Help with competition phase training / volume.

The Forums New to training
1

Hello all,

I’m 34 and run the masters 100m and 200m. I’m 6’3, 192 lbs (hopefully 185 for my peak in August). This is my first year competing. I would really like to run below 12.25 and break 25.00 in the 200m at the North American Masters in Clermont, FL in late August.

I have a few questions. My 100m pb is 12.61 (+0.6) which I ran in early June. I ran a 12.79 100m (-0.3 as well as a rotten start) in late June and haven’t run since due to the fact I’m in the southern US for the summer, and there are few meets in my area (Fayetteville, AR). My 200m pb is 25.41

I am running at the North American Masters meet in Clermont, Fl in late August.

I just have a couple of questions regarding my training.

As this is my competition phase (more or less), my coach has me taking it easy on the weights.

  1. I am currently doing the upper body circuit 2 to 3 times per week (usually on tempo days later in the evening). I feel this is really helping with my upper body strength. Is this an OK thing to be doing twice a week on tempo days?

  2. I have not been doing the medball circuit as part of my tempo workout as recommended in GPP Essentials. I do abs two or three times per week, but usually for no more than 10 minutes per day. Should I add some medicine ball throws in? Which ones are most important that I could do on my own? I’m currently usually training solo.

  3. My coach has me taking it especially easy on weights for my legs, as I did strain my back slightly doing deadlifts (320 lbs) in late May. I am currently only doing Bulgarian split squats, with some Smith machine squats. My free weight squat form is not very good. Should I continue with Smith machine squats for safety, or should I avoid them altogether? What volume / intensity?

  4. Should I do some deadlifts for maintenance, perhaps at a lighter weight? Should this be done twice per week after speed?

Thank you for your input.

Sincerely,

T

2

  1. What are you doing with the upper body and how heavy/volume per session?

  2. I dont see the need to be doing a lot of abs or med ball throws, some should be done, but I dont see the need for a lot in competition phase.

  3. I wouldnt change it around now, but as soon as the seasons done, you NEED to start doing real squats, smith machine squats just give you a false form and do not nearly develop the other muscles involved in squatting as they should.

  4. Deadlifts drain the CNS too much although Im not sure at your level if this is a problem at all. But deadlifts may be too straining on your back as you had a problem with this earlier, especially being done after speed work. Once a week at most for deadlifts.

3

I am running at the North American Masters meet in Clermont, Fl in late August.

I am competing in late August, too (M35 as well).

As this is my competition phase (more or less), my coach has me taking it easy on the weights.

Late August is still far, I would do some specific preparation for another two weeks (well, that’s what i am doing…).

  1. I am currently doing the upper body circuit 2 to 3 times per week (usually on tempo days later in the evening). I feel this is really helping with my upper body strength. Is this an OK thing to be doing twice a week on tempo days?

I do twice a week after speed, upper and lower body, very low volume, alternating max strength and power endurance.

  1. I have not been doing the medball circuit as part of my tempo workout as recommended in GPP Essentials. I do abs two or three times per week, but usually for no more than 10 minutes per day. Should I add some medicine ball throws in? Which ones are most important that I could do on my own? I’m currently usually training solo.

I do no medball and no abs. My abs got stronger and bigger by doing heavy 1/4 squats (now at 210Kg, but I might try 220Kg next week).

  1. My coach has me taking it especially easy on weights for my legs, as I did strain my back slightly doing deadlifts (320 lbs) in late May. I am currently only doing Bulgarian split squats, with some Smith machine squats. My free weight squat form is not very good. Should I continue with Smith machine squats for safety, or should I avoid them altogether? What volume / intensity?

I wouldn’t use the Smith machine. I’d suggest squat, lunge and standing calves raises.

  1. Should I do some deadlifts for maintenance, perhaps at a lighter weight? Should this be done twice per week after speed?

I never felt too drained by DLs but I prefer the squat/lunge combo.

4

What do you need to make it to the finals in the m35 age group in the 100 and 200 for this meet?

5

Thanks Track Man and sprinterouge for your comments.

The upper body circuit is as follows:

Intensity= 65-75% of estimated 1 rep max

bench 3x10
cable lat pulldowns 3x10
bench dips 3x15
dumbbell rows 3x10
dumbbell military press 3x10
seated rows 3x10

This is the beginner upper body workout suggested by Charlie’s GPP DVD to build muscle cross section. I am a major ectomorph!

Should I mix in a day of lower rep higher intensity upper body work? Or perhaps increase weight and decrease reps to 8,6,4 to blend?

For legs I shouldn’t have said I’ve been doing Smith squats. I only did them once and was contemplating including Smith squats going forward. My regular squat form is truly terrible- I lean forward too much- and I don’t want to get hurt before the end of the season. I can learn proper squats and Olympic lifts starting in next season’s GPP.

I am pretty good at trap bar deadlifts, so if I can re-insert those once (or twice) a week at a safe weight instead of squats, would that be OK?

I don’t think CNS drainage should be an issue at my level, I was only lifting 320 lbs with the DL’s when we stopped them in early June. I was doing 3x3x320 lbs, 5 mins rest between sets. Should I continue with this set/rep/weight combo, or drop weight and increase reps?

I like the Bulgarian split squats, so I’m thinking I’ll keep those in. I usually do 3x10. Is this OK at this point in the season?

I don’t do any calf work, but I can start doing some raises. How high should reps be on calf raises? 3x20?

Thanks very much for the input. NYC Jay, I have no idea what it takes to make the M35 final, but I can assure you I will be eating a banana watching it from the sidelines. I’d say 10.85 maximum, but that’s just a guess.

6

Forget calf work, not needed anyways, you can do some after the seasons done but drills and such give calves plenty of work.

Your reps should all be 8 at the highest, keep them 4-6.
You dont need to be doing all that upper body work at this point, just focus on the bench press and you can try and set a personal record in that.

What about power cleans?

7

I don’t know how to do them properly, and I’m away from my coach, so I think it’s probably smart for me to wait until next season to start with Olympic lifts. I don’t want to get hurt!

T

8

Forget calf work, not needed anyways, you can do some after the seasons done but drills and such give calves plenty of work.

Despite the fact that Charlie wrote it in Speed Trap, I don’t think this is a training pirinciple, i.e. applies to everybody all the time. The calves would be the only “prime mover” not to need specific strengthening. Even if that was true, we would need to assess if the actual work performed by an athlete is sufficient.

9

I was thinking 11 low to make it to the top 8. I am at 11 high FAT so I am not going to waste my time with spending all my money on flights and hotels etc. I would rather save that money and invest it on a trip to see Charlie and get better for indoors…

10

I am lucky enough to live in Toronto, so I see Charlie from time to time at York when he’s at the track working with people. I would love to get an assessment by his team. It would probably really help!

That being said, I don’t think its a waste of time to run any Masters event. I’m running against myself, just trying to achieve personal bests- I’m not going to set the world on fire with my current 100m or 200m times. I’d eventually like to coach track, but if I can’t do it, I really can’t teach it.

Also, I think it’s important for me personally that there is a culminating meet where I can unload and try to hit a personal best. It will keep me motivated for next season, as well as get me used to competing in higher pressure situations.

11

Ya then definitely wait till seasons done to learn cleans. Form is critical in O lifts.