Becoming Bolt: 4 week sprint inspired training plan

9.63 seconds. NINE POINT SIX THREE SECONDS! That’s just 0.05 seconds slower than his own staggering world record 100m sprint. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, have you been living on mars all summer?

If you’re anything like me, you’re still on the Olympic 2012 hype. Watching the games and Olympians (especially the weightlifting and athletics) really did inspire me to train and work harder. When it all came to an end, emotions were certainly on a high for me. But it didn’t have to end there. I had this sudden thought. I may not be a world class athlete, but I sure as hell can train like one! Here’s my 4 week ‘sprint inspired’ workout plan. Behold ‘Becoming Bolt’….

Now before I get started I just want to stress that even though this programme does use sprint drills and explosive weight lifting techniques its main aim is to change body composition (less bodyfat, more muscle). However I am pretty sure it will cause an increase in sprinting speed. So, just to be sure I’m going to put it to the test with a simple experiment – the 60 yard sprint test.

Before the 4 week programme my result was:

60 yards: 7.95 seconds

My aim is to at least try and get that down to 7 seconds or below after the 4 week period.

The programme uses a 4 day a week plan. 3 sessions are gym based, 1 session is formed of sprint technique drills and various sprints of set distances. Each gym based day starts with a classic weight lifting exercises aimed at increasing general strength, power and hip extension explosiveness (note, if you would class yourself as a beginner/intermediate these technical exercises can be removed from the plan to make it easier for you). The other exercises are simple compound moves that will help develop strength, power and size in important ‘sprinting’ muscles whilst keeping a balanced physique. One thing I have noticed is that this programme places a lot of emphasis on the legs. Which is great if that’s an area you need to bring up. Without further ado here is the programme:    

 Day 1

Exercise	sets	reps	notes
Power clean from blocks	4	1-4	Great for teaching your body to explode out of the sprinting blocks
Smith Romanian deadlift	4	6-8
Smith bench press (3 wide grip, 3 close grip)	6	8-12	Alternate grip widths to give the triceps some attention as well as the chest.
Nordic hamstring curl	3	6-8	Sprinting involves a great deal of concentric action of the hamstrings. Performing an eccentric only exercise will help balance that out.
Plank	2	fail	Core strength is vital in any sport
Seated med ball twist	2	20-30

Day 2

Exercise	sets	reps	notes
Snatch	4	1-4
DB step up	3	6-8
DB Push press	4	8-12
Pull up (3 wide grip, 3 close grip)	6	6-12	Alternate grip widths to give the biceps some attention as well as the back
TRX pike	2	8-12
Exercise Ball roll out	2	10-20

Day 3

Exercise	sets	reps	notes
Clean high pull from floor	4	1-4
Smith front squat	4	4-6	In my opinion, best quadriceps exercise ever!
Heavy DB walking lunge	3	4-6
Calf raise	3	10-20	Strengthening the calves will prevent them from fatiguing as easy during sprints. Plus no one wants to look like Johnny Bravo!
Side plank	2	fail
Cable wood chop	2	8-12

Day 4

Exercise	sets	reps	notes
Wall drives	2-4	20 sec	Great for firing up the hip flexors. Bring knees high
Arm action	2-4	20 sec	Practising the pumping arm action will in turn help you run faster. Sit on the floor and try and lift your bum off the floor just by pumping your arms hard.
Broad jumps	10	1	Good for explosive hip and knee extension
Sprint 20 yards	2
Sprint 40 yards	2
Sprint 60 yards	1-2

 So there it is! As always, I’ll sum it up with another blog post after the 4 weeks is over. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via Twitter or Facebook etc.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Breckell