100 meter dash training. went from 16 seconds to around 12..Want to get better. Need Help.

Also, my goal is to train for one more year before I walk on. It's a division three school.

ANYONE???

Why do you need help? If what you have been doing improved your time by 4 seconds, then why change anything? Just keep doing what you've been doing. Is that not obvious?

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

Interestingly, all your improvement my have been from weight loss. The general idea is that every pound lost improves your time 2 seconds per mile. So, ~30 pounds lost (210 - 181) is 60 seconds (30 x 2) off your mile time. That is 3.75 seconds per 100m which is aboht the size of your improvement 16-12 = 4 seconds. Loose 30 more pounds and you'll set the world record.

Or just lose 15 and run 10 seconds for the 100m.

I figured that I got faster because of "beginner" gains. Thanks for your reply, I really mean it. And that's the thing.I know I can get in the 10 seconds in the 100 meter dash. My goal is to lose 20 more pounds of fat in the next 6 months. I just get ll happy thinking about running in the 10 range. There has to be something I can do, my "training" isn't special, so why am I doing so good. A kid that I went to hs with is on the college team. He saw me train. He said that he got out of his car just to tell me that I should join the team and it's cray how I've completely changed. He was shocked. So am I really what you consider "naturally gifted" I was never able to know because I was always fat, now that I'm around 20%, it's starting to show.

I don't think you read what I wrote. If your current training is working, then keep your current training. Does that not make sense? If you stop improving, THEN change something.

At your rate, you should be in the 10.x range within 6 months. This track season is already over so what is the rush? In August, you should be fast enough to walk on to a team.

Surprised letsrun crew hasn't told you to up mileage. Ha.

Off season...

Short, explosive hill reps, 6 seconds max.

Weights, weights, weights. Olympic lifting for power.

Plyos, form drills, bounding, etc.

Longer reps: 120's, 150's, 200's, 250's. Shorter 3-5 min rest but up tempo at about 80-90%

6x100 strides in grass, walk back recovery.

In season...

Block work. Work on your first few steps and your drive phase. For that matter study & learn the different phases of of a 100 meter race.

Flying 20's, 30's, etc.

First 40 meters @ max.

Everything full recovery.

Keep up weights & strength work.

There's more but that should help.

Yes, I was stalling for the past two months. That's why I wanted to change something. I might stick with the current running , but losing fat is my main goal. that should get me a little faster. However, I think strength training will be really helpful to me. I might be able to knock off some more time with that. Thanks guy for everything.

The key to 100m sprinting is speed endurance. That is what seperates a fast footballer from a sprinter, speed endurance. You need to start running 300's, more 300's and then some 300's. The better the endurance the faster your100m times will be. And it really is that simple.

We're you born 100 years ago it's a sprint.

When I say you I mean Americans generally and stop measuring field events in feet.

So how do I incorporate speed endurance in my training?

John Luppo wrote:

Yes, I was stalling for the past two months. That's why I wanted to change something. I might stick with the current running , but losing fat is my main goal. that should get me a little faster. However, I think strength training will be really helpful to me. I might be able to knock off some more time with that. Thanks guy for everything.

Congrats on the progress. Like the only other posters in this thread (I'm still surprised there haven't been that many trolls? Is this even the letsrun I know?) With that being said, a lot of your improvement could be simply due to weight loss. Keep it up. Try your best to get down to about 10 percent, but remember it's not easy to stay that lean, especially depending on your activity levels and if you're taking PEDs or not, and natural metabolism factors in as well. as for 5x100s, I think 5 minutes rest is too short, you would likely need to rest at least 10 minutes between those, if not 15-20 minutes. also for short sprints athletes rarely ever run the full competition distance, they work on starts, top speed and speed endurance.

Charlie Francis training forums is one of the better sites on the internet you can ask for advice. However there are a lot less members there, but you could try posting a thread there too. You need to register there to post.

As for weights, just do general strength work. You can find lots of good videos regarding that on youtube. Focus on compound movements that strengthen the posterior chain. Plyometrics are also great once you reach a certain level of strength and bodyweight/strength ratio. Hopefully someone more experienced and knowledgeable than me can chime in. Best of luck.

The rule of thumb for rest between sprints when you run them at 80%-100% is 1 minute rest for every 10 meters you sprint. You are taking 5 minutes, that is not enough. 5 reps is too high for 95%-100% speed/effort, I wouldn't do more than 2 at 90% or 1 at 100%. You will need to practice block starts and acceleration. Begin by starting without blocks, in a 4 point stance, on grass not the track. You should do most if not all of your training on grass until you are ready to work-in a couple of track sessions every week. When you are ready to practice starting from blocks on the track you should only do a few of them in a session, like 3-5 of them. Do elliptical heel drops every day to keep your achilles tendons in good shape. Practice active recovery on your easy days, get a muscle roller and use it after every workout and when your muscles are too tight. Look up various warmup drills and put together a routine for yourself that you will do before every workout and race. Jog at least a couple of laps before you start your warmup drills. "Warmup" drills also serve as a form of mild plyo and core work and they improve your flexibility. And don't overdo it in the weight room, lift hard only on days you feel up to it.

There are all kinds of drills and exercises used in sprint training. You want to find the ones that work for you.

THANKS!!, I'll look into Charlie Francis, isn he Ben Johnsons coach? I do have a good amount of fat to lose. I don't look fat, but I have no visible abs, however, you can tell I try to keep in shape. Heres my plan, for the next six months:

1. keep with the sprints,

2. lose body fat, about 20 pounds

3. increase strength,

I run around 11.8-12.1 without blocks, no spikes, and no competition. I six months, by doing the above, I want to be able to run the 100 in the 11-11.3 range. That is without blocks and spikes. Then I want to walk on my college team(division three). Im hoping block training, spikes, and competition should make me run around the high to mid 10 range.AGAIN, EVEN T SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE, IM GOING TO TRY, AT LEAST ILL KNOW

When I first started, I was doing 4x100 (95-100%), everyday. with 5 minutes rest between each run. I quickly burned out. I found out that it is really taxing on the nervous system. So I started doing 5x100 but every two days. And I say 5 minutes rest but I usually take like 6-7. but okay, ill start taking around 10.

John Luppo wrote:

When I first started, I was doing 4x100 (95-100%), everyday. with 5 minutes rest between each run. I quickly burned out. I found out that it is really taxing on the nervous system. So I started doing 5x100 but every two days. And I say 5 minutes rest but I usually take like 6-7. but okay, ill start taking around 10.

If you really are running those at 95%-100% then you should even take 15-20 minutes rest like the other poster suggested. Rather than run 5 100s at that intensity, you will be better off running 30m-70m maybe 4-10 times at much lower intensity to work on your form and acceleration, then finish the session with a single 100m at 95%-100%. Hey, running a 100m at 95%-100% is the same as running a time trial or race, you don't want to do 5 of those even once per week let alone 2-3 times per week. One is enough.

You need a lot more variety. Also you can't just keep working hard and then harder, and then harder still. You'll just burn out.

Read up on gpp (general physical preparedness) training during the off season of the later summer and fall. This is when you would want to begin weight training, if you want to incorporate it.

This will allow you to reset for next season, while still improving and setting yourself up properly to train for next season.

Lots of good articles on elitetrack.com forums. In conjunction, read some training blogs on there. You can go back a few years in some of those blogs and see how they change their training over the course of a year, to prepare for each season.

When you have a little more understanding from that research, it will be a lot easier to answer your more specific questions that you'll have at that time.

Also, it's very unlikely you'll get into the 10s. But I'm all for you trying anyway. If nothing else you'll learn a lot about track and get fit in the process.

alright, I'll change that in my training, but do you think what I want to do is reasonable?

John Luppo wrote:

alright, I'll change that in my training, but do you think what I want to do is reasonable?

Yes, it is reasonable. Don't listen to someone who says you likely won't break 11 seconds. I think you have more than a good chance of breaking 11. He could end up being correct, but you won't know until you try. Don't get hung up on numbers, the numbers will take care of themselves as you develop yourself.

John Luppo wrote:

When I first started, I was doing 4x100 (95-100%), everyday. with 5 minutes rest between each run. I quickly burned out. I found out that it is really taxing on the nervous system. So I started doing 5x100 but every two days. And I say 5 minutes rest but I usually take like 6-7. but okay, ill start taking around 10.

This. Do NOT listen to the people who are telling you to run longer, or with less rest. Sprinting is about maximum recruitment of muscles via the nervous system. In order for that to happen you need to be rested. If your times start to slow, stop for the day. Any running after that will not improve your acceleration or top speed. Keep losing weight, but to keep as much muscle as possible while you do, lift weights. But again, lift explosively and take plenty of rest in between sets. Once a week is enough. Good luck!