hey everyone, im sick of being always injured. i have followed many programs for track sprinting including the GPP but the volume is always too much for me and i pull my hamstring or hurt my ankle. my new goal is to stay injurie free while making progress. i was just wondering what is the absolute least amount of training i could do and still make progress? i was thinking one speed session, one tempo session and one weights session per week, any help would be great
IMO you could cut the track/general strength volume in 1/2 if you need to.
i have a problem recovering from flat out speed sessions no matter what the volume, as long as i do at least one sprint i will be sore in my hamstrings for days afterwords. do you think what i have posted would result in progress?
Sounds like there are probably other (soft tissue?) issues besides the volume you’re doing. I don’t think you’re gonna get much out of 1 speed and 1 weights session per week.
yes i have overactive hamstrings/weak glutes which limits the amount of speed work I can do due to the soreness. I am currently seeing a chiropractor to sort this out. he believes it is due to my pelvic tilt
It is an important question you have raised because, apart from the injury issue, everyone needs to find the most efficient and economical pathway to improved and optimal performance, while training must be fitted comfortably into the overall living agenda.
Perhaps you can back away from entire sessions of max velocity and just open up for shorter distances, either from standing starts (for accel) or just for 5 to 10metres on the run in a matrix of tempo (or even intensive tempo) training while you work with your chiropractor or others to source and resolve the cause of your injuries.
Take a close look at the structure of your training program - make sure you take recovery-regeneration days (perhaps two or even three per week until you resolve issues) and don’t allow the performance threads to stack up on themselves (be disciplined about not permitting high intensity work on consecutive days).
But you must sort out your glute strength and firing sequence issues with your chiro or others appropriately educated in such matters.
Yes this seems logical. I think I will go ahead with a combination of tempo and maybe a few 5-10m sprints from a run in. As long as i stay free from injury even small improvements would be great. Much appreciated.
Hamstring issues are usually an intensity issue but can be aggravated by too much volume of the high intensity portion of the program for your specific case. Remember, everything we describe here is a method, not a prescription and you need to adjust up or down to suit your own specific circumstances.
I’ll keep that in mind. Yes it’s only the high intensity sprinting that causes pain so cutting down on the speed work may help. Hopefully a good dose of reverse hyperexetensions will also wake up my glutes so they take some of the strain of my hams.
Of course you could just be running with bad form!
Progressive loading through deadlifting is the best long term solution for hamstring problems.
Interesting. Can you elaborate on that Sharmer please? Is is to do with the fact they encourage gluteal firing? I find wide squats encourage that if that is the case. However, due to a shoulder issue I am not really able to squat. If that is the case, would you recommend sumo deadlifts?
When I look back through my training diary when I was running my best, I was not really doing as much as I remember, but I had done a intense fitness year prior to that, so I am still trying to work out exactly what I put my performance down to! The 2004-05 season I was training with an ex-army PT who predominantly coached 400 and 800 athletes, so there was a high volume, and I ran ok off that to be honest, then the following year from the November I switched to training with elite sprintetrs and when I check my diary, speed work is done year round, at least once per week, and there is a fairly intensive tempo session done also, but by no merans as difficult as what I did the year before. Thoughts?