• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Coaching Practice © by IAAF Athlete Typology and 27:1/2; 27-37, 2012 Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles by Janusz Iskra ABSTRACT AUTHOR Most coaches will find themselves with ath- Prof. Janusz Iskra is a scientist, sport meth- letes who vary from any established ideal odologist and athletics coach specialised in set of characteristics, making it necessary hurdles events. He currenty works in two develop an appropriate training strategy to Polish high schools: Technical University maximise each individual athlete’s poten- in Opole and University School of Physical tial. For them, the most interesting analy- Education in Katowice. sis of training concerns groups of similar athletes - defined by body build, motor and coordinative (technical, rhythm) prepara- tion, personality and the specifics of their sport careers - so that the relevant lessons Introduction and information can be applied in practice. In a previous study the author, who is a coach and scientist, created a typology of erformance level in the 400m hurdles 400m hurdlers and found there were seven P depends on the athlete’s genetic and basic types of top performers in the event. physical pre-dispositions, particularly The aim of this article is to systematically movement awareness and coordination, and present the appropriate training means the type of long-term (6-10 years) training work for the three types of 400m hurdlers seen that is applied. The nature and specific char- most often in the early 21st century: “Spe- acteristics of this discipline make it difficult to cial Endurance”, “Technical” and “Rhythm” identify “pure” talent at the first (youth) stage and to show how these means are incorpo- of training and the best we can do is look for rated into microcycles for each of the main tall individuals with running speed, endurance, training periods as a guide for coaches who strength and good co-ordination. However, in are planning a programme. Templates of the end, coaches will find themselves with ath- endurance, strength and rhythm training letes who vary from any established ideal with means have been prepared for each type of regard to somatic build, motor preparation, hurdler. In addition, sample microcycles for level of hurdling technique, personality, etc, the “general preparation”, “special prepa- making it necessary to develop an appropriate ration” and “pre-competition/competition” training strategy to maximise each individual periods are presented. athlete’s potential. In training science literature we traditionally have two main approaches to the description of the preparation of athletes in any discipline. New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 27 Athlete Typology and Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles The first presents the theory and general train- many current examples of this type of analysis ing aspects, including all the typical elements for the 400m hurdles (e.g. Harrison, 1991; of a programme (training means, macrocycle Alejo, 1993; Stepanova, 1997; Iskra, planning, types of microcycles, volume and 1999 and 2001). intensity of training sessions, etc.). From this approach we get a universal but perhaps Certainly in the case of the 400m hurdles, over-simplified picture. In current publications the most interesting analysis of training, from about the 400m hurdles we can find a lot of both the theoretical and practical points of very useful information written from this point of view, concerns groups of similar athletes de- view (e.g. MCFarlane, 1988; Bowerman & fined by body build, motor and coordinative Freeman, 1991; Iskra, 1991; Bovell, 2004; (technical, rhythm) preparation, personality and Jarver, 2004). the specifics of their sport careers. This third variant of training literature is rare, but it can The second approach is an individual analy- be very valuable for planning an effective pro- sis of the training of the best performers in a gramme for athletes with the characteristics of country or the world. This kind of study is very the group or groups covered (see Table 1). interesting but it has a basic fault: the training of a champion is reserved for unique individu- In a previous study (published in Polish) I als, in specific times and places, and it is very created a typology of 400m hurdlers base on difficult to transfer the lessons, even if they are the criteria shown in Table 1. I found the follow- clear, to another athlete with his or her own set ing seven basic types of top performers, listed of characteristics and circumstances. We have here with their typical sporting background: Table 1: Criteria of typology of 400m hurdles runners 28 New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 Athlete Typology and Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles • “Tempo” / 400m/400m hurdles, points of his or her conditional and technique • “Technical” / 110m hurdles, abilities. I believe the best and most obvious solution is to choose the types of training • “Speed” / 100-200m, means as well as the volume and intensity that • ”Endurance” / 800/400m, are most appropriate to the somatic, motor and • “Rhythm” / pure 400m hurdles, rhythm predispositions of the athlete. • “All-round”, st • “Optimal”. In the first decade of the 21 century we find the three most common types of 400m hur- In most of the cases above, type-back- dlers on the scene are from the “Tempo” (or ground descriptions should be obvious what we now call “Special Endurance”), “Tech- enough. With regard to the “All-round” (or what nical” and “Rhythm” types. The characteristics we now call “Versatility”) group, this comprises of these types are presented in Table 2. The aim athletes who were previously jumpers or de- of this article is to provide a guide for coaches who are planning a programme by systemati- cathletes, e.g. Dia Ba (SEN), who ran 47.23. cally presenting the appropriate training means The “Optimal” or ideal type comprises athletes for these three types of hurdlers and show how who are tall and excellent in both the 400m and they are incorporated into microcycles for each 110m hurdles, e.g. Edwin Moses (accordingly of the main training periods. 45.60, 13.64 and 47.02), Kevin Young (45.11, 13.65 and 46.78) and Andre Phillips (44.71, 13.25 and 47.19). Of course, for most coaches Types of 400m Hurdles Training finding such athletes are just a dream. We can start by classifying the two main When we start to create a strategy and pe- areas of training appropriate for the 400m riodisation plan for 400m hurdles training we hurdles: conditioning (speed, endurance, must consider the type of athlete with whom strength) and technical (rhythm). In this sec- we are working. The first question might be: tion we will list the possibilities and assign the should we concentrate on the individual’s best appropriate means to each of the three types predispositions or should be focus on the weak of hurdler of interest here. Table 2: Description of the three most common types of 400m hurdlers New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 29 Athlete Typology and Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles Conditioning Endurance training on the other hand is specific to the type of hurdler. In Table 3 we in- Speed, both maximal and technical (medi- troduce several means to develop endurance um and high intensity; “elements of speed”) are and in Table 4 we assign these training means necessary for all the types of 400m hurdlers. according to the needs of each of the three The means used to develop this bio-motor abil- types of hurdler. ity are much the same as they are for 400m runners and other sprinters. As these are well Note: in the following tables “Basic” means covered elsewhere and as the differences in are those that are useful for all athletes, “Help- the volume of speed training sessions between ful” are useful in individual cases, especially in the different types of 400m hurdlers are rather the general preparation period, and “Addition- small, we will only mention them as examples al” means are possibilities for creating variety when we cover microcycle planning below. in a long-term training plan. Table 3: Endurance training means for the 400m hurdles 30 New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 Athlete Typology and Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles Table 4: Endurance training means appropriate for common groups of 400m hurdlers Table 5: Strength training means for the 400m hurdles New Studies in Athletics · no. 1/2.2012 31 Athlete Typology and Training Strategy in the 400m Hurdles For the “Special Endurance” type of hurdler training means according to the needs of each we choose of all runs with maximal (100%) or type of 400m hurdler. submaximal 90-95%) intensity; for “Techni- cal” type hurdlers we choose short speed- For “Special Endurance” type hurdlers, the endurance efforts; for “Rhythm” type hurdlers most effective strength training is based on we prefer less flat endurance (without hurdles) running strength exercises (jumps, skips, up- with high intensity as well as running strength. hill runs) and basic leg strength exercises with low/medium weight. The appropriate means for Strength is a very important part of training a “Technical” type of hurdler are: classic weight for the 400m hurdles. In particular, we must lifting, dynamic leg strength and short jumps. develop special leg strength and additional For the “Rhythm” type of hurdler, the training strength of trunk and upper part of body. In Ta- programme should emphasise leg strength ble 5 we present the basic patterns of strength training on machines and special running ex- (or power) training. ercises (jumps and running drills). Sometimes in long-term periodisation we must take advan- We can see that there is a large complex tage of other exercises, like explosive starts, of strength training sessions and a number sprinting with resistance and isometric strength of strength exercises.

Load more

  11

Copy Link