Start Doctor Training

Sample Training Session for a Sprinter in Track and Field

Many training sessions are done without wearing spikes and some may not even be on a track. After a good warm up and stretch, which will include exercises to wake up key areas, I like first having athletes to start from the standing position. After a few general instructions and cues, I'll have the athletes start on my commands for about a 10-meter sprint where the first objective is to simply try to get a good start without slipping. With Start Doctor Training there is value placed on the athlete learning to lean into the "Set" position in a manner that is conducive to getting a good start without cheating (a rolling start). In my mind, rolling or otherwise moving into starts are fine for saving the legs from wear and tear, but I explain in detail in my Standing Starts blog various things that I believe are valuable to establish that can be carried over to other starting positions. If starts are done on a surface like a gym floor, then I like to have the athletes to have a damp paper towel or something to wipe the dust off of the bottom of the shoes. Some athletes may be noticeably slower than the others at initiating their movement with the starting signal. Read my blogs concerning the various starting positions to see my take on how to be poised to react well from those positions. For the time being, maybe let them get away with cheating a bit.

For the next sequence, before another 10-meter sprint, I may quickly explain how we are developing a good start that is appropriate for the 100-meter dash, not just trying to quickly scamper across a finish line that is 10 meters away. I'll include how a well-coordinated powerful start for that race that utilizes good ranges of motion may result in a challenge to the balance, but that should be recognized as a good thing, as dealing with the momentum of a good push off while rising, elevating, and accelerating can take reps to master. After demonstrating what good ranges of motion I'm talking about, I may also add that the start actually is the first three steps (Ralph Mann). I'll mark that approximate distance with a cone, then film four 10-meter sprints from four different angles: front left, front-right, directly in front, directly in the rear. Athletes should be given sufficient recovery time between each sprint and again, will be reminded that they are starting as if they were running 100 meters.

Next will be about a 30-meter sprint, and it will be pointed out to the sprinters how the first 10-meters differs from the next 20, and how that affects the acceleration, rising and elevating of the body, depending on the ability of the athlete (filmed from a side angle). Lastly, if the athletes are in good enough condition, we'll do a 60-meter sprint where the objective is for me to assess how they move into and achieve max velocity (top speed). This of course is filmed and assessed. 

Important Note

An athlete that feels out of balance and otherwise incapable of starting effectively from a standing start, ignores that fact and bases their readiness to start effectively by having one or two hands on the ground, and or using starting blocks, is making a big mistake in my mind. With 3- and 4-point starts, although the one or two hands on the track, and the positioning of the hips higher than the shoulders, obviously changes the weight distribution, and various other dynamics, the objective of learning how best to be poised to explode out and up the track effectively, remains the same. Very importantly, this includes being able to consistently do so within the rules, ie, again, no rolling into the start. Then there is that aspect of learning to effectively execute this while loading the legs against angled starting block pedals to get out and into the race, as opposed to pushing off from the ground when blocks are not used.

I go into detail in my blogs, but important aspects include the positioning of the head and the line of vison in relation to the positioning of the rest of the body, as well as effectively combining arm action during the initial push off. A common mistake includes simply picking the hands up off the track and modestly moving the arms. From my experience it is just a matter of reps with good training partners, timely coaching cues, and effective analysis to steer the athletes to be just as aggressive as they were from the standing position. Again, this is thoroughly explained in some of my blogs. The athlete is assessed throughout. I'll look at stride length and stride frequency, and how the body moves through each phase of the run. These basic aspects will receive their due attention during runs/sprints of various distances and intensity levels, and then I'll decide how best to proceed from there.

When appropriate, at some point a 100-meter dash race model is taught and adjusted and applied to other sprint distances and sport scenarios. The reason being that after an explosive force application during block clearance, in the 100-meter dash there is time to not rush the next two steps, the drive phase, and the build toward max velocity that features an effective and efficient combination of stride rate and stride frequency along the way. When running shorter sprints, ie, the 40-yard dash, there then should be the realization that things have to be sped up, the rhythm is quicker, etc..., and of course, for various sports, things like; the ball, the opposition, etc..., need to be considered.

Various types of conditioning and physical preparation are vital elements as they not only go hand in hand with speed development, but injury prevention as well. Patience and restraint are important elements as an over preoccupation with moving explosively, gaining top speed, etc..., can lead to injury without the sufficient support of conditioning of the appropriate degrees and intensities. Derek Hansen's description of the High-Low Training approach is very much in alignment with what I believe in and follow.

Starting Blocks for Start Doctor Training

As I mentioned on the Home Page, my Level One Blocks are not on the market yet. I can bring the prototype set pictured on the Home Page to training sessions, and there are other types of blocks that I presently use successfully for my teaching method and that I'll also bring to sessions.

Newton Starting Blocks - Not the ones that say, "Fixed Angle". Initially I like having the front block all the way down to the lowest setting (35 degrees), and the rear block at the next lowest setting (45 degrees)

Cantabrian Starting Blocks - Offers the same angle adjustments as the Newton Blocks

Gill Fusion Blocks - Initially I like having the front block all the way down to the lowest setting (30 degrees), and the rear block at the next lowest setting (40 degrees)

These are blocks that I personally bought for the athletes I coach in school and that I'll bring to training sessions. Check out the rest of my website to see if what I'm describing makes sense to you, and feel free to contact me at leveloneathletics@gmail.com for any inquiries.

When speed training for sports other than track and field, it should be understood that executing fundamentals of the sport should always be a primary concern, and the goal should be for an improvement in effective movement to be ingrained to establish a new norm, and as stated above, conditioning and various types of physical conditioning should be an important part of speed training.

A basketball player that becomes impressed with his/her newfound speed that suddenly now wants to repeatedly go coast to coast at full speed needs to be concerned with can his/her joints withstand the repeated stress of planting the foot and shooting lay ups from a full speed dash up the court. Strength training of various types, jump training, pliometrics, etc..., not to mention a good warm up and reps working up to that intensity would be suggestions. I also have blogs related to training for athletes in sports that include jumping, changes of direction, stopping, pivoting, etc..., as this type of training can reduce the incidences of ACL tears.