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    Unloading Volumes

    Posted In: Sprints

        • Member
          400stud on October 11, 2003 at 11:58 am #8634

          I had a question regarding the volumes of speed work during unloading weeks in a meso.

          Say you did 200-220-240 for Acc. Dev. during the 1st 3 weeks of a meso, would 180m during the 4th week (probably 6x30m tests) be too much of a drop? Is there a certain way you should decrease volumes for different types of workouts (i.e. – SE, speed endurance, maxV, etc.)?

          This subject is one I'm confused on as I now have the dates of my meets for next year and am in the process of making out my blueprint for this year's macro. Any assitance would be appreciated.

          Thanks.

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 14, 2003 at 3:24 am #22684

          You're proposed drop would work just fine but their are plenty of other ways you could accomplish the same thing. For example, you could keep the hard days the same as you had them on one of the previous hard weeks but give complete rest for the easier days.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          QUIKAZHELL on October 14, 2003 at 6:10 am #22685

          So your saying do no speed work on the unloading week?????????

        • Member
          400stud on October 14, 2003 at 6:35 am #22686

          No. Just eliminate a tempo/recovery day, thus lowering total micro volume and allowing for extra rest and supercompensation to occur, right mike?

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 14, 2003 at 10:34 am #22687

          [i]Originally posted by 400Stud[/i]
          No. Just eliminate a tempo/recovery day, thus lowering total micro volume and allowing for extra rest and supercompensation to occur, right mike?

          Exactly :yes:.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 14, 2003 at 10:45 pm #22688

          So for an unloading week you're saying I could conceivably do something like this:

          Monday: hard
          Tuesday: no practice or light supplementary lifts
          Wednesday: hard
          Thursday: same as Tuesday
          Friday/Saturday: day of meet or starts, etc.

        • Member
          400stud on October 15, 2003 at 6:23 am #22689

          I'd go Hard-Easy-Off-Hard-Easy-Off

          I think that'd be better. And when i say easy, i'd probably go with some ext. tempo, but low volume, 100m reps.

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 15, 2003 at 10:45 am #22690

          I agree with 400stud that you'd be better adding an additional rest day and making your light days a little easier rather than just taking all of the light days completely off.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 15, 2003 at 6:46 pm #22691

          Ok, well what if your peak meet is that week? Can you do this:

          Mon: hard
          Tues: easy
          Wed: easy
          Thurs: off
          Fri-Sat: meet day

          or something like this. . .

          Mon: easy
          Tues: hard
          Wed: easy
          Thurs: off
          Fri-Sat: meet day

          Any thoughts?

        • Member
          400stud on October 15, 2003 at 6:57 pm #22692

          First one would probably be best.

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 15, 2003 at 7:07 pm #22693

          Ok thanks again 400Stud. Now I usually taper off the week of my meet. Is that the best way to unload or should you start the week before. For example, maybe start to unload the week of regionals and continue through state meet week?

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 16, 2003 at 8:57 am #22694

          I actually prefer your second option. I think it's important to not change things up too much prior to a big meet and having 3 very easy days (as in the first option) prior to a big meet might be too much and leave you feeling flat the day of the meet. Also, low-volume, high-intensity work just prior to a meet (day before) may result in CNS excitation which could potentially increase performance in the meet. All you'd need to do is some short sprints, plyos, multi-throws, or heavy lifting the day before (or even the morning of) the meet.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 17, 2003 at 12:02 am #22695

          Ok, going by this option . . . .

          Mon. – easy
          Tues. – hard
          Wed. – easy
          Thurs. – off
          Fri.-Sat. – meet day

          Thursday is the day we leave to go to state meet. We usually go to the track Thursday afternoon/evening to warmup, study exchange zones, etc. So you're saying if we were to do a few plyos at that time it may actually help us?

          Also, what about if we were to just do some 40 meter starts, and/or some handoffs. Can that be considered high enough intensity for CNS excitation?

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 17, 2003 at 2:59 am #22696

          [i]Originally posted by DaGovernor[/i]
          Thursday is the day we leave to go to state meet. We usually go to the track Thursday afternoon/evening to warmup, study exchange zones, etc. So you're saying if we were to do a few plyos at that time it may actually help us?

          Also, what about if we were to just do some 40 meter starts, and/or some handoffs. Can that be considered high enough intensity for CNS excitation?

          That would be perfect. You wouldn't even need to do too much.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 17, 2003 at 10:55 pm #22697

          You mean one or the other (plyos OR starts/handoffs) would be perfect, or do you mean do all of the above?

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 18, 2003 at 11:38 am #22698

          One or the other would be fine. You could do both if you kept the total volume low (4-6 handoffs + a small number of foot contacts).

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 18, 2003 at 8:56 pm #22699

          Ok. Here's one other thing I thought about while reading. Would doing this stuff (plyos, handoffs, etc.) on Thursday in any way be disadvantageous with having to run on Friday and Saturday? 3 straight days of CNS work would mess you up wouldn't it?

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on October 19, 2003 at 1:22 am #22700

          I don't think it would be a big deal as long as everything was in very low volumes but it would be highly dependent on your ability to recover. Some people could do it just fine and benefit from the Thursday workout but others might get overworked.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 19, 2003 at 2:42 am #22701

          I see. Thanks mike.

        • Participant
          fabio on October 22, 2003 at 3:35 am #22702

          DaGovernor, I see your from the same state as me and in curiosity, I keep on thinking your one of two people, what school do you go to?

        • Participant
          Jay Turner on October 22, 2003 at 10:33 pm #22703

          I am not in school Fabio

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