Strength Training for Sprinters (Updated)

[AngelaCoon]

@Actuary400m

This is an extremely important point. And one that, in my opinion, many people miss. Most training programs I see have the athlete progressing from max lifting to explosive lifting and a higher dose of plyometrics. To me, this is completely backwards due to the exact point Charlie made above: elements closest to one another conflict the most for CNS resources. When speed work is at its highest intensity like it would be near the end of a training cycle, other CNS-based exercises need to be farther away on the curve! So doing explosive lifting and plyometrics alongside maxV work is putting a ton of stress on the same systems and structures. Rather, use a middle-to-the-ends training approach when thinking of the f-v curve. Early in the progression (GPP or early SPP), plyometrics and explosive medball throws are the highest. As speed ramps up, these are reduced–or even eliminated–in lieu of max weights.

I’ve found continuing to deadlift at least once per week during the competitive season to be a good thing, with loads typically around 85-90%. These plus bench are a great CNS primer that require no pounding on the ground like hurdle hops would. If you’re racing on the weekend, I don’t really think you need plyometrics during the week.

Another interesting find (I apologize for all of the personal anecdotal evidence) is that max lifting typically leaves me feeling more flexible after. If I enter a lifting session a little tight, I often leave feeling a lot better. There’s something neural to the whole tightness sensation.

I am not sure why you are apologizing for your personal anecdotal evidence. The premise of my entire blog and posting has been based on personal evidence and experience. I could go buy bigger degrees but I prefer to grow more experiences, share more and influence more as well as pass on what multitudes of others have described as some of the best information of it’s kind. And by the way your information is bang on albeit personal anecdotal evidence. ( at least in terms of my personal anecdotal evidence)

And we would or I would do less and less deads as competition started. It was always about the quality of the speed and how are you feeling and what has been going on and making a bigger picture look and then and only then deciding.

Towards the end of my serious training I would do intense contrast showers before training to jump start that quality you seek from high intensity max lifting. Anything with regards to high intensity training I have ever done has been a huge accelerator towards making my muscles feel loose.