Presentation examining the track and field events from a strength coach's perspective. Part of a presentation I did at the 2013 Australian Track and Field Coach's Association's Coaching Congress.

1. The past is irretrievable, the present is incomplete, the
future has already begun. Volkogonov.

2. Overview
 Characteristics of each event for the
strength and conditioning coach.
 Strength and conditioning needs/tools of
each event.
 Training thoughts
 Challenges

3. Event Overview
 Sprints
 Jumps
 Throws
 Endurance

5. Sprints/Hurdles
 Short sprinting events follow a pattern:
 React to the gun
 Get out of the blocks
 Increase velocity
 Achieve maximum velocity
 Maintain maximum velocity
 Attempt to slow the least

6. Block Clearance
 Strong legs help
athletes get out of
the blocks
 However, when
getting out of the
blocks, the rear leg
is exerting ~61% of
the force that the
front leg exerts (Coh
et al 2009).
http://www.lollylegs.com/training/starting.aspx

7. 2009 World Championships,
200m
0-50m 50-100m
100-
150m
150-
200m
Time (s), Bolt 5.6 4.32 4.52 4.75
Time (s), avg 2-8 5.8 4.5 4.7 5.01
Velocity (m/s), Bolt 8.93 11.57 11.06 10.53
Velocity (m/s), avg 2-
8 8.57 11 10.56 9.97

8. 110 meter hurdles
Take-off
(Braking)
Take-Off
(Propulsion)
Landing
(Braking)
Landing
(Propulsion)
Horiz. Vel. m/s 7.61 7.2 7.34 7.57
Vertical Vel.
m/s
2.27
From Coh and Iskra (2012). Examining four hurdlers, mean 110m
performance is 14.63 seconds.
Hurdlers are still achieving significant
horizontal velocities.
Vertical velocity is also going to be a factor in
their performance…

9. Short sprint considerations
 When clearing blocks, both legs don’t
exert equal force.
 One leg exerts force at a time when
sprinting.
 Exert force against the track.
 Horizontal velocity is important.
 Sprinting athletes are prone to
hamstring injuries.

10. Short Sprints, Training
Considerations
Consideration Requires Tools
Block clearance
Maximal
strength Squats, Deadlifts, RDLs, etc.
Power Olympic lifts, plyos
One-legged
focus
Split Olympic lifts, one-leg Olympic lifts, split squats,
lunges, one-leg RDLs, etc.
Exerting force
against track
Maximal
strength Squats, Deadlifts, RDLs, etc.
Eccentric
strength Pause/eccentric lifts, hip extension exercises
Power Olympic lifts, plyos
One-leg at a time
One-legged
focus
Split Olympic lifts, one-leg Olympic lifts, split squats,
lunges, one-leg RDLs, etc.

11. What About the 400?
From Hanson and Gajer (2009). Looking at world class, national, and
regional level male athletes.

12. 400, Energy Systems
400m Hurdle 400m Flat
Best Time 55.69 52.04
Study Time 61.71 54.95
10 sec 57/43 62/38
20 sec 45/55 55/45
30 sec 43/57 55/45
40 sec 40/60 60/40
50 sec 40/60 60/40
From Zouhal et al (2010). Looking at six nationally ranked
athletes. Splits represent anaerobic/aerobic contributions
at each point in time.

13. 400, Considerations
 Same considerations as the short
sprints without block clearance.
 Hurdles and sprint may be different,
though limitations to the study
 If energy system information is correct,
would require higher volume training
than the short sprints.

14. Jumps
www.usatf.org

15. Long Jump
From www.britannica.com

16. Long Jump
 High take-off speed is essential for good
performance.
 Minimize knee flexion at takeoff (Muraki
et al 2005).

17. Long Jump
Approach Speed
(m/s)
Hor. Velocity at
Takeoff (m/s)
Ver. Velocity at
Takeoff
Female 1984
Olympics 8.6 8.1 2.8
Male U.K. Long
jumpers 9.95 8.55 3.37
From Hay et al (1985) and Graham-Smith and Lees (2005).

18. Triple Jump
From www.britannica.com

19. Triple Jump
 Phases:
 Approach run
 Hop: take off and land on same foot
 Step: take off and land on different feet
 Jump: take off from one foot and land on
both

20. Triple Jump
Phase Velocity Avg.
Horizontal
Force
Avg. Vertical
Force
Last stride of
run-up
10.2 m/s
Hop 9.4 m/s -0.5 3.2
Step 8.06 m/s -0.8 3.8
Jump 6.96 m/s -0.6 3.7
Forces and velocities during each phase of the triple jump, 1984
Olympic Games. From Hay and Miller (1985). Forces are in multiples
of bodyweight.

21. Long and Triple Jump: In
Common
Sprinting during the run up
Leg stiffness during take-off
Need for vertical force development
Sprinting Leg Stiffness
Vertical Force
Development
Technique Bounds Vertical Jumps in Place
Acceleration Sprints Maximum Strength Maximum Strength
Max. Vel. Sprints Eccentric Strength Olympic Lifts/Variations
Resisted Sprinting
Split/Single-Leg Olympic
Lifts
Stride Length Drills
Split-Style Olympic
Lifts

22. Long Jump and Triple Jump:
Differences
Long Jump Triple Jump
Same leg is take-off
leg
Different leg for hop/step and
jump
One effort Three efforts
More impact on lower body

23. Long Jump and Triple Jump:
Differences
Long Jump
Same leg is take-off
leg Single-leg maximal strength
Single-leg Olympic lifts
Single-leg plyometrics
One effort Low volume, high intensity
Triple Jump
Different leg for
Hop/step and jump
Single-leg maximal strength, train
both legs
Single-leg Olympic lifts, train both
legs
Single-leg plyometrics, train both
legs
Three efforts
Training hops, steps, and jumps
separately and together
Ability to maintain effort across
three jumps

24. High Jump
 Approach run
 Plant/takeoff
 Flight phase/bar clearance

25. High Jump Approach and Plant
 Athlete achieves 6-8 m/sec on approach
 Last 4-5 steps use a curved approach
 Increasing stride frequency in the approach
 Horizontal velocity decreases as the
athlete begins the curved approach
• Minimize knee flexion during the plant
• Full body extension at toe-off

26. High Jump Flight
 Vertical velocity may
exceed 4
meters/second
during the flight
phase
www.benchallenger.com

27. High Jump Velocities
Hor. Vel.
Touchdown
(m/s)
Vert. Vel.
Touchdown
(m/s)
Hor. Vel.
Takeoff
(m/s)
Vert. Vel.
Takeoff (m/s)
Male 2005 IAAF
World
Championships 7.78 0.33 4.31 4.3
Female, elite 6.13 0.27 4.57 3.41
From Antekolovic, et al (2006) and Isolehto et al (2007).

28. High Jump Tools
Phase Cue Addressing
Run-Up Sprinting Technique
Acceleration Sprints
Max. Vel. Sprints
Resisted Sprinting
Stride Frequency Drills
Split-Style Olympic Lifts
Plant Minimize knee flexion Single-leg maximal strength
Single-leg eccentric
strength
Single-leg Olympic lifts
Single-leg plyometrics
Full body extension Squats/deadlifts
Olympic lifts
Vertical plyometrics
Flight Vertical velocity Maximal strength training
Olympic lifts
Vertical plyometrics

29. Pole Vault

30. Pole Vault
 Run-up phase obtains a large horizontal
velocity to prepare for the planting of the
pole. But, the pole is a complication.
 Take-off: Generate enough vertical impulse
while minimizing loss in horizontal velocity.

31. Pole Vault Stats
Max Hor Vel Last Stride 9.44625
Hor Vel at Touchdown 9.36625
Hor Vel at Takeoff 7.66625
Hor Vel at Pole Release 1.68125
Ver Vel at Takeoff 2.81
Max Ver Vel 5.0375
Velocities in m/s. Taken from Angulo-Kinzler et al
(1994). Analyzing 1992 Olympic Games (men).

32. Pole Vault Tools
Phase Cue Addressing
Run-Up Sprinting Technique
Acceleration Sprints
Max. Vel. Sprints
Resisted Sprinting
Stride Frequency Drills
Split-Style Olympic Lifts
Plant Minimize knee flexion Single-leg maximal strength
Single-leg eccentric
strength
Single-leg Olympic lifts
Single-leg plyometrics

33. Review of Jumps
Males Females
Long jump 10.25 9.41
Triple Jump 9.5 8.18
Pole Vault 8.6 7.41
Comparison of approach speed (last 5 meters in m/s)
for top males and females in the 2002 European
Championships. From Petrov (2004).

34. Strength Training Concerns:
Sprints/Jumps
 Hypertrophy
 Angle of pennation
 Moving with mass
 Injury prevention
 Hamstrings
 Injury causation

36. General Thoughts
 There are going to
be common themes
between the events:
 Angle of release
 Height of release
 Velocity
 Single leg/levering
www.usatf.org

37. Discus
 The speed of the
discus at release is
the single most
important contributor
to long throws.
 Females may use
more sophisticated
technique than
males, males may
rely more on
physical strength
(Leigh et al 2008).

38. What Kind of Strength is
Important?
 Karampatsos et al 2011:
 Male throwers
 Mean 49.64 meter throws
 Mean 1-RM Back Squat 252 kg, r=0.61
(n.s.)
 Mean 1-RM Incline Press 127.5kg, r=0.96
(p<0.01) between press and throw
 Perspective: How good are the
throwers?

39. Yu et al (2002)
 Discus throwers at the 1998 camp at the
U.S. Olympic Training Center (51.83-
60.22 meter throwers).
 The greater vertical and horizontal
ground reaction forces, the greater
distance on the discus.

40. Shot Put
Men Result (meters) Velocity (m/sec) Angle Height (m) Height (%)
21.77 14.13 35 2.1 106
21.2 13.99 34 2.08 113.7
20.93 13.63 37 2.29 112.3
Women 20.19 13.33 36 2.34 119.4
19.74 13.31 39 1.93 107.2
19.09 13.1 36 1.93 110.9
2008 Indoor World Championships, shot put. From Gutierrez-
Davila et al (2009).

41. Hammer
Variables Mean
Age 25.8
Height (m) 1.85
Weight (kg) 116
Body Fat 22.40%
Hammer Throw (m) 72.17
1-RM Snatch (kg) 131.7
1-RM Clean (kg) 165
1-RM Back Squat 245
% Type II Muscle fibers 60.1
% Type II Muscle Fiber CSA 66.10%
Standing Broad Jump (m) 3.09
Information from six international-caliber
male hammer throwers. Muscle information
is from the vastus lateralis. From Terzis et al
(2010).

42. Hammer Velocities
 The hammer is moving at velocities of
up to 24 meters/second during the turns
(Rojas-Ruiz et al 2009) with a release
velocity that can be even higher.
Best throw (m) Release velocity (m/s)
Male 57.1 24.1
Female 56.4 23.7
From Brice et al (2011).

43. Javelin
Men Women
Javelin Release Angle 38 42
Hor. Vel. Javelin (m/s) 21.3 16.2
Ver. Vel. Javelin (m/s) 17.1 14.55
Hor. Vel. COG, Run (m/s) 5.19 5.41
Hor. Vel. COG, Before final contact (m/s) 5.28 5.36
Vert. Vel. COG, Release (m/s) 1.59 0.89
Top 5 Men and Women, 1984 Olympic Games. From Komi and Mero
(1985).

44. Javelin Characteristics
Men Women
Distance (m) 86.11 66.6
Javelin Release Angle 35.3 36.23
Javelin Release Vel. (m/s) 29.3 25.6
Hor. Vel. COG, Before Final Contact (m/s) 6.91 6.23
Top three finishers, men’s and women’s, 2009 IAAF World
Championships. From Lehman (2010).

45. Throws: Commonalities
 Base level of total body strength required
for success, different for each event
 Once that base level of strength is
achieved, a need to learn
 How to use it
 How to apply it to the event
 For each throw, horizontal/vertical
velocities and height/angle of release are
all important. These velocities exceed
what can be achieved with free weights.

46. Throws: Tools (Commonalities)
Total Body Strength
Lower Body
Strength Squats, deadlifts, hip extensions
Upper Body
Strength Presses, rows
Using
Strength/Application
Expressing
Strength Quickly
Olympic lifts, speed lifts,
pause/eccentric lifts
Plyos
Throws
Levering
Eccentric
Strength
Maximum strength development,
eccentric lifts, pause lifts, plyos
Single-leg
Strength Lunges, step-ups, split squats
Single-leg
Power
Plyos, split-style Oympic lifts, one-leg
Olympic lifts

47. Throws: Event-Specific
 Discuss: rotation, lever off one side,
stretch
 Shot: glide requires a push off one leg
 Hammer: shoulders, rotation
 Javelin: requires a run-up, lever off one
side

49. Endurance: Benefits
 Running economy
 Anaerobic threshold
 Velocity
 Leg stiffness

50. Endurance and Strength Training
 Paavolainen, et al (1999):
 22 elite cross-country runners (maximal oxygen consumption
~64 ml/kg/min; 5K time ~18.25 minutes)
 9 week study, 9 training sessions/week
○ Explosive group: 32% training was 20-100 meter sprints,
plyos, and high velocity strength training
○ Rest of training standard below/above lactate threshold runs
○ Control group: 3% of training was explosive in nature
 Results:
○ 5K time decreased from ~18.5 min to ~18 min for Explosive,
no change for control
○ Ground contact time, running economy, and maximal oxygen
consumption improved in explosive group, no change in
control

51. Concerns for Endurance Athletes
 Takes time
 Skill component
 Joint wear and tear
 Hypertrophy and running
 Prejudices

53. Principles
 Strength training needs to support track
and field training
 Strength training needs to complement
track and field training
 Strength training should be brief,
focused, and effective
 Strength and power should be trained
year-round

54. Linking Training
1. Determine the most important focus for
training
2. Set up the training for that
3. Determine the next-most important focus
of training
4. Set up the training for that focus, make
sure it syncs with the most important
 Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each successive
focus of training

55. Preparation Phase I: General
Preparation
 Most important
component:
Track work
 Second most:
Strength training
 Third most:
Plyometrics
 Fourth most:
Everything else
Preparation I (GP) Acceleration
Maximum Velocity
Speed Endurance
Maximal Strength
Power
Hypertrophy
1x/week
1x/week
1x/week
1x/week
2x/week (1
wt, 1 plyo)
1x/week

56. Speed Training
Day of the
Week
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Track Training
Emphasis
Accelerat
ion:
Falling /
Standing /
Crouching
Starts,
3x10-20
meters
each
Recovery Maximum Velocity:
Standing Starts, 3-
5x60 meters
Recovery Speed
Enduranc
e:
4x150
meters
Biomotor
Ability/Energy
System
Speed/
Strength/
Phospha
gen
Endurance Speed/ Power/
Phosphagen
Rest Enduranc
e /
Glycolytic

57. Adding Strength Training
Day of the Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Track Training Emphasis Acceleration:
Falling /
Standing /
Crouching
Starts, 3x10-
20 meters
each
Recovery Maximum
Velocity:
Standing
Starts, 3-5x60
meters
Recovery Speed
Endurance:
4x150 meters
Biomotor Ability/Energy
System
Speed/
Strength/
Phosphagen
Endurance Speed/
Power/
Phosphagen
Rest Endurance /
Glycolytic
Strength Training Emphasis Maximal
Strength:
Back Squats,
3x6-10x80-
90%
RDLs, 3x6-10
Bench Press,
3x6-10x80-
90%
Bent Over
Rows, 3x6-10
Military Press,
3x6-10
Power Clean,
h, AK, 3x3x60%
Clean Pulls, h,
K, 3x3x60%
Push Jerk,
3x3x60%
Upper/Lower
Body Weight
Circuit, 3x8-
12 reps

58. Adding Plyometrics
Day of the
Week
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Track
Training
Emphasis
Acceleration:
Falling /
Standing /
Crouching
Starts, 3x10-
20 meters
each
Recovery Maximum
Velocity:
Standing
Starts, 3-5x60
meters
Recovery Speed
Endurance:
4x150 meters
Biomotor
Ability/Energ
y System
Speed/
Strength/
Phosphagen
Endurance Speed/
Power/
Phosphagen
Rest Endurance /
Glycolytic
Strength
Training
Emphasis
Maximal
Strength:
Back Squats,
3x6-10x80-
90%
RDLs, 3x6-10
Bench Press,
3x6-10x80-
90%
Bent Over
Rows, 3x6-10
Military
Press, 3x6-10
Power Clean,
h, AK,
3x3x60%
Clean Pulls, h,
K, 3x3x60%
Push Jerk,
3x3x60%
Upper/Lower
Body Weight
Circuit, 3x8-
12 reps
Plyometric
Emphasis
Standing
long jump,
3x10
Hurdle
hops, 3x5
yards
CM Jump,
3x10
Jump to
box, 3x10

59. Steps for Organizing Training
 Identify the competitions
 Organize the year around the
competitions
 Plan the concept
 Plan the details

60. Challenges
 Most strength and conditioning coaches
come from specific athletic backgrounds
 Usually team sports with lots of contact
 Requires education about the events,
needs, and what kinds of motivational
approaches work with athletes.
 Training should help to improve track
and field performance, not training.

61. cissik@yourhpservices.com