How do I build a base as a sprinter/jumper?

Curious, what kind of times/distances are your PRs?

Anyway, as far as building a base in the summer, as a general outline, here is a fairly common training base plan:

1x per week: Lift legs. medium reps, say 4x6 or 4x8, things like squats, deadlift, weighted lunges. Shouldn't be to failure.

1x per week: GPP lifting. Things like hipers and reverse hipers, pikes, "walking" with your arms while your feet are on a swiss ball, supermans, pullups, overhead presses, dumbell flies, 30 seconds "quick feet" onto a box, dips, bodyweight or medicine ball circuits, etc.

3x per week: various tempo runs.

Example: 2x6x200m, 1 minute, 5 minute rest.

Example: 3x (300,200,100) 90s rest, 4 minutes rest

Example: 3x10x100m, 45s rest

1x per week: something with a little more explosiveness, such as bleacher hops, bleacher bounds, 3 pt starts, sled pulls, etc

1x per week: longer hill runs (on a not-too-steep hill), such as 2x8x150m

1x per week: Something more aerobically based

Example: 20-30 minutes aerobic running

Example: play soccer

Example: 5x600m, 2 minutes rest

1x per week: off completely from training

WTF? Sprinters don't build "base."

You're constantly trying to add speed and strength on top of what you already have.

Get into a weight lifter's mentality, except the only difference is you're doing high rep/low intensity lifts with your legs.

Also hit the weights at least 3 times a week.

If you're not using your speed on a regular basis, you will lose it. In the off-season, start slow, focus on form and power. Pick up the pace as you get closer to your races.

runnerdnerd wrote:

Curious, what kind of times/distances are your PRs?

I've ran 22.1 and 50.9 hand time and 22.9 and 51.7 FAT. 100 hand time is 10.94 converted to 11.24 and FAT is 11.4. Triple Jump is 42'4" and Long Jump is 20'8".

I have no affiliation with Latif Thomas or his products, but he has a great summer training article. It's basically a Charlie Francis system setup. Google: Latif Thomas summer training.

I think it's called summer speed.

Sprinters don't build a base but they do have cycles where they focus on improving work capacity

Yes - sort of like starting off with low intensity high repetition, and then moving onto high intensity low repetition once in racing season.

formerD1 wrote:

WTF? Sprinters don't build "base."

.

That's semantics really. Sprinters do have a General Prep Phase. Same thing, just a different type of base.

If you are training for 100-jumps it is different to 200-400 in many respects.

I would say 2 per week of speed development/running, quality drills, mini hurdles, push/pull sleds, plyos, speed bounding, short hills, sand hills, bounding up hills, steps etc.

2 x gym, overhead squats, back squats, dead lifts, hammy bridges, Russian hammies, hip flexors, ab circuits etc.

1-2 x some form of endurance, which depends where your focus on. If 200-400, then one shorter endurance (400 speed), one longer endurance (800 speed).

1-2 days a week of rest/light recovery.

Get the timing right

Day 1 - speed development - always rest the day before it

Day 2 - endurance

Day 3 - gym

Day 4 - recovery

Day 5 - speed development

Day 6 - gym, if you really want another endurance session, do it this morning

Day 7 - rest

This generally looks pretty solid. I'd like to add that it also depends on what kind of "sprinter jumper" you are. If you will be running 400s, the 1 aerobic day and 1 day with 600s is pretty important. If you never plan to go over 200m in competition, not so much.

As a jumper, you want to be a little more careful with the weights (Especially as a HJ or TJ type). I've had a number of jumpers get all muscled up, because that's what their football coaches said to do, then not be able to jump so well anymore. The added strength is nice, but if your thighs weigh 20 pounds more than the previous year, landing the first phase of your triple is going to be problematic

You can add to the list of things above: Bounding (of various types) and or high skipping. Do these in fairly low volume, but do them. You need to maintain the elastic recoil in the neuromuscular system. Circuit training with different types of body weight exercises....stuff like: 30 seconds of burpees, 30 seconds rest, 3 seconds push up, etc...You can go 12-15 min like that alternating between upper body and lower body type stuff.

I like the idea of playing other sports as conditioning. Let me add: full court basketball, ultimate frisbee, flag football to the list. Find pick up games or summertime leagues. You will get some good running, and total body fitness and have some fun at the same time.

Usually over summer before I get our full 6 day a week workout program, I design my own stuff. Keep in mind though, what I'm about to post is after a season where I actually competed all the way through. Since I've been out, this might not apply much but nonetheless.

I usually would do 3 days of running. 1 day a week of pure speed or power stuff like Fly 30s, Fly 60s, or 30-40-50 with full recovery between each repitition. The next running day I'd focus on speed endurance so stuff like 5x150s at 85-90% with a walk back recovery. And the final run day I would do stuff like repeat 200s or a ladder with little recovery to help my anaerobic capacity. I'd also lift 2-3 times a week. I'd also go to these summer meets that a coach I know puts on for his club, AAU, high school, and college kids just for fun to still stay somewhat competitive (every other Tuesday for only 5 weeks).

Our summer program we get we usually have...

1-2 days of a fartlek

1-2 days of a 20-30 minute run

1 day of stuff like 6x200 @ 60%

1 day of 1x100 with 60s rest

1 day of speed endurance stuff

and it would fluctuate throughout the 7 week program. So we might have a different speed endurance type of workout or a longer fartlek, etc.

My dilemma is I've hardly ran for about 6 months now. I've been lifting pretty consistently 3x a week since the first week of February focusing on prime lifts like cleans, deadlifts, and squats (I'm an exercise science major so I know how to program for what I need, etc.) I'm used to still being in shape come summer training though. And factoring that in with the possibility I'll be triple jumping this year for the first time since my senior year in high school I'm lost. Do I cut down my weight lifting days and focus more on running by continuing what I usually do over summer? Do I start running 6x a week before I get my summer program? I'm usually very good with programming and scheduling what I do for summer training, but like I said, since I've been off from running for 6 months now I'm thrown off on what I should do.

If I could get your e-mail, or anyone else's whose already posted, I could go more in depth on what I've been doing.

I also forgot to add that I'm primarily a 200 guy who moves up to run the 400 some meets. In high school I did both, in college it's been one or the other at a meet, not both.

I can't believe that nobody has pointed out the obvious answer. You should be running 100mpw over the summer.

speed demonz wrote:

I can't believe that nobody has pointed out the obvious answer. You should be running 100mpw over the summer.

I think it's because that 10.9 was hand timed and all my FAT times are 11.4. I think I could go faster, I just need the training for it.

Work on your lj skills. With 11.4 FAT, I'd expect you to have a better LJ, unless you just are a bad jumper. My PRs are 11.59 and 21-4 and don't consider myself to have great jumping ability. I bet with better technique you could improve your LJ by feet, not inches.