400 m dash training

[Flexified]

For all those track sprinters out there...what do you guys do for training and conditioning?

Very general q I know, but I'd like any advice possible!

Thanks for the help

[maSSive!]

ive never ran the 400, or trained for it. i use to be a distance runner and we'd train on the same track as the 400m sprinters. from what ive observed, they have a mixture of long and short intervals.
for example a short interval would work on explosiveness, or the fast twitch fibers
distance intervals are working on endurance and acceleration. wednesdays would be plyometrics. for the off season, they'd train in the gym..hope that helps bro

[Robb_P]

What is your race strategy for the 400?

Btw jogging does not really prepare your body for the 400. They use completely different energy systems.

400m run: 43% aerobic; 57% anaerobic
jogging: Probably 95%+ aerobic.

SO when training for the 400, you have to train for speed and speed endurance concurrently.

A training split would probably go like this:

Day 1 Rest Day
Day 2 Speed
Day 3 Specific 400m endurance (8x200m at race-pace with 2-3min jog recoveries)
Day 4 Rest Day
Day 5 Special Speed Endurance (eg. 300m, 250m, 180m at 100% with 15min+ recoveries
Day 6 Endurance (those long jogs)
Day 7 Pace setting? 3x3 100m runs at race pace; Do a light workout basically.

I actually took most of that from somewhere although I can't remember where ..... anyway see how it goes.

[idreamofnumber1]

idk about training but in my race i got like 80 percent the first 100 then i go all out until i die then just finish it off ( my best is 53.3)

[ussjtrunks]

run a ton of super hard 300s 400's and 500's. Then focus on just the 400 for the final week or two. Remember to stay smooth throught the 3rd 100 and have enough left in the tank to sprint the rest.

Do NOT do strength shoe for 4 miles a week before the meet, especially districts. I know from experince.

[Ncwinn4]

i ran the 400m in highschool my best time was a 50.2 an i was at 220lbs.

We ran things like split 4's
basically you sprint 300m jog 100m and sprint 200m's that's one. we would do about 5 of those.

others exercises : 10x300m's , 20 100m's, 40min runs,
one workout was 2x800m 4x400m 6x200m 10x100m

I forget the name of it but its a jog where you run for 20 seconds then sprint for 20 seconds. do that for 10 mins.

Other than that a lot of stretching and plyo's. My coach told us we should first corner 95% the back straightaway long strides 90% the 2nd corner to the finish 100%. Most important thing i learned when running this race is make sure your breathing right, or on the last corner it'll feel like a bear jumped on your back.

Good luck hope this helps