Designing a Training Programme for Sprinters
By: Prince Duwai. British Track & Field Sprint and Hurdle Coach Level 2 (BSc Sport Coaching)
Before designing training programmes for sprinters, one must map out where you are and where you want to go. Only then can you fully appreciate the work ahead and the cost for your trip.
Sprint events such as the 100m/200m & 400m require a variety of unique attributes such as strength and work capacity. In an article I wrote in the January 2013 Issue of African Sports Monthly, we looked at the importance of Functional Movement Screening. These protocols will assist parents, coaches; athletes and practitioner indentify strengths and weakness in order to promote the efficiency of movement patterns.
This article will focus on some of the training inventories that improve on sprint performance. Strength training, work capacity and skill training will differ from event to event, and therefore we need to train in accordance with the events unique biomechanical and metabolic demands (energy systems). Athletes and coaches who do not understand the fundamental training principles and concepts will end up training their power and speed athletes in the wrong way, thus putting out negative performances. Below are three training modalities to improve on sprint performance.
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What is work capacity for sprinter?
Work capacity/speed endurance for speed-power athletes is the ability of the athlete to perform multiple high quality work specific to their event, in order to hone event specific skills. For example a sprinter could perform high quality block starts and accelerations so they can work on mastering their starts and acceleration or drive phase mechanics. The same work capacity concept will
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