PoleVaultPower.com

What are some training methods for building speed?

I started vaulting again last spring after being lazy/injured.
My sprinting workout in HS was easy and simple. 8 200m's at about 90 percent after a moderate plyo workout.
My 100m time then was low 11's. Last summer I ran 13's. Today I ran a low 12 without blocks after a decent running workout
The doc said my leg would never be 100 percent again but it feels great right now and I want to attempt to put my all back into vaulting but I need some speed and power in my legs.
Thank you for any and all helpful comments

hello

i have posted some training for speed somewhere...

but most important.

1. application of force.

that is done with proper technique and strength.. dead lift is the number one exercise in the weight room.. keep the heels flat to the floor (which helps ankle flexibility), back flat, low sets and reps and build up to a lot of weight.

2. pull sled

3. run .. Sprint bleachers.. 20/25 steps..

4. call On Track, track equimpent and pole company, and get Tom Tellez's Sprinting DVD.. and do many of the exercises with the pole in your hand.

5. 80/90% of your speed work is pole runs.. 20, 30, 40 meters.. and don't run farther than 150/200 meters munless it mis a warm up jog.

dj

pole runs with pole and barbell

dj wrote:hello

i have posted some training for speed somewhere...

but most important.

1. application of force.

that is done with proper technique and strength.. dead lift is the number one exercise in the weight room.. keep the heels flat to the floor (which helps ankle flexibility), back flat, low sets and reps and build up to a lot of weight.

2. pull sled

3. run .. Sprint bleachers.. 20/25 steps..

4. call On Track, track equimpent and pole company, and get Tom Tellez's Sprinting DVD.. and do many of the exercises with the pole in your hand.

5. 80/90% of your speed work is pole runs.. 20, 30, 40 meters.. and don't run farther than 150/200 meters munless it mis a warm up jog.

dj

I have heard this before, and I have read about it anecdotally. Traditionally, I have been a squat kind of guy, no real reason, just what I was first exposed to, and it just kind of stuck. I tried to search the NSCA journals, but of course I got lazy and my membership has now since past, and I have to wait a couple days for the renewal to go through. Has anyone seen/read any full on papers/formal research comparing the tweo and their effects on sprint performance?

I was also brought up with 200m repeats in the fall, cutting them down to 150s/100s and shorter in the spring time. As the years go by, I am spending less time on the 200s and more time on the shorter stuff. I think my guys will be done with 200s by late November of this year, and then its all short stuff.

Depending on your training age, I would suggest different things I guess. A solid base is a lot more important to establish for young athletes, as older, more experienced athletes have a base kind of "instrinsically" already in them (from years of training). Given the injury that you lightly spoke of, I would suggest spending a little bit of time in the base building phase. I try to explain to my athletes, "A weak athlete is still better than a broken athlete" ...I think the same goes for a slow athlete. (this is to an extent obviously...)

It depends what kind of time table you have for training. Ideally you were base out with lower weight lower angle squat lifts. building into high weight, half or quarter squats. Dead lift works too. Dead lift is just easier with a hex-bar to stay over the heels, and you start from the bottom not the top.

Supplement that with plyometrics of increasing intensity.

two types of running workouts, flat track and vertical/resistance running. The first should be no more than 3-4 seconds at maximal speed/effort, so flying 30's etc. The second is where sleds and hills come in.

Form running is important but you need to do it right to see results.

DJ hit it on the head, this all boils down to application of force. Being as explosive off each step as possible.

vault3rb0y wrote:It depends what kind of time table you have for training. Ideally you were base out with lower weight lower angle squat lifts. building into high weight, half or quarter squats. Dead lift works too. Dead lift is just easier with a hex-bar to stay over the heels, and you start from the bottom not the top.

Supplement that with plyometrics of increasing intensity.

two types of running workouts, flat track and vertical/resistance running. The first should be no more than 3-4 seconds at maximal speed/effort, so flying 30's etc. The second is where sleds and hills come in.

Form running is important but you need to do it right to see results.

DJ hit it on the head, this all boils down to application of force. Being as explosive off each step as possible.

Yeah but you can't reduce contact time by simply lifting weights. Ground contact time is all about rate of force how fast you can go from an eccentric contraction to a concentric contraction. So to improve reducing ground contact time you have to perform exercises that involve plyometrics to reduce the coupling phase.

tie a shoe to the tip of your pole and do 10-12 30-40 yard buildups on the grass, barefoot if you wish. it might not sound like much but the shoe exponetially increases the difficulty of pole runs. after taking the shoe off your stick should feel like a toothpick. then perhaps some flying 40's on the track to work on fast twitch muscles as well. all this is to help get that "lost" speed back. only time to do more than 40's is early in the season when you're building a base for 20 something reps in a practice. keep your heart in it.

I suggest the same thing as JR except with a slab of concrete... Get an old half-broken pole and get some concrete or cement. Dry a big block on to it.

Also try ins and outs... Use about a 20m anchor, then go 30m 100%, then 20m 80%, then 30m 100% and so on.

What we have done in the past to build speed was 10M, 20M, 30M, 40M sprints, various different reps and lengths for the day. Full rest between each rep. Train the muscle to go fast it'll be fast, so to do that you have to be going as fast as you can every time so you need to make sure you're fully rested. I know it sounds weird at first but it works. Also 150 sprints with a minute break or so are good for building speed endurance. I am a big believer in pulling sleds though. Builds good strength for the beginning press out of the back of your run.

Run as fast as you can every time you vault..

Try using "strides" with a pole as a dynamic warm-up that will improve your running technique with a pole, leading to greater speed on the runway, where it counts. Sprinting various lengths can be helpful, but pole runs will help more for a beginner/intermediate vaulter. Try doing a search on this website for speed drills and you'll likely find something. Most great coaches advocate 20/20's, ostrich steps, high knees, claw strikes, etc with a pole as the best way to build speed on the runway. Believe it or not, walking plant drills can also improve speed with the pole as you learn how to do a "free" pole drop. Resistance/assistance is great once you learn how to run efficiently with a pole. Instead of timing yourself in the 100 dash, time yourself in the 40 yard dash with a pole!

You mentioned a leg injury, and this injury may dictate which drills/lifts you would use. I prefer deadlifts over squats due to previous knee injuries (squats hurt like hell). Some plyos can also aggravate injuries and should be used only if they don't put you back on the "injured reserve." For those of us with a bad leg, two legged plyos can be a good alternative (bounding, hurdle hops, box jumps). Stadium stairs and bleachers are great if you can do them, and don't require any equipment.

In response to LaxPV's and dj's posts, I did read an article one time (maybe linked to this website?) written by a college T&F coach regarding weight training and strength/weight/speed ratios. This particular coach strongly suggested deadlifts as opposed to other leg lifts, due to the tendency of most lifts to increase muscle mass and consequently decrease speed. I believe the author was once Alison Felix's coach...his big focus was reducing "ground impact time." I have had some success with my vaulting recently due to using deadlifts, not just in the legs, but the overall body strength as well.

Happy speed building,

Tom

tsorenson wrote:Try using "strides" with a pole as a dynamic warm-up that will improve your running technique with a pole, leading to greater speed on the runway, where it counts. Sprinting various lengths can be helpful, but pole runs will help more for a beginner/intermediate vaulter. Try doing a search on this website for speed drills and you'll likely find something. Most great coaches advocate 20/20's, ostrich steps, high knees, claw strikes, etc with a pole as the best way to build speed on the runway. Believe it or not, walking plant drills can also improve speed with the pole as you learn how to do a "free" pole drop. Resistance/assistance is great once you learn how to run efficiently with a pole. Instead of timing yourself in the 100 dash, time yourself in the 40 yard dash with a pole!

You mentioned a leg injury, and this injury may dictate which drills/lifts you would use. I prefer deadlifts over squats due to previous knee injuries (squats hurt like hell). Some plyos can also aggravate injuries and should be used only if they don't put you back on the "injured reserve." For those of us with a bad leg, two legged plyos can be a good alternative (bounding, hurdle hops, box jumps). Stadium stairs and bleachers are great if you can do them, and don't require any equipment.

In response to LaxPV's and dj's posts, I did read an article one time (maybe linked to this website?) written by a college T&F coach regarding weight training and strength/weight/speed ratios. This particular coach strongly suggested deadlifts as opposed to other leg lifts, due to the tendency of most lifts to increase muscle mass and consequently decrease speed. I believe the author was once Alison Felix's coach...his big focus was reducing "ground impact time." I have had some success with my vaulting recently due to using deadlifts, not just in the legs, but the overall body strength as well.

Happy speed building,

Tom

Yeah, I have read that article as well. The reason I am not a huge believer yet is because Alison Felix is a freak to begin with. Since her break out year, she has continually been at the top of the field. I have been looking for something involving maybe 15-30 people and the effects of deadlift over squat in terms of power output. I might just be hanging on to a lost cause, as I said, I am just more used to it, but I think it would be an interesting read none the less...

...maybe I should do it on my own haha..