Remember that you don’t have to eliminate a high intensity session if you’d like to have them perform the intensive tempo on the same day as a pre-existing high intensity session.
In a 2 or 3 high intensity day a week split the speed or special endurance would rarely be performed to the exclusion of the vital start, accelerations, and even max V work.
So with your athletes presumably still being on the hill on the high intensity days, it will be very easy to introduce intensive tempo after one of the hill sessions. Just be mindful of the volume of both training components you have them perform.
At the very least I would always recommend some start/acceleration work prior to any intensive tempo, speed endurance, or special endurance- provided the work is being done on a high intensity day.
2x4x40 on the hill is still a reasonably substantial volume of 320m. Consider you have 2x3x150 at intensive tempo pace in mind you could easily have them perform 4-6x10m, 3-5x30m, prior to 2x3x150
Yep, that might be an option.
I think this kind of workout would fit on Friday before tempo day on Saturday and day off Sunday.
Thanks for the contribution.
Sure thing, then as time moves forward you might think about shifting to the intensive tempo, or speed endurance, or special endurance on the Wednesday session (in a Mon/Wed/Fr High intensity scheme) in order to offer a midweek reprieve from the highest intensity work.
For example, Mon-predominance of acceleration, Wed-predominance of lactic, by way of intensive tempo, speed end, or special end, and Friday a predominance of max V. Each day giving you the option of having them perform some starts/accelerations before the main work.
The other thing to consider is to flip the sequence to Mon/Wed/Fri low intensity/tempo and Tue, Thu, Sat Hi intensity. In this way, you start the week with the lower intensity initial exposure which sets some tone in the system going into Tuesday; whereas, the Sunday off (with tempo on Saturday), then Monday high intensity presents a greater neuromuscular transition from reduced tone (no work on Sunday) to the high intensity contractions on Monday.
In this way, they’d go:
Mon-tempo or any other low intensity
Tue- Speed (acceleration emphasis)
Wed- tempo or low intensity activity
Thu- Speed (intensive tempo, or speed end, or special end emphasis)
Fri- tempo or low intensity activity
Sat- Speed (max V emphasis)
Sun- off
As an aside, it also becomes interesting for you to look ahead to the desired competition schedule and determine if there are more meets on a Tue/Thu/Sat or a Mon/Wed/Fri as that should influence the high/low training split. By ensuring that the high/low split coincides with the bulk of the days of the week of the competition calendar the organism becomes inoculated for high intensity stress on the same day of the calendar week as many of the competitions.
If I’ll go with 2x4x40 followed by intensive tempo than I’ll keep that on Friday for very simple and practical reason. Shape of the training unit is similar to the session I am going to have in the SPP.
Unfortunately training on other days you have mentioned (Tue, Thurs) it’s not possible at the moment. The flip to Wednesday of lactate work will happen in the second meso.
Poor weather conditions today.
I planned today 2x4x20, 3x4x40, unfortunately ground on stepper hill was too muddy, consequently I went for 4x4x40. After three sets I decided to stop one athlete due to the fact that soft surface took a lot out of the athlete, other finished the workout.
Hurdles hops, faster one looking ready to move to higher hurdles, we have been doing 91cm, so next session 1m high, other athlete will remain on 76cm until it gets the ground contacts right. The height over the hurdles is very good unfortunately cannot get the ground contacts right.
Weights
Squat 4x6
Lats 2x10
Hyper-extension 2x10
Just reduced weights a bit.
Solid stretching at the end.
Weather condition poor again, stayed indoors this time.
4x30, 4x40 build-ups.
One of the athlete’s (faster one or athlete Y) sometimes is forcing upper body forward like this position supposed to help achieve better results. So the objective was to stay upright for the last segments of build ups. 10/20m
After that we did bike 6x30" lv 10/12 very fast. Recovery 5’ lv 3 smooth and rhythmical
Weights
Bench 6x6
Hanging knee ups 4x max number of reps.
Shoulder press, lats 4x10.
Abs 250/300 in total.
Stretching.
In general athlete Y is little bit more sore than athlete X due to the fact that few sessions were unattended.
Tomorrow intensive tempo day with several accelerations before.
Power and strength tests in two weeks time. Looking forward to SPP
Did the first intensive tempo session today.
2x4x40 on the hill
2x3x150 on track in flats, with 50m walk between reps and 5’ between sets.
In general guys looked quite good. I think if I would do 3rd set of 3x150 it would not be productive.
We have started the gym session after hurdle hops, however they were bit too flat, so I decided to abandon the gym move to the abs followed by stretching and consequently finish the session.
In general, I don’t know what to think of it, I’ll see in three weeks time.
Thinking about our destination/ SPP workout of 2x3x60+2x150, intensive tempo might help us with the prep to get ready for the workout, we’ll see.
No doubt weights can be a significant undertaking following substantial lactic loading; particularly if task specific work capacity has not already been established in that regard. That said, given your young athletes the repercussions of missed sessions are more substantial when compared to sprinters with more training years under their belts. As a result, you might consider, if possible, having them do weights later in the day.
Unfortunately our schedule of training doesn’t allow us to move elements freely to other days of the week. We are training in the evenings except Saturdays. So as you can see there isn’t much room for maneuvers.
To be honest I am not particularly concern about missing one weights session a week at this particular stage.
Today we did.
Small warm up.
Went through our drills routine (I really want to master that ASAP)
Tempo 4x 1,1,1
Stretching
Circuits: Waterloo, Pedestal, Baatan, TH x10
Hurdles walkovers 200 in total.
Stretching.
Even thou I/we have missed the weight session yesterday as a consequence of it I have added one extra circuit routine.
Training went well today.
Weather was good too,
Today’s session was 2x4x20, 3x5x40, Guys started to race each and other up the hill so I decided to cut it short the last set, stopping the session after 3 reps.
Hurdles hops 4x6x1m, 2x6x1.07 easy.
Running went well, Hurdle hops went really well so yet again cutting weights session short.
Weights: 4x6 Squats, lats 4x10, abs 300 followed by stretching.
Assessing by the way they look have to say that people have adapted to the hill work pretty well.
It looks like there are more uncompleted sessions than completed one.
Looks like getting colder and colder with every day at least is not raining.
Session today was:
4x4x40
Hurdles hops 76cm and 1m x6
Bench press 4x max reps with 40/50kg
Lats 4x10
Shoulder press 4x10
Abs 200
Stretching.
Told my guys that gym test is next week, they’re well excited.
Have been asked whether they can add extra training session, they are willing to do it by themselves, they are really want to push the opportunity to train well and perform well.
Session went well today, there are not many changes comparing to the last week: 2x4x40+2x3x150.
Hills going well, I have timed guys on the hill (without their knowledge) and they have done their runs in decent times 5.1/5.2 and 5.8 (start on the first motion) extensive tempo also was OK, bit faster and more relaxed than last week. Getting colder therefore I was thinking about compressing the breaks between sets little bit to 5min.
Looks like I have to manage my own recovery bit better, little bit tired. Lol.
Today session:
Warm-up B
Drills
1,2,1 Waterloo, 1,2,1, Baatan, 1,2,1 Pillar
Stretching.
Hurdles drills with one hurdle, forward and back, Lateral, over-under, etc… Combination of all above (just like Dayron Robles https://youtu.be/e0pXxFcZBmE )
Abs 2x max number of reps.
Stretching.
I have been asked when we are going to move from hills to track, I guess guys feel that they are ready for the track sessions.
Thanks for sharing! This is an awesome thread. I’m working with a high school group this year and we’ve been on the hill recently too. Our program isn’t a whole lot different than what you’re doing. Usually I find that 5-6 reps x 20-25 on a fairly steep hill is about all they can handle per set.
That being said, I do have them do technical runs over mini-hurdles after hill work so they aren’t just doing the 3x5x20m hill.
How steep is the hill you have been working on?
Have you done it before (I mean steeper hill, if yes than what’s your thoughts about it?)
In my opinion (from what I have observed so far) there is much better body alignment towards ground surface. You just cannot over-stride (reach too far ahead of CM) if you’ll do that than you’ll be going backwards. Also when I have gradually moved to less steeper hill guys just looked much better comparing to the season before (not talking here about only two individuals this thread is based on)
I’m working out of a new location this year, with an all-new group of high school kids. I’ve relocated to a spot that is centrally located (close to subway station) and basically cut my travel time to zero. So far it’s been easy to recruit a core group, and they keep bringing their friends, so I’m confident we can keep growing it.
Most of them have a fairly minimal training background, and undeveloped technique. The hill I’m using is fairly steep, I’ll get some video posted ASAP. I find that when they are mindful of how they are hitting the ground (underneath instead of too far ahead of centre of mass), they definitely get up the hill with less effort as they are not tempted to cast their shin in front of their centre of mass in order to “catch” themselves.
They are also lucky to have a former junior national team sprinter who trains with the group who has very good technique, so they are able to learn by watching.
Decent weather today, no wind, temperature around 14C.
Today session went well.
2x4x20 on steeper hill, first set was just smooth and relaxed. Second bit faster. Athlete X was starting with longer strides (come on!, really?) at the beginning so I had to had pull athlete on the side and explain (again!) what I am looking for.
Moved to 3x5x40, guys have started to run slower (?) the reason was that they didn’t want to waste too much energy before test.
Yet again had to explain them that the running is our priority. Period.
I got immediate response with good form and speed up the hill.
Didn’t finish last set, stopping after fourth rep.
Hurdle hops with 6x6h 76cm/1m.
This particular drill is getting gradually better, nice/ short ground contacts.
Weights:
Both athletes have achieved in squats (parallel to the surface or lower) 2RM of 100.
I am really happy with the outcome.
I felt that one of them (athlete Y) was able to go further, however I have decided that it was more than enough for the first time of testing.
Russian twists 2x20x20kg
Abs 120
Stretching.
Just after we finished they were wondering by when they will be able to squat 120/140 lol. (btw. Body weight Y 69.2, X 68.5, body height 6 and 5.7 respectively)
Wednesday bench press.
First track session.
2x4x10m lying on the chest.
First set in flats second in spikes.
Second set on signal in small groups, athlete Y is moving quite well, athlete X was focusing on lower foot recovery.
Moved to 3/4x30 falling start.
Then 2x3xEFE (20,20,20)
We were focusing on keeping good form in the last 20 and run through the line. First couple were bit all over the place, I guess guys were bit rusty re execution of this particular drill.
Hurdles hops 6x6h.
I had to lower the height of the hurdles, they were bit tired, athlete Y was stopped after set three.
Moved to the gym, bench 2RM, X did 50, Y did 65.
Hyper-extension 2x10
Russian twists 2x10x15kg
Stretching.
Little bit of a twist, looks like athlete Y might be also hurdling, (we’ll see about that) Did some hurdles last season without particularly good time 15.0 over U20.