[run23fast]

run23fast on June 26, 2009 at 12:23 am #15909

I am a 16 year-old boy and I am going to be a senior next fall. I am about 5’11”, weigh 145 lbs., and compete in both winter and spring track while training all year round.
My pr’s from last season were:
200m- 25.40 FAT
400m- 55.00 FAT
400mH- 66.0
HJ- 5’6″

I would really like to be a good sprinter, who could compete in the 100, 200, and 400 at a high level. At this point, I notice that I am very weak compared to other sprinters. My lifting stats are:
Bench Press max: 170 lbs.
Squat max: 245 lbs.
Leg press max: 360 lbs.

I feel that I need more strength to help gain the speed that I lack. I am unsure as to what else I can do, like in the way of track workouts, to help improve at the 100, 200, and 400. I want to be mainly a 200/400 runner, but I also like high jump (just have terrible form at the moment) and the 400H (where I lack hurdle form and stamina). If anyone could help, I know that many users on this site are experts that could really get me started on my way to becoming at least decent at track for my senior year. Thanks, Sam.

GOALS:
100m- 11.4
200m- 23.6
400m- 51.5
400mH- 57.0
HJ- 6’2″

[trackspeedboy]

trackspeedboy on June 26, 2009 at 12:33 pm #85648

If you’re personal best is 25.40 in the 200, and 55.00 in the 400, then you lack acceleration/top speed. I would start out with a 4 month long GPP, putting focus on acceleration work and builing up to top speed work later on and putting majority of focus on that (60m sprints, FEF, flying 20s).

And for weights, general hypertrophy work leading into a 5×5 program should work. Lift after speed.

[ABCs]

ABCs on June 26, 2009 at 1:00 pm #85656

Your squat is not that weak if you are doing it the right way. Not weak at all. Your bench, honestly, is the the worst I have ever heard. You must be one kinny kid, lol. I’d guess you need to pack on the pounds, and I mean a lot. I weigh 155 and bench 200 10 reps, 260 max. I thought I was skinny…

On the plus side, you sound like you have good speed endurance. Do a lot of squats and cleans, put on about twenty pounds, and focus on the 200/400. Good luck.

[Mccabe]

Mccabe on June 26, 2009 at 10:00 pm #85683

Worst you have ever heard? He is benching more than his body weight and that is fairly decent.

[premium]

premium on June 27, 2009 at 6:22 am #85717

check out some of the workout journals…thats alot of events id say since you want to mainly do 2/4 train for that and the hurdles will come secondary…in my opinion speed between hurdles/endurance wins the race…improvement in the 100 will carry over to the other events…get stronger and build endurance in the fall…use the summer to get faster don’t worry too much about endurance now…check this thread

https://elitetrack.com/forums/viewthread/209/

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on June 27, 2009 at 6:54 am #85721

Putting on weight to run the 400 is never a good idea in my opinion.

ELITETRACK Founder

[run23fast]

run23fast on June 27, 2009 at 12:39 pm #85740

This all helps a lot thanks, but one question if I don’t want to gain weight what would I do about my lack of strength?

[premium]

premium on June 27, 2009 at 1:55 pm #85743

just workout your not going to gain that much from just working out

[run23fast]

run23fast on July 3, 2009 at 9:05 am #85945

could someone give me a good speed workout session set-up?

[Linas82]

Linas82 on July 22, 2009 at 4:35 am #86557

Putting on weight to run the 400 is never a good idea in my opinion.

Mike,why do you mean never a good idea putting on weight for a 400m runner? As I understand you mean for sprinters who are already mature and high level? Of course no one will argue that you need to bulk up too much, but if a 400m sprinter gets some muscle, especially more of a fast muscle on legs through proper strenght training or even some muscle on his upper body like back muscles which helps for better posture, in my opinion isn’t a bad thing. If athlete gets ”good” muscle of 4-6 pounds I don’t see anything wrong. Of course is much more advantegous for short sprinters, especially for improving drive and acceleration phase, but for some 400m sprinters even who are already mature I don’t see anything wrong. Look at Jeremy before his twentys he weighted about 67kg, later he got to 70kg. For such a skinny sprinter gaining some weight didn’t have a negative effect.

[premium]

premium on July 22, 2009 at 5:14 am #86559

[quote author="Mike Young" date="1246065917"]Putting on weight to run the 400 is never a good idea in my opinion.

Mike,why do you mean never a good idea putting on weight for a 400m runner? As I understand you mean for sprinters who are already mature and high level? Of course no one will argue that you need to bulk up too much, but if a 400m sprinter gets some muscle, especially more of a fast muscle on legs through proper strenght training or even some muscle on his upper body like back muscles which helps for better posture, in my opinion isn’t a bad thing. If athlete gets ”good” muscle of 4-6 pounds I don’t see anything wrong. Of course is much more advantegous for short sprinters, especially for improving drive and acceleration phase, but for some 400m sprinters even who are already mature I don’t see anything wrong. Look at Jeremy before his twentys he weighted about 67kg, later he got to 70kg. For such a skinny sprinter gaining some weight didn’t have a negative effect.[/quote]

i think it depends on keeping your strength to mass ratio good

[run23fast]

run23fast on July 24, 2009 at 2:04 am #86634

So far this summer I have been following advice and working out with weihts, I am pretty pleased because I am geting stronger, but weihed myself and I now weigh 152lbs, about a 5lb increase. Is this something I should be concerned about as mike believes weight gain is bad?

[Miele-Scott]

Miele-Scott on July 24, 2009 at 2:10 am #86636

If you’re personal best is 25.40 in the 200, and 55.00 in the 400, then you lack acceleration/top speed. I would start out [b]with a 4 month long GPP[/b], putting focus on acceleration work and builing up to top speed work later on and putting majority of focus on that (60m sprints, [b]FEF[/b], flying 20s).

And for weights, general hypertrophy work leading into a 5×5 program should work. Lift after speed.

Im sorry what is a long GPP and a FEF? I am new to these forums

[Linas82]

Linas82 on July 24, 2009 at 3:25 am #86644

So far this summer I have been following advice and working out with weihts, I am pretty pleased because I am geting stronger, but weihed myself and I now weigh 152lbs, about a 5lb increase. Is this something I should be concerned about as mike believes weight gain is bad?

First you must be sure if these additional 5lb is just muscle or maybe you got some fat as well, maybe 2lb is fat, it’s not easy to know unless you new your fat levels before and you would check now as well. Anyway, it depends through wich training routine you’ve got some weight, through multijoint exercises or mainly “beach” routine. If mainly through “beach”, mostly isolated exercises then it won’t help much.
If you’ve got some weight through multijoint exercises which are more specific to sprinting then I don’t see something wrong. But there is always a limit when too much is too much. Anyway now you must build your powerhouse without much increase in bodyweight, avoiding hypertrophy routine. Build your power house as much as you can, as much as you need without increase in bodyweight, if you’ll get additional 2lb naturally then again I don’t see something bad. Don’t stay too long on strenght development, use periods of explosive and reactive strenght meanwhile maintaining your max strenght levels. If you’ll get 2xyour bodyweight in full squat exercise without increase in body weight then it would be a solid foundation. For you would be 1.52×2=around 304lb full squat. Then look at tests for explosive strenght like for example vertical high jump, standing long jump. Whith a right training they should be better. Then check from time to time how are you doing at more specific tests to sprinting, which have plyometric effect. Standing triple jump, hopping and of course sprinting for short distance. Just examples

[morgan93]

morgan93 on July 24, 2009 at 4:14 pm #86706

Your lifting strength proportionate to your times isn’t too bad. As far as a focus on your program, focusing on weight work in your case would only provide minimal benefits.

You seem to have decent endurance, however top end speed would greatly benefit you.
In my opinion a less is more approach in your case would help, combined with a good nutrition plan (aim to get to around 70kg lean, added weight gain is only detrimetal once it starts to sacrifice your power to weight ratio [ie: you gain muscle to 70kg and your squat remains at about 112kg, however that extra 5kg’s if developed in conjuction with the right exercises should boost your squat to over 150kg’s dramtically increasing your power to weight ratio]).

In that regard the following sessions would be beneficial:
– Flying 80’s -120’s around 2 sets of 4 with walk back recovery.
– A session of 5-6 300m reps off 5minutes recovery at around 85%
– A session of hill’s ie 4x40m with 3min rec and 2-3 x 150-200m hills w/10min rec
– Afew weights sessions at 8 reps, mainly compound lifts
– If you want to focus on the 400m add a 20min light run on a recovery day

Depending on your time frame adding plyometrics would help greatly but i’d stick with beginner exercises unless you have someone to guide your form. So things like standing long jump, skipping, jump squats, standing triple jump.

[run23fast]

run23fast on August 5, 2009 at 1:34 am #87133

Ok, so if I am training speed this summer along with strength mostly, how can I be sure that I won’t peak now and therefore not see the gains I would like during the season?

[run23fast]

run23fast on February 15, 2010 at 2:10 am #94716

Just an update. This season has gone a little lower than my expectations, but I’m hoping to do better in Spring.

New PRs:
200m: 24.0
400m: 53.3

[star61]

star61 on February 15, 2010 at 3:52 am #94717

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