How to Train the 400/800 meters Double

If you missed the excerpt from the upcoming book The Sprinters Compendium, here is the link to the Free Chapter. (over 6000 people have downloaded this already)

If you missed Ryan Banta’s last two videos & presentation, go to Long-to-Short or Short-to-Long? Comparing & Contrasting Different Training Models AND Defining the 100m Dash – Speed Development, Explosion, Acceleration, Max Velocity, & Speed Endurance.  Both are must watch presentations.

Other excerpts of the book can be found here on this Blog:
14 Tapering Strategies to Bring Speed Athletes to Peak Cycle AND Should Coaches Practice Sports Psychology?

Click here for other articles from Coach Ryan Banta. (highly recommended)

Training the 400/800 Mixed Zone athlete

Alberto Juantorena is probably the most famous 400/800 double from Montreal 1976 Olympics.

3 of the biggest fears (or questions) on a 400/800 double is:

1. Does a sprinter need an aerobic base?
2. Will the sprinter lose speed from mileage and slower intervals?
3. How do you structure the workout plan, when you consider the different energy systems?  A Mixed zone?

Photo credits: from Periodization Training for Sports, Third Edition by Tudor Bompa, PhD and Carlo Buzzichelli.

First, click here to download the 15 page PDF file (569 Kb)

The video below is broken down in 2 parts.

[From the Dutch Clinic 2017] 400/800 Mixed Zone athlete PART 1 (starts at 26:00 min mark)

[From the Dutch Clinic 2017] 400/800 Mixed Zone athlete PART 2

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Ryan Banta

Assistant Coach at Ladue/St. Louis Lightning Track & Feld club

Ryan Banta is an assistant coach at the Ladue/St. Louis Lightning Track & Feld club, where the club has assisted athletes in achieving 6 national titles, 31 All American performances, and 61 national qualifiers. He has earned a USATF level II certification in sprints, hurdles, relays, and endurance as well as a USTFCCCA track and field technical coaching certification.

Ryan Banta

Latest posts by Ryan Banta (see all)

• Ultimate Recruiting Guide for High School Athletes [PODCAST] - December 18, 2017
• Back to the Basics of Speed - December 12, 2017
• How to Train the 400/800 meters Double - February 5, 2017

Ryan has a new book coming out titled, Sprinter’s Compendium, a “one stop shop” for theory and practical information for any coach looking for real world strategies to improve sprint training for any type of athlete. Look for it soon!