GPP with greater strength and speed component

Track & Field 100m
1

Please give your opinions on the following GPP. There maybe more of an influence on speed and strength to usual which would be more suitable for an athlete who has been out for some time.

GPP 8 weeks

Speed Conditioning/maintenance (grass or track)

Wk1:
Monday: 85% pace/1 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 20/30m accel

Thursday: 87% pace/1 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 20/30m accel

Wk2:
Monday: 89% pace/1 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Thursday: 91% pace/1 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Wk3:
Monday: 93% pace/1 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Thursday: 95% pace/1/1.5 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Wk4:
Monday: 97% pace/1.5 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Thursday: 99% pace/1.5/2 minute rest: 5 x flying 20m. 5 x 30m accel

Maintain the above at 99% pace until end of GPP. The 5x30m accel in one of the sessions can be dropped in place of hill accel from wk 5 onwards.

Weights (only working sets shown) Either after speed or as shown

Wk1:
Tuesday: 1x10

    Friday: 2x10 (2-3 mins rest)

Wk2:
Tuesday:3x10 (2-3 mins rest)

    Friday: 5x5 (powerfully using weight

corresponding to 10rm, 1 min rest ie. EDT (charles staley)

Wk3:
Tuesday: 5x5 (increase the weight or the reps to 6 and use same rest)

    Friday: 5x5

Wk4:
Tuesday: 3x10 (superset if desired)

    Friday: 5x5

Wk5:
Tuesday: 3x10

   Friday: 5x5

Etc.
This is a loose example to show that 5x5 could be used in place of 3x10 to help maintain strength effectively and also to alleviate staleness to higher reps.

Hills: Either after weights or in place of weights on Tuesdays and Fridays (weights then being moved to post speed)

Wks 1-4 Endurance (inc Blood H+) tolerance
5/6 reps x 85% effort for a length of approx 60-70 metres on reasonable incline that allows decent technique. 2-3 minutes rest
As sessions progress gradually increase the % effort keeping rest and length approx the same.

Wks 5-8 Maintain/improve endurance & develop power
1st session as above
2nd session atleast 5 x 5 x 20-30m accel runs. Here the speed accel runs on the track can be dropped for the 2nd sessions of the week.
(or vice versa for the above sessions)

Ext Tempo
Wednesday and saturday

2

Rest between runs seems somewhat short (only 1-1,5min.)? Is there a specific reason for this?

I guess the percentages aren’t written in stone, as it could be difficult to follow them exactly, although there is probably approximately -0,04s progress from each workout. But again, it will be difficult to keep the pace constant with only 1min. rest between runs, especially in the final stages of the workout. Perhaps just cue with something like sub.max / 95% / >95%.

3

1/1.5 minutes feels enough to maintain quality at the lower intensities and prevents longer periods stood around. No fatigue is apparent at these levels.

No the % arent written in stone. Its really just a gradual transition towards near max effort from a safe beginning after time out.

cheers

4

However, >95% cannot be seen as ‘lower intensities’, and consequently, if speed development is emphasized over conditioning, the 1,5min. rest feels inadequate. Of course it also depends on the build up; but if the standard 30-40m is used, we’re talking 50-60m sprints here, and that subsequently will have an effect on ATP recovery.

5

Well the 1.5 is only a guide really. If I didnt think that it was enough Id increase it to 2 minutes or so. The emphasis here though (for myself atleast) is conditioning of the muscle fibres and not the CNS. I feel they can still be conditioned well to speed with shorter rest than would be optimal for true speed sessions. I get alot of soreness in the hams when starting back and it is this that is of most importance. The CNS would be optimised later in the true speed phase, as would the muscle fibre itself. The short rest has 2 main benefits, it limits staleness since it is only GPP and it can speed the recovery of ATP regeneration which would be very useful in the speed phase.

6

If the short rests are a means towards lower speeds, I can see your point -not that I agree; however, “conditioning your muscles fibres” in this way, you have to think, which muscle fibres are really conditioned?

7

Atleast 99% pace is not ‘lower speed’ which ever way you look at it. There wont be a problem with the fast twitch IIB recruitment

8

I’d be more concerned about de-conditioning neuromuscular function (slower turnover) than conditioning muscle fibers with those short rests. I think the consensus view here is that you can only work on technique with short flying sprints when acceleration, SE II, etc., is not yet in place. You constrain the speed of the flying sprints early not by constraining the rest, but by shortening the lead-in (60m total with the accleleration portion being not over 30m).

I get around the pain aspect from starting up by doing longer sprints initially after a break (80m flying or 100m standing) which also limits the amount of time spent at peak speed without constraining rest.

9

I just had to chuckle when I read the title of this thread - “GPP with greater strength and speed component.” Isn’t that essentially SPP :slight_smile:

10

I’d be more concerned about de-conditioning neuromuscular function (slower turnover) than conditioning muscle fibers with those short rests.

There would be no conditioning since I have been out too long

11

Should I have called it ‘GPP with slightly greater speed and strength component’ then?

I do feel that I need a speed element sooner rather than later and wouldnt become stale since Ive been out a while. Charlie does say to maintain speed thoughout also.

12

Well, here’s the thing, you can’t really work on speed until you have the acceleration in place necessary to get your there. GPP, as outlined in the DVD, provides a nice progressive way to develop acceleration and a smooth transition into true speed work. It also provides the foundation necessary to build to greater performances throught the season. Note that during GPP, sprint work is not neglected…you will be doing at least hill work 3x week as well as weights. Do you have a copy of the GPP DVD?

13

I dont actually have the GPP DVD but the speed work I would be doing is only to condition the fibres against soreness etc. By the time SPP comes I will have the acceleration in place, in part due to the hill and 30m accel runs in GPP