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UPDATE: download the real Clyde Hart’s 60 page Training Manual from the 2007 USATF NPEP Conference.
I am trying to validate the authenticity of this “Clyde Hart Training Seminar Notes” as I received this from a person who wished to remain anonymous. The notes are very vague in some areas, but there are a lot of valuable lessons and tips to be picked up.
Please read this with a grain of salt. It is questionable whether the author actually attended his seminar, watched this clinic from a DVD, or even just copied it from another website!
Here are the detailed notes:
Clyde Hart Training Seminar Notes:
Strived primarily to be consistent, it was his number one priority.
Program designed to create this.
Did not believe in peakingBuilt a base and then did not “milk” it too much, kept topping it up
Consistency – coach, training environment, everything – nothing ever changed much
Setting goals – big goals with small goals to lead to it.
Maintaining work ethic required reminding self of goals, 100% perfect training,
Coach learns from athlete, athlete learns from coach – feelings of athlete shaped work done either quality or quantity. Athlete had superior mental understanding of program,Athlete-Coach rely on one another
Strategy
Initial College strategy was : Slow as possible for first 200m then go hard, this strategy was shaped and tuned over the years to be – reach race speed as early as possible in first 50m cruise to 200m then accelerate steadily next 100m and hold form for last 100m
Workouts done to rehearse strategy called EVENT workouts
eg 3 x ( 350m in 46s rest 1min 100) 5min rest
or
Event 300sWhich were run with first 50m very quick but then relaxing to go through first 200m in 28s and then the last 100 sub12s rest 10min between (in College) shorter later to maybe 5min
Aimed to have consistent stride frequency and length for duration of race – not a longer stride at end, Allow a shorter stride to just happen but maintain cadence.
Holding Form
Improved by Strength Endurance
Upper body strength from exercises like running arms with good form 5 x 15 each arm with 30s rest.
Did mostly 400m training even though he ran 200m in 19.32
Off season: did two aerobic runs a week 20-45min max. This was for first 3 weeks mostly but off season was usually 6 weeks.
Longer reps 2 x 800m or 3 x 600m rest 15min
Common key workout In pre-season
3 x 350m rest 5min in College , later it became 3 x 350m rest 3min , each 50m at same speed.
One Speed workout was called 60 -40m
2 sets of 2 laps of 60m at 95% slow down 40m then pitter-patter jog 40m then 60m at 95% 40m slow down – pitter patter jog 40m. rest between sets 5min
Speed work often was
30, 40, 50, 60, 70 on bend with full recoveries
Weight Training
3 Gym sessions a week usually in morning
from about 9am till 10am – over in an hour
On any day sometime done Mon-Tue-Wed or spread out in week.
Track Practice is at 3pm usually over within 1:45
Weights is general all body work with short recoveries and usually 3 sets of 10 rest less than 1min maybe 30s
No squats , no Olympic lifts, Also did good variety of core work eg 3 x 30m sit-ups 1min rest
Gym did not change in format throughout the season
Did not ever lift really heavy , he did lunges
Normal Warm up
4 laps jog straight – run bends
Stretch 30min
Drills 4-5 x 30m over a speed ladder with fast cadence. This Michael believed was significant effect on his turnover. These were done with a flatish footed contact not with feet pointing down and a quick recovery.
Buildups sometimes for example 3 x 150m with each 50m quicker
Then workout
Competiton Warm up
4 laps as usual
Stretch 30min
3 x 100m – first moderate, harder, fast with full recoveries
a few pre-race drills
Time Trials
Did not like Time Trials rather use a key session and base of ease of pace and recovery.
Typically when 2 x 350m rest 3min in 46s was feeling great – race form was great.
At the Competition
Expect the unexpected
Visualization
Train the mind to control the body in competition in the way that is wanted.
Sustained Speed work
60m & over was at 95% – never 100%.
Longer work was done for stimulus not for race pace rehearsal, so nearly all was at paces slower than race pace.
Speed
6 x 100m at 95% non-timed from standing start rest 5min
Plyometrics
Never did plyometrics
Overtrain – Undertrain
Better to undertrain than overtrain
Going into the Championship
More taper (already doing less volume anyway)
Workout Accuracy
– cones every 50m – beeper sounded at set intervals – athlete ran each 50m at same speed. – Be on the buzzer
– Standing starts
– Workouts done at times planned not faster – not slower.
Important not to go faster than predetermined targets even with 200s in 32s!!
Annual Plan: The program includes a plan that divides:
- Off season – 6 weeks (first 3 weeks on grass)
- Pre season
- Early season
- Late Season
The program is similar all year round:
- Monday – Tempo 200s starting with more at 32s and progressing to less late in year in 25s
- Tue – long reps starting at 2 x 800m progressing to 2 x 450
- Wed – 350m reps x 2-3 – improving in speed
- Thu- hills, speed or event specific
- Fri – similar to Thurs
- Sat – similar to Thurs
Refreshing Base
Coach needs to decide when to refresh base by going back slightly from quality to quantity even if just for a week or two mid season , important not to take too much from base.
Athletes rewarded
Athletes rewarded with fun things – more speed , less reps by doing well at quantity stuff and proving they are ready to do less with more quality. Coach decides timing.
Jimson Lee
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Dear Jimson,
I run the 400m and have the long to short approach, but every time if I want to do some sprinting I pull my hamstring.. Just like Michael johnson had in his first seasons as a senior http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2005/c_hart.pdf Well my question now is how can I prevent to pull my hamstring? I do a lot of long distance and just the one time I want to sprint for some speed work I pull my hamstring every time.
can you give me an idea of your weight training sessions? also, what is your age, and how long have you’ve been training ‘seriously’ for Track?
First of all I forgot to say how great I think your blogs are!! keep up the good work;)
I’m 17 years old, I started doing serious training about 3 years ago. I do 2 times a week weight training, I just do the basic things like benchpress, squat, leg curl, straight leg deadlift, pully, biceps, clean. In the winter I do a lot reps and if the season starts I obvioulsy do less. my pr is 50.98 I ran it last year indoor, I didn’t run after that beacuse I torned my hamstring in April but i recoverd good from the injury .. I ran my pr with a short to long approach, but I changed coach last year and he had a long to short approach. Since I do the long to short approach I’m getting injured when I do speed drills..