Body fat tested this morning at 6.4% down from 10.9% in the summer.
The test used was an Australian sport institute one, 7 sites, arm+waist+hip girth, 2 condyle widths.
Sun. Dec 5th
Last loading day of this cycle, time for rest now.
4x4pt 35m
2xflying 25m
8x5 bounds
3x10 step up jumps per leg
It doesnt look like much, but we stopped early on the fly 25’s, times were not the greatest. In need of some good therapy and recovery over the next week.
Double post
Thursday Dec 9th
I ended up taking tuesday off. Was starting to get sick and it was the start of a rest week so I really needed the rest.
3x15m falling start
4x20m 3pt
4x25m 4pt
Some tempo reps
2x5 squats really light
3x5 bench press
3x5 declined shoulder press
some abs
Already starting to feel better, we’ll see how sunday goes.
http://www.upmygame.com/watchv/4849/0/
One of my starts. Only video taped one and this one I ended up stumbling out pretty bad. 2 things I notice, hips arent high enough and I sink in the set position. Its been a real bad habit of mine.
A positive is that I’ve implemented Charlie’s cue of getting the hand up quickly and letting the elbow come to the side. The difference this has made is huge and measurable. Compared to start videos of last year a 30 degree change in hip angle of the lead leg and 20-30 degree improvement at the lead knee. Quite significant.
that diet must be paying off 
Totally. Its implementation was very successful, and I’ve hit my goal weight and switched back to a healthier maintenance diet. which is pretty much the same diet, but I’m trying something a little different. Instead of increasing my daily caloric intake by 300cals/day, I increased it by 600 on training days only. So it averages out to the same. I read in an old training book that this was a useful strategy to stay lean and still recover well from workouts.
Workouts have been going so bad lately. My coach’s workouts, while i dont agree with some of what he does, have too much useless fatigue involved and he does not take care of CNS freshness. As a result my training times have gotten worse and worse. Even after 1 easy week.
My 35m touchpad starts go as follows:
Week 7- 4.33s
Week 10- 4.30s
Week 12- 4.33s
Week 14- 4.47s
Week 15- 4.46s
Week 16- 4.40s
During the past 4 weeks, all my lifts are down, all my bounds are down, my top speed is down and so is my acceleration. This is a clear cut sign of CNS overload, yet my coach thinks it because my strength levels have dropped. So frustrating. So at this stage I basically threatened that he give me more rest throughout the upcoming few weeks and reduced the workload on days or I will leave and do my own thing. I’m hoping things will bounce back once enough recover is taken.
I’ll be doing 2 workouts a week from now on until my speed has returned over the christmas break.
Who are you to judge your coach under the eyes of the world ,boy?
I am his athlete. I think athletes have the right to expect performance improvements at the right times. I’m not completely worried at this point because I do believe that my performance will bounce, but only given the right circumstances. My performance will be the ultimate judge of my coach. I havent given up on him yet. I also treat this thread as a journal of sorts and I write down all my thoughts, whatever they may be. So that I can go back at times and review my thoughts and how I was feeling during certain periods. That gives me the right.
Anyway, we have planned a series of lowered intensity workouts around some higher intensity ones.
Today
3x5 bench press
8x70m hills
refreshing
I understand. Thank you.
So a little bit of work today, got a meet on saturday so nothing more than some activation stuff.
warm up
4 easy accels
6xblock starts
We tested the vertical on the jump mat and I set a new personal best of 37.5. My previous bests in Sept and Oct were always around 36 high. So this might be a good sing of my CNS bouncing back finally. We’ll see for sure at this meet.
Definately some sinking in the set position. you seem slightly bunched up…your initial step and hand motion looks great…now this is serious nitpicking and I am not a biomechanist, but from my observartion your first 3 steps are very solid and your body angle rises ever so slightly but starting at the 4th step it looks like you drop your angle further instead of keeping the gradual rise in the drive phase…
thats a great website by the way I like all of the tools for the videos
He drops because he stumbles I believe.
Thanks for the comments. In this particular start I did stumble on the 4th step or so. Unfortunately this was the only start I did that day that was filmed.
I tend to sink a lot when in the starting blocks. I’m not entirely sure what is causing it. I think my position in the set position needs to be tweaked a little. Might have something to do with my block spacings too. Any suggestions? I have a short torso, so this might be causing some weird hip to shoulder height issues.
At the meet on the 18th of Dec. I ended up running a 7.12s. It was a funny meet, a very quick one. They only had heats and in my race the guy next to me ended up false starting really badly, but they didnt have a 2nd gunner, nor did the main gunner call us back. Threw me off a little bit, but nonetheless, I had a decent start.
I was feeling very fried so I took a week off for the holidays.
Mon Dec. 27th
6x60m FEF, taking them failry easy
4x vertical jumps on the jump mat, 37"
3x5 squats
From now on, we’re going to take a slightly different approach to recovery. We’re going with the 72hrs between sprint workouts, instead of the 48hrs. I think this is a little better to make sure the fatigue doesnt accumulate, and that I’m fresh for each workout.
Thurs Dec 30th
3x15m falling starts
3x20m 3pt
3x25m 4pt
4x30m sleds
6x5 bounds
3x5 squats
3x10 bench
Sun Jan 2nd
3xflying 25m
2xflying 50m
4x10 hurdle hops
5x10 high knee bounds
2x10 squats
3x10 bench
Tues Jan 4th
Relay pass practice (nothing fast)
4x200m tempo with 2mins rest
Thurs Jan 6th
Relay pass practice (sub max accels)
2x250 @ 30.3s
2x10 squats
3x10 bench
Bit of an easy mid week, my coach says that sunday will be another high int. speed session.
Sun Jan 9th
Big stimulation day. I think me and my coach have found the right mix of stim and recovery. Things are coming back to where they once were quite quickly.
3xflying 25m
Down to 2.44s on the third rep and missed the 2nd which was feeling faster. The trend has been over the past 2 1/2 months:
2.40s
2.44s
2.49s
2.53s
2.47s
2.44s+
So a positive
flying 50m: 5.03s
7x15m heads up blocks
My brain wasnt in the right place, false started on one, and wasnt my usual self on the reaction. Think the fatigue from running was getting to me.
5x5 bounds
personal best of about 17.8m, with a 5 step approach in shoes.
2x10 squats
3x10 bench press
I’m still keeping things very general with the weights to avoid excessive CNS fatigue but to keep the strength stimulus. I can finally say with confidence that things are headed in the right direction. The stimulation is well timed with rest. Theres a meet this saturday, and we have opted for a wednesday session and then race saturday as a weekly setup. I’ve used this before and liked the 72hrs pre meet the best.