Crunch - 50 reps
Oblique Crunch - 25 reps each Side
Prone Bridge - 30secs approx
Crunches w/ Legs up - 100 reps
—Notes—
Tempo runs were pretty good. Got my heart going and blood flowing. Started to tire towards the last one.
The ab workout was good. I was recommend by Pindaman to do work on my abs. So i decided to take his advice and do some abs. And it felt good, abs were burning like crazy. going to increase reps over the coming weeks.
Overall, not a bad workout. Everything was going smoothly. And everything with my training is going smoothly atm as well.
Squats i didn’t go as heavy as i wanted to because i ran Cross Country today at school and my legs were still sore. But thats the last of endurance for me.
Benchpress was average. but expect these numbers to go up
The two back exercises were average also.
Crunches were good. felt a good burn and such.
Overall, a good session. these numbers should be going up over the next couple months.
Hmm, well I was going to lay out a massive program, but it seems like you have a good idea of how things should work. Here are just a few guidelines to remember and then you’re off and running, make sure to have fun with it!
-For tempo, you optimally want to work up to the 1800 - 2400m range with each run being the same as the last, eventually it will start to feel relatively and start to just be boring, so that’s when you make it more taxing a bit by doing things like changing the distances of the runs (go for 200m, or weird distances like 150 or 170 to keep it fresh), abs and/or pushups in between, and shortening rest breaks
-Make sure to alternate high intensity days (sprints, weights, plyos) with low intensity days (tempo, general strength exercises) and in your case take off at least two days a week
-For sprints, I’d generally recommend no more than 20 - 25 runs in any one session (maybe a little less in as you get into it) and start out not going over 300 - 400m in volume, eventually working up to the 500m range in total volume. Make sure to be taking full recovery between runs, and a good rule of thumb is one minute of rest for every 10m travelled (in your case, you can shorten it up a bit since you arent running as fast, so you can just do the next run when you feel fresh, which will usually be a little faster, especially with the acceleration training)
-In weightlifting, I’d recommend starting with a higher number of reps (12-15 range) and then as time progresses periodize it so you start to decrease reps while pushing the weight up and adding sets to keep volume relatively stable. On every 4th week do an ‘unloading’ week where you do about half the volume to stay fresh. Also, if progress starts to stagnate then be sure to rotate exercises (ie go from bench to DB bench or incline, from squat to deadlift, etc)
-The general progression for running should be to establish acceleration, then establish top speed (Max Velocity or MaxV), and then add speed endurance to those two elements to create the strong 100m you’re looking for. Keep that in mind when planning your training as you go on…
-I know in another post you said supplements were overrated, but I think the value of a post-workout protein shake is hard to beat after high intensity training, especially in weightlifting. If I were you, I’d seriously consider buying just that (no need for creatine or anything fancy if you don’t feel comfortable with it), and look for something with 25 - 30g protein and around 40 - 45g of carbs that’s relatively low in fat. Take immediately after training on high intensity days, and it will make all the difference in the world.
thanks for all of that. that was very helpful. about the supplements, i have some protein powder but i rarely take it as i normally finish my workouts when my dad has dinner ready to eat, but i will take a shake also.
how long should i focus on accerlation? then max v? speed endurance? like maybe 2 months accerlation, 2 months max v and a month of speed endurance for a 5 month time frame?
also, about that, and i quote “massive program”, do you mind posting it, or pm it to me. as i am interested in all sorts of programs and stuff. i mean, if that is alright.
and diet MisterC. i can’t much helpful info anywhere about a good diet. So could you help me out here.
If you can, try and take the protein shake immediately after training, then wait and have dinner 45 minutes after that. Maybe start your workouts earlier so you finish before dinner is done around your house?
For the acceleration/maxV/speed endurance thing, I’ll have to think about it. It’s not quite that simple, but that is the general idea. I’ll get to that when I have time, as well as that program I spoke about. Most often it’s better if you make your own program based on what you’ve learned, and then put it up for others to look at or PM it to me to take a look and then based on that feedback you make adjustments. You do that a couple of times and then you get your final version and that’s what you stick with. So go ahead and give that a shot first, and if you’re wrong, somebody will point it out to you and you can fix it. Just give an honest effort and follow the guidelines outlined above and you’ll be on the right track. BE specific as to what you’re doing as well, don’t just put “acceleration work.” Put, 10x10, 10x20, 10x30 (that’s just an example, but be specific).
As for diet, I’ll see if I can dig up an article later, but as a general rule eat ‘clean.’ That means try and avoid processed foods, stay away from too many sugars and High GI carbs, stay away from foods high in saturated fats, eat good fats (unsaturated fats, like from nuts or cottage cheese, look on the labels for these kind of things), and try and find ways to get protein into your diet as much as you can. Grilled chicken and fish are always great options meat-wise. Also, try and eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can for antioxidants and recovery abilities. I find I alway feel better when I eat more of those. Stay hydrated, and drink at least 3 liters of water a day, I generally shoot for 5 liters when I’m in training. In your case, eat often and eat a lot. If you want to put on weight and get stronger you’re gonna need the energy to do so. Those are just some of the general things I try to keep in mind throughout the day. I’ll see if I can find an article that explains better than I and that will help you understand more the importance of nutrition.
Like I said, when I get time I’ll do some more of that stuff to help you out, but in the mean time just start working on that program, include running and weights, and when you’re done I’d be more than happy to help out. Stick with the training man, hard work definitely pays off.
Now before i write a really long thankyou post, i got just a couple more questions…
Someone stated that i should try and get massage’s often. Do you think i should? I was thinking of maybe getting massages on Thursday and Sunday, as they are my off days. There is a women who lives a couple houses down from me who does them, plus there is a girl on my school bus that can do a couple whenever she is on. Good idea?
Also, what are some other good muscle recovery? minus ice/cold baths because it is winter here.I want to make sure my muscles fully recover and such.
Oh yeah, one last thing, i have got Zone Athletics coming up on the 14th of June. Zone is the next level of competition from my school. And i want to try and make it on in one of my events, either 100m, 200m or Long Jump. My question is, should i just continue training what i am doing now or something? i think i should just train how i am now, but say the week leading up, try and just back of the load a little bit so i am fully refreshed. again, good idea?
Yes, massages could be the single greatest recovery tool in my opinion, but it is often a case of money when getting them, or I’d get it done every day! If you can swing it, try and go at least once a week, and it seems like you have a pretty sweet arrangement so not only that, but you can go in whenever you feel tight or something’s really bothering you.
Minus ice baths you can use just a plain old ice pack, use heat before you run, and make sure to stretch at night.
For your zone athletics thing, I’d say just keep training and leading up to the competition you can back off, that’s easily adjusted for. Sure, go for it, it’d be a good idea to see where your times are in some of the events you want to be doing in 5 months or so.
And MisterC, from the bottom of my heart, i want to thank you. The information you have went out of your way to deliver is very useful. You have helped me gain a little more knowledge about sprinting and helped clear up questions. That is something a book or dvd can’t do, because i can’t tell them what the problem is. So thankyou, and i will make sure i go as well as i can.
Also a couple more people to thank is Pindaman and Rapsmvp, as well as tc0710 these three guys have been great helping me.
Stay tune, i can see some big things happening here, and there are a couple people who are responsible for it.
Thanks again to MisterC, Pindaman, Rapsmvp and Tc0710
Squats were good considering i just done sprinting. I decided not to the up the weight, but i will do so next week on Wednesday.
Benchpress was lower this session, but for a reason. I am going to slowly work my bench up from a comfortable weight, and 30kg was comfortable. So these will go up slowly
The back exercises were normal.
Overall, good workout. Everything felt right, smooth and such.
I was meant to do tempo runs today, but i totally forgot. One reason was it was a Saturday, and i finished school for the week. but thats no excuse for missing a workout.
My first bump in the road. My goal is not to miss a workout for 2 months, maybe 3.
I am really mad at myself for this, but i was told to forget about it and don’t try and make up for it.
Today i didn’t totally rest. Today me and my older brother was cutting/splitting wood, so i had to pick up blocks and carry them and such. And they weighed a good 15kg, some, not all.
Question for MisterC
MisterC, i have just been thinking, in my weights there are no exercises for my traps, shoulders, forearms or calves. However, three of the four are my most lagging bodypart. Can i do anything about this?
Thoughts of the Week
Well for my first week, everything was good. Apart from the missed workout yesterday, all workouts were attended and not cut short. As normally i would try and cut my workouts, but not this time.
My body has not changed yet, from what i can see. But my mental aspect has greatly increased. I am feeling alot more confident, seeing myself as an athlete more and such. My spirits are really growing.
I am really eagar to keep on training and see how i go at Zone, thats my goal. I want to jump mid 5m, so around 5.45-60m. I want to run mid 12s in the 100m and get around the low 27s mark in the 200m.
I have not been following a clean diet or anything as of yet. But i am slowly working on it.
Set 1 - 2x10m . 2x20m . 2x30m
Set 2 - 2x10m . 2x20m . 2x30m
Set 3 - 2x10m . 2x20m . 2x30m
—Notes—
The 10m weren’t the best. I kinda felt my knees twisting and not the proper way. so need to improve this.
20m weren’t bad. i focused on more arm swing then speed.
30m was the one where i tried to focus on speed and form. And it didn’t feel too bad. I feel ik can get my form in pretty well after 15-20m.
Overall, not bad. I was going to stop at the end of the 2nd set, because the sun was down and had no light, but i thought to myself, “I will never improve if i am keep on wussing out and then making excuses” So i did the last set, and i’m happy i did
I know you put it on here somewhere already, but could you give a full weekly breakdown of the weights you are doing? I had thought it seemed like you had enough exercises for development of everything, but if your worried about your shoulders/traps then lets see what you got. As for forearm strength and your calves, I wouldnt spend time training those specifically. Strength/size in those areas will come as a result of lifting weights for other purposes and sprinting itself.
If you are concerned about your shoulders/traps, then throw in an overhead press of some kind and maybe a one-armed row or something of that nature. I never really was concerned with specific muscle groups, but I like to balance push movements with a pull movement, and that would ensure pretty even muscle development.
