So I’ve been training for the 400m starting back in July, and am now half way through my specific preparation phase. I was keeping detailed track of my progress via a spreadsheet, but recently haven’t been as disciplined with the records, so decided to start up a journal here. Basically I am a former footballer wanting a new challenge, and have taken up track pretty much to see how I go, with a view to competing at the U/23 State Titles in February 2008. If I manage to run sub 50 or close enough by then, I will move into it a bit more seriously, but am happy with my training efforts at the moment.
Back Squats[/b]
44lbs x 8
154lbs x 6
242lbs x 6
242lbs x 6
242lbs x 6
Close Grip Pull Ups
BW x 8
Close Grip Pull Up Negatives
BW x 3 x 10secs
DB Bench Press
116lbs x 6
116lbs x 6
Walking Lunge
66lbs x 4
66lbs x 4
Flexibility
30 mins static stretching
TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 2 hours 15 mins
Comments:
Started this weeks training week on a Sunday because I will be away on the weekend so traing to squash it in before then. Tough intense session but improving on where I was 4 weeks ago.
Set 1
300m in 47secs with 100m walk rest
300m in 50secs with 100m walk rest
300m in 50secs with 200m walk rest
Set 2
300m in 48secs with 100m walk rest
300m in 50secs
Cool Down
10 mins jog/walk
Flexibility
30 mins static stretching
[b]Session 3 - Core
Ball Hold/Stepping[/b]
BW x 30secs (each leg)
Bench Knee Rocks
3 x 10
Floor Crucifix Twist
3 x 10
Ball Hamstring Curl
1 x 10
Ball Bridge on Elbows
BW x 30secs
Ball Wt Twist Crunches
3 x 10 (each side)
Ball 1 Leg Bridge Back Hold
3 x 30secs (each leg)
Floor Crunches (Toes Pointed)
3 x 10
TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 2 hours
Comments:
Bit of a de-load week in the middle of my specific preparation phase, so the volume has lowered a little with the running, though intensity I thought was good and happy with the times. Aiming eventually for repeats of about 45-46 secs.
For the first 10 weeks I did some GPP which included mostly longer slower runs, fartlek, weights/core work, and some circuit work. Then for the four weeks before I started the journal was stuff mainly as I have been doing now during a more SPP period.
Comments:
While on a short holiday I went out and did this session just so I didn’t get slack. Pretty challenging session mainly just for conditioning purposes.
Warm Up
10 mins jogging/stretching
10 mins drills/dynamic flexibility/run throughs
Speed
5 x 50m from rolling start with full recovery between
Special Endurance
300m in 40secs with 30secs rest + 150m @ 100% effort
20 mins active recovery
300m in 40secs with 30secs rest + 150m @ 100% effort
Recovery
10 mins jog / walk
Flexibility
20 mins static stretching
Session 8 - Weights
Wide Squats
44lbs x 10
154lbs x 6
253lbs x 6
253lbs x 6
253lbs x 6
253lbs x 6
Chin Ups
BW x 9
BW x 8
Chin Up Negatives
BW x 3 x 10secs
DB Bench Press
121lbs x 6
121lbs x 6
121lbs x 6
Barbell Reverse Lunge & Calf Raise
44lbs x 6
88lbs x 6
88lbs x 6
Glut/Box - Bent Knee
3 x BW x 10 (each leg)
1L Ball Leg Curls
BW x 5
BW x 10
BW x 10
Flexibility
30 mins static stretching
TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 3 hours 15 mins
Comments:
First session back from my short break, and although I ran quicker times, I sure didn’t feel as good. I guess in itself that is promising but its a 1 track focus for the next 4 weeks until my first meet.
Set 1
300m in 48secs + 100m walk
300m in 50secs + 100m walk
300m in 50secs + 300m walk
Set 2
300m in 48secs + 100m walk
300m in 50secs + 100m walk
300m in 50secs + 300m walk
Set 3
300m in 50secs + 100m walk
Recovery
10 mins walk/jog
Flexibility
20 mins static stretching
TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 1 hour 30 mins
Comments:
Consistency was pretty good throughout the session. By the end of this phase I will be doing 3 sets of 3 reps around about the 48-49sec mark. Then next phase start to lift the intensity little by little until I am running them all around 46-47 seconds, which with my lack of training experience and the rapid improvement I’ve been experiencing should be possible. Rolled my ankle playing touch football tonight so will rest tomorrow morning and get into the plyos/weights in the afternoon as it isn’t serious or anything.
From my experience,I would say when you can complete 3x3x300 @45sec with a 100slow jog btwn runs and 7min rest btwn sets you will be on pace for low 49 down to 47sec 400race depending on other factors such as your speed.
Comments:
Completed the repeat 200’s in a ‘comfortable’ way, felt a good flow and consistency through runs, though the last 3 were excrutiatingly tough.
Thanks for the information mekstrand, gives me something to aim to be able to do by just after christmas, as the championships are in February.
Intensive Tempo
3 x 4 x 100m in ~ 13.75secs with 45secs walk recover
[b]Weights
BB Bench Press[/b]
44lbs x 8
154lbs x 6
193lbs x 5
187lbs x 6
187lbs x 6
187lbs x 6
Pull Up Narrow Reverse
BW x 9
BW x 7
Pull Up Narrow Negatives
BW x 3 x 10secs
Barbell Explosive Side Lunge
44lbs x 4
110bs x 6
110lbs x 6
110lbs x 6
DB Military Press
77lbs x 6
77lbs x 6
77lbs x 6
Glut/Box - Straight Leg
BW x 3 x 10
Flexibility
20 mins static stretching
TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 2 hours 15 mins
Comments:
Did this session in the middle of the day to make sure I adapt to the conditions I will be running in come competition. Felt really good in each session, except maybe a little tired by the weights, and it reflected in the numbers I put up.
Agreed. There is a higher-level aerobic factor in the 400m than many “outsiders” understand. It is still a sprint to 300m but then it’s about maintenance of the highest order, so that’s where Clyde Hart’s stuff on the 40-second efforts in training or the split runs (300+150 or 200+200).
Gez the other things I was concerned about were the volume of activity in the weightsroom, and the Saturday session involving starts following Friday’s intensive tempo session. Just be cautious - and that’s a anti-intuitive when you’re doing starts. Maybe you could do starts another day - not after doing a teardown session (then again I suppose it depends a lot on what you do in your “intensive tempo”).
You may find that you will have extra energy for the track if you can par down the volume of exercises in the gym. The core exercises in the weightsroom can be cleans/powercleans, bench and back-squat. That’s really all you need to get things rolling. And if you’re rushed for time, you know the cleans or p/cleans will cover it all well enough to at least maintain your strength.
But the big message is that weights is only a supplement to the running which tends to consume most of your available energy/effort in a program developed appropriate to the 400m especially.
All those core stabliser and ballistic (speed-strength/power) and power-endurance exercises can be delivered in medicine-ball supplementary exercises or circuits (see Charlie’s DVDs on the subject).
I couldn’t agree more with KK’s assesment of your weight program.
We used to lift 4-5 times a week. Last year we went to 4 days during gpp. Then 3 days during direct comp.finishing with 2days a week during peaking. Focussing mainly on snatch,clean, bench press,back squat and pushpress. (not all in one session)
Athletes made ample strength gains, yet felt fresher throughout the week. I think cutting back on the weight sessions helped us with our track wo’s.
Now I let them lift more in the summer(off season) when the running is more general and less intensive.
Thanks for your input KitKat, it’s really helpful. It is just I went to a Strength & Conditioning company (they do the S&C work for pro basketball teams and one of the worlds best swimmers) who have designed my programs after completing a video analysis of my running technique, and ‘apparently’ this program is designed to help with my hip stability, which is quite poor. I actually queried them about why the volume of the lifting was so high when I was moving into a much higher intensity/volume period of my running training, and he said its how they do it.
They’ve also taken care of my physical testing so far (vert, speed, strength, flexibility etc) so I feel it would be hard to stop dealing with them this far into it all.
The thing about the program also is that I don’t find it too taxing as such, with only 1 really intense exercise each session, and only 2 sessions per week.
I guess though he did admit to their company not being very experienced in dealing with track athletes, so I can see that what I am doing might not be ideal.
With regards to the starts that revolves more around the technique of the starts then actually doing all out block starts etc, but do understand what you are saying, I think though those sessions will now be on Sundays so it shouldn’t be too bad, as long as I keep that day between the intensive stuff and the starts work.
Oh yeah don’t get me wrong I wasn’t trying to discount what KitKat was saying especially with his considerable experience, it is just that I was giving the reasons as to why I was doing the work I was doing, and looking for ways that I could still incorporate the hip stability work while decreasing the load I was doing. I have done heaps of lifting with squats/deads/cleans etc and my hip stability was still shit even though my strength was ok, so had to go looking for other ways to train to overcome this.
By “Hip Stability” are you talking about pelvic lateral tilt?
If so, a lot of that can be overcome using a couple of simple exercises which work the lower abs, down around the pubic area.
Then you need to be “aware” of what you’re doing when you run and that means having an experienced set of eyes to watch you from front-on and from behind when you do your straightline runs at tempo pace. When someone is there to tell you what your pelvis (manifesting as hips dropping and rising side-to-side) is doing, you can know what it feels like to do it wrong. When they tell you it’s good when you’re doing it right (or at least better), then you’ll know what that feels like. And you’re on your way.
I reckon it’s a 50-50 proposition; half proprioception in nature & half a specific strength issue. Together it results in control (or lack of if you/anyone have not addressed the issues).