100, 200
Practical Applications in Strength
and Conditioning
BY
BASU
Copyright © 2021 by Basu Shanker.
All rights reserved.
ISBN
Published by Basu Shanker
Typeset by S4Carlisle Publishing Services Pvt. Ltd., Chennai - 600096
Printed by Shristi Design, Chennai - 600037
No part of the book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information retrieval
system without written permission of the publisher.
Price: ₹1,200
Dedicated to Anu, Arjun and Shruthi
I dedicate this book to my wife Anurita, son Arjun and daughter
Shruthi. Nothing would have been possible in my life without their
unconditional love and support. I also take this opportunity to thank
my parents, who encouraged and backed me all through my
competitive career as a sprinter.
Preface
Introduction
CHAPTER 1:
The Ten Commandments for Sprinting and
Jumping
CHAPTER
2:
Key Terminologies
CHAPTER
3:
Neural Fatigue
CHAPTER
4:
Year-Long Periodization
CHAPTER
5:
‘Steel Blocks’ and ‘Jump to Win’
CHAPTER
6:
The Variables
CHAPTER
7:
Repress
CHAPTER 8: Bridging into Strength and Conditioning
CHAPTER
9:
Pillars and Case Study
Exercise Gallery
Acknowledgements
been contemplating a book of this nature for a while, but it
I had
needed my son Arjun’s thirst for knowledge to nudge me in the
right direction. One day, he came to me seeking a few clarifications
on periodization. Suddenly, something inside me clicked. “Why don’t
I write this book?” I asked myself. So here we are now, with my
maiden foray into writing.
There is a reason why I have titled this book PACS (100, 200). I
genuinely believe my life espouses sprinting. I’ve done sprints all my
life. Drawing on the experiences from my line of work, I can assert
that the takeaways from training for shorter sprints are enormous.
Trainers in the strength and conditioning (S&C) world or the fitness
world come from varied backgrounds. Personnel from weightlifting,
martial arts, powerlifting, track and field and other sporting
backgrounds populate the fitness world. I strongly feel S&C coaches
and fitness trainers with track and field backgrounds have an unfair
advantage, especially those with sprinting as their foundation.
If you have been part of a sprint cohort, it is very natural to be
exposed to plyometrics, speed work, weightlifting and powerlifting –
the whole gamut of things relevant to S&C and fitness. This, I feel, is
a clincher for quality regarding executing one’s skill sets as an S&C
coach or a fitness trainer. This book intends to provide a shot in the
arm for track and field coaches, and more so for S&C coaches,
because many believe training can be done only in the gym. Were
this true, every athlete should be a world-beater. Gym sessions are
little more than tools to augment your strength and address other
deficiencies. Most of the time, training is done on the field. It is
imperative and pertinent to understand that periodization and load
monitoring are synonymous. These two pointers have always
intrigued me, and I have chased them with passion.
Load monitoring, DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness),
rehabilitation, strength work, speed work, conditioning, travel, time
zones, recovery and massage aren’t just facets of my work, but their
core values are deeply ingrained in my system. A significant portion
of this book will deal with the technicalities of preparing an athlete for
sprints. The takeaway for an S&C coach will have a definitive
direction leaning towards performance, and I am confident it will
answer several questions pertaining to coaching.
When I say performance training, it’s not only about running
faster or jumping higher. It encompasses injury prevention. If a
person can run faster, it indicates that his or her performance is
getting better. To run faster, you need to acquire many attributes, to
cover all of which you need to train appropriately. If you prepare
correctly, you will be a lot more robust and resilient, which is the
package for injury prevention.
An important learning for me is the realization that things have
fragmented over a period of time in the S&C and fitness worlds.
There has been an unfortunate dilution of skill set, which in turn has
adversely affected the industry. Twenty years ago, there were hardly
any specialized S&C coaches, so the industry started welcoming a
lot of S&C coaches. This tribe of S&C coaches was into training and
rehabilitation. Over the last decade, what I have noticed is that the
increase in quantity has impacted quality. Today, all and sundry – the
educated, the not-so-well educated, the degree holder and the
dropout – all of them constitute the industry. Owing to this influx, one
key element has gone missing – understanding the essence. Pure
literature has gone out of context. The art of coaching for
performance must not be missed out by S&C coaches and fitness
trainers. Concepts will keep emerging, but the one that stays through
the sands of time is your solid foundation knowledge and experience
in producing champions. Objective numbers and research articles
are very important, as is the art of coaching for performance.
My appeal to budding S&C coaches and trainers is that while
degrees and courses are mandatory as per the norms of the
industry, they are just a starting point. I have always been fascinated
by the practical and functional approach to become a chartered
accountant. During articleship, a senior chartered accountant
prepares a candidate to be job-ready, ensuring that she/he is
efficient as a professional. Drawing a parallel to chartered
accountancy, you need to learn the finer nuances from personalities
who have gone through the grind themselves. It is important to walk
the talk. To impart quality training in a bid to produce a top-class
athlete, you should have trained like one. If you haven’t competed at
the highest level, it doesn’t matter. But give yourself a chance to
compete against your own personal best. Create your records and
unique reference points, which is the lifeline to becoming a
successful coach. Without this, I don’t think there is even a tiny
chance of succeeding. The face in the mirror will not lie. I do not
have any set dogmas or confirmation biases, but honestly, my only
suggestion would be – do track.
I’ve had this conversation with many S&C coaches, and realized
that periodization and load monitoring come entirely from track and
field. If you’ve done track and field, especially the short sprints and
the jumps, you would have experienced plyometrics, gym work,
running and conditioning. These four qualities are the pillars on
which you build your career. Whether you’d like to branch out as a
rehab expert, a therapist or even a fitness trainer, there’s nothing like
personal experience. If you’ve been there, seen it and done it all, you
will understand it a lot better. If I ever run a degree course, the first
two years would be a periodized programme, with the students
creating personal reference points, aspects that will be hammered
home through my course. After all, that’s what will make you a
practitioner instead of remaining a theoretician. This book will not
dwell on the basics, nor will I try to reinvent the wheel. Conversely, I
will be starting with the basics on sprinting, laying out things in
perspective, and I am sure the content will grow on you.
Please note that this piece is an amalgamation and
extension of my personal experience from being a sprinter and
a coach later. I have often failed, and the learning at each
juncture was a chapter on its own. I also have the experience of
clocking many years of coaching different types of sports
personnel, and the learning has been limitless.
the latter half of 2014, I found myself with a relentless back issue
I nwhich
was not easing off. Every morning, I had to do a routine for
45 minutes to loosen my back, but the stiffness could come back at
any time through the day. It was then that Basu sir and I had a
conversation around lifting weights and getting overall explosive
strength in my body.
At first, I wasn’t convinced, but the only thing Basu sir asked of
me was ‘trust’. I had full faith in his knowledge and experience. I
remember in our series against Sri Lanka in 2015, I started learning
lifting from Basu sir, understood the dynamics and the study behind
the practice and felt I was working towards something amazing. The
results were outstanding, and that changed my perception of S&C
and the importance of knowing exactly what you’re working towards.
Basu sir is the best S&C coach I’ve worked with, and his ability to
make you feel at ease with his template is absolutely amazing.
Never have I worked with someone who knew exactly how to
transform my physique and performance according to my needs, not
through a set template that was common to everyone. I truly believe
through this book, one can dive into the details and the knowledge
which can surely transform your perception of what training means,
change the way you do things and how you feel about your physique
after following the programme to the ‘T’, as Basu sir likes to say.
I urge all S&C coaches and all athletes, or even non-athletes, to
read the book and enter the amazing world of training introduced to
me by Basu sir. I believe skill is important, but even more significant
is having the right programme and someone to help you understand
the different transitions your body goes through at different stages of
your life. The right training programme helps you achieve sustained
excellence consistently. I can vouch for the fact that Basu sir’s
training programme and expertise have elevated my game to a level
I could not imagine before. This book should become a template for
S&C coaches who train elite athletes to get them to be at their best.
VIRAT KOHLI
like to start with a map for my maiden effort. While my target
I would
audience is all trainers, S&C coaches, track coaches and fitness
aficionados, this book will complement coaches from other sports as
well. The rationale (commentary) for the flow of the book between
chapters will give you clarity about the depiction of my content in a
seamless manner. First and foremost, I would like to introduce a few
things about sprinters, sprints and sprint coaches. The table is set for
the main menu, so let’s get a move on. There are certain ground
rules for sprinting and jumping; I call them the Ten Commandments
for sprinting and jumping.
Understanding Neural Fatigue
The Mix of Weights and Plyometrics
Tempo Runs and Lactate threshold training
Speed and Speed endurance
Starts and acceleration
Rest and recovery
Force – Velocity curve
Lifestyle and Nutrition – which helps with your fat percentage
Supplements and their dosage
Customizing the programme
most important aspect for a sprinter is speed itself. Everything is
T he
engineered to get that elusive extra step, reaction or acceleration
that will help them create personal records. We must note that speed is
only 20% trainable. One is ‘either born with it or not’. We can always
argue that it is a highly trainable quality. If that were the case, everyone
in the Olympics would be a sprinter.
Certain people are born with a more significant percentage of fasttwitch fibres, and hence the general make-up of a person may be such
that they respond to speed training better than others.
If you are a performance, strength or an athletic coach reading this
book, you will soon find that this book is all about content minus the
fluff. It is a road map to train sprinters to reach their personal records;
in essence, it’s a handbook for S&C coaches looking to excel in their
chosen field.
For easy comprehension, when I say ‘athletes’, let’s assume I am
talking about those in track and field. When referring to other sports, I
will distinctly say ‘sportspersons’. However, for reading ease, the term
‘athlete’ denotes all sports personnel. It need not be a track athlete.
Speed is a buzzword in sport. Often, 0.1 s is the difference between
a gold and a silver medal or missing out on a podium finish. Personal
trainers adopt different strategies when people approach them in their
pursuit of becoming fitter. The thumb rule to training athletes and
sportspersons is to train them to become quicker. That, in turn, will lead
them to become fitter.
When you compare an elite sprinter with a top marathoner, you will
notice that the sprinter has a lower fat percentage. From the looks of it,
a marathoner should have 0% fat, which is not the case. They, on an
average, have about 14–16% fat, which is utilized as fuel. We won’t get
into that nuance; this illustration is not for that purpose.
Before we get into the technicalities, one must know that basically,
there are only five components that affect or influence your movement
from point A to point B:
1. Stride Length
2. Stride Frequency
3. Ground Contact Time
4. Flight Time
5. Reaction and Initial Acceleration
For a person to run from 0 to 10 or 20 m, he or she requires reactive
strength and rate of acceleration or an ability to develop force rapidly.
In general, any athlete who is strong by nature will be able to
accelerate from a fixed point to kinetic movement through sheer
strength.
World-class athletes have roughly four strides per second with a
ground contact time of 80–120 m/s and a flight time of 120–140 m/s.
An athlete running the 100 m in approximately 11 s will have a ground
contact time of 100–130 m/s.
Now, let’s look at the types of strength involved in a 100-m dash.
You need to increase your strength levels to avoid collapsing while
running. Starting strength is required to overcome inertia, explosive
power to move quickly and with force, which also excites the stretchshortening cycle (SSC) and makes you feel elastic. You also need a
reasonable amount of reactive strength (elastic) to minimize the
amortization phase. Don’t let these terms confuse you. Reactive
strength, elastic strength, plyometric strength, power and speed
strength are all used interchangeably. To understand this book, please
treat the terms ‘elastic strength’ and ‘reactive strength’ as synonymous.
Imagine a situation where Novak Djokovic (tennis), Dmitriy Klokov
(weightlifting), Stephen Curry (basketball), Cristiano Ronaldo (football)
and Usain Bolt run a 20-m race. You may be surprised to see a close
contest because the quality that is vividly in focus here is the
acceleration rate, and all of them can display this same quality with
aplomb. Even the top weightlifters in the world have this tremendous
ability to take off quickly from the blocks because they are very
explosive. But when we talk of speed, it is entirely a different ball game.
To develop speed, gym takeaways alone aren’t enough. One needs
technique, control, poise and precise trackwork. In a nutshell, speed
work for a sprinter should not be confused with the rate of acceleration.
You should think flying starts for speed work and starts for the rate of
acceleration. If you are wondering what a flying start is, check this out.
Let’s assume you are running a 50 m sprint. If I time only the last 30 m
of that particular run, it is evident that you are already at top speed by
the time you have reached the 20 m.
What are the takeaways here for a strength and conditioning
coach?
If you understand science, you will know that these qualities are
trainable. Many fitness and novice coaches train people for speed work
over 50–60 m, which isn’t necessary.
For example, if you train a basketball player, he/she must
accelerate and decelerate more than running at top speed. The same
can be said for a cricketer, a tennis player or a squash player. A
footballer may well be required to sprint over 40 m.
Now, understand the distinction very clearly. Speed work means
running at full intensity (flat-out). Tempo runs are around 75%.
The rates of acceleration and deceleration are very different from
running 100 m.
In a nutshell, if you are trying to develop an athlete, understand that
it is not gym work alone; conversely, track work (conditioning) is the
cornerstone of development. Athletes are made on the track, the gym
is just a part of that make-up.
An important point to note is that it takes several years to develop
speed and speed-related qualities, but less time to develop
physiological qualities pertaining to endurance. This is a double-edged
sword as coaches need to clearly understand the difference and
balance out the ‘workout patterns’ because excessive endurance work
will kill speed. This will prove counterproductive as high VO2 scores are
inversely proportional to power and speed.
Mashed-up training is a screw-up. Although you can become fit,
there’s a reason why it’s called ‘fit for nothing’. Just loading lots of
conditioning under the lactic energy system will not produce the
desired results when it comes to speed and power. It has to be skilfully
factored in.
back to some technical terms that you may encounter in this
C oming
book – I have broken down the same for simple comprehension.
BUILD-UPS
It’s almost the same as ‘striding’ in athletic terminology. You start at a
jogging pace, hit almost 90% speed around 70 m, and gradually
decrease pace. There might be different approaches by coaches, but
by and large, this is it. This is run chiefly over 100 m.
STRIDES
This is again interchangeably used, but strides are nothing but a trial
run/a prelude to a faster run/checking rhythm and flow. In a nutshell, it
is a check run, and the distance doesn’t matter. It can be done as a
workout too, where the stopwatch doesn’t come into play and is very
individualistic where the athlete goes with his or her feel.
TEMPO RUNS
Tempo runs are a percentage derived from your best speed. Let’s
assume you run 100 m in 12 s – so a tempo run for 100 m (75% effort
in track and field) will be calculated with a simple reverse crossmultiplication method.
100 × 12 = 1200
1200/75 = 16 s is the pace required (reference – the great Charlie
Francis).
Tempo runs are a gift to track and field and all other sport. Their many
benefits are listed here:
1. Quality instead of best time spent on running mechanics
2. Can be done on successive days without worrying about neur
fatigue
3. Pertinent way to get fit
4. Accumulating instead of getting your running mileage very specif
to your needs
5. Can be done throughout the year
RHYTHM RUNS VS TEMPO RUNS
Rhythm runs are over shorter distances, of 30–40 m. They are a
derivative of the long and triple jumps. Rhythm runs are basically like a
run-up to perform a long jump or a triple jump. They can be used
judiciously in other sports too.
In contrast, tempo runs can be anywhere between 40 m and 300 m
or more and in some cases even longer, depending on the athlete’s
training age and work capacity.
TYPES OF BOUNDING
Speed bounding is a sprinter’s lifeline as it constantly reiterates
running technique, SSC, elastic strength and that ‘springiness’ we look
for in every sprinter. It is highly event-specific and is mainly done during
the competition phase.
Distance bounding (both vertical and horizontal) emphasizes power,
SSC and elastic strength and helps enormously in stride length. It is
given more importance in the specific preparation phase.
High bounding places considerable emphasis on power; the
displacement is up and down, so when you break the bound down, it is
like a depth jump wherein the eccentric load is much more. This is
mainly done in the off season.
WORK CAPACITY
Work capacity is a combination of training age, lifestyle, nutrition,
genes and consistency. All programmes have to be based on work
capacity, and can be understood with experience and by diligently
mixing objective and subjective inputs. Personnel who have missed out
on track and field in their formative years and late adolescence will
always face a predicament of sorts for the simple reason that they have
not physically challenged themselves in a structured manner. Although
that can be a handicap, there is an alternative whereby you can make
up with your efforts to understand these variables in training. Continue
to train for yourself, as this is a vital cog in the learning curve.
LACTIC ENDURANCE WORK
This is good to improve your lactic tolerance capacity (lactic
endurance) and is particularly relevant for preparing for 200 m and 400
m. I am using the word lactic endurance work because if I use the term
lactate threshold it gets very technical. Here I mean the two types of
work capacity required for the 200 m and 400 m. In the 200 m, speed,
power and running tall (mechanics) play a significant role, while in the
400 m, your ability to maintain shape throughout the run is pivotal. In
order to achieve this over 400 m, speed, along with good strength and
lactic tolerance capacity, will be the clinching factor. This will allow the
quarter-miler to sustain that rhythm for a longer period.
Frankie Fredericks was a great exponent of the 200 m. He was
good in the 100 m too, but excelled in the 200 m, probably because he
could run the curve with ease without wasting much energy. He ran fast
yet was relaxed and had enough in the tank when he reached the
straight. His tall running action was a treat to the eyes. 200 m to me
signifies the following:
a. Understanding of the distance
b. Excellent skill set to run the curve with speed and relaxation
c. Ability to run the straight stronger with enough in the tank (as
reserve fuel)
d. Good elastic power and strength
e. Ability to tolerate the onset of lactic acid better than a 100-m
runner
The above facets are key to preparing an athlete (and sports
personnel), and this has to be bridged with the energy systems.
ENERGY SYSTEMS
When training a sportsperson, it is crucial to understand the energy
system. I have listed it here as an algorithm for easy reference. I will
not get too bright here in giving the exact sciences for this part.
There is a lot of overlapping information on energy systems, but for
easy comprehension, I have simplified the same. I have broken down
the gross energy system into four parts for better interpretation.
Energy System
Rough
Distance
ATP-CP
60–70 m
SPEED, POWER
6–8 s
SPEED ENDURANCE
70–150 m
ENDURING
SPEED
8–20 s
LACTIC ENDURANCE
(LE) 1
150–400 m
CONDITIONING*
20–60 s
LE 2
400–800 m
TO PREP FOR LE
1*
60–120 s
Used for
Rough Time
Taken
*Improves your VO2 score and anaerobic threshold.
I have not mentioned the aerobic energy system here for a reason.
Except during your formative years, few will tolerate slow continuous
work, and it will predominantly end up being counterproductive. Interval
training and targeted training to improve your maximal aerobic speed
and other modalities to improve your lactic tolerance capacity will be
more than sufficient for most. Interestingly, the ‘out-and-out’ power type
of sports personnel will benefit more from tempo runs and the odd
lactic work, than a modality that borders around the aerobic system.
The short burst energy system is the major contributor in most of
the dynamic team sports. They do use the other two systems too, but
judicious planning in preparation is the key to performance and
minimization of injuries. That said, you may ask, why train the other
systems if the energy predominantly used is the short burst one?
Unlike sprinters, many sportspersons will be training the lactic zones
every day in training/match simulation rather than the specific zone
required for their sport. Let me break it down, taking cricket as an
example and the two main energy systems being ATP-CP and aerobic.
Playing the sport year-long will result in multiple uses of the short
burst energy system, so it is critical not to overwork the short energy
system (e.g. sprints). While drawing up the programme and
ascertaining the loads for a sportsperson, please don’t ignore overuse
injuries and tendon issues. The next question is, should I train the
aerobic energy system because recovery in this sport is aerobic?
Recovery for a cricketer is very different from that of a footballer or a
basketball player. They play the sport (cricket) from a very young age
and get used to long hours of playing. Training them to do long, slow
activities may be a part of their foundation years but can severely
hamper their athletic qualities in later years. To identify a cricketer as
not being in the best physical shape is straightforward, as a simple
dose of repeated interval type of drill will test him/her and he/she may
feel the burn a little too quickly, while the same work would be
effortless for a well-conditioned cricketer.
How do we deal with this situation? Time is a constraint in training
cricketers. This is where the lactic endurance 1 and 2 systems can
come to their rescue. These must be used judiciously and only for short
durations to get them conditioned. This will improve both their overall
fitness and their aerobic system and will also help them to repeat
sessions and recover better between sessions. In short, effective and
intelligent use of energy systems is the art of coaching and training. But
it must be individually customized and cannot be generalized.
Having simplified the energy system, the following pointers need to
be borne in mind while prepping a sprinter which is a lot more
technical:
• 20–40 m flying starts are the most critical component.
• Tempo runs are like fuel for the athlete; when in doubt, do temp
runs.
• Workout distance required for a 100 m athlete seldom exceeds 15
m; in the case of an athlete that may need it, a rare 300 m may b
added, depending on the situation.
• For an out-and-out power athlete like Ben Johnson, the distanc
never exceeds 200 m.
• However, for a very ‘cadence-type’ athlete, one can explore the 150
300 m zones.
important feature many coaches miss is neural fatigue. As all
O ne
of you must be aware, neural fatigue usually sets in owing to
high-intensity work. It can be sprinting, plyometrics or resistance
training. In a nutshell, any repeated high-intensity work can lead to
neural fatigue. This can severely handicap the CNS impulses
(necessary to contract the muscle fibres). In simple words, it is an
involuntary reduction in voluntary activation.
Let’s say you do around eight repetitions of 80 m sprints on
Tuesdays. Technically, then Wednesdays are off so that you
neutralize neural fatigue. Let’s say you do 30 m flying starts (eight
repetitions) on Thursdays. Now the week is literally lost in neural
fatigue as you can’t do much on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.
That is the beauty of training a sprinter. What you fill on those days is
the challenge. You can’t do something again that will increase the
neural fatigue for that week.
It is crucial to understand that if an athlete has neural fatigue
continuously for weeks, this can degrade performance by a
considerable margin. This is sometimes irreversible during a season.
So introducing speed work and heavy weightlifting work can come
under severe stress and be counterproductive if you’re not rested
well in between sessions. You can do many active sessions between
those high-voltage sessions, but the prudent selection of exercises
or drills should neutralize the fatigue. In a month-long programme, all
things add up: your weight training, running, tempo, neural work and
other works. The question is where to place this neural work (high
intensity).
Jumps (standing long jump, 3 hops, bounding, hopping), in
general, may not produce neural fatigue, but if you do a proper
plyometric session, then that will induce it. Just to illustrate another
example from a sprinter’s point of view, if you do 30 m (eight
repetitions) and 40 m (six repetitions) sprints along with 2 × 120 m
flat-outs in a single session, it can create a lot of neural fatigue. The
beauty will be to choose the ideal day in the week to insert the
session. These elements have to be factored in properly. All these
things cannot be laid out in simple terms in this book. There are
certain things you need to experience as a coach or as an athlete.
You will often understand that rest or a warm-up session or some
skill work/technique work or even some stride-outs are the best
courses of action between these sessions.
What happens if you have back-to-back competition days? Say,
you have to run the 100 m on Saturdays and then the 200 m on
Sundays. What happens then in the context of neural fatigue? How
do you prepare for it?
Imagine I am a 10,000 m runner. Do I run 10,000 m every day in
training? I don’t. Likewise, if you are a 100 m or 200 m runner, it
does not necessarily mean that you need to sprint over 100 m and
200 m every day. Similarly, if competition days are back-to-back, the
only thing that creates DOMS for the second day is poor conditioning
and poor specific preparation. You can always have something left in
your tank, and on Day 2, you can still run on your reserve fuel.
Having said that, there is a case for doing speed work on back-toback days in the preparatory phase. How you do it and what
distance of high-speed running you sequence back-to-back are
dependent on the person, their conditioning, training history,
nutritional status, lifestyle and so on. These factors are highly
subjective, and I can go on and on about them. But I can’t give you a
cookie-cutter method for this on the pretext of answering this
question.
The essence of coaching lies in understanding, not just in
objective numbers.
A question posed to me was, ‘Should everyone do weight
training?’
To answer that, we need to comprehend what makes you
stronger. Strength work, powerlifting, weightlifting and the likes,
jumps, plyometrics and running. Michael Johnson, I heard, has never
done plyometrics. Similarly, many Eastern bloc runners have not
done much weight training; they’ve done only plyometrics. I know
many sprinters who do just weightlifting and haven’t done much
plyometrics or traditional strength work. All of them have produced
results. But most of us have learned a lot from the Eastern bloc
countries, so plyometrics and weight training go hand in hand.
However, not everybody responds the same way to weight training.
Some end up getting unduly rigid and stiff, which affects their
running mechanics. Again, it’s up to the coach to decide whether to
introduce weight training or not for the athlete concerned. The
beauty of training an athlete is its uniqueness. As Paul Chek says,
‘Like how we all look different from the outside, we all function very
differently from the inside.’ There are multiple factors to consider
while making informed decisions, and that is the challenge for a
coach.
While the neural fatigue described here is for a sprinter, the
takeaways for an S&C coach are enormous. You can apply the same
for other sports (e.g. football, cricket, hockey, basketball) as well.
The dynamics of each sport are very different but the applied
science is very similar.
A SNEAK PEEK INTO A 100 M SPRINTER’S YEAR-LONG
PERIODIZATION MODEL
On 3rd January 2017, Suresh, an aspiring sprinter in his early 20s, took
part in the National Inter-University Athletic Meet, finishing sixth in the
final of the 100 m dash with a time of 11.1 s. It was Suresh’s seasonending race. He wanted to make amends by running a better time in
the coming year, perhaps even daring to win the National InterUniversity medal the following year (2018), his final year in university
action.
Please note that this is just a template with imaginary names and
athletic meets to give a real-time feel. The objective of outlining a
programme in the said model is to give you a virtual feel. The
periodization and the science part go hand in glove and that should
help in designing your own templates.
The sample periodization I have illustrated here is more suited to a
100 m runner. It can be applied to the 200 m too, but if one is going to
run both the 100 m and the 200 m, several variables need to be
understood. Training a person for the 100 m alone is very different, and
many factors have to be taken into consideration.
Bear in mind that the following programme could be tweaked to run
the 200 m too. As lactic endurance training has to be included if one
has to run the 200 m, please remember that some athletes develop
well with a little bit of lactic endurance training, while others just don’t
do well with it, ending up losing speed fibres instead. Again, it’s a thin
line, and each athlete is differently wired. I would be pleased if I could
hand you a straightforward recipe, but there is simply no one single
recipe. Some sprinters run both the 100 m and 200 m, some might do
the 100 m-long jump double, and in other cases it is just the shortest
distance (100 m) alone. Some, like Frankie Fredericks, ran the 100 m
and 200 m, but he was far more successful in the 200 m. Some rare
athletes, like Michael Johnson, did exceptionally well in the 200 m and
400 m, but it is not a very common combo.
An essential aspect of training sprinters is adapting and customizing
the training according to the athlete’s strength, size, stride frequency,
training history, etc. That is the key to success. For all the objective
numbers we have, the subjective eye and experience sometimes
matter; there’s no substitute for that. So, clearly the following pattern is
only an example and may not suit all.
The foundation for training a 100 m sprinter however, remains a
constant. You work on their power, speed, stride length, movement
efficiency and rate of acceleration.
Coming back to our young sprinter Suresh; his body weight is 68 kg
and is not one of those ‘heavy’ athletes.
Since Suresh concluded his season in the first week of January, the
advice to him would be to go on a holiday, tend to his niggles (if any),
and generally, take his mind off track and field. But knowing athletes,
their minds keep ticking even when they are resting, and a blueprint for
the following year will be their topmost priority. Suresh decided to start
his prep for the coming year in February 2017.
The flow chart is as follows:
February and March – General training
DURATION: 2 months
TRAINING COMPONENTS INVOLVED:
• Tempo runs not more than 300 m for a sprinter, very rarely going u
to 400 m
• Muscular endurance for the first 4 weeks
• Hypertrophy for the second 4 weeks
• Hill work/runs, beach shore running – General Preparation
• Basic ABC drills, standing long jumps, bounding and hopping
General Preparation
During the general training phase, I use the formula of Tempo–Gym–
Hill–Rest
February: Base Conditioning
This is the start of a new season. In track and field, the preparatory
season is longer compared to other sports. It is crucial to understand
the linear periodization of track and field to play around with undulated
periodization of other sports. Even in track and field, athletes will
compete from the mid-season, but the entire focus will revolve around
the dedicated meet for which they will put their lives on the line. Many
coaches will mix and match linear and undulated styles to suit their
coaching philosophies.
In this month, the focus will be mainly on general conditioning and
strength endurance. The emphasis is on clearing the niggles, so a
muscular endurance phase coupled with hill runs and beach runs will
be the focus at a relaxed pace.
Speeds will never exceed 75% in any of the runs, and the maximum
distance for tempo runs will be 250 m for this sprinter. Medicine ball
and other standing jumps will also be introduced, and six sessions a
week will be the ideal starting point. It’s advisable to have a ‘deep
tissue massage’ once a week. If affordability is an issue, then a pool
session is sufficient.
Days
Traini
ng
Mon
day
Tuesda
y
Wednes
day
Temp
o
runs
Gym:
Compo
und 5
Squat
Deadlift
Shoulde
r press
Pull-ups
Auxiliar
y
Shore or
track:
Tempo
runs
Thursday
Hill work:
6 × 30 m
4 × 60 m
2 × 110 m
(sub-maximal efforts focussing
on good knee drive)
Fri
day
Saturda
y
Res
t
Morning:
ABC
drills,
Boundin
g
Hopping
Evening:
Game
March: Base Conditioning – Phase 2
Having gone through a good four weeks of training at a relaxed pace,
Suresh now jumps into Phase 2 in S&C (he is still in fitness mode).
The only difference would be that things will become more
structured and the focus will be on recovery time, pace, tempo and
load. All those elements will be factored in with a little more detail.
From strength endurance, the loads will shift to hypertrophy.
Days
Traini
ng
Monda
y
ABC
drills
Tempo
runs:
6×
150 m
Tuesday
Wednesday
Gym:
Compou
nd 5
Squats
Deadlifts
Shoulder
press
Pull-ups
Auxiliary
Shore or
track:
Tow belts 6
× 25 m
Tempo runs:
10 × 60 m
2 × 250 m
Thurs
day
Gym:
Strengt
h
Satur
day
Friday
ABC drills, Running
technique drills
Tempo runs:
8 × 120 m
Gym:
Streng
th
February and March may look very relaxed from the outset, but it is
a proper time to nail a few weak areas and reinforce the strong points.
April and May – Specific Training – Event Based
We shift gears and now become more specific. In this phase of specific
preparation, we will continue with either the hill or the beach runs
depending on what’s required for the athlete. We would either cut the
beach and continue the hill work or vice versa.
In Suresh’s case, we have decided to continue with the hill work in
this training phase.
Note that all tempo runs are to be done with spikes only. This is to
ensure that there are no alterations in the running mechanics of the
athlete. Strength work will continue with a focus on hypertrophy.
Days
Monday
Tuesday
Wednes
day
Thursday
Friday
Satur
day
Wednes
day
Days
Monday
Tuesday
Morni
ng
8 × 200
m
(tempo)
With 2
min
recovery
Rest
Eveni
ng
Gym:
Hypertro
phy
ABC drills, Running
technique,
Bounding, Hopping
Thursday
Friday
Satur
day
Tempo
runs:
16 × 100
m
Gym:
Hypertroph
y
Rest
Rest
Rest
Depth
jumps
Hurdle
jumps, B
ounding,
Hopping,
Tempo
runs:
8 × 120 m
Tow
belts 5 ×
25 m
Sled
runs 5 ×
40 m
MB push
press
throws 6
reps
MB back
toss 6
reps
Strideouts
over 5 ×
100 m
Hill
work:
8 × 30
m
4 × 60
m
3 × 80
m
This particular programme will be followed well into May for a good 6–8
weeks.
June: Beginning of Speed Work
The most significant aspect in June would be the introduction of ‘starts’
into the training regimen. This phase also sees the athlete being
introduced to some lifting and power work in the gym/strength
sessions.
Days
Mon
day
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thurs
day
Friday
Saturday
Days
Mon
day
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thurs
day
Friday
Saturday
Morni
ng
Starts
:
6×
20 m
6×
30 m
2×
120
m
Rest
Rest
Gym:
Lifting
and
Power
Rest
Warm-up,
Running
technique
drills
Eveni
ng
Pool
sessi
on
High
bounding
4 × 10
Distance
bounding 4
× 10
Standing
broad jump
1×6
Hops 3 × 3
es
2 × 150 m
Finish with
static
stretching
Running technique
drills + hurdle
mobility
and medicine ball
ab work
Tempo
runs:
10 ×
110 m
Accelerat
ion runs:
6 × 30 m
6 × 40 m
@ 90%
Forward
squat jumps
3×8
Hop and
stick 3 × 6
es
4 × 80 m
accelerate
and coast
July: Transition into Local Meets
In the first week of July, Suresh will take part in some club relays,
dedicating nearly two weekends to that. Also, a couple of interdepartmental competitions in his college will help him quantitatively
evaluate what he’s done in the off-season. He is all set to run two
relays, two 100 m time trials and a couple of local meets.
These two weeks are like his half-yearly closing.
Suresh resumes his training on 15th July with a bang; here’s where
the pre-season work starts. All specific sessions in this block will be
only in the evenings, the mornings dedicated to active warm-ups,
mobility and running technique drills. The evening plan is followed for 4
weeks, until August 15.
Days
Traini
ng
Mon
day
Starts
6×
30 m
4×
50 m
1×
80 m
1×
110
m
@
80–
90%
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Lifting and
plyometric
s
Running technique,
tow belts, sled work
Acceleration
runs @ 80–
90%
3 point starts
over 60 m
8 reps
Frid
ay
8×
200
m
Tem
po
run
s
Saturday
Lifting and
plyometric
s
August: Pre-season – For the Second Peak in December
From August 15, the last phase of pre-season work sets in. Flying
starts will be introduced at this point, and this particular programme will
go on for four weeks. Mornings will be dedicated to warm-ups and
mobility (on select days) and evenings for training.
Days/
PM
Mon
day
Tues
day
Traini
ng
Flyin
g
starts
30 m
×8
Temp
o runs
120 m
Wednesday
Strength/Po
wer session
Thursda
y
50 m
sprint/50
m jog
over 800
m×2
sets
Friday
Saturday
Running drills:
Reps for each drill
will depend on
how the athlete
feels
Will address
certain
prophylactic
and strength
issues
September–October: Speed, Taper and Focus towards the
Ultimate Competition
From September 15, Suresh’s training will start to taper off. Warm-ups
and prophylactic work (if any) will be done every morning without fail.
The evening training plan will be as follows:
• The week will begin on Mondays with Suresh doing 4–5 reps of flyin
starts over 20 m and 30 m.
• Tuesdays will be only running technique drills and some stride-ou
along with some speed bounding.
• Wednesdays will be active rest days.
• Thursdays will have him doing starts over 30 m, 40 m, 60 m, 70
and 80 m.
• One day in the week will be dedicated to gym work comprising lift
some jump squats and such variants.
• One more day in the week will just be for active rest/warm-ups an
build-ups.
This format will continue until November, when the season starts.
November: In-season
In the first couple of weeks in November, Suresh will take part in a
proper meet, running the 100 m primarily. He will run the heats, semis
and finals for the 100 m and relays of 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m
(although he is not particularly good at the 400 m).
The day after the competition of the second weekend of November
would be a complete rest day. Subsequent days in the third week of
November will see Suresh doing warm-ups, stride-outs, bounding and
hopping, and if time permits, a session of strength, a session of tow
belts, sled work/jumps, and finally, one more day of starts/flying starts.
The rest of the days are dedicated to recovery and active warm-ups
along with some mobility and prophylactic work.
Suresh pushes to run another 100 m in the third and fourth weeks
and qualifies for the direct final. At the end of November, he takes stock
of the work done in the season with the best time of 10.8 s over 100 m.
He enters the final month before the major championship.
December: T-Minus one month until the day of the
competition
At this point, a little more speed work must be done, which takes up the
first two weeks of December:
• 30 m, 40 m, 50 m × 2 each + 110 m – all three point starts
• 50 sprint/50 jog
• Standing long jump, bounding, hopping and some flying starts
• Precise strength work
• Include some recovery sessions in the form of pool sessions
massage
All plyometrics are cut down to just 30%, and the sights are set on the
final assault. The distance in flying starts is reduced to a maximum of
20 m, just to give the athlete a ‘feel-good’ factor, and an odd 120 m flatout is introduced. Specific race preparation from the blocks is done.
Ideally, the athlete will run hard for the first 20 m from the blocks and
then coast. The focus must be on running tall and relaxed.
Now, Suresh is to run his heats for the 100 m on January 3 at 9:00
a.m. and his quarter-finals on the same day. The semis will take place
on January 4 at 11:00 a.m., and the finals at 3:00 p.m. With this
sequence in mind, we will go back to the training done in December to
ensure that speed work is done on two consecutive days for at least
two weeks.
January: T-Minus three days until the day of competition
The first of January will comprise mainly indoor work. Suresh will do
some jumps, squats with weights, push press, box jumps, speed
Nordic curls and a couple of secondary exercises. The following
morning, he will just warm up and stretch a little.
On 3rd January at 9:00 a.m., as the gun goes off, Suresh knows that
the prep he’s done for the last 365 days will be judged in a little more
than 10 s.
or a year-long programme, it’s important to have a solid
grounding in programming for weightlifting, plyometrics and
strength training. A few sample programmes have been thrown in
to illustrate comprehension and flow.
F
‘Steel Blocks’ – an example of progress in the gym.
Strength/Hypertrophy
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Front squats
12 10 8
10 8 6
864
3×5
3×5
3×4
12 10 8
10 8 6
864
3×5
3×5
3×4
12 10 8
10 8 6
864
3×8
3×8
3 × 10
Deadlift
Back squat
Snatch grip deadlift
Bench press
Pull-ups
Max Strength
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Back squats
4×5
4×4
4×3
Deadlift
6×3
6×3
6×3
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
Sled push heavy
Max Strength
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Sled pull heavy
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
Strength Speed (80% – 1 rm)
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Split snatch
3 × 4 es
3 × 4 es
3 × 4 es
Power clean
3×5
3×4
3×3
BB hybrid
3×5
3×4
3×3
Snatch pull
3×4
3×4
3×3
Push press
3×5
3×4
3×3
Power (70% – 1 rm)
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Split snatch
3 × 3 es
3 × 3 es
3 × 3 es
Hang clean
3×4
3×4
3×4
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
High pull from hang
3×4
3×4
3×4
Jump squats (20–30 kg)
3×5
3×5
3×5
Sled push (70% of max st)
Speed Strength (60% – 1 rm)
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Split snatch
3 × 3 es
3 × 3 es
3 × 3 es
Hang clean
3×4
3×4
3×4
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
3 × 30 m
3×4
3×4
3×4
3 × 10 s
3 × 10 s
3 × 10 s
Sled push (60% of max strength)
Push press
Elastic jumps for time
Jump to Win
Even though I encourage bounding and hopping from an early stage
along with forward squat jumps and standing long jumps, the ‘Jump
to win series’ is not for novice and intermediate sprinters but for
sprinters who have completed a good four years of periodized
training. Plyometrics at this stage will propel them forward; the
results we have seen over the years have been mind-boggling. This
can be done twice a week for the entire programme. It’s only a
hypothesis, and there are many ways to reach a destination. This will
give you a direction towards it. The objectives set out here are
something I have used for the population under our demography.
The numbers are a derivative of what I have seen over a period, and
it’s fine with me if it is viewed as anecdotal.
Prerequisite
Training age: 4 years (periodized)
Minimum age: 17 years
Standing long jump 2.50 m for men/2.10 m for women
100 m: 11.4 s (men) and 12.8 s (women) – a minimum
30 m: 3.9 s (men) and 4.3 s (women) – preferably
The above prerequisite is subjective and may change according
to the physical dynamics of an athlete.
Sets × Reps
(Week 1)
Sets × Reps
(Week 2)
Sets × Reps
(Week 3)
Standing Long Jump
1×5
2×5
3×5
Forward Squat Jumps
1×5
2×5
3×5
Jump to Box
1×5
2×5
3×5
Power Skip (with TE*)
20 m
2 × 25 m
3 × 30 m
Jumping Run
1×5
2×5
3×5
Stiff Jumps (vertical)
1×5
2×5
3×5
Level A
Level A
Sets × Reps
(Week 1)
Sets × Reps
(Week 2)
Sets × Reps
(Week 3)
1×5
2×5
3×5
35
70
105
Elastic Jumps (15–20
cm)
Total Contacts
(Roughly)
TE* = Triple Extension
Sets × Reps
(Week 1)
Sets × Reps
(Week 2)
Sets × Reps
(Week 3)
Forward Squat
Jumps
3×5
3×5
3×7
Bound and Stick
3×6
3×6
3×8
Hop and Stick
2×5
3×5
2×7
Elastic Jumps
10
10
10
1 × 10
2 × 10
3 × 10
63
78
99
Level B
Drop Jumps (30–40
cm)
Total Contacts
Level C
Sets × Reps (Week 1)
Sets × Reps (Week 2)
Sets × Reps (Week 3)
Bounding
1 × 30 m
2 × 30
2 × 30
Hopping
1 × 30 m
2 × 30
2 × 30
Jumping
Run
3 × 10
2 × 10
2 × 10
Depth
Jumps
1 × 10
2 × 10
3 × 10
Speed Week (Pre-com)
Sets × Reps
(Week 1)
Sets × Reps
(Week 2)
Sets × Reps
(Week 3)
Sets × Reps
(Week 1)
Sets × Reps
(Week 2)
Sets × Reps
(Week 3)
Fast Bounding
3 × 10
3 × 10
3 × 10
One-Leg Running (hops)
3 × 10
3 × 10
3 × 10
Drop Jumps over Barrier
(Speed)
2 × 10
2 × 10
2 × 10
Depth Jumps
2 × 10
2 × 10
2 × 10
6 × 60 m
6 × 60 m
6 × 60 m
Speed Week (Pre-com)
Build-Ups
PS: You can add any sort of build-ups after the session, depending
on the athlete and the event.
to understand the macro-perspective of the entire scheduling,
N ow,
let us discuss the components at stake for an athlete with regards
to the competition he or she is preparing for.
Medals are won by milliseconds, and you have to be smart in
understanding the structure and blueprint of a sprint. We prepare an
athlete for many years; we must prepare them well in the ideal
direction, and very specifically. After all, ‘form follows function’ – Wolff’s
law.
It’s all dealt in milliseconds, hence the need for dexterity and
accuracy. Let’s look at some exciting data that will help you prepare
your athlete according to the component of the race.
Phase
Block Take-Off
Acceleration
Maximum Speed
Time (in
Milliseconds)
300
300–100
80–100
Strength
Required
Max and starting
strength
Power and max
strength
Elastic/reactive and
plyometric type
The many types of training we use for each component is a topic in
itself. For brevity, I have summed up the different types of training
involved and the components that go into it while also mentioning each
of the derived benefits. This will give you the necessary bolts to strike it
rich in your macro-plan.
Uphill running
• Shorter distance (60–80 m maximum)
• 15–20 degree max slope
Components
Slower velocity
Shorter stride lengths
Longer ground contact times
Benefits
Most ideal way of working the posterior chain
Maximizes stride length in a flat surface
Beach work
Work around loose sand, shore and water
Components
Lesser extension force
Faster hip flexion and shorter stride length
Longer ground contact times because of the surface
Benefits
Increase in stride rate
Sled runs
• Keep the distance not more than 60 m
• Use 25% body weight (max limit)
• It can alter the mechanics for sprinting if it is higher
• Focus on running mechanics and speed
• Recruits motor units in a sweeping way and increases your rate
acceleration
Depth jumps vs drop jumps
Depth jumps and drop jumps are like the two covenants for sprinting
and jumping. Some understanding of these two components will go a
long way in our programme design. Drop jumps are crucial for sprinters
at the top end of the speed phase, to significantly minimize ground
contact time.
Type
Depth Jumps
Drop Jumps
Drop height
75 cm–1.1 m
30–60 cm
Amount of knee
flexion upon takeoff
Knees are allowed to bend as much as the athlete
prefers to obtain maximal jump height
Legs relatively
stiff
Verbal cues
provided by the
coach
Jump as high as possible
Get off the
ground quickly
Goal
Maximal jump height
Minimal
ground
contact time
While we have covered the nuts and bolts of sprinting, it’s important to
dive deep into the coaching part of a sprinter. I’ve coined the
mnemonic REPRESS precisely because we should not at any point
lose sight of these qualities in the preparatory process.
Essentials of sprinting (REPRESS) – The commandments of
sprinting are pretty generic, while the essentials are specific from
a coach’s perspective.
1. Rate of acceleration (R)
2. Elastic work (E)
3. Plyometrics (P)
4. Resistance training (RE)
5. Sprint drills (S)
6. Speed work (S)
Rate of acceleration: This is probably the most important component
for any athlete, especially a sprinter who needs to move from a static
state to kinetic state and from 0 to 30 m aiming to perform at his or her
best times. You need to be super strong. Training specifically for this is
critical with starts and other reactive works factored in. You spend a
good 30–40% of your time in this phase of a race. If you’re not a
sprinter but an athlete who plays other sports, most of your preparation
should be around this component, the meat and potatoes of your plan.
Most of the work done in the gym room – standing jumps, starts, tow
belts, etc. – is all focused on getting that energy to propel you forward
in the acceleration phase, which is probably four seconds of your time
in the entire make-up of a sprinter. Most of the sports (apart from
sprints) require you to be at your best with your acceleration.
Elastic work: I like to use the term ‘elastic work’ because a sprinter is
all about being elastic and springy to propel himself/herself forward. All
the bounding, hopping, jumping runs, etc. fall into this bucket. A lot of
emphasis has to be given to ground contact time. Being mindful of
developing drills to get off the ground quickly will provide you with the
elusive advantage. As the word suggests, elastic work is all about how
quickly you can move forward after contacting the ground and moving
into your next step. All the bounds and hops focus on getting you on
that road with minimal contact time and making you resilient and
springy.
Plyometrics: For me, plyometrics means using boxes, depth and drop
jumps – the key to getting powerful. This is a game changer that allows
your mechanics to flow without losing power and specific strength in
propelling forward. It’s like fitting the main ingredient in the dish. If
consumed in proper doses, this quality will move you to the Ivy League.
Box jumps, depth and drop jumps will give you the enormous ability to
leap forward in your acceleration while keeping the structure tall and
resilient at top speeds.
Resistance training: Weightlifting, powerlifting and sleds are my keys
to developing a strong base. In sprinting, the force–velocity curve is
constantly debated, and you need to give importance to the force curve
along with the speed curve (weightlifting – if the athlete has the skill) to
get the suitable algorithm. To improve general strength and specific
speed strength, the weight room is used extensively, and it also helps
in minimizing injuries. However, please do not think one can run faster
from the weight room. Quite a few world-class sprinters do not use the
weight room at all, thinking it can compromise their flexibility and
mobility. There are many ways to skin a cat. So please think beyond
the weight room, if need be.
Sprint drills: I would like to use the word sprint drills rather than
running technique work because all and sundry, even without
experiencing a sprint (over 100 m) in 12 s (for men) or 13 s (for
women), have started teaching running technique. We will stick to the
term ‘sprint drills’. This is like your daily bread; reading this scripture on
a daily basis reiterates the path and direction. Running technique and
mechanics are equally essential to run quick, and if you look at
renowned sprint coaches, you would note that they do not overkill the
athlete with technique work. Still, they use tools like ABC drills, jump
work and hurdle mobility drills, bounding and hopping, along with
strength work to get your running mechanics right. Warm-up always
consists of specific drills that reiterate your running mechanics. But
everything is drilled in for many years although the athlete doesn’t
realize it.
Speed work: This is not moving from 0 to 30. This is probably the most
crucial component. To run fast, you need to work on that skill set
seriously. Most of the time, speed work is confused with the rate of
acceleration and other endurance-type work. Sadly, many athletes
have gone down the drain thinking they are working on getting fitter
(working on lactic endurance more than specific work) and stronger
(gym work only helps the rate of acceleration to a great extent). The
major component of running fast is speed. That quality can be acquired
by mixing the ingredients correctly and training for maximum speed at
the right timelines with the ideal dosage, which is the ‘be all and end all’
of sprinting. After your acceleration phase, you straighten up and hit
top speed. How long you can maintain this speed is the key. All
sprinters who can run a minimum of 10 m/s will understand this part
quite well. Even those sprinters who run 8–9 m/s would still understand
this. The question here is ‘how long’ you can maintain this pace.
Around 4 or 5 s? Usain Bolt at one point ran 12.5 m/s. This constitutes
the major portion of a race, and if your top-end speed is good, it has
cascading effects on your other qualities like speed endurance.
Having covered the above essentials of sprinting, I would like to
dwell a little more on learning to be elastic.
More about Jumps
Pop-up jumps are a precursor for long jumps with a much shorter runup, with the emphasis on take-off, hang time and technique. You are
expected to run about 15–20 m and jump (long) into a pit. You will
notice that you will learn to fall into a long jump pit by doing this from an
early age, then later land in a pit, and much later you learn to leap,
extend and land into a long jump pit. These are the phases of learning
the long jump. As a beginner, your first goal should always be to jump
twice your stride length.
Any world-class sprinter (male) will be able to jump 7 m (to say the
least) with ease.
If you are a budding S&C coach, try this simple algorithm for learning.
Let’s assume your stride length is 2 m.
By jumping 4 m, it’s two times your stride length.
If you jump 2.5 times your stride length, it’s 5 m.
If you are a strength and conditioning coach who is pretty fit, you will
understand the rudiments of falling and leaping with zeal just by
jumping into a long jump pit. You can rest assured that if you continue
along this path, you will soon jump almost three times your stride
length. World-class jumpers can jump 3.5 times their stride length. This
is a general observation.
Assuming Mike Powell’s stride length to be 2.40 m, he did 8.95 m in
his long jump – it’s almost 3.7 times his stride length.
Jumping has cascading benefits that will blow your mind. One has to
feel the thrill and excitement of jumping to feel the high.
1. Body balance
2. Horizontal leaping capacity
3. The culmination of speed and spring
4. Landing in a pit filled with fine sand gives the necessary impetus
the joints and soft tissue. Please remember that becoming resilie
and robust is a via media to athletic (springy) energy
5. A great way of understanding jumping and bolstering your pow
batteries
6. A natural way of getting that elastic strength and hip strength th
aids you in running tall
7. Many long jumpers run a good 200 m. Just saying!!
whole idea is to turn all trainers into practitioners so that they
T he
excel as professionals in their chosen field. The expertise
required to produce a medal winner at any level calls for a thorough
understanding of exercise science and performance coaching; if you
have traversed the path of a sprinter, you are definitely in pole
position. Now let’s address the rudiments of looking at the fitness
world from a sprint coach’s angle. I am sure you will see new
horizons. The reasoning and rationale for understanding sprinting
must be clear by now and hence my reiteration of this point to all
budding S&C coaches and trainers.
Strength and conditioning: I have been speaking about sprint
training all along; suddenly, the topic of S&C comes to the surface.
There is a good reason I mapped this book in this direction. Most of
the sprint coaches will echo my approach towards sprinters in which
the takeaways are enormous for an S&C coach. I have spent many
years in the S&C field, and it’s only fair to steer this book in that
direction and throw some light that will augur well for many of the
young coaches.
Team sports: When you position yourself as an S&C coach in a
team setting, it is critical to understand your role in the team.
Although many demographics have a specific role for S&C coaches,
I emphasize the need to make some value addition to the team. This
requires that you should build your journey on knowledge and
application. It is very easy to be lost amid star coaches and players,
and possibly lose track of your role. At times, you will be doing
something diametrically opposite to what you originally intended to
do.
Expertise: Your expertise should always be in line with the team’s
interest, and you should never take your eye off the primary
objective, which is to maximize the team’s athletic potential and
minimize injuries.
Limitations: At the time, your role as a strength and conditioning
coach may look limited, and that is when you can chip in with
valuable additives, which come in the form of load monitoring, meal
plans and a thorough understanding of injuries. Additionally, suppose
you can augment the team physio with regard to Return to Play, that
would be the icing on the cake, and your value and credibility will
soar like a blue-chip in the stock market provided you stay within the
boundaries of a team setting. Like any other professional, you need
to clock your hours in the right direction, and I am reiterating that you
should never be involved with the skill part and the results in a team
sport. Your job is a specific one; remind yourself to stick to your role
with utmost sincerity. Young coaches often lose their way during a
season by following a team’s win/loss cycle. It is only natural for
young coaches to get attached to the end result, and they tend to get
emotional with certain highs and lows. This is absolutely fine, but the
role of a strength and conditioning coach is very different from that of
a team coach, and it’s only prudent not to allow the ebb and flow of a
match or situation to influence your thinking process. ‘Detached
attachment’ is the right approach that will keep you grounded. This is
the only pathway for a strength and conditioning coach to deal with
many situations that can be challenging in a team setting. S&C
coaches are an essential cog in the wheel, and it’s necessary to
handle the process of a strength and conditioning coach with utmost
clarity and dignity.
Understanding the sport: It’s imperative for S&C coaches to
thoroughly understand the sport in which they work. Every sport has
unique physiological and psychological ramifications, and it is most
important to adapt to a specific sport and its challenges. As a
strength and conditioning coach, it’s vital to quickly read the team
players’ physiology and health situation. On that basis the leadership
group will be an informed cohort and be better at making decisions.
Given all that has been said about performance training so far and
all that the templates have outlined in previous chapters, the way
you look at programme design will change dramatically.
Pillars for Programme Design – Base
1. Biomotor abilities
2. Training age
3. Sprinter vs Long vs Middle
Type
4. Fat %
5. PRs
6. Injury History
7. Screening and Wellness
8. Supplements
9. Veg vs Non-veg
10. Lark vs Owl
Performance Pyramid for Strength and Conditioning Coaches:
PS: Here, don’t state the obvious by talking about things such as
a. Mobility and stability
b. Recovery
c. Basic technique work
d. Glute work
e. Postural work
f. Hip flexor tightness
g. Hamstring stretching
h. Flossing and massage
i. Wellness and psychology
j. Developing an arch
It’s all about performance with minimal injuries and moving onwards and
upwards.
I’d now like to share some case studies in line with all the understanding
from a performance and prophylactic perspective.
CASE STUDY 1
14-DAY PROGRAMME FOR A 200 M RUNNER – UNDULATED
ATHLETE’S
NAME:
BEST
TIME:
DILIP SARKAR
23.3 s
AGE: 19
COMPETITION: UNDER-19 STATE MEET
INJURY
HISTORY:
30 m
BEST:
150 m
BEST:
NONE
3.9 FROM BLOCKS
16.9 s
TODAY’S DATE: FEBRUARY 1
STATE MEET
DATE:
FEBRUARY 15
COUNTDOWN FOR THE STATE MEET BEGINS
February 1
MORNING
ABC Drills + Fast bounding – not more than 30 m – not more than 6 reps
EVENING
Starts-Straight 6 × 30 m
Starts-Curve 30, 50, 90, 110 – Race prep
Thorough Warm Down
February 2
MORNING
Warm-up and Static Stretches
EVENING
100 m × 6 – curve runs – race prep – maximum rest and recovery in between
– go with the athlete
February 3
MORNING – Rest
EVENING
Warm-up and a few strides – active recovery day
February 4
MORNING – Weights
Split snatch 3 × 4 each side
Jump squats 3 × 10 s
Glute ham raise 3 × 8
Push press 3 × 5
Pull-ups 3 × 5
Medicine ball ab throws 3 × 25
EVENING
Hurdle mobility
Standing long jump 3 × 7
Fast bounding 3 × 30 m
4 × 100 m strides in running shoes
February 5
MORNING – Rest
EVENING
Time Trial
120 m
180 m
250 m
February 6
MORNING
Warm-up and relax
EVENING
Pool session and massage
February 7
MORNING – Rest
EVENING
Tow belts 3 × 30 m
It starts 6 × 30 m in the curve
Thorough warm down – EMPHASIS ON STATIC STRETCHING
February 8
MORNING
ABC drills
Curve runs (FEEL) over 50 m – running shoes – hardly any effort
EVENING
Downhill runs over 50 m – 6 reps – just for cadence
February 9
MORNING – Rest
EVENING – Weights
Split snatch 3 × 4 es
Push press 3 × 5
Jump squats 3 × 12 s
Dynamic Step-ups 3 × 8 s for speed and height
Glute ham raise 3 × 8
Ab throws 3 × 25
Back extension 3 × 20
February 10
MORNING
Warm-up – ABC drills – hurdle mobility
EVENING
Easy tempo runs over 120 m – curve – 6 reps
February 11
MORNING – Rest
EVENING
Starts over 40 m – curve – race feel – 6 reps
February 12
MORNING
Fast bounding and a few downhill runs – athlete’s feel
EVENING
Warm-up
Standing long jump
A few stride-outs
February 13
MORNING – Rest
EVENING
Thorough warm-up – wear the spikes – stand near the 200 m start point – at
the stadium where the meet is going to take place – visualization and a few
stride-outs
February 14 – Rest
February 15 – STATE MEET
CASE STUDY 2
PERIODIZED PROGRAMME FOR A 32 YEAR OLD CRICKETER
History
1. Had two stress fractures of the low back – at 19 and 22. No furth
incidents
2. ACL reconstruction at 26
3. Posterior ankle impingement at 29
4. Disc issues at 30
5. Current yo-yo 16.4
6. Deadlift 100 kg – 5 reps
7. 30 m – 4.1 – best
He decided to get fitter and has trained well for the last two years without
much difficulty. Now and then, he suffers from patellofemoral pain, and his
proximal hamstring tendon acts up whenever his workload spikes. He finally
gets a call to the national team to play a Test match against the visiting New
Zealand team. Let’s assume today’s date is February 28. His schedule is as
follows:
Time for preparation: March 1–28. Between March 14 and 17, he has a
Ranji Trophy match, which he has to play. The Test match starts on March 29.
Prep him for this, including his skill part. Write his diary from March 1 to 28 in
a flowing manner.
Answer:
1. He will focus on one primary objective every day.
2. Periodization will target skill and loads along with strength work.
March 1
Warm-up + Tempo runs over 60 m × 10 and a few drills in bowling, where the
intensity is a lot lesser
March 2 – Weights
Bulgarian split squat 3 × 8 es
Single leg deadlift 3 × 8 es
Leg press 4 × 8
Glute ham raise 3 × 8
Single DB chest press 3 × 8
Inverted rows 3 × 10
Cuban press 3 × 12
Dead bug with band 2 × 15 es
March 3
ABC drills + tow belts 6 × 25 m
Forward squat jump 3 × 7
Hop and stick 3 × 7 on each side
4 × 100 m striding (tempo)
March 4
Regular nets with his state team where he bowls about 45 balls + bats for 20
min + fielding 30 min
Ice bath
March 5
MORNING – Weights
Overhead lunge walk 3 × 8 es
Step-ups 3 × 6 on each side
Woodchop 3 × 8 es
Farmer’s walk 3 × 40 m
45 deg back extension 2 × 15
Overhead lateral pall of press 3 × 10 es
Lateral ball roll 2 × 8 es
Russian twist Swiss ball 2 × 10 es
YTWL 2 sets of 12 reps each
EVENING:
Warm-up + hurdle mobility – 4 to 5 varieties – 3 reps each
2 × 40 m – easy run-throughs
March 6 – Rest
March 7
Nets like March 4
March 8
Bowl on the centre wicket for a long spell to work on certain deliveries, like
bowling a second or third spell in a Test match. The focus is on volume,
checking back-to-back bowling loads.
EVENING:
Check-up with the physio – a routine work
Ice bath and massage
March 9
Weights – late evening – repeat what he did on 2nd March, nothing fancy
March 10
Easy warm-up – hurdle mobility – tempo runs and some medicine ball throws.
Everything is athlete based, leave the reps and numbers to him. This session
is to get the feel back after a good three days of work
March 11
Team nets – the usual stuff
Check with physio
Ice bath and pool session
March 12
Bowl a few balls – say 20 balls – not flat-out but to check rhythm
March 13
A smaller session of weights – which he always does one day before a match
Forward squat jumps 2 × 7
Leg press 2 × 10
Glute ham 2 × 8
Push press 2 × 6
YTWL 12 reps each
Side plank leg raise 2 × 10
Russian twist Swiss ball 2 × 10 es
Pool session
March 14–17
Ranji match – he bowled 24 overs in the first innings and 16 overs in the
second innings. Quite a reasonable workload for four days, which includes
fielding.
March 18– Rest
March 19
Weights – same as March 2
March 20
Warm-up + hurdle mobility
Push press throws and back toss combo 3 × 6 (3 + 3)
Tow belts 6 × 25 m
Rhythm runs 4 × 30 m
March 21
Centre wicket bowling – 30 balls – 3 p.m.
Pool session
March 22
Bowling drills – shorter run-up – working on certain deliveries – long session –
3 p.m.
Massage in the evening
March 23
Weights – same as March 5 – 11 a.m.
Pool session
March 24 – Rest
March 25
Nets with the national team
March 26
Optional for the bowlers – bowl just a few balls
EVENING: – Weights
A truncated session but still like March 2 types
March 27
Nets with the national team – not to go flat-out on this day. His preparation is
over. All his life, waiting for this moment. Time to rest and regenerate.
March 28
His usual prematch gym routine – like March 13
March 29 – Test debut
This brings me to the end of my latest attempt to reiterate how important it is
for a fitness trainer and a strength and conditioning coach to bridge
performance training, sprinting, jumping, prophylactic work and programme
design. In the following section I have chosen a select few questions from my
students to give succinct answers from my lens. I am sure this will augment
the understanding process.
ASK BASU
1. I coach a 23-year-old 100 m and 200 m sprinter. He runs his 100 m we
but gets wholly blown and uncoordinated in the last 40 m of the 200
Should I work on prolonged speed endurance or increase the volume
flying starts for extra speed work?
It’s a good question. There are so many things that go into running
a good 200 m. It’s not a bad idea to throw in some speed endurance
and some 300 m of repetition work. But be careful because it can be a
double-edged sword. The right amount of speed endurance is good.
But if you go overboard, sprinting basics will take a back seat, and it
will hurt the athlete badly in the season. The bottom line is this: speed
and power cannot be compromised at any point.
2. I am a recreational track athlete who enjoys sports in general. My 100
time is 11.3 s. Will 2-km runs done as a warm-up or ‘generic runni
fitness’ hamper the 100 m sprint time? I am thinking once or twice a we
maximum and at a 10 – 11 min pace.
This shouldn’t be a problem. Since you are a part-time athlete, I
would say it might help you from a conditioning point and keeping your
weight in check. This will not compromise your power or speed.
3. I am an upcoming S&C coach. I believe having knowledge and insight
training in track and field has an edge when switching to team/court spo
However, there is an argument that team sports’ running mechanisms a
different to track (more accelerative vs tall posture in track, more impul
and reaction-based vs linear in track) and that track guys are great w
linear speed but not so good with turning/C OD (change of direction). Yo
thoughts please.
How can the running mechanism be any different? If you are a
good runner, you are a good runner – period. Some of these fancy
S&C coaches come up with these types of dogmas. People who can
run fast in a straight line possess enough power and strength, so
making alterations to team sport requirements is relatively more
manageable for them. Many footballers are excellent sprinters. They
might clock below 11 s with ease. First of all, to be a sprinter, you need
to be quick and robust, which is also the hallmark of agility. Sprinters
pound the ground with such force and propel forward with so much
speed. To improve speed, a sprinter spends a lot of time developing
other qualities like strength and power, and they use it to thwart the
ground with such force. When they can do it in a straight line, the
same energy can be used and transferred to jumping, change of
direction, acceleration and deceleration. In fact, an athlete who
improves his speed has also improved his fitness and other athletic
qualities.
4. If you have to make a sprinter run fast, which are the thr
exercises/movements/drills you will prescribe (track and gym)? Likewise
you are working with a fast bowler and want to make him bowl quick a
keep fit, which are your three go-to exercises/movements/drills (aga
gym and fieldwork)? I know it’s case based and depends on a lot of thing
but please share.
If you want to run faster from A to B – work on the following:
a. Sprint drills and plyometrics
b. Speed work and speed endurance
c. Strength and recovery
For a fast bowler:
a. Load monitoring
b. 400 m type fitness – find ways to maintain that
c. Strength work and recovery
5. From your experience of more than 25 years, what are the supplemen
that have played a game-changing role for the Indian populatio
especially Indian athletes?
Creatine and whey protein. Branched chain amino acids (BCAA), a
close cousin to these two, would also be a good addition.
6. I wish to pursue S&C as a career option. You have been through it a
From your experience of being a sprinter, working with sprinters, worki
with cricketers at all levels, grooming young coaches, etc, what in yo
opinion is the best way to become an elite coach (positional success
well as being knowledgeable)?
Knowledge: Become a sprinter, and you will understand most of
the practical part. For the theory aspect, apart from introductory
courses or degrees, a sound understanding of anatomy, periodization
and programme design will see you through.
Positional: I guess I will say this for all walks of life. Work with pride
and don’t suck up to people. Don’t try to latch on to jobs. If you have
these qualities, you will come out as a person who respects
himself/herself, and other things will follow.
7. Given that athletes run different races at different velocities, there is
drastic change in biomechanics at various speeds. For example, a sprint
will have significant leg extension, high raised hip and much briefer grou
contact times. My question here is, how do you train an athlete for bo
100 m and 200 m, given the differences in the modalities a 100 m only
a 200 m only athlete would train?
First of all, most of the sprinters run both 100 m and 200 m when
they are younger, and only a few of them label themselves as only 100
m or only 200 m runners; 100 m complements the 200 m and vice
versa. The short and long sprint events are a classic combo. Many
would believe that 200 m requires more speed endurance. But the
truth is the guy with superior speed and strength will always have an
advantage. People talk about speed reserve and how we need to work
on that sweeping slope. But my simple solution to run the 200 m better
would always be to get your speed up. For example, if you run 100 m
in 11 seconds and assume that with some tweaking in your training,
your personal record (PR) moves to 10.7 seconds, you can be
assured that you will hit your PR in your 200 m too without doing any
specific work for 200 m. Having said that, for the classic 100–200 m
guys who have hit plateaus in regular training, a little dose of 300 m
would do the trick if you have not tread on that path. Remember that
it’s a double-edged sword and that if you go on an overkill, it will
deplete your power, and the whole exercise can be counterproductive.
8. What is your view on training performed at 90–95% intensity? What is
relevance in the sprinters’ training continuum? There is always a dilemm
between the fact that the athlete won’t recover for the next session fro
such intensity and the fact that the athlete never runs at a less pace to w
a race, so what is the reasoning behind training at such intensities?
I am a big believer in neural fatigue. Please remember, sprinting is
like driving a fast car. You will dry up the high-quality octane in a jiffy,
and every now and then you need to service the vehicle and keep it in
top shape to zip fast. Anyways, I spoke in an analogy. Having said
that, sprinting at 95%-plus intensity comes with a puzzle. You need to
prepare the athletes to make multiple sprints on ‘back-to-back’ days
because your track and field meets will demand the same. So this has
to be factored in from an early age. I noticed that, in the long run,
athletes with better conditioning, nutritional habits and lifestyle tend to
have more success in multiple days of sprinting.
The critical factor in practice would be to do the shorter sprints on
day 1 and longer sprints on day 2. Again, this has to be customized
according to the requirements of a track meet. Most meets will prefer
to have 100 m on day 1 and 200 m on day 2. This is a standard norm,
but the odd competition will be different, and we need to prepare
accordingly. From a training perspective, two to three sessions
triggering neural fatigue are ideal in a week. At odd times, when you
overreach, it can go up a notch, but at the end of the day neural
fatigue is a physiological by-product that cannot be ignored. If neural
fatigue is not factored into training and the sword is wielded under the
pretext of hard work, there will be consequences like performance dip
and injuries. So the qualities of an athlete, his/her recovery, nutrition,
training phase, preceding and succeeding workouts, and lastly, sleep
quality will dictate the week’s flow. In the pre-season and in-season,
speed work comes into play, and coaches have to use their discretion
to make the right decisions, which may be the difference between a
podium finish and the wooden spoon.
9. Does reliance on tempo-type runs increase significantly for an athlete w
is not used to any weight room work, especially to maintain neu
freshness between successive sessions?
I don’t believe there is a need to compare tempo runs to weight
training. Tempo runs are done primarily for the following three
reasons:
1. To increase your fitness and condition
2. To improve your running mechanics
3. For a feel of the distances at a slower pace while working on ru
and relaxed
Tempo sessions are like a filler in the week. You can do it with just 24
h of recovery also. Even tempo runs must be periodized appropriately,
and the volume must be built gradually over a period of time. Tempo
runs must not be challenging to you. Running at 75% should be like
your daily bread.
10. A 24-year-old male tennis player who is reasonably strong, with seve
plus years of training age, consistently blows out at t
quarters/semis/finals of tournaments he participates in owing
excessive cumulative fatigue accumulated during the course of t
tournament. His skill coach feels this player has a tremendous skill s
yet this is the only factor stopping him. How do you approach th
scenario? Could you brief us on aspects to consider and your approa
to this?
A phase of proper conditioning and increasing the number of sets
played in practice should help solve this puzzle if it is just a physical
issue. Another interesting drill is playing ‘1 against 2’ and including the
doubles alley and using that session as a sports-specific conditioning
session.
11. What is your take on massages for an athlete? Do they work? If ye
what type? The primary question here is this: during the competiti
phase of a sprinter, when is the ideal time to fit in a massage? Is
individualistic? Will it be counterproductive? Kindly share your though
on this grey area.
There are three areas when it comes to the topic of massage:
1. Deep Tissue
2. Flushing
3. Tapping
You do tapping for prep days – mainly sprint days or neural output
days. Flushing can be done on tempo days to remove all the
metabolic waste. Deep tissue has to be done primarily at the end of
the week when you want to wind up for the week. Generally, no
massage is needed in the off season; one can go through all the pains
and aches to improve the body’s natural healing properties. In the
competitive phase, massage can be included in the last four weeks
leading up to a competition. But be a little wary in between races as
deep tissue massages should not mess with the stiffness of the
tissues.
12. What essentials should a sprinter be doing throughout the year
maintain the conditioning (speed and capacity) gained over the years?
understand it’s relative, but commonalities do exist. What’s your mant
when it comes to this?
Tempo runs, bounding and hopping. These three things are the
building blocks for a sprinter. Tempo runs are a great option where you
never lose sight of your speed and condition. Bounding and hopping
will ensure you never lose your elastic strength. These three pillars will
indicate any dip in form or elasticity, which should never be overtly
compromised at any stage. Even if you are going through a phase of
beach or hill work, the essential qualities should be constantly
evaluated. To get fitter, some sprinters have this habit of getting better
at endurance or strength. They go overboard in one direction and
getting back to their previous bests sometimes eludes them for the
next couple of seasons. It’s all about suitable choices; training a
sprinter is like maintaining a Mercedes Benz. A lot of care and
planning with utmost clarity is very much needed.
13. What are the important characteristics that a coach should look for in
Elastic athlete/power athlete to identify them? What kind of traini
should these athletes get exposed to and not exposed to? How muc
How long? Is there any maximum threshold for tempo work/spee
work/weight training over their career?
An elastic athlete could mean the plyometric type of an athlete in
the athletic world, and when they say ‘power athlete’, he or she is
more from the weight room. If you are a sprinter without plyometrics,
you do not go anywhere. A minimum dose of bounding and hopping
must be done. Very few of the athletes like Ben Johnson are all-out
power athletes. But even they would have done a lot of bounding and
hopping in their formative years. To be a successful sprinter, a
combination of weightlifting, powerlifting, plyometrics, speed drills and
bounding and hopping (I’ll put a separate label for this) is a mandate.
14. Hip flexors (all muscles under this group) and extensors should never
trained slowly for sprinters. True or false, please explain.
Your hip flexors and extensors are well trained when you do your
speed drills, bounding, hopping, tempo runs, and so on. So you need
not worry too much at the elite level. For a sprinter, after a stage,
anything done slowly is sacrilegious.
15. In sprinting, all contractions are heavy isometric where absorptio
precedes force production (from acceleration till max velocity phase
From that application, I am convinced that a sprinter can reach his or h
true potential with running uphill, resisted runs, plyometrics (hop
bounds, jumps), lifting, quarter squats, deadlifts. Is it necessary for a
sprinter to do triphasic? Isn’t that a Western influence? Or does
deserve a place in the training continuum?
Triphasic training is simply another modality. There are many ways
to skin a cat. When coaching athletes, the conventional methods and
tweaking and customization of the programme are the ways to go.
Sprinters are unique, so it’s prudent to marry traditional methods with
objective tools to get the best out of them. More than modalities, what
suits one athlete may not suit another. So trust your instincts and be
as scientific as possible.
16. An elite sprinter (sub 11 s sprinter) will compete in an event six wee
from now. In a block of training (six weeks) during the competition phas
what would you eliminate in the last two weeks approaching the eve
and what strategies would you add to prime the athlete (in terms
training split, volume of speed work, number of sessions for block star
plyometric sessions, supplements, etc.)?
If he or she has a mobility problem, I will eliminate all sorts of
weight training and include mobility work such as hurdle drills closer to
the competition. This is important because this athlete thrives on being
nimble and supple. There is a mental hitch if the athlete feels a little bit
of tightness. If the athlete thrives on PAP, I would ensure that lifting
and all other plyometrics are in place until the last minute.
Regarding supplements, I will ensure the protein intake is ideal and
will reduce the carbohydrate intake a little because the workload will
not be too high. The goal is to ensure you don’t lose muscle mass.
17. I remember you said that athletes should wear spikes throughout t
season and at least once a week during off and pre-season. Is
because of loss of amortization or just feel? Can a developing (sub12
sprinter) athlete take the same approach?
Spikes are for grip, I don’t know why many athletes associate
spikes with peaking. Even in the off season, if the session is done on a
track, usage of spikes should be viewed as footwear with better grip
and comfort and nothing more.
18. For 100 m and 200 m, in your view, how much should an athlete
doing in terms of volume with regard to running during specific phas
(off season, preseason, prep to competition)? How many sessions in
week? Minimum and maximum threshold, e.g. 2000 m, any guidelines?
This depends on the type of athlete you are dealing with, which is
the art of coaching. If you are looking at an ‘out-and-out’ power
athlete, the volume can be significantly less. If you are looking at an
athlete who relies on speed endurance, the volume must be more. In a
session, 900– 1200 m is the usually prescribed volume. This is apart
from the filler sessions. It tends to go up during the preparatory
season, where it can hover around 2000 m.
19. Should a developing sprinter focus on competing in more events? Wh
is your suggestion on this? How does it benefit an athlete in his or h
career?
Developing sprinters should attend every competition around them.
This will help them get over the fear of competition. Moreover, usually,
training sessions happen early in the morning while the competition
could occur mid-afternoon. This will help the athlete get used to that
environment, the heat, the timing, and so on. It is another skill set
altogether to deal with the competition.
20. How many times a year can an elite sprinter peak? Is this gap clos
when the same athlete reaches his or her true potential? Depending o
your answer, what kind of periodization would you employ for th
athlete? Please show the same in the year calendar.
A national-level/university-level type of sprinter will see two peaks
in a year. They must take stock mid-year before the year-end peak
and run the odd competition. This approach will be prudent, in my
opinion.
Elite sprinters should do at least 2–3 pre-Olympic or pre-Asian
Games type of competitions. The ultimate competition should not be
the first one of the year. I don’t believe in the linear periodization,
where the athlete peaks once. I believe in blocks and multiple
competitions.
21. Is deloading necessary for a sprinter or is it overrated?
Deloading is a great concept, but I have not used it much in my
practice; conversely, I have seen great results in short breaks from
training like a 3-day or a 4-day break. This allows the athlete to
recover from the rigours of training, from physical and mental
tiredness. They come back fresh with renewed vigour and interest.
22. Should fast bowlers train thoroughly like sprinters? If yes, please expla
why? You had a recipe to keep fast bowlers in proper shape and inju
free during your tenure with the Indian team. In a nutshell, what is yo
advice to S&C practitioners around the world on this topic?
I looked at every fast bowler like a sprinter or a 400 m runner.
Some were explosive; some were similar to the 400 or 800 m runners,
so I trained them accordingly. Some responded well to plyometrics,
running and bowling, while others responded better to weight training
and bowling. You have to identify the type of athlete and then train
them accordingly.
23. Are groin exercises essential for a sprinter?
Not in particular. Most groin injuries happen due to excessive
sprinting or accumulated fatigue. If you can monitor your periodization
and workload, you can address that aspect. Isolated groin work is not
required. Most of it is taken care of in the overall preparation. However
some athletes require targetted work.
24. Do you rely on technology? Is that essential for a coach or an S&
practitioner? Tell us about having a good eye. I have seen that you are
fan of numbers but you still rely deeply on instincts and reference poin
Is it your experience being a sprinter? Should we rely on objecti
factors or intuition at a higher level when dealing with elite athletes?
I am a sucker for technology. I would like to use all the help I can
when it comes to coaching. However, it cannot be all objective. If that
is the case, all data scientists should be coaches. Excel sheets and
objective numbers are there to assist the coach. It should not be the
other way around. Coaching is an art, and everything cannot be
classified or labelled under an objective point of view.
25. A good coach. Who is this person? What is his or her role? What is t
difference between a coach and a trainer? When does a trainer tru
become a coach?
This answer may not be accepted by all, but I will give my point of
view. A good coach has to be a good person and a leader first. He or
she should be open to changes and advancement in the sciences.
Empathy should be his or her middle name. A constant focus on
performance enhancement should be the lifeline of the coach. A
trainer will become a coach when they can improve an athlete’s
performance, and he or she should walk the talk at least once in their
career.
26. Preach what you have practised. Does every coach need to be
athlete before he or she becomes a coach? How important is this to t
coaches?
If you’ve missed the bus of being an athlete, there’s not much you
can do about it. My only suggestion is to embark on a journey of a
periodized performance-based programme for three years. If you
cannot follow a periodized plan through the week due to work
commitments, then at least hit the ground twice a week and run with a
goal in mind. I don’t think it is remotely possible for a coach to reach
the higher echelons of his or her career without walking the talk. It is
important to get your validation, more than anyone else’s. The man or
woman in the mirror will tell you that. ‘How can I teach
dancing/swimming/cycling if I don’t know to do the same?' is the
parallel I am drawing. Reflect on that for a moment. I love the way
chartered accountants are prepped. They go through their practical
training for three years under an expert, which is an excellent way of
producing professionals. Take a leaf out of their book and plant one for
yourself. I am not suggesting that all coaches should have been
champion athletes – on the contrary, I am suggesting that you should
have gone through the rigours of training and competing. Without this,
I don’t think it is possible to go all the way.
27. Does every coach need to be a leader?
I believe so. Only a leader can empathize with and put
himself/herself behind others. That’s the primary job of a coach, who
places his or her athletes first.
28. What should be the primary duties of an S&C coach in a team setting?
You need to tattoo yourself with load monitoring and watch every
athlete like a hawk when they are playing. Also monitor their lifestyle
and recovery. Weight training and other workouts are incidental.
29. What are the coaching cues for a sprinter to develop the corre
technique for acceleration and max velocity?
I like the word ‘drills’ over ‘technique’. While doing drills, you
reiterate and emphasize so many qualities. When it is done from a
young age, they develop these skills without their knowledge. Most
legendary athletic coaches never talk in excess about technique to the
athlete. They give simple cues and coaching pointers that are not too
technical. An expert will simplify things. A novice will complicate
things.
30. Block placement, getting out of the blocks and the first 10 m are ve
crucial with regard to acceleration. What are the key elements you w
focus on?
In the first 10 m, the sprinter is trying to break from static to kinetic.
I will deem it as a prelude for the middle part of the race, and you
should do everything in your capacity to give yourself an opportunity to
come out of the blocks in a forceful yet smooth fashion. This sets up
the mechanics for the race. If you do not exercise the right
acceleration to get off the blocks, the running mechanics after 30 m
will be affected. There is no medal for coming out of the blocks first. I
would always look at any sprint race as a book with three chapters.
Block start and rate of acceleration is the first part; post this is your
top-end speed which decides the fate of the race. The ability to delay
the deceleration and finishing is the final part. But often, the sprinters
who come out of the blocks smoothly set themselves up in a fluid
manner to hit top speed with good mechanics. If it is a mid-start or
elongated start, you will come out of the blocks very smoothly, and by
the time you hit the 30 or 40 m, you will be in an excellent position to
hit top speed in the next 2–3 s. That can be the difference between
gold and silver.
31. What are the common traits you have come across among success
athletes? What is the takeaway for coaches?
Many athletes are slaves of habit. I am a person who encourages
that. For example, all top athletes will warm up and warm down very
well. Secondly, they are almost obsessive about their eating habits,
which is also not a bad idea. Thirdly, they are very obsessed with the
times they have to run. All three are great qualities.
32. Achilles tendinopathy and patellofemoral pain. From your years
observation, which categories of athletes will develop these issues?
Tendinopathy suggests overuse. Tendinopathies can be careerthreatening, can haunt an athlete for a long time and can be pretty
messy if poorly handled. Please remember, rest is not the solution for
recovery. You need to consult a qualified physio who understands load
monitoring, isometrics and the works. Patellofemoral pain, also called
runner’s knee, can be quite annoying. Having said that, a focused
strength block to develop the posterior chain should be the saving
grace.
33. Post a hamstring strain for an elastic/power athlete, regardless of wh
grade it is, what should be the course to prevent a recurrence of th
strain? Is it strength, speed work or accumulation of speed work? Wh
are the routines an athlete should incorporate after such injuries?
The recurrence of a hamstring injury is often because of excessive
high-speed running (too much, too soon) and lack of recovery. Most of
the top sprinters do work on strength, so I don’t think this kind of injury
could be due to inadequate training. Spike in loads is often the reason
for such injuries.
In general, you need to work the hamstring very specifically. The
training has to reflect dynamically. High-speed running in itself is
strength work for the hamstring. Sometimes, sprinters compete
without adequate top-end speed work. They don’t do enough flying
starts, and this could sometimes lead to an injury. The preseason and
in-season programmes need to be fine-tuned with regard to top-end
speed work. Any amount of RDLs (Romanian deadlifts) and Nordic
curls alone is not the magic potion here. Please understand that when
you are dealing with sprinters, they are explosive creatures, and it is
vital not to paint everything here with the same brush.
34. Your whey protein article mentioned that it’s better to invest in a wh
protein concentrate over an isolate as bioavailability is a lot higher. Wh
happens in the case of lactose intolerance? Also, with isolate being
more pure form, won’t it get absorbed a lot easier in general?
The body recognizes food as a whole. Anything in isolation cannot
be recognized as well. But in cases of lactose intolerance and such,
we have to reassess the situation and find the best alternative. The
bioavailability of an isolate will be much lesser, be mindful of it.
35. Books that every coach should read and digest on coaching/philosophy
Speed Trap – Charlie Francis
Jumping into Plyometrics – Donald Chu
Eat, Move and Be Healthy – Paul Chek
The Poliquin Principles – Charles Poliquin
Supple Leopard – Kelly Starrett
New Functional Training for Sports – Michael Boyle
Why We Get Fat and What to Do about It – Gary Taubes
Manual of Structural Kinesiology – Thompson
36. My son is 8 years old, and I believe he is ready to participate
organized sports. I am unsure which sport to select for him. Can y
throw light on training for kids? Can you give us a proverbial route map
If you are hailing from the subcontinent, I would prefer the following
route map.
To start with, swimming and gymnastics to set the base and a bit of
track and field in a fun-filled way is the order of the day. By the time
the kid is 11 or 12, they will clearly show signs of specific interest,
which will be a clear indicator for the direction required. The basic
skills of swimming, gymnastics and track and field will come a long
way in the make-up of an athlete, and, as a parent, that’s the way to
think. If this is done, half the battle is won.
37. My daughter is 14 years old and participates in the 100 m and 200 m
the local club. She has been with the same club for four years. H
programme is more or less the same as the boys. Should training f
boys and girls be the same? Your thoughts on this would be appreciate
Most track clubs have a similar programme for boys and girls in the
growing years, and that practice is not flawed. In fact, up to about that
age, girls can travel ‘toe to toe’ with the boys. When puberty kicks in,
the physical frame changes more dramatically for the girls, and the
programme usually changes. But after a stage, every athlete should
have their personalized plan for long-term athletic success.
38. My son is 17 and participates in 400 m and 800 m as per the scho
physical education teacher’s recommendation. I’ve always wanted him
participate in short sprints and jumps. His standing long jump is 2.20
and his best over 40 m is 5.4 s.
I think his physical education teacher has done the right thing. The
standing long jump and 40 m readings are not too well suited to be a
high-class sprinter. I guess the choice is correct.
39. What are your thoughts on performance-enhancement drugs? Wh
would be your advice to an 18-year-old boy who is contemplating the
use?
That’s the last thing an 18-year-old boy should be thinking of. As
parents and teachers, our role is to give them a direction towards a
clean path, and as a coach, I would always say play clean, compete
clean and learn from sports. Using performance-enhancing drugs is
harmful to the body and the system and can cause irreversible
damage.
40. There is a worldwide push on bio-banding for team sports among scho
aged children. What are your thoughts on this issue in the Indian conte
and will it make a difference in non-contact sports like track and field?
Classifying athletes, according to their physical maturity, is good.
Still, the joy of competing within your age group is probably etched in
my head, and I will not be very comfortable in changing that. The
beauty of age-group sports is this variable, and by neutralizing this, I
am assuming it will be a level-playing field. But all these differences
are an integral part of an athlete’s mental make-up too. I wouldn’t want
to mess with that.
41. What would be the biggest blunder in the physical preparation of ki
below the age of 16? What advice would you give parents and coach
alike?
First of all, anything very structured before the age of 12 is not a
great idea. Secondly, even though certain sports require you to peak
early, the essence of advanced physical preparation for an athlete is
generally reserved for a much later age. But times are changing, and
we see many world champions at a very early age. Barring gymnastics
and diving to some extent, I think it is better to play the waiting game
and sync in with your physical maturation cycle.
42. Are sprinters born? Can they be trained? Can you give us your though
with some real-life examples of sprinters who have achieved succe
without hailing from a supreme gene pool, as this seems to be a suitab
excuse for failure among athletes and coaches?
I think speed is a natural quality. You should have the innate
qualities to be a sprinter, and it is challenging to produce a champion
sprinter without these inborn qualities. However, every athlete should
reach their optimum performance levels by adhering to the scientific
principles of training. Coaches can always work towards their wards’
personal records.
43. Who is the world’s best sprint coach, in your opinion, and why?
Charlie Francis, any day. He has produced many top-class
sprinters, and he concisely simplifies things. Moreover, he borders
around science, which makes it easy for us to comprehend the
planning.
44. What are the two books a sporting parent should read? Also, plea
recommend three documentaries to watch as well.
Youth strength training by Avery D. Faigenbaum
Kids Speed by Steve Bennett
How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek
Three documentaries I would suggest are
The Last Dance – Michael Jordan
Story of Steffi Graf
More Than a Game: The Soviet Sports System
45. If you had it your way, what changes would you make at the grass roo
level that would enable Indian athletes to fulfil their hopes in short sprin
at the Olympic stage?
I am not sure about short sprints, but sports, in general, needs a
different approach in India. More kids should play sports. Sports
should be compulsory for all kids until they turn 15 – this way, at least,
we will have a broader pool to select kids who want to take sports a lot
more seriously.
46. Can a sprinter who is a vegetarian be successful?
Why not? But history suggests the numbers are significantly less.
The body needs to be adequately fuelled, whether you are a
vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.
47. How important is it for a short sprinter to play other sports? My son pla
football and badminton as well. I am worried he may get injured. He
doing quite well now, and he may get a full scholarship to a famo
university. Your thoughts on sprinters playing other sports for fun?
Until the age of 18, it’s fun and those types of cross-training with
different sport will only be helpful. Once they are 18-plus, it’s better to
stick to your profession. It’s always OK to play a weekend sport as
long as it does not affect your mainstream.
48. My son is 13 years old and participates in the 100 m and 200 m. H
seems to have some puppy fat despite his workouts. Should he start
calorie-deficit diet? Please give us your thoughts.
Not at all. Encourage him to eat proteins in every meal and
decrease junk food by 50%.
49. What is your thought process on kids training with weights? How soo
can they start training with weights? What are the merits and dangers
weight training for kids?
You can start teaching body weight exercises as early as 6. The
lifting technique can be taught from 10, and some basic stuff can
commence at 14. Once they reach 16, a full-fledged weight training
programme should begin.
50. When it comes to track and field event at the school level, medals a
conferred only on the top three finishers. Some believe it’s harsh a
negatively affects the child. What are your thoughts on this issue?
I am fine with the gold, silver, bronze philosophy. Competition and
the elusive drive to win the medal is the elixir of most athletes.
51. I was a sprinter back in college with best timings of 11.1 and 24.2 s in t
100 m and the 200 m, respectively. I am currently 40 years of age, w
36% of body fat, and my recent 5-km timing is 32 min. I am healt
otherwise, with no significant joint pains. I have not sprinted in 18 yea
and want to sprint again in the master’s category next year. I am willi
to devote six days/week to training, and I am patient with my progres
Kindly give me a plan of action to restart my journey.
Meet a qualified nutritionist to reduce your fat percentage, and get
your general fitness up to scratch before you embark on your return to
track journey.
52. I am a 41-year-old master sprinter still competing in 100 m and 200
My new work involves extensive travel. I manage my strength sessio
at the hotel during my travels. Kindly give me a conditioning plan th
involves only two sessions, and if it’s not too unrealistic to ask, I shou
be able to do those sessions on the tarmac or the cardio equipment
the gym for six weeks.
You can do some interval work on the treadmill to work the lactic
acid system and another session of tempo runs on a treadmill over
100 m.
53. I am a 38-year-old male restarting fitness after many decades. I play
pretty much all sport in school. I am confused between running tempo
long distance and playing football with friends as a means
conditioning. What would be your suggestion?
You can mix all three for starters. But listen to your body.
54. What are your five non-negotiables for a 30-year-old sprinter on inju
prevention?
Recovery, nutrition, speed work plan, general fitness, specific
strength work.
55. What will be your parting advice to an athlete who has announced his
her retirement?
Don’t stop running.
56. I have seen this old adage, ‘those who can’t do, teach’, to be true in tra
and field disciplines. Why do failed or moderately successful athlet
make great coaches as opposed to legends themselves? Do you agre
with this observation? If yes, can you please share your thoughts on th
fascinating topic?
I guess yours truly is one of them. I think passion drives us from
being an athlete to a coach, and something is missing in our soul,
which is that elusive big performance. Subconsciously, we are
probably chasing that glory. I am in total agreement with your
observation.
57. I have heard that you started coaching younger athletes even before y
hung up your boots. What were your immediate takeaways during t
early coaching experience that have stuck with you to date?
My formative years were solid regarding periodization. I smartly
tried it on colleagues in my early years of coaching, and I am getting
better at it every passing day.
58. Who is your most influential mentor? What have you learnt from him/he
I don’t have any mentors per se. But AJ DeSouza and Paul Chek
are the biggest influences of my life. I learned a lot by observing them.
59. I am an aspiring sports therapist. What are the qualities I will need
develop to become a top therapist?
Please understand S&C, and in general, understand sports. Please
participate in a sport to get the mindset of an athlete.
60. I have seen your programmes, and I know you are a big believer in tim
runs. You are very forgiving on volume and even recovery, but pre
strict when it comes to intensity. Why is this so crucial for a sprinter?
Timed runs are like a heartbeat. Without that gauge, there is no
point. If you’re an outcome-based coach, that is the only way.
61. What are the early tell-tale signs of central nervous system fatigue?
Lack of energy in the morning sessions is typical. Partnering this
will be a lousy rhythm with regard to sleep.
62. You are a big believer in running on grass. Could you throw some lig
on the scientific usage of various terrains including grass, synthetic trac
mud, beach and the hill in programme design?
If you are lucky to have good grass tracks, barefoot running has
many benefits.
a. It improves your natural gait and definitely strengthens all those
intrinsic muscles around your foot and ankle.
b. Runners will learn to land more towards the front of the foot
and midsole rather than the heel, which is the most natural way
to sprint.
c. Barefoot running will also improve the balance and
proprioception in a colossal way.
63. I have often been confused about the practical application of isometric
What is your take and when do you use it? There is a lot of debat
especially in team sports. Would you consider it for rehab purposes or
enhance performance?
The topic of isometrics is like a pendulum, and it keeps surfacing
every now and then. I can only answer from my experience. Certain
body weight and submaximal isometrics have helped tendon issues.
From a performance perspective, I use it in phases, treat it like any
other quality and will not go overboard about the same. But recently,
many have resorted to extreme isometrics and oscillatory isometrics
with positive results. I have used body weight isometrics like the
Sorenson hold and split squat hold for some time. In certain cases, I
have used submaximal loads for squats and mid-thigh pulls (against
pins) to yield the desired results.
64. What do you make of the new trends and their implications f
programming? One’s beliefs and biases affect the preparation of a
athlete, your thoughts?
It’s not a bad idea to try new trends, but for starters you should not
experiment on a performing athlete. It is very common for a trainer to
introduce the exercises he/she has been performing and reading up
on at that point of time. While writing a programme, it is very important
to keep our biases and temptations aside and focus solely on the
desired outcome for the sportsperson/athlete.
With the advent of social media and the internet, most of the
exercises can be easily viewed on those platforms; nevertheless, I
thought of listing some of my favorites for reiteration.
Forward squat jump
Start
End
Elastic jumps
Start
End
Box side springy jumps
Start
End
Drop jumps
Start
End
Depth jumps
Start
End
Split snatch
Start
End
One step split
Start
End
Drop split
Start
End
Trap bar deadlift
Start
End
Pendlay row
Start
End
Lateral lunge with press
Start
End
Y
Start
End
T
Start
End
W
Start
End
L
Start
End
Serratus press
Start
End
Modified Cuban press
Start
Middle
End
Half squat hold
Start
End
Split squat hold
Start
End
Single leg box squat
Start
End
Turkish get up
Start
Middle
End
Single leg 45 degree back extension
Start
End
Ab hold
Sorenson hold
Ab side hold
To See the video, please scan below QR code
http://basushanker.com/100-200/
outset, I would like to thank the Board of Control for Cricket
A tintheIndia
and Royal Challengers Bangalore for giving me an
opportunity to serve at the highest level.
A special word of thanks to Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, who
has been a tremendous source of goodwill. Despite his busy
schedule, he readily agreed to pen the Foreword to provide the
perfect start to the book.
I also place on record my sincere thanks to Navaneeth, Suresh,
Babu, Anu, Shreyasi, Arjun Basu and Krishnammachari Srinaath for
all their support over the years.
I am ever grateful to all my coaches in my formative years for
having given me the right direction. A special shout-out to all my
colleagues (physios and trainers) with whom I have shared delight
and despair over the years. I thank all my students who have been a
part of my journey and who have taught me as much as they have
learnt from me. None of this could have been possible without my
well-wishers and friends.
I would be failing in my duty if I don’t make mention of the
contributions of the late Mr Charlie Francis and the late AJ Desouza,
as well as the vibrant Paul Chek. These three gentlemen have been
inspirational figures, from whose works I have learnt a lot.