Fall Workouts for a Sprint Hurdler
by Steve McGill

For this month’s workout, I decided to share some ideas for a weekly fall workout plan for sprint hurdlers. I don’t offer workout plans on my website anymore because specific needs can vary so much, based on whether or not athletes are playing other sports in the off-season, hold down a part-time job, don’t always have access to a track or to hurdles, etc. But if you’re a sprint hurdler who has no clue what to do, this weekly plan will give you something to work from. The idea here is to emphasize speed from the outset instead of waiting until the winter or spring to do so. In an article in last month’s issue, I talked about that in some detail. While I have only one day dedicated to hurdling in this plan, that doesn’t mean that hurdle drills can’t be added on any of the other days as a supplement to the main workout. Same goes for plyometric exercises (box jumps, bounds, hurdle hops, etc.). Below is a weekly plan that includes two rest days:

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Day One
2 sets of 3×20, 3×30, 3×40

• Walk-back recovery between reps, 5 minutes rest between sets

Day Two
3×200, 3×150

• 3-4 minutes rest between reps

Day Three
3×300

• 5 minutes rest between reps

Day Four
Rest 

Day Five
3×60, 3×80, 3×100

• Walk-back recovery between reps, 5 minutes rest between sets

Day 6
Rest

Day 7
Hurdle drills (quicksteps over 5)

• 31 feet to the first hurdle (girls) or 33 feet (boys), (6-step approach), 24 feet between the rest (girls) or 26-27 feet (boys). 
• Hurdles should be at race height or one click below race height.
• About 12-15 reps
• Rest as needed between reps.

As stated before, hurdle drilling can be incorporated on any day. I think that one quality, intense hurdle workout per week should be enough during the fall, while two hurdle workouts per week would be preferable once the indoor season starts. Weightlifting would best fit into the above schedule on rest days and on day one. I feel that upper body work should be emphasized in the weight room, as lower body strength can be developed through plyometric training.

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