Completely discounting supplementation in any way – improvements of half to a full second are as remarkable as a 9.58s sprint. It could be consistent coaching with experimentation to either training methods or program design or both. The fact that they all started out running 400’s at the start of the year is curious (did Tyson Gay also adopt this strategy?).
I believe that a lot of it has to do with inspiration (and self-belief) as even the other Carribean athletes are feeding off the success of Asafa and now from Bolt to a greater extent. Remember Coe, Ovett and Cram – or Bjorg then Edberg, Wilander – or the plethora of Morrocan distance runners. My theory will be tested when a Caucasian sprinter breaks 10 seconds – we’ll see a host of others follow suit. But that’s still 0.4 seconds away from Bolt.
The sheer magnitude of their improvements is almost beyond belief. The only guide I can offer is that since switching to a modified version of the single leg front squat (similar to the Jamaicans) I have taken off 0.3s from my 30m time.
400m to 100m approach is interesting
Whats the normal approach?
If have always thougth that 2 optimise running mechanics 1 must learn 2 control top speed before increasing top speed. After that u can switch 2 a short 2 long protocol. I was coached this way and it really gave me a good feeling of when my deceleration startede…
The 400m to 100m follows this approach through sub maximal running, less accelerations work, less strength work and slower strength increasement because of running volume
There was a post earlier on long term development.
In relation 2 this, training focus could look something like this:
Earlie years: Top speed control
Mid years: Start training for max strengt, top speed control,
when strength starts 2 stall, switch 2 late years…
Late years: Periodized training, short 2 long, focus on competition
do u have a video of the modified single leg front squat?