Record your workouts in your journal! You should all be using a journal to record:
color coded for easy reference
scroll down definitions and examples
Warm Up & Sprint Drills
Pole Drills (runway)
Running
Core/Stability Work
Weight Training & Circuits
Cool Down
test* early in this phase
For example:
Monday: Warm up,
Core,
Running (1-3 sets: 3x50m, 25m, 50m); (6x100m)
Weight Training,
Cool down
Tuesday (Jump day):
Warm up,
Pole Drills,
jumps,
Ropes, high bar work
Cool down and Yoga
Wednesday:
Warm up,
Core and/or Weight Training
Running (1-3 sets: 3x50m, 25m, 50m),
Running (Tempo),
Cool Down
Thursday (jump day):
Warm up,
Pole drills,
Jumps,
Ropes, high bar work
Cool Down and Yoga
Friday: Warm up,
Core and/or Weight Training,
Running (1-3 sets: 3x50m, 25m, 50m),
Running (hills),
Cool down
Saturday (jump day):
Warm up,
Pole drills,
Jumps,
Ropes and High Bar work
Cool down and Yoga
Sunday: Off (active recovery)
color coded for easy reference
scroll down definitions and examples
Warm Up & Sprint Drills
Pole Drills (runway)
Running
Core/Stability Work
Complex Training
Cool Down
test* around Thanksgiving
For example:
Monday: Warm up,
Core
Running (3-5 x 100-150m @100% effort); (2x200m)
Complex Training (squat jumps, single leg hop, bounds)
Tuesday (Jump day):
Warm up,
Pole Drills,
jumps,
Ropes, High Bar
Complex Training (two-legged bunny hop; hurdle hopping)
Cool down and Yoga
Wednesday:
Warm up,
Core,
Running (5-8 x 100m @ 90% effort); (2x200m)
Cool Down
Thursday (jump day):
Warm up,
Pole drills,
Jumps,
Ropes, High Bar
Cool Down and Yoga
Friday: Warm up,
Core
Running (3-5 x 150m @100% effort); (5-8x100m @ 90% effort)
Complex Training (hill bounding, single leg hop, tuck jumps)
Cool down
Saturday (jump day):
Warm up,
Pole drills,
Jumps,
Ropes, High Bar or Core
Cool down and Yoga
Sunday: Off (active recovery)
color coded for easy reference
scroll down definitions and examples
Warm Up & Sprint Drills
Pole Drills (runway)
Running
Core/Stability Work
Complex Training
Cool Down
test* after State Championships
WARM UP: (20 meters eacc; jog back in between)
EMPHASIZE POSTURE : reach up, open chest, proper alignment; To develop arm action, high knee lift, leg extension, high center of gravity
Run 400-800m at tempo pace (comfortably hard), then:
Left Arm Circles
Right Arm Circles
Both Arm Circles
For example:
Monday: Warm up,
Core,
Running (2 x 200m @100% effort); (2x300m); (3x150m @ 100%)
Tuesday (Jump day):
Warm up,
Pole Drills,
Jumps,
Complex Training and/or Core
Cool down and Yoga
Wednesday:
Off (Active Recovery)
Thursday (jump day):
Warm up,
Pole drills,
Jumps,
Complex Training
Cool Down and Yoga
Friday: Off (Active Recovery)
Saturday Competition (or Off)
Sunday: (jump day for those who did not jump
Saturday)
Exercises that create a lot of tension or torque are also very important to incorporate into your regime. This is where all the muscles communicate with each other at the same time.
Good examples are the front elbow plank, side elbow plank, and other really awesome varieties of the plank.
To get the posterior chain do hip bridges and table tops.
Don’t forget! Squats, dead lifts, push ups and pull ups are also considered “core” exercises, because they involve the whole body to achieve the movement.
Be safe with your exercises, take the progressions slow, and don’t push yourself to fast to achieve results. Your goal is to stay injury free as you become strong.
Complex Training Quality (speed & form), not Quantity
To get the best from these training workouts you need to be physically fresh and motivated, focused, explosive
Use Plyometrics to recruit specific Muscle fibers which results in explosive force/max power.
Phases of this so-called "stretch-shortening" cycle:
Concentric phase (muscle shortens), or take-off phase, uses the stored energy to increase the force of the movement
Amortization phase, or transition phase, is the time between the concentric and eccentric phases. This time needs to be as short as possible otherwise the energy stored during the eccentric phase dissipates, reducing the plyometric effect
Eccentric phase (muscle lengthens), or landing phase, involves the pre-loading (energy is stored) of the agonist muscle group
Examples are bounding, single- or double-foot hops, hurdles, jumps, and drops
Bounds:
1-3 sets over 20-40m
Upright position, push off left foot, right leg comes forward with knee bent, thigh parallel to ground, foot dorsiflexed; opposite arm reaches forward, left leg stays extended through entire bound, hold the extension; land flat footed (amortization) and take off again immediately. Long strides.
Recovery: full between sets
Hurdle Hops:
1-3 sets over 6-8 low (12") hurdles, spaced according to your ability
Upright position, movement from hips and knees, feet together, knees to chest, double arm swing, land on the balls of the feet and take off again immediately.
Recovery: full between sets
Single-Leg Hops:
1-3 sets over 20-40m
Body vertical/straight. Stand on one leg, push off with this leg. Jump forward, land on same leg, ball of the foot. Opposite leg swings to add momentum, length and HEIGHT to the jump. Land and spring back up immediately. Extended leg can be straight (beginner) or heel comes toward butt (more advanced).
Recovery: full between sets
Two-Legged Bunny Hops:
1-3 sets x 5-10 repetitions (bounds) per set
Stand and stay vertical and upright throughout the hop, feet should width apart, lower into a squat (weight shifts to your heels), jump FORWARD as far as possible (weight shifts forward), using both arms (double-arm swing), land on the balls of your feet, take off immediately.
Recovery, full between sets.
Save box jumping for much later! it is extremely hard on the body, especially the relatively immature bone structure of the pre-adolescent and adolescent.
Gaining Strength = Gaining Power and Endurance. You can achieve this by adding
resistance (weights)
number of repetitions
number of sets
Strength & Conditioning Circuit:
Weights, sets and reps will gradually increase each week for 6 weeks
Strength & Conditioning Circuit 1:
Clean pull: 2-4x 5reps (boys 95-225 lb; girls 75-185lb)
Back Squat: 2-4x 10reps
Barbell Overhead Press: 2x 6-8reps
1-Arm Dumbbell Row: 2-4x 8 reps
Back Extensions: 3x 8-12 reps
Core: 25-50 V-ups and alternating toe touch
Strength & Conditioning Circuit 2:
Step-Ups: 4x 6 reps w/ dumbbells (DB), arms at side; step up, alternate feet
DB Bench Press: 4x 8-10 reps (girls 25-35 lb; boys 45-50 lb)
Chin Ups: 3-5x 5reps neutral grip; middle of the bar
Supine Bridge: 3x 10-12 reps
Bent Lateral Raise: 3x 8-10 reps
Bridge Series: 3x each pose front (face down), 60 seconds; left side, 45 sec; right side, 45 sec
Overhead Row with dumbbell (on the bench): 2-3x 10-15reps PV pole grip
2-Person MedBall Toss: 3x 15 reps modified sit-up; toss ball back and forth
Strength & Conditioning 3:
Barbell Complex: 2-4x 3-5reps each move
RDL (Romanian Dead Lift)
Hang Clean
Overhead Press (barbell starts on top of clavicle)
Bent over Row
Front Squat
1-2 warmup sets (no weight on the bar),
+ 2-4x 5 reps (girls, bar only; boys, 10-25lb)
Face Pulls: 3x 8-12
Resistance Band (standing row w/band)
The Rocket
10-15 v-ups
20 walking lunges (run to next start point)
20 burpees
Run diagonal
20 donkey kicks OR Fire hydrant (dirty dog),
--for hip mobility, do Forward and backward knee circles
10 frog jumps (run the rest)
5 pushups
plank 60 sec
A-skips along the diagonal back to start
Circuit Training B
10x 100m Strides 60-70% effort
+ 5 push-ups on one end
+ 5-15 MedBall squat toss
+ 1 minute of marching planks or side planks (may add oblique pumps)
Coach Rick’s 5-5-5s
On the bar; continual hang (don’t drop between);
Work up from 1 set to 5 sets over several weeks.
5 pullups
+ 5 leg risers
+ 5 muscle-ups
+ 5 Bupkas
+ 5 pullovers
Running
Always Counting Lefts (or rights)
EMPHASIZE:
Hills Find a fairly steep GRASS hill about 60 meters long (65 yd/200ft)
Sprint up 6-10 times (speed = 70-80% effort). Emphasize proper form (tall, no bend from the waist, drive knees up, swing
arms up, stay on the forefoot)
Count lefts (25-40)
Recovery: jog or walk back to start
Intervals (sprint):
1-3 sets: 3x50m, 25m, 50m at 90% effort
Recovery: 4-6 min between sets
6x100m at 60-65% effort
Recovery = walk 100m (back to start)
Tempo* Run: (choose #1, #2, OR #3, not all 3)
#1 3-5 sets: 200m at tempo pace*
Recovery is 1-2 minutes or 100m walk
#2 1-2 sets: 100m+100m+100m (50m walk between)
100m+200m+100m+100m (50m walk between)
100m+100m+200m+200m (50m walk between)
Recovery 1-2 minutes between sets
#3 3-5 x 200m (100m walk between)
4-8 100m (50m walk between)
Recovery 2-3 minutes between sets
*Tempo Pace, aka Threshold, aka Hard but Controlled,
is roughly 60-75% of your max speed.
If your best 200m is 28 seconds, your tempo pace for 200m will be 37 seconds (75%) to 40 seconds (60%)
If your best 200m is 30 seconds, your tempo pace for 200m will be 39-50 sec
If your best 200m is 35 seconds, your tempo pace for 200m will be 46-50 sec
If your best 200m is 40 seconds, your tempo pace for 200m will be 54-67 sec
If your best 200m is 50 seconds, your tempo pace for 200m will be 1:07-1:13
etc.
Don't be very concerned with the number; just run hard, but under control
Pose 1: Runner’s Lunge
Strengthens: Legs and Upper Back
Benefits: The groin or adductor muscles provide strength and stability for the femur (thigh bone) and hip joint. Keeping this group of muscles flexible will decrease the likelihood for a groin strain or imminent ITBS. Strengthening your quadriceps & hamstrings will allow for more power per “push off” of every step
1. Start in a lunge position with your right foot back first.
2. Press back through the right heel to straighten the back leg. Lift through the knee to engage the thigh.
3. Make sure the left knee is over the ankle.
4. Bring the hands to the sides of the front foot, under the shoulders.
5. Draw in the navel and tuck the tailbone.
6. Raise the heart toward the sky without taking the hands off the ground.
7. Hold for 30 seconds.
Pose 2: The Crescent Moon
Strengthens: Glutes, hamstrings and core
Stretches: Hip Flexors
1. From Low Lunge, drop the back knee and the top of the back foot to the floor.
2. Keep the front leg in place, with the knee over the ankle.
3. Drop into the hips to stretch both the front hip and the back quad.
4. Raise the upper body in line above the pelvis, head lifting toward the ceiling.
5. Bring the arms up by the ears, elbows straight, hands reaching toward the sky. Keep dropping the shoulders away from ears, even as you lift the arms.
6. Engage the navel and tuck the tailbone slightly under to keep the abdomen strong.
7. Drop opposite arm to the side and reach down to the ground while reaching up and slightly over with the other arm
8. Hold for 30 secondsPose 3 & 4: Hamstring Tower
Stretches: Hamstrings
1. From Crescent Moon, straighten through the front leg and draw the hips back behind you.
2. Place the hands on the floor for balance.
3. Bend through the spine, bringing the nose toward the knee and draw the shoulders down the back, away from your ears. You should feel a stretch in your hamstring.
4. To deepen the calf stretch, try flexing the foot and drawing the toes back toward you even more.
5. Relax the spine and neck completely.
6. Hold for 30 secondsPose 5 Lateral Hip Stretch
Benefits: stretches the IT band
1. From Hamstring Tower, walk the hands over to the same side of the body as the extended leg.
2. Keep the hips over the back knee and keep the front leg extended.
3. The further back and away from the body you place the hands, the more you’ll feel the stretch in the lateral hip and thigh.
4. Make sure to keep the head dropped and the neck relaxed.
5. Hold for 30 seconds
Pose 7 Pigeon (or alternative*, below)
Benefits: hip flexor, IT band
1. Step your right leg forward between your hands.
2. Drop your back leg to the ground. Keep the back leg turned under.
3. Keeping your front leg bent, place it shin down on floor behind your right wrist.
Tip: Align your right knee straight in front of your right hip and your right shin parallel to the front of your mat.
4. Lower your hips, bringing your left knee and top of your left thigh to the floor and walk your left foot back a few inches to straighten your left leg directly behind your left hip. Then rest the top of your left foot on the floor.
5. Walk your fingertips out to 18 inches in front of your right shin and bring your elbows to the floor, forearms parallel to each other.
6. Draw your right hip back, and your left hip forward
7. Make sure your front foot is well flexed.
8. Hold for 30-60 seconds; and then repeat poses 1-7 using the other leg
1. Lie on your back on the mat.
2. Bring your knees in towards the chest, at a 90-degree angle.
3. Place your right ankle on your left thigh, interlace your fingers and place them behind your left thigh, and pull your left thigh toward your chest.
4. Repeat on the other side.
TIP: Flex your feet to deepen the stretch. Press your elbow against that bent knee to feel an inner thigh stretch. If you have knee problems, adjust the angle of the knee so you feel comfortable.
Sumo Squat
Standing wide-legged forward fold
Benefits: Opens the hips and stretches the hamstrings
1. Stand with feet about a leg's length apart.
2. Turn your heels slightly out and your toes slightly in. (Imagine you're slightly pigeon-toed.)
3. Inhale, stand tall and stretch your arms out to a T.
4. Exhale, fold forward, taking your hands to the floor or a yoga block. Allow your head to hang down, straightening your spine. Do not lock knees
5. After five breaths, inhale as you roll up slowly, engaging your abs and pressing in to your feet to help you rise.
6. Exhale, step your feet together.
Standing forward fold with "ragdoll" arms
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings and straightens the spine.1. Inhale and take your hands to your hips as you
step your feet hips' width apart.
2. Exhale, fold forward. If you can straighten your legs in this pose, grasp each elbow with the opposite hand. If you can't straighten your legs or need more support, place your hands on a yoga block (or even a chair, if you prefer).
3. Allow your head to hang down limply--like a ragdoll, straightening your spine. Gaze past the end of your nose.
For tight lats
Stretches: latissimus dorsi muscles, the muscles that connect your upper arms to your lower back. When you raise your arms overhead, the “lats” stretch, so tight lats make it difficult to reach up1. Kneel in front of a chair.
2. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, place the
backs of your elbows, near their tips, on the front edge of the chair seat,
about shoulder-width apart.
3. Walk your knees away from the chair until your trunk is parallel to the floor and your knees are directly under your hip joints.
4. Draw your front lower rib cage upward so it does not sag toward the floor, and keep it there throughout the pose.
5. Move your hips horizontally backward to lengthen your spine, slide your shoulders outward toward your ears, and draw your head back and away from the edge of the chair seat. Allow your head to hang down.
6. Press your tailbone slightly toward the floor to stabilize your sacrum, pelvis, and lower back; keep your ribs slightly lifted; and move your outer arms (triceps) toward the floor as far as you comfortably can.
7. Allow the latissimus muscles to fully release, lengthen, and permit deeper movement.
Child’s pose
Benefits: Stretches hips, thighs and ankles; arms; can help alleviate back pain.
1. Start to lower to the floor.
2. Your belly will rest on or between your thighs, and your forehead will reach towards the mat. (Place a towel under your forehead if it won't reach the floor.
3. Stretch the arms out in front of you to feel a stretch up the length of the back.
4. Stretch the arms alongside the body, with the fingertips facing the toes, to stretch between the shoulder blades.
*TEST
To measure your progress, know what's working (or not working), discover whether you're training too little (or too much!), and stimulate your motivation, it is important to perform some evaluations fairly regularly. Following Shawn Francis' model, plus a few of our own, we will test the following: