SpeedEndurance.com » Training

I’ve seen Clyde in person at several conferences, and the room is always silent with his stories and examples when he talks about his training methods. This Blog has free videos from the 2007 USATF NPEP.

You can get Clyde Hart’s updated 60 page training manual when you signed up for the monthly newsletter.

As for videos of his training, he just released 2 videos courtesy of Championship Productions.

The first video is titled Clyde Hart’s 200/400M Sprint Training Program and it’s over 3 hours spanning 2 DVDs.

He goes though periodization with detailed pre-season and in-season training plans for the long sprints. It’s the same training plan used with Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards!

The focus is on training, techniques and racing strategy, as well as specific types of workouts and drills. The best part of the video is footage of an actual live workout setting.

Clyde Hart’s Speed Development for Track & Field

The second video is titled Clyde Hart’s Speed Development for Track & Field and this is almost 2 hours long.

He discusses the proper movements and mechanics for sprinter, everything from hand and arm movements to foot strike and stride length, stride rate, relaxation, and the mental game!

He also describes his “Speed Makers” and “Event 300′s” workouts (as seen in the manual), plus he goes through a detailed warm up routine. (The warm up is part of the workout!)

Whether you coach your sprinters long-to-short, or short-to-long, you will learn something from these videos.

>> Click here for Clyde Hart’s 200/400M Sprint Training Program (2 DVD)

>> Click here for Clyde Hart’s Speed Development for Track & Field

>> Save $20 when you buy both sets (a total of 3 DVDs spanning 5 hours!)

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

Strengthen your Hip Flexors

Jimson Lee — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

This is part 4 of the article How to Run Faster… at any Age as we start going into Technical Competency and Sprinting Efficiency. Part 2 talked about the importance of coordination. Part 3 talked about Hip Height and Sprinting.

I would classify training the hip flexors more of a strength endurance exercise.

In short, Strong hip flexors allow for a faster and more powerful forward leg movement and upward knee drive, as well as a good complement for Training the Posterior Chain.

I also believe training the hip flexors have a key role in injury prevention, and you’ll have to go back to my article on Hamstring Injuries, the Iliopsoas and Imbalances to understand why.

When you are running the 200 or 400 meters, and fatigue sets in, having strong hip flexors will carry you through the line. Just watch a track meet and you’ll see the hips “collapse” in novices.

Here are some of the popular hip flexor exercises to strengthen them. Be sure to stretch the hip flexor afterwards with a good set of lunges and with a foam roller.

Photo source: http://mytriathlontraining.com/?page=7

Slow Running A’s or High Knees. I still have memories of my 9 years with Coach Dennis Barrett doing these. Basically, it’s running on the spot with high knees, but not too high high where the hips drops. This would be an oxymoron to hip height. The arms are fluid, like a running action. Relaxation is key. We start with 3 sets of 10 meters and build up to 50 meters or more throughout the season. The key is form, and you should stop the exercise when form deteriorates. Cues are “stay tall”, “relax”, “good arms”, and “lean forward”.

Cable (or Band) Knee Drives. 3 sets of 10 reps. Usain Bolt reportedly does these, so it must be good? Using a low cable pulley and an ankle cuff attachment, stand so that the cable has pressure, but not enough to whip you backwards. Drive your knee explosively up to your chest. Keep the movement controlled as you lower. Using band will give a different feel, and thus you’ll have to really accelerate the initial explosive movement. Make sure the upper body stays tall and this will work your core as well.

Knee Drives (no weight). 3 sets of 25 or 30 reps. This is the same as the above, but you simple drive your knee and your foot lands on a small box or chair in front of you. Make sure when you drive with the knee, the opposite arm goes backwards.

Lying Cable Knee Drive. This is the same as number 2 above, but you are lying on your back and you attach the ankle cuffs to the cable pulley at floor height, and bring both knees to the chest one at a time.

Spread Eagle Sit-ups. This is the same as doing crunches, but with your legs straight and spread preferably resting on a squat rack, wall, or door frame. Add a light weight for added resistance.

Hanging Knee or Leg Raises. Hang from a pull up bar or some other apparatus, keeping your upper body straight, and either (1) bring knee to chest or (2) straight legs to parallel

Incline Bench Leg Raises. If weak arms is your limiting factor for the above exercise, try the same exercise on an 45 degree angle on a sit up bench.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

Hip Height and Sprinting

Jimson Lee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

This is part 3 of the article How to Run Faster… at any Age as we start going into Technical Competency and Sprinting Efficiency. Part 2 talked about the importance of coordination.

If I had to name a couple of jargons related to sprinting and how to sprint faster, it would be “dorsiflexion”, “triple extension” and “hip height” (just to name a few… there are hundreds of cues… and I will cover them all eventually).

I’ll start with “hip height”.

You’ve heard the expression “STAY TALL” by so many coaches.

Why?

Hip height is good for several reasons.

We’ll reference the image below, created by Derek Hansen. The red runner has the lower hip height, whereas the yellow runner has a higher and better hip height.

Increased hip height means shorter ground contact times. I’ve covered the topic of ground contact in several past articles.
Increasing hip height increases flight time and more distance covered because the increased hip height provides a “toe off” occurring closer to the center of mass location. See Jon Goodwin article and video on Why Usain Bolt Run So Fast.
A better positioning in toe off means greater forces applied, which means a greater max velocity.
Increased hip height means less energy is required to stay above the center of mass.
Using assisted devices for overspeed training (i.e. harness and bungee cord, or training partner) will actually reduce hip height as the artificial forward force will pull your COM into the ground, thus reducing hip height.
A high hip height allows for the follow through of the back leg and foot to pass under the hips, and drive the knee in a powerful position to drive down and back. Some coaches like Latif Thomas recommend punching the ground in a powerful yet forceful way to increase speed.
Remember the pendulum in the Grandfather clock? It’s not the weight that affects the oscillation, it’s the length of the string. Shorter strings produced faster frequencies.

Hip Height and Training

Tempo runs (i.e. 2 sets if 10x100m at 70%) are good to work increasing hip height by simply being aware of it. And having a coach yell at you to “stay tall”.

However, using spikes on a flat grass surface (i.e. my personal recommended training for Masters) has its limits, and only recommended up to a certain speed, say 90%. Stable smooth surfaces are required. The instability of the ground makes it impossible (if not dangerous) to get the hip height you need to go to max velocity.

As well, I would need another article to explain the complexities of Sprinting and Elastic Strength that talks about muscle stiffness, loading/unloading of the muscles and tendons, and explosive power.

For more information, see the 30 minute video from Derek on Hip Height & Running Mechanics (or link to http://www.strengthpowerspeed.com/ page) as he discusses more about Hip height and its implications for running speed, running economy, movement velocity and injury prevention.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

AC Milan Soccer-Football School Camp Feb 25, 2012

Jimson Lee — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

Are you an AC Milan fan?

Do you have aspiration of being a Soccer coach?

How about learning “a Day in the Life” of a Professional European Soccer player?

My friend is hosting a full time "Coaching and training week". It’s a complete training program with the AC Milan “Serie A” team, with the head coach Massimiliano Allegri and his technical staff at Milanello Sports Centre, near Milan, Italy.

During this intensive week, you will learn in depth analysis of the training strategy by their staff.

Sneak Preview

AC Milan uses the Milanello Sports Centre located at 30 Km from Milano, with 2 football fields (synthetic and natural) and gymnasium. This venue is an ideal area for a coaching and training season.

The AC Milan Technical Staff is composed by the Head Coach, who is the technical and tactical manager, along with his collaborators (a vice-coach, two or three technical coaches, an athletic trainer and a goalkeeper trainer). These people are in charge to execute, according to the head coach, the exercises and each part of the day’s training is clearly defined.

The AC Milan applied in the 2009-10 season the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-1-2 schemes, according to the players available during the championship. As the team remained without side attackers, it was necessary to change the playing system. If you are not sure what a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-1-2 scheme is, then I recommend this course!

The team executed 70% of the work using the ball, and 30% of the training without ball. For individuals, the staff works to improve their force power through customized exercises of coordination and quality of every single athlete.

It should be noted that AC Milan team members have a very high athletic and fitness level and they optimize the athletic program, according to the competitions of the season, by customizing their personal training to obtain the maximum performance of each player.

Please email me at jimson@speedendurance.com if you are interested in attending this one week intensive training camp for coaches.

Agenda

Day 1, Saturday Feb 25, 2012 – ARRIVAL DAY, “SERIE A” GAME AC MILAN vs JUVENTUS

Arrival to Milano – Italy, accommodation at the NOVOTEL 4 stars Hotel in Milano.

12:30 PM Lunch at the Novotel restaurant.
03:00 PM meeting with AIAC coaches. Presentation of the week program, introduction of the study and discussion about the tactical system applied by AC Milan to manage the Serie A team
06:00 PM Transfer to the San Siro Stadium to see the official serie A game Milan vs. Juventus
08:00 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant

Day 2, Sunday February 26, 2012 – UNDER 17 GAME AC MILAN VS. CESENA

08:00 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
9:00 AM Transport to Vismara Sports Centre to watch the see the official game AC Milan vs Cesena (Under 17)
01:30 PM Lunch at restaurant in Milan
06:00 PM Technical Meeting “tactical analysis and discussion about Saturday and today’s game”
08:00 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant

Day 3, Monday February 27, 2012 – YOUTH COACHING TRAINING AC MILAN

IMPORTANT NOTE: today’s program might change just in case first team has got training session. This depends on the head coach’s decisions (normally it’s Not a training day for the AC Milan Serie A team)

08:00 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
09:00 AM Transfer to Vismara Sport Centre for Football technical lessons with Youth department coaches
12:30 PM Lunch in Milan near Vismara Sport Centre
01:30 PM Return to “Vismara Sport Center” to follow the training session of the AC Milan youth team “Under 20”
05:00 PM After training, meeting with the “AC Milan Under 20 coaches” who will explain the coaching system applied to players and customized AC Milan development programs plus discussion (Questions and Answers) with the attending technicians
08:30 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant

Day 4, Tuesday February 28, 2012 – COACHING TRAINING AC MILAN SERIE A TEAM

After the official match played on Saturday, the weekly work starts on Tuesday. The team can be divided in two groups to execute technical exercises with ball possession, with a progressive work intensity.

07:30 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
08:30 AM Transfer to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the training session of the AC Milan Serie A team.
12:00 PM Lunch at restaurant near “Milanello Sport Center”
02:30 PM Return to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the complete technical and physical training of the AC Milan Serie A team.
08:30 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant
09:30 PM Technical Meeting with AIAC Coaches to discuss today’s training session

Day 5, Wednesday February 29, 2012 – COACHING TRAINING AC MILAN SERIE A TEAM

On Wednesdays, the players normally work with specific programs in the gymnasium, then they can be divided into two groups. The AC Milan Head Coach works with all the defenders, while midfielders plus attackers work with the athletic trainer to reinforce their physical capabilities. To finish, they play several small themed games.

07:30 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
08:30 AM Transfer to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the training session of the AC Milan Serie A team.
12:00 PM Lunch at restaurant near “Milanello Sport Center”
02:30 PM Return to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the complete technical and physical training of the AC Milan Serie A team.
08:30 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant
09:30 PM Meeting with AIAC Coaches to discuss today’s training session

Day 6, Thursday March 01, 2012 – TRAINING GAME AC MILAN SERIE A TEAM

On Thursdays, the head coach usually calls for a technical session; during this meeting he explains the tactical and technical strategy and guide lines to be applied during the Sunday’s game. After the warm up, they play an 11 to 11 game against a team with same tactical scheme as the next Sunday’s rival.

08:00 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
09:00 AM Meeting with AIAC coaches to discuss technical matters (questions and answers)
12:30 PM Lunch at Novotel restaurant
01:30 PM Transport to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the complete technical and physical training of the AC Milan Serie A team (friendly match included)
08:30 PM Dinner at Novotel restaurant
09:30 PM Meeting with AIAC Coaches to discuss today’s training session

Day 7, Friday March 02, 2012 – MEETING WITH HEAD COACH & AC MILAN SERIE A TEAM STAFF

On Fridays, the team normally works in two groups: starting with the first group working tactically with the head coach and the second one in the gymnasium with the athletic trainer; then the groups swap.

07:30 AM Breakfast at the Novotel restaurant
08:30 AM Transfer to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the training session of the AC Milan Serie A team.
12:00 PM Lunch at restaurant near “Milanello Sport Center”
02:30 PM Return to “Milanello Sport Center” to follow the complete technical and physical training of the AC Milan Serie A team.
06:00 PM After the training, meeting with the “Head Coach and technical staff of the Milan Serie A team” who will explain the coaching system applied during the week. Comments, discussion with (Questions and Answers) with the attending technicians
08:30 PM Dinner at the Novotel restaurant
09:30 PM Technical meeting with AIAC coaches to discuss about the weekly work applied by AC Milan coaches, questions, answers and conclusions.
10:00 PM Closing ceremony and issue of certificates

Day 8, Saturday March 03, 2012 – FINISH AND DEPARTURE

09:00 AM End of the course “Coaching the Serie A – AC Milan” – Transfer to the airport to depart

What is Included

FULL WEEK COACHING PROGRAM – SERVICES FEATURES

7 nights Hotel (**** 4 stars Milan Hotel)
Hotel taxes and service charge included
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Full day transportation and transfer to the cities (Cities to visit can be changed)
Daily assistance from quantity 01 or 02 AIAC professional coaches
Technical discussions and football training work conclusions every day
International coaching program
AIAC KIT included (2 T-shirts + 1 Tracksuit + Sport coat)
Program, brochure and AC Milan “Serie A” and Youth training documentation
Maximum 30 coaches
Language ENGLISH, translation in other languages for delegations

Basically, everything is included except your transportation to get to Milan.

Please email me at jimson@speedendurance.com if you are seriously interested in attending this one week intensive camp.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

ESPN on Strength, Power, Speed.. and Coordination

Jimson Lee — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:40:00 +0000

This is part 2 of How to Run Faster… at any Age.

UKA’s David Lease, famous for Jason Gardiner’s coach, mentioned in his podcast the most important element in sprinting is coordination (thanks to Mark Collins who sent me the interview. NOTE: UKA audio and videos are restricted to UK residents)

To sum it up, Sprinting the 100 meters is approximately 45 large hops or bounds, synchronized to optimize air time, ground contact time, and distance covered. It’s all about “covering ground” as fast as possible (Tom Tellez used that term at the 2008 SuperClinic)

So if you want to run faster, consider improving coordination, especially at a young age (i.e. pre-teen) to develop neuron myelination. Myelin is the material that forms the myelin sheath layer of a neuron and nerve cells.

This is why I feel physical education (i.e. gym class) should be taught in schools, at least every second day. Even in my Junior College (CEGEP), gym was a required course as one of my 7 courses every semester to graduate.

Listen to the Experts

But don’t take my word, or David Lease’s word, on why coordination is so important in developing young sprinters.

Dan Pfaff talk about acceleration development as a “complicated neuromuscular equation”. (search YouTube for Dan Pfaff videos.. excellent coaching material)

Gary Winckler says “90% of speed development is technique”. (The CACC sells some of his excellent videos, which I’ll review later)

Boo Schexnayder says acceleration is about finding the “resonant frequency of oscillatory patterns” to improving the efficiency of forward motion. (Boo has a great 4 DVD set which you can buy here on sale until Friday, as a set, or singles)

StrengthPowerSpeed.com on ESPN

In a recent article on ESPN, they quoted my coaching partner Derek Hansen on our new site www.strengthpowerspeed.com

Michael DiRocco talks about the importance of an Olympic-style lifting program with the Florida Gators. (article here)

"Total body movement, so when you pair [Olympic lifting] exercises, you’re going to get a complete, total athlete. Not only are they going to be strong, they’re going to be fast and explosive."

Proper technique is a must, Gadeken said, but once lifters perfect the technique, they can progress into heavier weights and the result is explosive power and better conditioning.

That’s a perfect match for football. Most plays last between four and seven seconds, and players, especially linemen, must be quick and strong off the ball.

According to an article written for StrengthPowerSpeed.com by Derek M. Hansen, Olympic weightlifting movements are done quickly with heavier weight and require significant coordination and muscle control. That helps athletes with such quick movements as sprinting, jumping or firing off the line of scrimmage.

Hansen also wrote that Olympic lifting results in a strong core and better coordination and balance.

"Olympic lifters are some of the most powerful, explosive lifters on the planet," Gadeken said. "They’re able to lift a lot of weight, and they’re able to do it quickly and explosively. That mimics football."

"It’s rough to do a set of five or four power cleans or snatches," Gadeken said. "That’s very, very taxing on the body. It’s hard to do. It’s mentally challenging. It’s going to get your guys mentally stronger because they completed the workout."

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

How to Run Faster… at any Age

Jimson Lee — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Every week, I get several emails from readers on how to run faster. Some are from parents of pre-teen children in Track, Soccer and Football. Other readers include Masters athletes.

I’ll share some of the highlights from my various phone calls here in this article.

And, as per usual, I’ll keep it simple and to the point.

There are only 2 things to know on how to run faster:

technical competency and efficiency
force production

That’s it!

So when these gurus offer the next greatest DVD or expensive training camp, the above 2 points is all you really need to know.

(At least when I hold a private training camp, you get to enjoy the wonders of Italy… food, culture and history!)

Technical Competency

Being efficient in whatever you do is the key to success. Anywhere from your golf swing, studying for exams, or cooking an Italian dinner. Sprinting is a skill that must be coached. Granted, having the right genetics help, but the point is anyone can ran faster if you improve your technique, and become more efficient at it.

If I prescribe 10 x 200m, or 8 x 300m at 65-70% max speed, I can assure you any bad technique will be corrected. Whether it’s overstriding, or flailing arms (I swear these kids are holding invisible school books under their armpits), eventually you will learn how to run efficiently to get through the workout without throwing up. That’s where I come in and give constructive criticism on your interval runs.

Think of the early Beatles playing 7 hour gigs in Hamburg, Germany. You have to become really efficient with your guitar strumming and vocal chords, or you will be in a world of hurt!

When mechanics are perfected, the only way to increase speed is to develop the ability to generate force at greater range of motions.

I’ll skip the technical sprinting tips for another day.

Sprinting and Physics 101

Sprinting is a game of physics. It’s all about vectors and I outlined that in my recent book The Rocket Sprint Start (with Bud Winter). Even the wind has vectors, especially in the 200m.

So here are some considerations when developing a strength program, from Youths all the way to Masters athletes.

The stronger you are, the more force you’ll be able to apply to the ground, which will make you faster. To get faster, strength training is based on two equations:

Force = Mass x Acceleration
Power = Force x Velocity

That’s it!

So here are 7 tips I recommend to everyone who wants to run faster and be a better sprinter.

Start with GPP and general strength training. You have to be fit first, and I’ve always said you have to be an athlete first before you can become a sprinter. Lazy athletes need not apply.

Keep strength exercises on stable footing, and even surfaces. (i.e. foot contact with a non-moving ground) These include squats and deadlifts. Keep in mind the specifc movements to the skill of sprinting, that is, muscle and joint angles for the triple extension of the hip, knee, and ankle.
The point I am trying to make is don’t do the bench press while resting on a physio ball on your upper back. Or squat while standing one leg on a bosu ball.

Incorporate single leg exercises, but be careful. These can include bounding or hopping for plyometrics, lunges or Bulgarian/Borzov split squats. For the latter, I like to advance the single legged squat in 3 phases: (1) bodyweight only (2) holding a weight plate for added load (3) add an explosive jump when you go up. You get the picture.

Plyometrics, including hurdle hops, depth jumps, and med ball throws. I covered this topic in several blog articles in a 6 part series on Plyometrics, Ground Contact Time, and Sprinting.

Get a base of strength first, before training for power. Again, you have to be an athlete first before you can become a sprinter.

Olympic lifts, including power cleans (i.e. clean and jerk without the jerk). Save the snatch for elite and more serious athletes. I recommend as young as 14 or 15 years old to start doing Olympic lifting, and really pay attention to technique. Use a broomstick as the very first set… seriously. Don’t rush the workout.

Different loads must be used for power training.
The greater the force, the lesser the speed. The greater the speed, the lesser the force. Thus for maximum power, there is a sweetspot between the two (see the 4 part series on force velocity curve and work backwards). As a percentage of 1RM, peak power can be obtained as low as 30% of 1RM. It’s all about the maximum rate of force development (RFD).

This was my demise during my College years. I was fairly big & muscular and very strong in the weight room at the static lifts like bench press and squats, but I could never translate that to the track. I never broke 7.00 seconds in the 60 meters. Years later, I realized I didn’t have that explosive power required for the first 30 meters. My teammates would gain 2 meters in the first 30m, and I could never make it up.

For example, sprinting is at speeds up to 5 strides per second, or at velocities up to 12 meters per second (over 27.8 miles per hour, or 44.7 Kilometers per hour, to be exact). There’s no way you can do squats, or pushups, or even sit-ups at that speed movement. So if your 1RM is 405lbs for the squat, you should be doing doubles or triples (2 or 3 reps) as slightly less weight (i.e. 90%), and considering doing 3-5 reps with an explosive upward movement at even lighter weight.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

What is the World Record for the Plank?

Jimson Lee — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

At SpeedEndurance, I like to cover strength endurance just for fun.

One of the popular articles on this Blog is my former training partner Matt Bogdanowicz and his 60 second pull up record. (It has since been broken, but hey, records are made to be broken) This challenge was a training prep for his 30 minute pull up attempt back in 2007.

And then we have the amazing Alicia Weber who continues to set records in every strength and agility record out there… and she’s a woman!

In fact, last week Alicia Weber performed 802 consecutive perfect push-ups in one hour. After finishing the push-ups, Weber performed a plank exercise while reciting a published poem!

What about the Plank?

I wrote about the effectiveness of the plank in a past article Isometrics and Ab Core Exercises – The Hidden Secret? and how I thought (at the time) 2 minutes was a great milestone. Beginners can aim for 1 minute as a goal.

And the World Record for the Plank?

(**SPOILER ALERT – see below the video for the result**)

Click here for the video on YouTube, or use the player below.

The new world record for the plank is 1 hour, 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds set by George Hood in 2011.

Most Popular articles for 2011:

400 meter Training and Racing:

800 meter Training: Training 800 meter runners

Sprint Starts: Usain Bolt training regimen video: The Start

Football 40 Yard Dash: 40 yard dash times for Usain Bolt & Ben Johnson

Baseball 60 Yard Dash: Baseball 60 yard dash: What’s a good time?

Recovery: Ice Baths for Workout Recovery

Supplements: Nutrition for recovery: The Post-workout drink controversy

Analysis: Usain Bolt’s 100m 10-meter splits and speed endurance

Strength Endurance: Matt’s 60-second pull up World Record Video

[VIDEO] 800 meter Training and Moving up from 400m

Jimson Lee — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:03:00 +0000

I created an 18 minute video on 800 meter training, with an slight emphasis for 400 meters moving up in distance.

Scroll below for the video, or click here for the video on YouTube.

Here is the presentation in PowerPoint with the transcript of the 12 slides on AuthorStream. You can also download the PPT or Video file (MP4 version) or get the transcripts from that link as well.

Below is the executive summary, with references to the charts and diagrams.

Considerations before Moving Up

There are hundreds of reasons or considerations on why you may consider moving up to the 800 meters. Here are only a handful:

current 400m time and desired 800m time
compare with standards in your age group, or local area
chronological age of the athlete
training age of the athlete (i.e. how many years of serious training)
physical attributes of the athlete (tall, skinny, etc)
current coach, teammates and support group
desire for aerobic work
mental toughness… at 500m they are all going to start kicking for home. Are you ready for it?

Bring out the Calculators

4 seconds per lap rule
5 seconds per lap rule
double plus 10 second conversion (Canada’s Gary Reed)
double plus 12 second conversion
double plus 14 second conversion, IAAF “B” standards are 45.95 and 1:46.60

Sample 400m PRs and Splits of Elite Athletes

I took a random sample of a few well known athletes (my favorites… if you have some to add, please comment below)

It’s interesting that the men in 1:41 range “only” had 46 second 400m speed!

The golden secret to 800 meter success? It’s all about speed reserve!

800 meter Training Weekly Cycle

800 meter training requires optimal balance of Anaerobic/Aerobic training… more than any race distance!

So things get pretty busy for a 800 meter runner. That’s because you have to squeeze in the following (thus 2 workouts a day is the norm):

speed track sessions (anywhere from 30-400m, depending on your philosophy)
800m race pace track sessions
over distance 1500m track sessions
steady state or Tempo or VO2 runs (1 or 2X per week)
easy recovery runs (4 or 5X per week)
long run (1 per week)
strength/weight training (2X per week)
circuit training or other training (Pilates, yoga, speedbag, etc).

So a sample training week for a 800m would be something like this assuming hard sessions in the AM for weather reasons. Some 800 meter runners like the recovery run in the AM to allow more time before the afternoon track workout.

Monday: AM – strength training PM – recovery run
Tuesday: AM – speed session PM – recovery run
Wednesday: AM – circuit training PM – steady state running
Thursday: AM – distance intervals PM – recovery run
Friday: AM – strength training PM – steady state running
Saturday: AM – 800m session PM – recovery run
Sunday: AM – long run

800 meter Training Video

How to Run the Indoor 300 or 400 meters [Video]

Jimson Lee — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:15:00 +0000

I created a 12 minute video on How to Run the Indoor 300 or 400 meters.

The indoor track competitive season has begun, so if you plan on running a 400 meters indoor, read on.

Scroll below, or click here for the video on YouTube.

Here is the presentation in PowerPoint with the transcript of the 16 slides on AuthorStream. You can also download the PPT or Video file (MP4 version) or get the transcripts from that link as well.

Below is the executive summary.

The 300 meters Rules

The official IAAF rulebook for 300 meters is a 2 turn stagger, that is the first 2 turns in your own lane, then “break for the pole” or cut into Lane 1.

Photo credits: Puma

How to Race the Indoor 400 meters

Here is how I breakdown the indoor 400 meters:

0-40+
40-150 (to break)
150 to finish

YOU MUST HAVE YOUR RACE STATEGY IN YOUR MIND BEFORE SETTING IN THE BLOCKS!

At the 2011 Boston Indoor Games 400 meters, check out DeeDee Trotter in Lane 6 try to overtake Natasha Hastings in Lane 5. Trotter is clearly behind Hastings at the break (150m) and tries to reaccelerate and pass her. Also, a lot of energy is spent trying to pass her on the outside on the 3rd turn. Hastings runs a smart and aggressive race by not giving up the lead. Look at Trotter’s form over the last 50m, as she is clearly rigging. Hastings wins the race from gun to tape.

Here is the video for the 2011 Boston Indoor Games Women’s 400 meters