There are only two things that should be included in a sprint training program

Race practice sprints of 200-300 meters, at the pace you intend to run the first 200 or 300 meters in the race.

Circuit Training

Starting practice

Warm ups

200-300m race rehearsals

Weights

- Hips

- Upper body

Plyometrics

Drills

VO2 max training

Stretching, stretching, stretching

400m runners should include short tempo runs

Caveat I know nothing and have a PR > 60s at 52 but this is what my coach tells me and seems consistent with Michael Johnson's training regime in "Gold Rush".

Have to agree with the OP. Sprinters work on doing all the "right" things and most of them don't get a step faster. Many of them even regress.

Bolt hasn't improved in years despite all his proper work.

Captain Oblivious wrote:

Have to agree with the OP. Sprinters work on doing all the "right" things and most of them don't get a step faster. Many of them even regress.

Bolt hasn't improved in years despite all his proper work.

Bolt also hit his upper limit in 2009

RunWild wrote:

Captain Oblivious wrote:

Have to agree with the OP. Sprinters work on doing all the "right" things and most of them don't get a step faster. Many of them even regress.

Bolt hasn't improved in years despite all his proper work.

Bolt also hit his upper limit in 2009

Haven't you heard that there is no upper limit if you train properly?

RunWild wrote:

Captain Oblivious wrote:

Have to agree with the OP. Sprinters work on doing all the "right" things and most of them don't get a step faster. Many of them even regress.

Bolt hasn't improved in years despite all his proper work.

Bolt also hit his upper limit in 2009

What's his lower limit?

Alan Wells' unorthodox training and starting without blocks.

http://www.channel4.com/news/olympic-archive-sprinter-alan-wells-1978

So as long as I do those two things, I could stop drinking water, and consume Mountain Dew exclusively, eat donuts and cheese wheels everyday all day, and get 3 hrs of sleep each night and would achieve my maximum potential? This is great news.

Randy Oldman wrote:

Race practice sprints of 200-300 meters, at the pace you intend to run the first 200 or 300 meters in the race.

Circuit Training

Starting practice

Warm ups

200-300m race rehearsals

Weights

- Hips

- Upper body

Plyometrics

Drills

VO2 max training

Stretching, stretching, stretching

400m runners should include short tempo runs

Caveat I know nothing and have a PR > 60s at 52 but this is what my coach tells me and seems consistent with Michael Johnson's training regime in "Gold Rush".

I take it that your coach is not a sprinter or sprint coach. This is what Michael Johnson's coach really does, and there's a lot more to it than 200s or 300 race rehearsals (Hart doesn't even do quality event runs--320s--until late in the season):

.

I can't tell if your coach is doing VO2max as overdistance like many college programs will do 600s, but you have to do longer than event work and you have to faster than event work. Clyde Hart training has people doing 150s fast uphill and 4X40 with short rest more or less all year.

My training this week (we have track all year in California, and I intend race sprints during "XC season", so this is comp or precomp but not peak, and it is typical of high level sprinters to train 4X a week with some back-back days):

Mon 3XSLJ, 3X40m blocks, 15 min rest

Tue 3XSLJ, 3X60, blocks, 15 min rest

Thu 3X60 flys, 40m leadin

Sat 3X150 + 2X50 20-30 min rest