Recommended articles

1. Strength & Conditioning Training for Distance Athletes

By Di Barnes

Modern Athletes & Coach 38:4 p31 Oct 2000

 

2. Specificity of Horizontal Jumps Performance

by Gary Bourne

Modern Athletes & Coach 33:3 p3 July 1995

 

3. Fatigue Influenced Changes to Sprinting Technique

By V. Tupa, F. Gusenov and I. Mironenko

Modern Athletes & Coach 33:3 p7 July 1995

 

4. Strength Development in Distance Running Training

by Di Barnes

Modern Athletes & Coach 39:2 p15 April 2001

 

5. The Preparation Phase in Steeplechase Training

by A.Belichko and V. Sirenko

Modern Athletes & Coach 35:1 p7 January 1997

 

6. Ground Contact in Distance Running

by Tony Benson

Modern Athletes & Coach 39:3 p35 July 2001

 

7. Plyometrics in Middle Distances Training

by Abrie de Swardt

Modern Athletes & Coach 36:1 p31 Jan 1998

 

8. Development of Speed Strength in Middle Distance Running Training

by A. Polunin and G. Narskin  - from Legkaya Atletika, Russia, No 1, Jan 1991
Modern Athletes & Coach 34:3 p32 Jan 1996

 

9. Australian Middle Distance Running on the World Stage
by Wayne Goldsmith and Robert Nicholson

Modern Athletes & Coach 33:1 p13 Jan 1995

 

 

Notes

2. In a single hip and knee flexion movement that occurs during landing from a sprint stride , the quadriceps muscles are involved in eccentric contraction. Also a synergistic and stabilizing role is played by adductors, abductors and the inward and outward rotators of the thigh in controlling this movement. The recruitment patterns and loadings of these muscles is different in a double leg movement.

 Similar is true of take off movements in the sprint stride. The hamstrings and glutes work concentrically in hip extension and the quadriceps work in knee extension. The gluteals, however, are also hip stabilizers at the bottom of the movement and also the hip abductors. The hip abductors serve an important synergistic and stabilizing role in single leg support movements by guiding, as well as assisting, with hip extension. If they are not strengthened in balance with the hamstrings ,additional stress will be placed upon the hamstring muscles during these movements.

 

 

3. Research into fatigue in the 400m event reveals the following effects:

- Reduction of the movement amplitude and speed of legs.

- Reduction of the driving force.

- Increased braking force of the lead leg.

- Increased vertical displacement of the hip joint, that suggests increased mechanical work to displace the body’s centre of gravity.

- Increased take off angle of the centre of gravity.

 

Studies performed by Tupa et.al indicated that:
- Stride frequency was reduced more than the stride length was shortened. A longer support phase, during which braking increased more than in the driving phase, reducing the stride frequency.

 

5. The article outlines a Russian method for preparing for Steeplechase Training that included some special methods:

Introductory phase started at 70-80% of 1 RM with Jerks, Squats, pulls, presses  etc and building to be able to do 3-4  sets of 4-5 at 80-90% of 1 RM. All Weight sessions were followed with flexibility exercises and acceleration runs then concluded with a 6-7km run at Anaerobic Threshold pace. This was accompanied by employing moderate intensity 12-20km runs.
First Basic Phase
-Explosive strength was trained with barbell exercises such as Jerks, snatches, jumps from squat position etc. at a load equivalent of 40-60% of an athletes body weight. All performed at maximal speed with 2-4 sets of 15-20 reps. Also performed were jumping exercises over 50-80m on level terrain and also uphill at maximum intensity. Speed was trained with 50-100m intervals at near max to max speed up to a total of 400-600m in a single workout.  All workouts that include explosive strength development exercises were finished off with a steady state 8km run.
- Local Muscular endurance was developed by use of jumping, uphill running and circuit training. E.g. Barbell jumps from half-squat 3 x 5-6 x 8-9 reps with a load of 35-40% of maximum. , Also similarly with knee bend to calf raises, split jumps , step-ups. 35-40s of exercises with 50-60s recovery intervals.  Also Uphill Bounding over 100-300m segments with a total volume of 800-1200m, Uphill running in segments of 100-1000m with a total volume of  up to 2000m for short intervals and 3500m for longer intervals. All training means designed to develop local muscular endurance were followed with flexibility exercises and acceleration runs then concluded with a 6-7km run at Anaerobic Threshold pace.

Winter Comp Phase 4-5 races over about 4 weeks.
Maintaining strength level by performing 3-4 repetitions of bounding over 100m and short 60-100m sprints after cross-country workouts.  Aerobic potential maintained by 15-18km runs at steady pace and a variety of Track sessions.

Second Basic Phase 4-5 weeks
Faster continuous runs and more volume of anaerobic glycolytic interval training.

Explosive strength and speed components maintained by uphill running and jumping with some short segments of track running. Strength endurance is developed further mainly by the performance of 400-1200m uphill runs. Last 2-3 weeks reactive strength development exercises to improve muscle elasticity. The two main exercises are depth jumps from a height of 40-50cm and multiple two-legged jumps over hurdles. The depth jumps are executed in 3-5 sets of 7-9 repetitions with upward and forward bounds.

 

6. Bill Bowerman in Secrets of Speed . Sports Illustrated 1971 wrote “ Your foot should strike after it has reached the farthest point of advance and has actually started to swing back” and that “when your foot strikes, the point of contact should be directly under your knee , not out in front of it, and as nearly as possible squarely beneath your centre of gravity”.

 

7. Many athletes are outkicked at the end of races due to lack of speed-endurance and lack of power or speed-strength development. Abrie coached an athlete that implemented a program that involved a combination of strength endurance and plyometric or speed-strength work that was successful in improving the athletes kicking ability.

From a physiological basis, if a muscle is pre-stretched or made to build up high tension, it will concentrically contract with a much greater force. Plyometrics make use of this factor. The key factor in plyometrics is that the response from the ground must be immediate. Otherwise the exercise turns into a concentric contraction and does not involve the stretch reflex.

 Because of the high anaerobic component of the exercises, the recovery or rest periods must be adjusted so that the athletes get enough time to recover and exploit good posture, technique and concentration.

 

8. A high volume of speed-strength training has a negative effect on the functional state of an athlete’s support motor system and current level of speed-strength performance capacity. This is followed by a rapid improvement of the speed-strength capacity after the load volume has been reduced and changed to a maintenance regimen. Positive changes of a greater magnitude occur after a certain amount of time has passed following the reduced training load. The key is to plan the situation so that the highest level of speed-strength capacity occur during the peak competition period.

 The article suggest a combination of

1. Short jumps – with quicker contacts focusing on speed of contact.
2. Longer jumps – focusing on going maximum distance between each impact.
3. Uphill running
4. Core Strengthening

 

Once speed strength is reduced aiming for supercompensation of speed-strength capabilities it is advisable to follow this up with lower volume training loads overall and fast 30-150m segments before introducing highly specific 150-400m segments at high intensities.

 

During the maintenance phase during competition periods it is recommended that the athletes do short jump sessions of 80-120 impacts in a session.

 

High volume speed-strength work should be combined with aerobic and aerobic-anaerobic running.

 

9. In regards to the need to develop speed capabilities in young athletes. Goldsmith and Nicholson wrote ” conventional physiological thought has suggested that adolescents do not effectively cope with lactate production and tolerance training procedures due to inherent biomechanical limitations in anaerobic glycolysis. Speed training , however, also involves mechanisms such as neural stimulation and muscle fibre recruitment. By modifying existing speed training procedures , for example by focusing upon shorter distances (60-150 metres), allowing adequate recover and emphasizing correct running technique, speed development could occur more effectively.”

 

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