mike,
The shorter the distance, the more important strength is, especially at the start to overcome inertia. So getting strong is the key here. Once that is in place, then the next thing to check is to make sure your start mechanics are sound.
xlr8
two questions for xlr8,
1. Is your percentages on sldl based on a sldl max or dl? I’ve always thought this exercise was to be done with light weights for higher reps.Please talk about your philosophy on this exercise and how effective do you find it for speed?
2.What are some of the basics of starting mechanics that you would emphasize with young athletes?
Thank-you very much
load47,
Here are my thoughts on your questions…
Originally posted by load47
two questions for xlr8,
1. Is your percentages on sldl based on a sldl max or dl? I’ve always thought this exercise was to be done with light weights for higher reps.Please talk about your philosophy on this exercise and how effective do you find it for speed?
I loosely base it on my max SLDL. The problem is that I don’t ever really try to do a max SLDL. I am uncomfortable going near maxes with this exercise because if I mess up, my back is in a pretty precarious position. Generally, I will keep the weights under 315 lbs, keep my back tight and don’t go down too far (which would cause my back to round.)
Given that the weights are sub maximal, I can usually do sets of 6 or 8 reps with them. However, more recently, since I do them after my sprinting, plyos and squats, I am already rather fatigued, so I have been keeping the reps lower (usually 3 sets of 3 reps)
I can’t really determine if they have a direct effect on speed. They are one component of my whole training program. I do find that the posterior chain work ‘feels’ like a good thing for sprinting and SLDLs provide both a stretch and strength component in the same movement which I think is a positive aspect of the lift. But be careful, you can get some rather severe DOMS with this exercise because of this.
2.What are some of the basics of starting mechanics that you would emphasize with young athletes? Thank-you very much
Well, I’m not sure that I’m the most qualified to answer this. My start is pretty good, but I think that is due to my speed-strength capacity and not my flawless mechanics.
I think the thing that I see most with beginners is that their feet are too close to the line, so they tend to pop straight up instead of driving out. Get their feet in the right place, then cue the arm drive.
The other drill that I really like is where they lie on their stomach and then on command, get up and sprint. This tends to put them in a good drive position naturally.
xlr8
you have written for your tempo runs
-5r x 3s,100m @75%-
i understand the 75% is running intensity
the 100m is distance but how do you break down the rest of it? 5 100m runs back to back three seperate times?
please include rest intervals as well
Are you asking me, load47, or xlr8?
Adi,
Check back through this thread. I’m sure that I covered my current times/weights/heights earlier.
xlr8
Sunday 04.06.03
Football! First game of the season. I had a nice 60yd TD run. Started up the middle, broke it out to the right, then outran both the linebacker and safety angles for to the TD. Seems like the track work this winter helped with my second burst up the sideline.
EMS - abs, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads and feet. 10r x 10s ea
Monday 04.07.03
Rainy and ugly outside.
Basketball shoot around, 6 dunks (plyos?)
Pool, 6 lengths
Recovery
-whirlpool 10min
-sauna 10min
-contast showers 10min
Wednesday 04.08.03
Still rainy and ugly outside (welcome to spring in Maryland!)
Agility
-5-10-5 shuttles 2r x 4s (got a video of this. Initial times seemed to indicate about a 0.1 s improvment but I need to do a more careful analysis)
Med ball circuit - side throws, overhead and chest pass 10r ea
Plyometrics
-depth jumps 6r x 2s
-heidens 10r x 2s
-pogos 20r x 2s
Weights
-snatch 85% 3r x 3s
-squat 85% 3r, 85% 2r x 3s
-db bench 85% 3r x 4s, 65% 12r
-pullups 6, 6
-SLDL 80% 3r x 3s
Recovery
-contrast showers
EMS - same as Sunday
Wednesday 04.09.03
Still rainy
Medicine ball
Tumbling
Extensive ab work and stretching
Thursday 04.10.03
Finally clear enough for some track work but pretty windy.
Speed (~440 m total)
-easy build up to 10yd max speed (~40m total) 4r
-easy build up to 20yd max speed (~ 50m total) 4r
-40yd full speed 2r
Weights - pretty fried from track work, dropped a set off of my planned workout for each exercise. Also, left shoulder a bit sore from all of the bench reps, switched to incline.
-clean 85% 3r x 2s
-hex bar deadlift 85% 3r x 3s
-incline bench 90% 2r x 2s, 70% 12r
-good morning 70% 6r, 80% 6r
-pullup 6, 6
Recovery
-contrast showers
EMS - same as Sunday
Friday 04.11.03
More rain
Easy med ball, strentching
Recovery
-whirlpool 15min
-contrast showers 10min
Saturday 04.12.03
Rest, run around with the kids.
You might appreciate this thread. It has Terrence Newman’s Combine results.
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/viewthread.php?tid=1023&page=1#pid9595
Great thread! Thanks for the pointer.
xlr8
Overall, this was a pretty lousy week. No football (only practice) and I didn’t run particularly fast at the track or lift well at the gym. Then I got sick.
Sunday 04.13.03
Bye week for Football, so we ran a practice instead. About 2 hours, then ran some sprints at the end:
Sprints
- 4 x 30yd
then repeated the following 4x - 1 x 20yd resisted (25# weight drag)
- 1 x 20yd normal
total: 280yds speed work
EMS
- abs, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and feet. 10r x 10s ea
Monday 04.14.03
Tempo
- 5r x 3s, 100m @ 75%
- 20r x 2s pushups
- 20r x 2s situps
Tuesday 04.15.03
Sprints
- 4r x 20yd
- 4r x 40yd
- 2r x 40yd
total: 320yd speed work
Plyos
- alt leg bounding 10r x 4s
- depth jumps (18" box) 6r x 2s
Weights (felt totally fried in gym, cut off workout early…perhaps getting sick?)
- snatch 80% 3r, 85% 2r, 90% 1r, 80% 3r
- squat 80% 3r, 85% 1r
- bench 80% 3r, 85% 1r
Recovery
-contrast showers
EMS - same as Sunday
Wednesday 04.16.03
Tempo
- 5r x 3s, 100m @ 70%
slowed my tempo work down even further because I felt like it was breaking me down instead of helping me recover. Looking back, it could have just been that I was starting to see the cold take hold.
Recovery
-whirlpool
-sauna
Thursday 04.17.03
Felt lousy, rest
Friday 04.17.03
Sick. Thought I would feel better from the day off, but the cold I was fighting kicked into full gear. Missed my track work, plyos, weights and EMS.
Satuday 04.18.03
Still sick
This entire week was lost due to sickness.
The plan was to have a lower volume week in the middle of my 3-1-3 max strength cycle, but I ended up with a no volume week - no track and no weights.
I was fighting a nasty cold at the end of last week. This week, I didn’t start to feel better until Wednesday. But I followed the forum’s advice and took it easy. Managed some easy tempo-style work and pushups on Thursday and Friday, then rested for my football game on Sunday.
I will be interested in seeing how much I lost when I get back on the track and in the weight room next week.
Bet you lost less than you think. This might even be a good thing.
Thanks Mike. I had a football game on Sunday and played well, but hit the track and weight room yesterday and felt stiff and sore. I’m hoping Thursday is better.
xlr8
Weights & track are but a means-to-an-end for a football player. Well done on a good performance on Sunday - where it really matters! 
BTW, have been meaning to say it to you for a while - Great Thread!
Originally posted by gf_200
Weights & track are but a means-to-an-end for a football player. Well done on a good performance on Sunday - where it really matters!BTW, have been meaning to say it to you for a while - Great Thread!
Thanks! It’s nice to know others are interested.
xlr8
Sunday 04.27.03
Football Game
I wasn’t sure what to expect here because I had been sick all week and didn’t get in any significant training, but as it worked out, I had a very good game. I’m playing option-style QB in this offense which means I get to handle the ball on every play; mostly runs but some deep pass plays as well. On the third play from scrimmage, I ran a misdirection to the right, cut up behind a block and made two free defenders miss, then accelerated up the sideline to outrun the safety for a 60yd TD. Later in the half, I ran draw up the middle for a 10yd TD. Then in the third quarter, threw a 40 yd TD pass (on a rope).
Monday 04.28.03
Easy tempo 5r x 3s, 100m @ 65%, felt inordinately tired from the game yesterday. Probably still not fully recovered from illness.
Tuesday 04.29.03
Extra long warmup
Sprints
-60m strides 3r
-50m sprints 3r @ 90%, easy acceleration, hold speed for final 10m
-60m sprints 3r @ 90%, easy acceleration, hold speed for final 10m
330m total speed work
Weights
deadlifts 85% 3r x 3s
bench 75% 6r x 3s
good morning 75% 6r x 2s
pullups 6r x 2s
Wednesday 04.30.03
Tempo
5r, 4r, 100m @ 70%. Foot felt a bit sore, so ended this session early.
Thursday 05.01.03
Rest, didn’t have the energy to face a high intensity workout. Went to bed early.
Friday 05.02.03
Finally felt like I got a good workout in. Can’t make the football game on Sunday, so free to go fast and heavy.
Warmup + 60m strides 3r
Sprints
-50yd 3r x 3s @ 100%. 40yd easy acceleration, then hold speed for 10yd interval. Felt good, near pbs for 10yd flying intervals.
-20yd 3r @ 100%, full acceleration.
Weights
-squat 80% 3r, 90% 2r x 2s, 85% 3r x 2s
-db bench 60% 10r, 70% 8r, 7r
-jackknife 60% 8r, 75% 6r
-incline bench 75% 8r x 2s
-pullup 6r x 2s
Recovery
-contrast showers
Saturday 05.03.03
Rest, fairly wiped out from yesterday’s workout but in a good way 
When you get sick the CNS takes a hit, so you should spread out the CNS work. Comming back on Tues for speed was too soon (Wed would have been better.)
Yes, I think I found that out the hard way! I had to push back my second speed session until Friday anyway (to recover), but that one went pretty well.
Thanks,
xlr8
With no game on tap, you could go Wed, Sat.
Congratulations xlr8 on your new Senior Membership status