400M Sprints

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~beef

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I've added sprints to the end of my strength routine for a little extra conditioning and explosiveness training. I don't know anyone who runs track, so I'm looking for anyone here that can help or knows any good online resources for 400 200 and 100m sprints. I'm going to focus on 400M for now and my questions follow:
1) Do any good sprinting specific training templates exist? As of now I've been doing something like 10 sets of 1 sprint short rest in between trying to beat my own times.
2) What is a good time for a 200lb guy to run?
Thanks in advance, I might try to find a girl on the track team to date and use her for training purposes.
 
It's hard to say what a good time for you necessarily is. But when I do sprints I tend to do 3-5 sets with 4+ reps per set. Minimal rest between reps, 5 minutes between sets.
 
~beef said:
I've added sprints to the end of my strength routine for a little extra conditioning and explosiveness training. I don't know anyone who runs track, so I'm looking for anyone here that can help or knows any good online resources for 400 200 and 100m sprints. I'm going to focus on 400M for now and my questions follow:
1) Do any good sprinting specific training templates exist? As of now I've been doing something like 10 sets of 1 sprint short rest in between trying to beat my own times.
2) What is a good time for a 200lb guy to run?
Thanks in advance, I might try to find a girl on the track team to date and use her for training purposes.
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There are lots of good training templates. What is your goal?
 
Here's a link to Baylor's 400m training program by Clyde Hart. This is a very high level program, but should give you some ideas about balancing endurance and speed.

If you're just starting out, aim for a minute. If you can break that, try for 55. Anything faster than 50 seconds is very good at the high school level.
 
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agree with above I shoot for a minute on all of them but when i do them its 5 sets, I only do mine maybe once a week tho
 
I ran track, albeit as a middle/long distance runner, but nonetheless, I'm quite familiar with the 400, as we had "400 repeat days".

What's your best time for the 400? Because when I was in peak track shape, we were running 6-9 400s under 60 secs apiece (first was 53, second was 55ish, etc...).
 
It depends on what you're looking to achieve. Longer sprints such as 400m, 600m, and 800m will build your overall strength and muscular endurance. Shorter sprints such as 50m, 100m, 150m and 200m are going to focus more on explosive power. In regards to an 8-10 fight camp the first 5 weeks should be building the athletes overall strength and endurance. Then honing in on speed the last month. A beginners program for example could be 4x400m with 3-5 minute rest in between sets. In the beginning you want full recovery in order to better develop endurance. Short rest periods don't allow the body to recover long enough to put another heavy work load on it. Save short rest periods for the short sprints the month before the fight. You should leave the track with complete muscular fatigue.

Remember to be technical when running. Meaning don't just hop on the track and go full boar. 1. Location - make sure you're running on a track not the street, the impact is bad for your bones. 2. Form - run on the balls of the feet, never let the heels touch in sprinting. Shoulders should be relaxed. Elbows at about a 90 degree angle moving from cheek to cheek (face cheek to butt cheek). 3. Pace yourself on a 400m, you'll gas trying to run full out. Start by just opening up your stride and training proper form. 4. Tapper down after a run, never stop dead. A decent tapper is about 50-100m, staying on the balls of the feet. 5. Warm up - spend at least 20 minutes properly warming up and stretching before performing sprints.

Basic Sprinting Info.


Basic Drills for Warm up
 
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1 minute and 20 seconds for each set rest half a minute to a minute depending on your fitness atm, do 5-10 sets
 
There is some good info here already, thanks a lot. I just did 400ms today for the 2nd time after my lift. I'm still a little out of shape, practices don't run through the exam period and I've only been lifting. I managed a best time of 1.20 (yesterdays best time was 1.30) and a .33 on a 200m. I can feel that could definitely break 1 minute pretty easy as I get back into shape.
My goals with running are some extra conditioning and explosiveness (going to implement some 100 & 200m), I'd like to achieve a time that is comparable to a collegiate runner.
 
plenty of good running programs out there so look round. i do either all out 400m sprints with rest breaks of around 7 min or i do a lap every two mins and each lap takes round 65 secs done like this. my best time is 51 secs and im not really a runner so good luck as it can be very hard distance
 
The Fan Man said:
Here's a link to Baylor's 400m training program by Clyde Hart. This is a very high level program, but should give you some ideas about balancing endurance and speed.

If you're just starting out, aim for a minute. If you can break that, try for 55. Anything faster than 50 seconds is very good at the high school level.
Click to expand...

Can't access document, too bad. :( Multiple 400 meter sprints are brutal, to supplement fight training or for a sport doesn't this interfere with recovery and skill training?
 
the impression I'm getting is that the best way to go is add a few sprint sessions a week and go for times in reps ranging from 4-6 max rest between sprints.
 
-Don't do "conditioning and explosiveness" at the same time
-400m isn't really a sprint
 
Most programs I've seen gradually decrease the rest period but keep the number of sprints relatively low...it's pretty brutal no matter how you slice it.
 
milano said:
-Don't do "conditioning and explosiveness" at the same time
-400m isn't really a sprint
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I chose 400m because it seemed like a good place to start. By achieving good times at 400m I'll have achieved strong conditioning to support training the shorter sprints, on top of having just achieved strong conditioning for the sake of conditioning.

Since I've never really done much sprinting, it felt a lot like how SS is to lifting.
 
Prodigal Son said:
Can't access document, too bad. :( Multiple 400 meter sprints are brutal, to supplement fight training or for a sport doesn't this interfere with recovery and skill training?
Click to expand...

Sorry, this link should work.

Once again, this is the insane Baylor program. Randy Couture's 'Mother of All Workouts' is a warm-up compared to this. The people he's coached (Michael Johnson, Sanya Richards, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson, and Greg Haughton) have collectively won 10 Olympic gold medals and 15 overall medals.
 
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~beef said:
I chose 400m because it seemed like a good place to start. By achieving good times at 400m I'll have achieved strong conditioning to support training the shorter sprints, on top of having just achieved strong conditioning for the sake of conditioning.

Since I've never really done much sprinting, it felt a lot like how SS is to lifting.
Click to expand...

400m is no distance for a beginner to be running. It's the most god awful, gutwrenching distance that even veteran runners are afraid of, and with good reason. It requires an excellent sense of pace and it's very easy to fuck up, i.e. exhaust yourself prematurely and not get any quality work done beyond the first one or two sprints. You wouldn't set out on a 20 rep widowmaker program your first time in the squat rack.

If you're new to any running, work on your aerobic base for a few weeks.

If your cardiac output is decent and you want to graduate to sprints, work on short distances first to perfect your form. You'll get more out of sprinting 8x50m than you will out of attempting one 400m.
 
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