Track Sprint Training

Hello Everyone

Here is my outline of training for a sprinter. Feel free to pick it to
pieces. The most important thing is not so much what training a rider does
but what effect it has on them and how they communicate this to you. The
best results I had with a sprinter was one that I personally trained in the
gym and was on hand for most of her track work. A lot of speed work was done
on a windtrainer at the gym. Much the same as the success I had with a road
rider building towards the World Road Champs where I didn't observe much of
his training but we was in contact up to three times a day leading up to his
departure for Europe.

For sprinters I follow a multi-tier approach as opposed to the more
periodised approach I use for endurance. Everything is trained year round
and it is the amounts that vary depending on what phase one is in.

This means medium term aerobic, short term aerobic, anaerobic capacity,
alactic capacity, power and strength (both ATP system) are all included in
the programme.

Based on the goal event and the main requirements (sprint = anaerobic
capacity) one looks at the levels 2 up and 2 below the main requirement and
trains all 5.

For a sprinter...

+2: ATP Strength and Power
+1: Alactic Capacity
Main: Anaerobic Capacity
-1: Short Term Endurance (around maxV02)
-2: Medium Term Endurance (around anaerobic threshold)

For a roadie it would look like...

+2: Anaerobic Capacity
+1: Short Term Endurance
Main: Medium Term Endurance
+1: Long Term Endurance (around aerobic threshold)
+2: Very Long Term Endurance (below aerobic threshold)

Note I still get roadies to do very short sprints of 6-10sec or two lamp
posts start in the saddle in medium gear (53X19-17) as a type of weights on
wheels workout.

Training is then based on each requirement and the volumes at each level is
varied depending on the priority. It generally goes from endurance through
to strength and power for sprinters. The easiest way is to take the time
till the goal event and divide by 5.

Note I do things differently for roadies who spend as much time as possible
in the long term endurance phase before a block at MT Endurance, a block at
ST endurance and a 2 week block of Anaerobic capacity before a 2 week taper
to the goal event. This is because 75% of road racing is done within the
aerobic and anaerobic threshold and the more power they can produce and
sustain at this level the less time they spend in the energy sapping
anaerobic levels. Sprinters however need to train fast all year long.

Instead of the usual 7 day microcycle I have gone for a 14 day period. All
training sessions have goals of either time or max lift achieved. If you
can't get close to a PB then pack up. Also you hit a PB then pack up, reward
yourself for hitting new targets!

Example schedules based on a masters level rider with 20 years in the sport,
a good understanding of weight training and racing at Denton Park,
Christchurch, New Zealand's regular racing on a Wednesday and Sunday from
late October to early March.

Medium term endurance phase...

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 3 X 5min @ anaerobic threshold
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie Powercleans pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 12 X 15ses on 15sec off at maxV02
Sat: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie Deadlifts pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 3 X 5min @ anaerobic threshold
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 12 X 15sec on 15 sec off at max V02
Sat: 3 X 5 min @ anaerobic threshold
Sun: am Lower body Strength pm Track Racing

Short term endurance phase...

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 12 X 15sec on 15sec off at max V02
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie Snatch pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 12 X 15ses on 15sec off at maxV02
Sat: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie Squats pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 12 X 15sec on 15sec off at max V02
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 3 X 5min @ anaerobic threshold
Sat: 12 X 15sec on 15sec off at max V02
Sun: am Lower body Strength pm Track Racing

Anaerobic Capacity Phase

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 5X20sec (or 250m) at high speed
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie High volume plyos pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 3 X 5min @ anaerobic threshold
Sat: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie Leg press pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 5X20sec (or 250m) at high speed
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 8 X 6sec at max speed
Sat: 12 X 15sec on 15sec off at maxV02
Sun: am Lower body Strength pm Track Racing

Alactic Capacity Phase

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie Low volume plyos pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 5X20sec (or 250m) at high speed
Sat: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie Split Squats pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 8 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 8 X 6sec at max speed
Sat: 12 X 15sec on 15sec off at maxV02
Sun: am Lower body Strength pm Track Racing

Now is the time to use the bike to get you up to speed (ie 65-72kph) and
then between turn 3 and 4 kick round the bike to the line. Can be done on
windtrainer but on track is better to replicate the effort and handling
required to kick off a wheel.

ATP Phase

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 4 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie Low volume plyos with weights pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 2X20sec (or 250m) at high speed
Sat: 4 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie One leg leg press pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 4 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 4 X 6sec at max speed
Sat: 6 X 15sec on 15sec off at maxV02
Sun: am Lower body Strength pm Track Racing

This is the final lead up to goal event and is done once then in the final
14 days to the goal event changes to...

Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 2 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am. Lower Body Power ie Low volume plyos with weights pm Track Racing
Thur: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 20sec (or 250m) at high speed
Sat: 2 X 6 sec at max speed
Sun: am Lower Body Strength ie One leg leg press pm Track Racing
Mon: Rest Day
Tue: 2 X 6 sec at max speed
Wed: am Lower Body Power pm Track Racing
Thu: Rest Day
Fri: am. Upper body weights pm. 2 X 6sec at max speed
Sat: Goal Event
Sun: Goal Event

Very little aerobic training in the last two phases but before all anaerobic
and alactic workouts one should do this to warm up...

-5-15 min at aerobic threshold
-Stretching
-1-5 min below aerobic threshold
-5 min at anaerobic threshold
-1-5 min below aerobic threshold
-1 min at max aerobic pace
-2-10 min below aerobic threshold
-30 sec flat out
-ride at below aerobic threshold to start/training

This and a decent warm down negates the need for much aerobic training in
the last two phases.

With the weight training the goal is to hit a new PB and then do some
supplemental exercises. Select one main exercise hit the PB and then if
lower body do some hamstring, glute, lower back and abs work. For upper body
try and hit a PB for a Chest and Back exercise then do some supplemental
work on the biceps, triceps, rear delts/rotator cuff abs and lower back.
Power days are harder to judge as you use a load between 30-70% of max or
body weight. If you don't have the snap in your efforts then pack up.

Most of this programme is based on my own understanding of cycling,
physiology and sprinting. It includes elements from the new Aussie
programme, a little of the old Gary West programme, some Charlie Francis
from T&F sprinting (less the steroids), Louie Simmons conjugate method of
training (less the steroids) for Powerlifters (which draws on Russian
physiologist and biomechanist Yuri Verkoshansky), Mel Siff (strength/speed
training expert, sadly deceased) and Peter Coe's (father of Seb Coe) multi
tier training philosophy. Not much of the old East German programme as a lot
of it is 3rd-4th hand information, it's 20 years old anyway and they took
****-loads of drugs.

Cheers

Hamish Ferguson
Christchurch, New Zealand