Programming Sprints

[theuofh]

Since, its starting to get warm up I want to get outside to train a couple days a week. I'm not going to be on the program, but I'll do an upper/lower split with 4 days a week lifting, then I want to do 2 days of sprint training followed by some strongman stuff and metcons outside.

Please don't mention overtraining.

I was wondering how one would go about programming sprints. I'm interested in short distance, i.e. 100m-400m w/ some sort of incremental progress and even timing the 400m's and using those as a baseline. I don't think I'd be too effective at timing anything less myself.

I'm thinking sprint routine, then some metcon or strongman type lifts w/ farmer's walk, sled drags, sandbag bear hug/zercher carries, keg carries and keg clean and press.

I'm wondering if anybody has any advice on how to properly program sprints for primarily speed/power improvements?

Any advice on plyometrics stuff too mixed in, like Heidens, or get up and go's, or bounding or anything like that, that I can mix in with the sprints.

[Dastardly]

If you are an inexperienced runner (as I am) perhaps shorter dashes, like 50metres would be more appropriate.

[Alex Bond]

It depends on if your goal is to increase your top speed or improve your conditioning. Top speed, you want full recovery - 5x40m with 5-10 minutes rest in between. In this case, treat a single sprint like a work set of squats. If you feel yourself slowing down or you know you are slowing down because you are timing all your sprints, stop for the day. Definitely keep the sprints short - if you start to slow down during a sprint, cut the distance down. Think 20m to 75m. Quality, not quantity. Conditioning, the volume will be higher, the rest and speed will be lower. 10x100m on the minute type thing. In this case, feel free to play around a lot with the distance - anything from 20m to 400m or more. And you said don't mention overtraining, but if you seriously think you are going to sprint hard plus strongman two days a week plus four days in the gym and actually make progress, you will have a rude awakening when your body crashes on you. Think more like two days sprinting with maaaaaybe some LIGHT strongman stuff afterwards plus 2, maybe 3 gym days.

[Ryan Long]

Overtraining. What are your goals? Why are you doing all this? Sorry but I automatically assume this to be another case of complexity for its own sake rather than training goals. Distance, pace, and recovery cycles are very goal dependent. Your scheduling of sprints is also very dependent on your strength goals. What are you doing for your upper/lower split?

[PVC]

I was wondering how one would go about programming sprints. I'm interested in short distance, i.e. 100m-400m w/ some sort of incremental progress and even timing the 400m's and using those as a baseline. I don't think I'd be too effective at timing anything less myself.

I agree with what others have said, you'd be better off starting with very short distances, like a 40m thing, to build explosive power, and lengthen the distances into the 100-400m range a little bit later.

I'm thinking sprint routine, then some metcon or strongman type lifts w/ farmer's walk, sled drags, sandbag bear hug/zercher carries, keg carries and keg clean and press.

You might be spreading yourself a bit thin, especially if you haven't been doing any conditioning work recently. Start with just the sprints, and when you've adapted to that you can think about adding in other things one at a time.

[ILiftAlone]

Go short and fast.

[theuofh]

I've been doing 4 days a week lifting, plus 2 days build up sprints. Mostly short distance, 50-100m with build ups. My shins and feet bothered the hell out of me the first 4 weeks or so. I was running on an air force hard, thin rubber track over cement. It was short too, so I had to keep accelerating and decelerating around the turns.

Now I can run on grass, so I think it will be a bit easier.

I'm doing the sprints to actually get faster, not that I really care about it but I wouldn't mind getting quick on my feet again. Mainly I just want to train outside some.

The strongman stuff will be for a little conditioning, not to get better at strong man. The implements I have are pretty light and I don't intend on pushing it hard, just to break a sweat and get out of breath and stay that way for about 10-15 minutes.

Upper lower split is 1 day speed bench, one day volume. Lower is deadlift variation, speed squat, then the next one is squat variation and speed deadlift or volume rack pull. I've been switching it up a bit every 4 weeks. Both have of a good amount of assistance that I will cut down on if need be and still get my volume in on the core lifts.

As a side note, I've cut down back squat volume and upped deadlift volume to 3-5 times what I was doing when on pure Texas Method. I'm not sure where my backsquat is at the moment but my deadlift is taking off. I'm going to keep it up for 8 more weeks then start squatting 3 days/week again.

But, my goals are to just get outside more. I like lifting and getting stronger and have been and will continue to, but I work all day to make a living, then have grad school at night, then to go into the dark gym after both is starting to weigh on me. Its a matter of free time and getting my training and some fresh air in after a long Winter.

So, I will treat the sprints more like a work set of squats w/ maybe 3-4 minutes rest. I'll start at 50s and build up to maybe a couple 100-200s over 4 weeks. I'll do some 400s after for conditioning if I feel like suffering or the light strongman/metcon stuff .

For volume I'm thinking 6-8 50s building up in intensity each one, titrated down to 1-2 full speed 200s over 4 weeks. I'll just increase distance and cut reps down each week.

Then maybe 1-3 400s depending on how hard I go or 20 minutes or so of a strongman/metcon circuit for active recovery/conditioning. I'll probably end up doing some of the easier stuff early in the week, then the 400s later so I have a full rest day after.

I think that seems reasonable to keep setting PRs with the lifting.

[icooley]

I've been doing 4 days a week lifting, plus 2 days build up sprints. Mostly short distance, 50-100m with build ups. My shins and feet bothered the hell out of me the first 4 weeks or so. I was running on an air force hard, thin rubber track over cement. It was short too, so I had to keep accelerating and decelerating around the turns.

Now I can run on grass, so I think it will be a bit easier.

I'm doing the sprints to actually get faster, not that I really care about it but I wouldn't mind getting quick on my feet again. Mainly I just want to train outside some.

The strongman stuff will be for a little conditioning, not to get better at strong man. The implements I have are pretty light and I don't intend on pushing it hard, just to break a sweat and get out of breath and stay that way for about 10-15 minutes.

Upper lower split is 1 day speed bench, one day volume. Lower is deadlift variation, speed squat, then the next one is squat variation and speed deadlift or volume rack pull. I've been switching it up a bit every 4 weeks. Both have of a good amount of assistance that I will cut down on if need be and still get my volume in on the core lifts.

As a side note, I've cut down back squat volume and upped deadlift volume to 3-5 times what I was doing when on pure Texas Method. I'm not sure where my backsquat is at the moment but my deadlift is taking off. I'm going to keep it up for 8 more weeks then start squatting 3 days/week again.

But, my goals are to just get outside more. I like lifting and getting stronger and have been and will continue to, but I work all day to make a living, then have grad school at night, then to go into the dark gym after both is starting to weigh on me. Its a matter of free time and getting my training and some fresh air in after a long Winter.

So, I will treat the sprints more like a work set of squats w/ maybe 3-4 minutes rest. I'll start at 50s and build up to maybe a couple 100-200s over 4 weeks. I'll do some 400s after for conditioning if I feel like suffering or the light strongman/metcon stuff .

For volume I'm thinking 6-8 50s building up in intensity each one, titrated down to 1-2 full speed 200s over 4 weeks. I'll just increase distance and cut reps down each week.

Then maybe 1-3 400s depending on how hard I go or 20 minutes or so of a strongman/metcon circuit for active recovery/conditioning. I'll probably end up doing some of the easier stuff early in the week, then the 400s later so I have a full rest day after.

I think that seems reasonable to keep setting PRs with the lifting.

I'd do your sprints prior to lifting (so long as that is logistically feasible). You may suffer a slight drop in poundages initially, depending on the sprint workout you do, but they should rebound quickly. This acts as a pretty good warm up so long as the sprint training isnt excessive and competitive sprinters do it with success all the time.

All that being said, you are almost certainly going to need more than 4wks of building up to full speed 200m sprints of any sort of quality. This is especially true if you are starting with 40-50m stuff initially... you just won't have the fitness and speed endurance to finish it well. I also think you'll find that you will develop all the fitness you need out of longer distance sprints (no need for the strongman stuff on top of longer sprints if the purpose of the strongman training is purely for fitness improvements) and you should save some time from your busy schedule by dropping that as well.

Just my two cents.

[jameson]

Just thought I'd throw this into the pool of information. Saw it this morning.

http://articles.elitefts.com/trainin...d-development/