocycle
· Two ‘impact’ weeks per cycle
· Low intensity (unloading) weeks follow impact weeks to prevent over-reaching
e.g. (Percentages are guidelines and will need adapting)
WEEK SETS % MAX REPS
1^ 6 70 3
2 6 75
3 6 80
4* 3 85
5^ 6 80 2
6 6 85
7 6 90
8* 3 95
- Impact weeks
^ Unloading weeks
Tonnage (Volume x Load)
· Decreases across training phases due to exercise prescription and session frequency
· Increase within macrocyle
Frequency (Sessions per week)
Prep: 3 to 4
Trans: 2 to 3
Comp: 1 or 2
Exercise Periodization
PREPARATORY: BACK SQUAT, P.CLEAN, CLEAN PULL
TRANSITION: BK SQUAT +BANDS, P. SNATCH, SNATCH PULL
COMPETITION: JUMP SQUAT, HANG P. SNATCH
From prep to comp:
· Velocity (specificity) increases
· Loading (CNS stress) decreases
· Pull variations are used 1 session in 3 for variety and additional stimulus
· Remember: Maximum force can be applied with a sub-maximal weight by increasing the acceleration of the barbell (f=ma)
Remedial Exercises (for target muscle groups)
- Hamstrings: Hyper; Single leg hyper; Gleut-Ham raise; Pillars; Single leg pillars
- Hip/Spinal Flexors: Crunches; Sit ups; Leg raises etc
1 exercise from each; 8 repetitions; 4 sets
Other exercise modes
-
Plyometrics (SSC)
· Reduce Golgi Tendon Inhibition
· Increase RFD
· High injury risk especially at muscle tendon juncture
· May be paired with squats during impact weeks (Complex training)
· Olympic lifts have a plyometric component (the double knee bend)
· Sprinting itself is plyometric -
Medicine ball (overhead) throws
· Improve ‘Rate of Force Development’ (RFD)
· Low stress therefore may be used during competitive period (when strength workouts diminish)
· May be used in low volume prior to track sessions to ‘prime’ nervous system
Issues / Discussion points
- General Vs Specific programmes
· I define a strength exercise as one that permits a maximal expression of strength
· ‘Specific’ exercises (e.g. single leg squats) reduce stability hence inhibiting the expression of strength
- Pressing
Most elite sprinters perform presses (usually bench).
However
· Olympic lifts and medicine ball throws provide sufficient (and more specific) stimulus for the upper body
· Pressing may lead to an increase in none functional muscle mass hence reducing power to weight ratio
· Supine pressing provides little stimulus to the ‘core’
· Pressing may reduce adaptation energy available for other training parameters
- Accommodated resistance (Bands) for squat training
· Increases resistance in outer range where muscle length-tension relationship and mechanical advantage make movement easier
· Increases eccentric stress
· Reduces tendency to just ‘do enough’ once through the sticking point
· However, sprinting requires an increase in acceleration as joints extend therefore isokinetic exercise may not be specific
- Optimal Strength (Can an athlete be too strong?)
· When increases in strength fail to yield improvements on the track
· When strength increases are achieved through an increase in body weight and hence do not increase power to weight ratio
· When training frequency required to yield a strength increase reduces recovery from track sessions
· Limit strength exercises such as squats and dead lifts have less cross over to sprinting than dynamic exercises like the Olympic lifts
Squat Depth
· Sprinting involves little knee or hip flexion therefore partial squats would appear more specific
However:
· Squatting through full range increases activation of gluteal and hamstring muscle groups
· There is a tendency with partial squats to decrease the range as loads increase
· Full squats ensure a consistency of depth and help confidence
· Hip incline is greatest at the parallel position and hence there is a greater risk of injury to the lumbar spine
· Quarter squats can place a significant strain on the muscle tendon unit at the front of the knee