Sprint Training by Holly Clark
The 100m sprint is often referred to as the easiest most complicated
event in sport. It requires a specific combination of power, speed, flexibility,
efficiency and technique. You have to be both aggressive and relaxed at the
same time. Getting the balance wrong can be the difference between being world
champion and going no further than club representation.
The main aim is to have the best possible strength to weight ratio,
allowing maximal force production without carrying too much mass which can
reduce movement efficiency. A lean body
mass is desirable to achieve this.
Traditionally,
sprinters were short and powerful, allowing for a rapid stride frequency and
minimal ground contact time. However more recently sprinters have been becoming
taller and increasing their stride length as depicted by Powell's size
(190 cm (6 ft. 3) tall, weighing 88 kg (14 stone). He has a
stride length of 2.6 meters which allowed him to break Maurice Greene’s WR in
2005 which had stood for 6 years. You can see from the table below how
sprinters’ physiques have changed over the years.
Name
|
PB
|
Height (cm)
|
Weight (kg)
|
Jesse Owens
|
10.3, 20.7 (1934-1936)
|
180
|
75
|
Carl Lewis
|
9.86 19.75 (1981-1993)
|
188
|
81
|
Ben Johnson
|
10.00 (1982-1999)
|
177
|
77
|
Linford Christie
|
9.87 (1984-1999)
|
188
|
92
|
Michael Johnson
|
10.09, 19.32 (1991-2000)
|
185
|
77
|
Maurice Greene
|
9.79 (1997-2004)
|
176
|
75
|
Asafa Powell
|
9.72 (2002-2015)
|
190
|
87
|
Justin Gatlin
|
9.74 19.57 (2002-2015)
|
185
|
83
|
Tyson Gay
|
9.69 19.58 (2005-2015)
|
180
|
77
|
Usain Bolt
|
9.58 19.19 (2004-2015)
|
196
|
94
|
Jason Smyth T13/12
|
10.22 20.94 (2005-2015)
|
177
|
72
|
Jonnie Peacock T44
|
10.48 (2006-2015)
|
178
|
73
|
Technique
When Michael Johnson was competing he was as near to the full marks
model of sprinting as you could possibly get. He was so efficient when
competing that it allowed him to be the first man to win Olympic Gold and set
world records in both the 200m and 400m. Now when he is commentating he always
mentions an athlete’s form and how it could be improved.
The key points of good technique are outlined below:
- Driving out at a 450 angle is most effective to get to top speed quickly
- Head – straight forward and no lateral movement to maintain balance and technique
- Arms – should be driving hard. Hand should rise no higher than the shoulder elbow bent at less than 900. They should have no lateral movement as this will affect legs. Hands should be relaxed if closed to avoid causing tension. Shoulders should be down and relaxed
- Core - steady holding body straight and allowing the most efficient transfer of forces through the hips
- Legs – straight leg drive and high knee lift with no lateral movement. Knees should come high to allow increased stride length. Commonly see knees coming across the body which takes more time. Driving the ankle up the side of calf then out allows more force
- Ankle dorsi-flexed pre plantar flexion to increase propulsion
- Keeping the muscles relaxed and not tensing up will help maintain good technique and reduce likelihood of injuries
Stride length
v cadence
There has been much debate about whether to improve your speed you
should increase your stride length or stride frequency. A study conducted by A
J Murphy et al (2003) on the key determinants on acceleration have found that
for early acceleration, participants had quicker times with reduce foot contact
time and higher stride frequency. Over shorter distances, and particularly for
games sports, it is therefore desirable to have high cadence to achieve maximal
acceleration. The table below shows that over the first 30m, during
acceleration, Bolt’s split times are no faster than the other athletes. Beyond
this point however, when reaching maximal speed, Bolt’s stride length gives him
the advantage. It takes him 41
strides to run 100m compared to Dwaine Chambers who takes 43 or 44. Bolt’s
stride length is on average 20cm longer than the rest of the field according to
research conducted by Maćkała Krzysztof and Antti Mero (2013).
Therefore, it is advantages to have higher cadence in the early stages
of a race to accelerate quickly but beyond this point a longer stride length is
more advantageous.
Ben ‘88
|
Carl ‘88
|
Asafa
‘05
|
Bolt ‘08
|
|
RT
|
0.132
|
0.136
|
0.104
|
0.165
|
0-10m
|
1.83
|
1.89
|
1.89
|
1.85
|
10-20m
|
1.04
|
1.07
|
1.02
|
1.02
|
20-30m
|
0.93
|
0.94
|
0.92
|
0.91
|
30-40m
|
0.86
|
0.89
|
0.86
|
0.87
|
40-50m
|
0.84
|
0.86
|
0.85
|
0.85
|
50-60m
|
0.83
|
0.83
|
0.85
|
0.82
|
60-70m
|
0.84
|
0.85
|
0.84
|
0.82
|
70-80m
|
0.85
|
0.85
|
0.84
|
0.82
|
80-90m
|
0.87
|
0.86
|
0.85
|
0.83
|
90-100m
|
0.9
|
0.88
|
0.85
|
0.9
|
Time
|
9.79
|
9.92
|
9.77
|
9.69
|
Warmup
Needed
with every sport.
What you
do should be kept consistent so that when you come to competition you know what
you are doing and help reduce any anxiety. For most sprinters a warm up can
take from 15-25 minutes depending on the weather conditions and how they are
feeling.
You may
follow standard RAMP (Raise, Activate, Mobilise, Prepare) procedure or be
adapted to a Dynamic movement circuit completed over 20-30m.
You should
focus on technique when completing the drills as they help to develop muscle
memory through rewiring the CNS (Central nervous system) to make it fire faster
and more effectively which benefits you in both training and races. Drills may seem simple and boring but if done
properly can really enhance your technique, posture and overall
performance.
Resisted Sprints
Hills and using sleds are forms of resisted sprint training. They are
brilliant ways to develop muscular strength, drive phase, power and technique.
They will also improve your resilience as they are hard work and often a
stomach emptier!
A study conducted on Rugby players by Harrison, Andrew Burke and
Gillian in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that using sleds
significantly decreased the time taken to complete the first 5m of a 30m
sprint, showing the benefits for a sprint start.
Having a good arm drive is extremely important for hill training, as
the more you drive your arms, the more your knees are encouraged to lift,
increasing stride length, which you need to get up the hill.
Using a trail hill where the surface underneath is unsteady will also
provide additional strength to the muscles and tendons of the ankle and thus
help reduce the likelihood of any injuries.
The length of the hill should be relative to the distance that you are
training for. For up to 200m the hill
shouldn’t take you longer than 60seconds to complete depending on the gradient.
The steeper the hill the more powerful you are required to be.
An example session would be 8x45s steep hill with a walk/jog down
recovery. Controlling this recovery time is essential; 90seconds to 2minutes is
more than adequate for this session.
To improve endurance you should reduce recovery time and ensure that
you jog down. For more powerful sessions, rest for up to 4 minutes between each
rep.
Intervals
Fast interval training is a signature part of any sprint program. Known
by many as HIIT training, the benefits spread to all sports and those who just
want to keep fit. The times and distances vary throughout the season. Winter
training to develop speed endurance would include 8x60s:60s or 2x4x200m 2min
rep recovery and 5 min set recovery. Pure speed work would be a lot shorter
with longer recover such as 3x3x60m 3min rep recovery 5 min set recovery.
Typically 2 sessions will be completed a week alongside 1 resisted sprint
session and a circuit session.
Strength
training
A good weights programme is needed to help optimise
an athlete’s performance. For sprinters this will commonly include Olympic
lifts such as cleans, squats, deadlifts, walking lunges and step-ups. Single
leg work and exercises for foot strength are also necessary to help reduce the
likelihood of injury.
A study conducted by U Wisloff et al in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine (2004) has found strong correlation between maximal
strength in half squats (900 knee angle) and sprint performance and
jump height and concluded that the maximal strength squat determined sprint
performance. This therefore gives reason to be performing squats and developing
maximal leg strength in the gym to improve 30m sprint time.
Upper body strength work should also be in the
program to improve arm drive, however this must not be done in excess as this
can give unnecessary muscle mass to carry. For example doing 30 second arm
drive sprints holding light weights is a great way to build the dynamic
strength needed to race.
Core strength is really important. Having a strong
core allows forces to be transferred through the body most efficiently. It also
avoids any unwanted rotations or movements which would both waste energy and
reduce streamlines.
Key part is also plyometric
training. These prepare the body for the powerful sprint start and for
ground contact. Reducing ground contact time is important for speed. Care must
be taken especially if you have a history of bad shins or ankles.
Circuit
training
As part of my training I use individual load circuit training
once a week, usually 3x30:10s W:R with 12-16 stations. The circuit is for
general conditioning although I also use it focus on technique and areas that I
find are weak.
Recovery
Very important and necessary for improvements in
performance to occur! It is often said that “rest is not a four letter word”
and as with many sports, people may find it requires more discipline to rest
than to do their sessions due to their competitive nature. Rest must be
specific! Water and nutrition intake must also be maintained.
Periodisation
The traditional Matveyev model for sprint training is
a Long to short program where the athlete performs slower aerobic work
and anaerobic work at the beginning of the training year to build endurance and
strength and then progresses to faster anaerobic work towards competition.
The other model put forward by Coach Charlie Francis
is the Short to long approach where you do more speed work in the winter
and gradually increase the distance.
There is not a one size fits all, you need to find
the training that works best for you. Personally I have found for myself that
the long to short suits me better as the HIIT training involved offers more
calorie burn and helps keep me lean. From speaking to other female athletes
they have had a similar experience. The short to long method in my opinion is
more suited to the highly trained and for those only competing in 60m and 100m
sprints or is your first sprint training program.
Other sports
Michael Jonson has set up MJ Performance (MJP)
which assists professionals and junior sports people improve their speed,
strength, suppleness, stamina and skill which compliments the technical work
they do in other sports. The Global Performance director has justified the use
of their program saying that “98% of what happens on a football pitch is
without the ball…it is very uncommon for any player to have the ball at their
feet for more than two minutes”. This has been recognised by several clubs
including Manchester United, Arsenal and FC Dallas.
Football:
Adam Gemili of GB competed in the 100m at the 2012 World Junior
Championships in Athletics in Barcelona getting winning time of 10.05s: a new
championship record. He is a former football player (defence) for league 2 side
Dagenham & Redbridge having spent seven years in the youth academy at
Chelsea from the age of 8. In 2012 he decided to focus fully on athletics.
Bolt spent his time as a child playing cricket and football and it was his high school
cricket coach who noticed his speed on the pitch and urged him to try track and
field events. He also did a training session with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 to
help him with his sprinting technique.
American Football:
Gatlin reportedly planned to serve his four-year ban playing American
football. ESPN reported in November 2006 that he had worked out with the
Houston Texans, despite his little football experience. In May 2007 The Tampa
Bay Buccaneers announced that Gatlin was one of 28 free agents taken to their
2007 rookie camp on tryout contracts. He tried out for the team as a wide receiver
although was unsuccessful.
Rugby Union:
Carl Isles was ranked 36th fastest sprinter in the US in 2012 (10.24).
He has since changed to rugby Union 7s and has since been dubbed “Fastest man in
American Rugby” (Rugby Mag). He now plays for Glasgow Warriors. Similarly
English Schools’ champion: sprinter Tyrese Johnson-Fisher has followed in a
similar path reaching the NatWest Vase rugby final with his school, despite
clocking 10.91 seconds for the 100m, the fastest ever time for a boy of his age
in Britain (Sport 360).
Rugby League:
Studies conducted showed that the majority (67.5%) of sprints completed
during a rugby league game were over <20m, and 78.7% of sprints were done
without the ball. This suggests that players could benefit from doing technique
work to improve their efficiency. Also they benefit more from acceleration work
due to the nature of the distance usually sprinted. (Sprinting patterns of
National Rugby League Competition Gabbat, Tim J)
Why you should sprint
Having innate speed and acceleration gives
you a great advantage in many games sports. Sprint training helps to benefit
this by improving technique and thus your efficiency.
Sprint training methods have also been
recognised for their health benefits with the likes of HIIT training becoming a
common method used by many now.
References
-
Gabbet,
Tim J Sprinting Patterns of National Rugby league Competition 2012
-
U
Wisloff, C Castagna, J Helgerud, R Jones, J Hoff Strong correlation of maximal
squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height in elite soccer
players 2004
-
Aron
J Murphy, Robert G Lockie and Asron J Coutts Kinematic Determinants of early
acceleration in field sport athletes 2003
-
Harrison,
Andrew J; Bourke, Gillian The effect of resisted sprint training on speed and strength
performance in male rugby players
-
Maćkała
Krzysztof and Antti Mero A Kinematics Analysis Of Three Best 100 M Performances
Ever 2013
If you wish to contact Holly about Sprint Training please use her email below;
hollyc.94@hotmail.co.uk
Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog
I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University.
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019.
I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.
My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.
My most recent publications:
My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning.
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering.
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness.
I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes.
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships,
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge.
Contact details below;
Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)
Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness
Twitter: @arichie17
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Snapchat: @andypowerlifter
Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk
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