Is it possible for my 400 time to go from 56.9 to 52-50 by January, if so how?

Question

I'm a freshman and I'm really trying to improve my times. i know i need to practice but is there any special training you would prefer. Please respond and give serious answers :)

Answer 1

hi, i ran the 400 in high school and last year my coach had me run a lot of 800s and 200s. the 800s help because they build up endurance and stride. the 200s build up sprint. there was a number of other factors in my performance but those helped me the most. and u should definitely stick with the 400 if that is your time as a freshman. keep improving.

Answer 2

h**l yess i went from 1:23

to 52 seconds over last year's summer though  trainned everyday

Answer 3

you should get a coach.

i would share my training routine, but why would i want to do that...

its what makes me good.

maybe when i become a coach id tell you and if i trained you.

Answer 4

There are a lot of dependencies there.  One is how close you are to your potential now.  I have had athletes that have had to bust their tail to take .5 sec off their time during a season.

You are going to hear a lot of advice. Run faster, hit the weight room, etc. will gain a training effect from almost any program. For example, you show up at the beginning of the season having done nothing. It is pretty difficult for a coach to make you slower over the course of a season. You go through a program and you will improve by the end of the season. Most of the time you will improve -- it is called "training effect".

For serious athletes, there are 2 ways to get faster. One is to make your movements more efficient (think of a distance runner who tend to "bounce" when they run and arms sometimes are out of sync). The other is to put more power into the ground (Coach Isaac Newton said for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction).

Efficiency of movement. You are going to explode out of your stance at approximately 45 degrees. In order to do this you are going to have to ensure that you are strong enough. Some exercises that you can do is to lean against a wall at a 45 degree angle. Bring up one of your knees and that ensure that your legs are parallel. This is the position that you will be in out of the blocks. I went through a 90 minute training session on just how to get in the blocks and the first step so I am simplifying it a lot. Over the next few steps you will go from 45 degrees to a slight lean forward as you move from accelleration to a max velocity run. Your striking foot in front of you should land approximately 6 inches in front of your body. Many people strike in front of this because they point their toes. You want your feet to be dorsiflexed (i.e. picture an ankle with a good taping). This will ensure that you are "pushing" yourself forward using your glutes, rather than pulling yourself forward using your quads. Remember what Coach Newton said!  Arms should be at a 90 degree angle.  Don't have tense shoulders and hands should be loose.

Power: explosive power. Full body movements are key. Think of cleans or snatches. If you look at the movement from a sprinter in their blocks to the explosive first step, they are using the same muscles and movement as the first part of a clean or snatch. Hips are explosively moving forward so that the body is straight even though it is at a 45 degree angle. Even plyometric jumps are goods. You want to focus on higher weight and lower repetition. You are not going to be doing 10 reps, but rather more like 4-6. Focus on getting your hips and glutes involved (the explosiveness of your hips moving forward is what brings the weight up). This will help with getting your hamstrings involved too. Think about the pelvic tilt of a world class sprinter. They look like the strut everywhere they walk. It is actually because they have strengthened those muscles so much it has tilted their hips.

Efficiency is the best methodology. If you are efficient in your movements, you will run less tired. You should not be doing distance running to increase endurance.  If you are running 2-3 miles at a time, you are working your slow twitch muscles. I see no reason for a sprinter to do more than may 500 - 600 meters in any given rep.  I could create a repetoire with no more than 200m that is extremely effective!  You want to be a fast twitch machine! Instead look to be in shape. In the off season, do cross training. When you get to the mid-late winter time, then you need to focus more on your event. Get some endurance work but shorter sprint type workouts with rest. Run some multiple sprints at about 60-75% of your best time. As you get closer to the season, you will run less (closer to your desired distance) but at a higher speed. This will be closer to 80-90% of your best time.

Hit the weight room. Focus on developing your glutes, hamstrings, and obliques. This will ensure that you don't have muscle imbalances. Runners tend to have strong legs but weaker upper bodies. You can do secondary exercises for arms, calves, shoulders, etc, but focus on primary!

Newton's Law never changes. Remember - efficient movements and dorsiflex for power.

Good luck!