Recovery between workouts seems to be an issue with me. SO here’s my question. I try to do a speed workout 2(4x20 easy - 20 fast - 20 easy) and 2 x 60m - full recoveries + plyos. - a tempo workout 2(4x200) 75% 3 - 4 min. between reps/8 between sets + Med Ball stuff. - a speed endurance workout- 110/120/150/150/110 - 95% - Full recovery. Monday - Speed * Wednesday - Tempo * Friday - S. E. This is just my basic outline. To me as a master’s sprinter 43 years old, a tempo workout is somewhat taxing not really a recovery-type workout. I use a moderate pool workout for recovery on Tuesday and Thursday(4 x 60sec deep end with an aqua jogger belt - 30 sec recovery) followed by (4 x 45sec - 15 sec rest high knees - waist deep water) E-Z pace for all. Finally to my question - with the workout listed above I am not recovering enough and feel drained. Should I decrease the volume in order keep the Mon - Wed - Fri workouts OR should I keep the same volumne rest Two days between the workouts. Monday - Speed - rest two days - Thursday - Tempo - rest two days Sunday - S.E. . In a long-winded nutshell - is it better to train more frequently with less volumne or more volume less frequently. I’m really struggling to find the right balance in my training.
-speed workout 2(4x20 easy - 20 fast - 20 easy) and 2 x 60m - full recoveries + plyos.
In regards to this speed workout, the 20 easy, 20 fast, 20 easy workout is more taxing on the Central Nervous System than a straight 60m would be. Keep this in mind. What exactly do you mean by “full recoveries”? And what are you doing for Plyos (how many foot contacts etc)?
-tempo workout 2(4x200) 75% 3 - 4 min. between reps/8 between sets + Med Ball stuff.
In regards to this tempo workout, lower the intensity to 65-70% of your current best 100m time. If you need that much rest, you are going way too fast. Remember that intensity is measured by your best time, and has nothing to do with your effort. Here are 2 typical tempo workouts that most of the athlete’s on this forum use which you may want to switch over to:
Short Circuit:
100+100+100
100+200+100
100+100+100
(50 walk in between reps. 100m walk after each set).
Long Circuit:
100+100+100
100+100+200+100
100+200+200+100
100+200+100+100
100+100+100
(50 walk in between reps. 100m walk after each set).
-speed endurance workout- 110/120/150/150/110 - 95% - Full recovery.
Again, what do you mean by “Fully recovery”? Why not go 100%? In my opinion, this is too much volume. Keep it at 500m maximum. Also remember that speed endurance is directly reliant upon the speed that you have. This being the case, you should focus more on speed.
Overall I would do something like this:
Monday: Speed
Tuesday: Water workout (without the high knees, or at least lower the time interval to about 30 seconds with longer rest).
Wednesday: Tempo (as directed above)
Thursday: Pool
Friday: Speed or Speed Endurance (switch from week to week).
Saturday: Tempo
Sunday: Off.
By full recovery - I mean between the reps. I’ll do my 20e/20f/20e then a 3 - 4 minute rest untill I feel ready to go full out and do the next 20/20/20. Then maybe 6 minutes between sets. Plyos I try to keep below 40 contacts per foot. I’ll bound for height going alternate legs(triple jump style but for height) for 20 bounds - 10 each leg. Then 20 alternate leg bounds for distance. Then 2 x (10 each - single leg bounds for height) Total each foot would equal 40 contacts. Somedays I’ll cut out the alternate legs bounds for height and do hurdle hops 2 x (5 hurdles) or depth jumps 2 x 5 or “Alto” jumps up on to a box.
For S.E. I meant to put 110/120/150/120/110 - 7 - 8 minutes rest between the runs listed. That’s what I mean by full recovery (between the runs) 610m total - I’ll reduce to 500m. I try to go 100% but I train by myself - realistically it’s 95??
Yes, the % is of my 200m time, but after doing the math again I’ve been pushing them too fast. Trying to hit 30 sec for the 200 - 75 % of that would be 22.5 - I’m more of a 24.8 guy - should be going for 33. or 17 sec for 100m X .70 would equal 11.9? Looks like my tempo was way too fast - know wonder I hate it and need 3 - 4 minutes rest. I’ll start with the short tempo you suggested and see how I recover.
For the 100m I hope to get down to 11.7 - currently I’m guessing I’m at 12.00. I have meet at UW-Madison, WI this weekend - we’ll see where I’m at.
I’ll give your suggestions a try - lower tempo intensity - lower S.E. to <500m -
If I still struggle with how I feel physically between workouts - What’s better lower volume/less intensty more often or push it (more volume/intensity) and take more time (days off) between workouts. Do you kind of see what I’m trying to get at.
I know what you mean by “Also remember that speed endurance is directly reliant upon the speed that you have. This being the case, you should focus more on speed.” Being a masters guy with 4 years of training my speed may be at my upper limit. I think I can gain more from 60m to 100m with fitness. Does that make sense?? Hope you can help with any more suggestions. Thanks for the help.
FYI - 43 year old male 6’0" 195lbs 10% BF% fairly lean. PB’s all FAT - 60m 7.48 - 55m 7.00 - 100m 11.69 - 200m 23.9 - all 2 years ago - last year I torn my left calf at my state games.
I would also look at varying the tempo distance and slowing them down to 60% with shorter recoveries. (4 minutes is way too long)
Do all recovery work on grass if possible. Two sessions a week on the track max.
Cheers,
Chris
Even if you took a couple of mimutes more rest, it wouldn’t be a bad idea; both between reps and sets, that is. They’ll allow you more quality for sure!
It might be a good idea to “periodise” your plyos along with the session you are doing, i.e., those of more vertical nature with accel/top speed work and those of distance along with the speed endurance sessions.
Again a bit longer recoveries should be better -based on each distance- especially if you reduce the volume, as intensity will further increase and more rest might be needed for keeping same quality.
Always favour quality on a couple of sessions spending more days on recovery/regeneration (e.g., tempo at the intensities you suggested lately and as the post above says, preferrably on grass).
Although what you are saying is true (i.e., more to be gained via Speed Endurance for the latter part of the race), give your speed development another try with more quality; there should be something more in there! It just takes more time and Speed Endurance should be a good alternative while “waiting” for your Top Speed to further develop; but don’t leave it out…
Good luck!
Great suggestions, thanks for the help. I intend to keep working on top speed. As a masters athlete, you may not always be able to get faster but you try to keep the process of aging (slowing down) to a minimum.
I think you’re right about longer rest intervals for speed and S.E. work, so maybe I can find some more speed with higher quality work.
If you care to view a clip of me at max-v and can offer any advice that would be great. Just go over to the Training/competition videos section - Under member clips - see Overstridding by sprinter*mt. Thanks again.
FYI - I tried to copy and paste it here but it seems they disabled that function on this site. 
I would like to know the answer to this aswell. I find that when I take 2 days off between speed days vs 1 day, I can get in more quality runs. But, is this a better alternative then getting in more speed days with fewer quality runs?
Sprinter, know exactly what you mean especailly as we are a similar age (I’ll be 43 soon). NOt sure if you have seen the CFTS for over 40’s thread.
I have no doubt that other comitmnets people in there 40’s have need to be allowed for as well, such as work and family.
I have just altered my split as I was not progressing as I wanted and struggling for recovery. Allow for the fact I am at the opposite time of the year (late autumn here) but here is what I have amended it too.
Using 3 - 1 block with 4th being lower volume / intensity
Saturday
Short distance tempo (100 x 20 with 30 sec rest)
Sunday
Speed endurance (100m x 4-5 with 10 mins rest)
ME Upper
Primary exercise to 2RM with 3 min rest
Supplemental lifts performed as circuit x 3 with 60 seconds between
Ab exercise
Horizontal row
Ab exercise
Hang clean
Ab exercise
Tricep exercise
Ab exercise
Bicep exercise
Monday
off
Tuesday
ME lower
Primary exercise to 2RM with 3 min rest
Supplemental lifts performed as circuit x 3 with 60 seconds between
Ab exercise
Hang snatch
Ab exercise
Hamstring / posterior chain exercise
Ab exercise
Unilateral exercise
Wednesday
Long distance tempo (200 paces x 10 with 60 sec rest)
Thursday
Power day
Max speed, flying 30’s
Power Snatch, 10 singles 60 sec rest
Ab circuit x 1 set
Power clean, 10 singles 60 sec rest
Ab circuit x 1 set
Bench with 60 sec rest
Week 1: 50% 3 x 2, 58% 3 x 2, 64% 3 x 2, 72% 3 x 1, 78% 3 x 1
Week 2: 50% 3 x 2, 60% 3 x 2, 66% 3 x 2, 76% 3 x 1, 82% 3 x 1
Week 3: 55% 3 x 2, 65% 3 x 2, 75% 3 x 2, 85% 3 x 2
Week 4: 50% 3 x 2, 55% 3 x 2, 60% 3 x 2, 66% 3 x 1, 72% 3 x 1
Ab circuit x 1 set
Squat using same scheme as bench
Ab circuit x 1 set
Rotator cuff / delts
Friday
off
Definitely, IMO!
The other thing you could do is to have a speed session every 3 days, i.e., 3 track session one week, 2 track session the next.
Hope it helps!
Definitely, IMO!
The other thing you could do is to have a speed session every 3 days, i.e., 3 track sessions one week, 2 track sessions the next.
Hope it helps!
This is what I am using with good results:
Accumulation
Mon acc./weights (max strength)
Tue off
Wed off
Thur speed end./weights (hypertrophy)
Fri off
Sat off
Sun off
Intensification
Mon weights (strength-speed)
Tue speed
Wed off
Thur off
Fri speed end./weights (speed-strength)
Sat off
Sun off
Max. volume per session 300m.
I often do quite light/short trekking on the off days.