Do you have an overarching plan for the weights?
I don’t have the CF Weights For Speed download, but I should get it. In fact, I think I’ll buy it today.
Right now we’re undulating on volume and intensity; we’re in a lower intensity/higher volume block right now in conjunction with our speed emphasis block (because I think speed work hits the CNS so hard, I back off on the weights), but we’re going to ramp up the intensity when we go back down to our acceleration block immediately prior to competition.
Weeks 1-4: Acceleration emphasis, max strength work (between 85% and 100% on key lifts)
Weeks 5-8: Top speed emphasis, general strength work (between 50% and 85% on key lifts)
Weeks 9-11 (11 being the week of our first indoor meet): Acceleration emphasis, top strength work (back up to 85-100%)
For everything, it’s generally for 3 to 4 sets. So in Week 9, Monday we have:
What I struggle with is how to properly handle volume and intensity during the main competition portion of the year. Hopefully, CFWfS will help with this.
Sounds like you guys are on your way for some big personal bests man I hope all goes well! I was totally fried after doing 3 fly 30s with a 30m buildup, I can deff feel his pain lol. I mean even if you guys are in that range, you guys do a lot of reps so sooner or later it’ll catch up to you in the workout lol. For the 300s, do you guys accel up to a certain point and maintain? For maybe a distance of 30m or so? I was reading a thread on how to run the 200, and had the idea of trying to accel for 30/40 and maintaining in some 150s indoors but wasn’t sure if this was the best way to go about it… I usually just run them all out but it leads to me losing steam at 120 lol.
Not sure if it’s the same book but I have the Training for Power and Strength in speed book? I don’t really have much of a plan really, I just know once I get closer to big meets I’ll slowly decrease the volume of the weights and keep in a high intensity, think I read that it’s the reps that kills you slowly lol. If I’m reading correctly, you’re doing 2 sets of 4 reps at 85% of your max on the BP and then one set of 2 reps at 95%? By having the reps that low, are you still able to maintain your strength levels?
I coach my athletes to run the 200 like a very smooth FEF. Explode at the start and accel to 30-50m (this is very rough and the distance they should accel to in the beginning is highly individual of course), then during the turn, maintain speed, so that they have enough in the tank for a surge at the very end of the turn and going onto the straightaway. The key is you don’t want to have them trying to hit top speed in the turn.
Thank you Brett! So they’re accelerating for that first curve then maintaining till just before they get out of that second curve where you have them push again? I’m gonna give it a shot in a few 150s tomorrow and see what happens. From the way you explained it, it has to be relaxed and you’re not forcing anything on the curves… Really trying to stay smooth
1/5
my job made me go out on an easy 3.5 mile jog…had 3x20m hill sprints in the cold at the end. Went at about 75%, but my left hamstring tightened up a bit. Didn’t feel too bad tho.
1/6
left hamstring a bit tight today, decided to go sub Max and relaxed today 95%
5x20m block starts (2.57,2.65.2.58,2.66,NT) 4 mins rest in between
2x150,16.89,17.34. Tried accelerating for 30 and maintaining, felt really easy, had a lot left coming off the curve but I didn’t push it. Going to keep working at it. Took about 10 mins in between each… Need to get faster in these
weights
Bench press 185x5, 225x5,245x3
Glute ham kickbacks 4x3 325,335,335,335
Quarter squat- 4x2 405,425,450,465
Hip thrust 4x4 with 3 sec hold 135,225,315,365
Power clean 3x3 135
Medball hamstring curls 3x8
Plyos:
box jumps 2x5
depth jumps 3x5
broad jumps 3x6
tuck jumps 3x5
depth jump over mini hurdle 3x5
the running didn’t drain me too much at the end of all this. Massaged myself for about 45 mins using a barbell on my hamstrings, glutes, quads and addictors. Foam rolled my calves.
I guess I was speaking in terms of an outdoor 400 track lol. But if you are on an indoor 200, it wouldn’t be as optimal. Still, I would get a normal start and acceleration, maintain, then hit it again once you are, say, at least half-past the final turn onto the straight.
The model takes a while to get smooth with. But given enough reps in training and enough races, it works.
Yup. Relaxation is KEY to keeping it smooth. The more of a change in speed you feel, the more of a shock it is to your system, and you don’t want that in a race.
I feel that model helps two do 2 main things:
Early maximal acceleration covers more distance, conserves energy, and encourages frontside mechanics (rather than to go out of the blocks sub-max and you have then already broken form).
The “maintain” portion promotes relaxation, confidence, and conserves energy for a stronger finish.
1/7
lefr hamstring feeling better, just really sore… Along with the rest of my body. Haven’t felt this sore in a while… Glad I pushed it a bit yesterday… I may just take a hot bath tonight with some Epsom salts and stretch out and see how I feel tomorrow. 3 weeks till my next competition, I’ll be running a 60/200.
1/8
only my upper body was a bit sore, pecs to be specific
38 degrees out, did:
3x3x60m with 90secs between reps, 12 mins between sets. The plan was to accelerate for 30 and maintain… Not sure if I did it or not. Just felt like I was accelerating all the way through from a standing 2 pt stance. First set I Went 6.75,6.65 last rep of the first set I got 6.64.
Second set:
6.38,6.29,6.37
third set:
6.45,6.55,6.52
I stopped focusing on pushing for so long of a stride and focused on pumping my arms hard down, and my legs really turned over. My pecs hurt a bit more, lol but I finally saw my legs in front of me, felt like I was barely on the ground… It was a weird feeling. During the last set, I couldn’t pump my arms as hard not as fast, and I started getting tired. I decided to shut it down there. I thought it was a decent workout though… I think I needed more reps to rehearse having more of a sense of urgency at the start… We shall see what next week holds in store.
I mean they’re hand timed from my first movement so I wouldn’t think much of it. They prob equate to 7.1 or something up there lol. I just use the times to see how much I’m dropping off during the workout… This was outside and in spikes too and there was prob a tail wind lol
lol yeah I had to stop and look at the marks on the ground like is this really 60m? But it made sense if it’s from my first movement I usually add about a a half second to .8 for an estimate. I was just trying to get my acceleration mechanics down pack and I ended up running them faster than I wanted. My best hand timed 60 time trial was a 6.28, so I’m sure that’s like a 7 flat or something. No sense in looking too much into times… That’s how u get disappointed lol. As long as I’m executing and staying relaxed, and my times are dropping that’s all I can ask for lol. I wanted to ask you, how accurate is it timing 65m to get a sense of where your 60 is at?
Timing that far out would be close to electronic. I always go a few meters past my mark. IF I run 6.9 to 65 meters then I know once the meet comes ill go faster then 6.9 with good execution
3x20m flys with 7-8 mins rest 30-35m buildup( 1.67,1.69,1.74) I feel like I overemphasized getting my knees up for the last one instead of doing what I did in the beginning which was focus on fast arms and getting my legs off the ground.
Then I did 3x10m block starts, and then 5x30m block starts. Didn’t time them, but the last one I managed to get someone to time it and it ended up being 3.80. (Had him time a few meters ahead of the 30m) so I’m not too strung up on time, it was decent at the end of the workout so no complaints.
Plyos
3x3 depth jumps
2x3 box jumps
2x10m bounds
weights
Quarter squat 4x2 315,405,465,485
hip thrust 4x3 with 3 second hold 265,315,355,365( was gonna go to 405 but felt too tired from the sprints I think)
glute ham kickbacks 4x3 265,300,345,350
deadlifts 4x5 135( trying to get my technique down, back tends to be too round… Found out I have tight hip flexors and my lower back is tight… Gotta sort this out over time it probably shows when I come out of the blocks.)
also rolled myself out with a barbell for about 20 mins… Woke up sore and a bit fatigued… Must’ve been some good work yesterday. It was my first time doing 20m flys so I think I will keep them going. Just a matter of consistency and execution and recovery.