Interesting that he talks about the same workouts each year, the only difference being the speed and the decreased rest. Almost sounds like it is a cookie cutter approach where you just do the workouts and IF you can adapt you get better. What happens to the people who can’t adapt to the workouts?
we become coaches and try to figure out the answers to your question 
I would think Hart (and the non-improving athletes) would get very bored doing the exact same training each year.
And Wariner only first saw MJ’s 400 record just last year? Sheesh.
With regards to Harts training,if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Having said that he actually is changing the training. He is shortening the rest btwn rep’s.This may not sound like much,but reread the article. J.W. gives personal testimony as to what a big difference this has made.
reducing recoveries is tough. if you are doing 200m reps w/ 2min recovery, drop it to 1:30, or even 1:45, and you will immediately notice the difference.
If you can keep the pace exactly the same, you know you are getting fitter - and if you can go faster - even better
its all about a slow progression to where you want to be. Instead of running 8x200 w/3min recovery, and the reps get faster and faster all year - to the point where it may cause injury, you can simply reduce the recovery bit by bit
Rhetorical question? Many do not adapt well, but the program remains the same. Don’t get me wrong, Coach Hart does adapt it over time, as has been discussed, but you are essentially correct, it is a “cookie cutter” approach.
To some it’s boring. Others like the approach consistant and knowing what to expect.
As I have stated, Coach Hart is the master of his program, understanding the nuances of what his top people need to improve. So to him it isn’t boring, knowing what small aspects to change/fine tune is the key to success. As with Charlie and other successful coaches their is an unwavering belief in their own methods. This is shared by the athletes and that is worth more than many are willing to accept.
It’s the same progression that he did with MJ as he improved and the standard sessions became to comfortable.
Other than Sanya Richards, has Coach Hart ever coached a top female 400m athlete?
Yes this is a rhetorical question :rolleyes:
Hi all,
This morning i came up with an - according to me 
- very interesting question.
Every sprinter knows about ‘shin splits’. I do have shin split injurie every time we start doing some faster track workout after the GPP phase in the winter. I wanted to compare shin splits with a training routine, a general year plan, and see how it fit (or don’t !) into the Concurrent Model that KitKat suggest. I explain what i mean:
Our anual plan is like this: 2-3months GPP (without spikes !) then 1 month easily adding some faster track work on spikes, followed with the usual hard and fast spikes trainings. This is the winter program, in general lines, and after that we do one month or so GPP without spikes, then again easily adding some spike-work…as a preparation for a hopefully very fast summer.
It is in the latest weeks of the NON-spike work, and at the beginning of the spikes work-outs i usually feel the shin-splits comin up.
So i was wondering…KK’s plan of training according to the concurrent model makes us do some spike-work tru al the year (every week in fact)…well how about the shin splits ? Is this aproach more ‘friendly’ for to my precious shins ?
My question can be answered with the answer on how we create these shin split injuries, but i was thinking it would be worth the thinking in this topic about 400m training; these type of sprinters have also some hard workouts on flats and thus create a lot of tension on the shins…
To prevent shin splints as much as possible you need to make sure you don’t change surfaces too quickly (e.g. straight from grass to track) and then you have to keep the claves as loose as possible because most sprinters have extremely tight calves. It can be prevented with lots of work but it isn’t easy.
As you say, essentially it is a question of Adaptation and Rehabilitation: too much change (in volume, intensity, surface etc) will bring on shin-splints; so rehabilitation & regeneration are needed to keep the beast at bay.
KK, I saw you received some 100m splits from PJ…If u receive some 400m splits can u plz post them here ? It would add again some really nice value to this topic !
PHOTOS FROM IAAF.com and NIKON :
Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic competes in the Men’s 400m Hurdles Final
(What a nice start !)
Martyn Rooney of Great Britain, David Gillick of Ireland and Jeremy Wariner of the United States of America compete during the Men’s 400m Heats
(What a nice relaxation !)
What a great contrast.
Astounding form maintenance so late in the race.
It’s incredible to see how little his ‘small’ body cramps up. He just keep running ‘light’ tru all the race!
Meritt also ran quite impressive. But the difference came in the last 90-80m … like Charlie said…form maintenance !!!
Edit :
Some nice comments we got from Micheal Johnson BBC : It’s very important to start like it’s a 200m…one has to put a lot of energy in getting onto race speed; but if one is running at race speed after only 60m you can start to relax much faster, then if u need 80-100m to get to race speed…
10.75 20.92 31.58 37.18 43.45 Wariner
10.77 20.88 31.68 37.47 43.96 Merritt
10.88 20.90 31.88 37.83 44.32 Taylor
(world record splits)
11.10 21.22 31.66 --.-- 43.18 Johnson Sevilla99)
THESE IAAF SPLITS FORWARDED FROM OSAKA . THANKS PJ