Graduating Start Workout
by Steve McGill
I have found that when working on the start, it helps sometimes to seque into starting blocks by first doing starts that don’t require putting the hands on the track and the feet in the pedals – especially this time of year, when changes are most likely still being made to block settings, and when it’s important to get in a decent amount of volume.
With that thought in mind, the Graduating Start Workout serves the purpose of implementing start work with hurdle work.
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The Workout:
- Falling start past hurdle one
- Falling start over hurdle one
- Falling start over first two hurdles
- Falling start over first three hurdles
- 3-minute break
- 3-point start past hurdle one
- 3-point start over hurdle one
- 3-point start over first two hurdles
- 3-point start over first three hurdles
- 4-minute break
- Block start past hurdle one
- Block start over hurdle one
- Block start over first two hurdles
- Block start over first three hurdles
All hurdles after the first hurdle should be move in at least one foot; two feet is okay for this time of year.
Purpose:
The falling starts get the athlete in the habit of putting their body at a forward angle and driving. The 3-point starts serve the purpose of emphasizing the arm swing that will be needed when the blokcs are down. Then, the block starts provide the specific race preparation. If adjustments to the pedals must be made, then they should be made, even if it means giving extra rest. Getting the block setting right is of paramount importance. Also, if fatigue is looking to be an issue, give longer breaks (more than just walk-back-go-again) between reps.
Variations:
Depending on the athlete’s ability level, how soon you have a meet coming up, and the athlete’s conditioning level, you can take off reps as you deem needed, and you can add rest as you deem needed. Also, all starts with no hurdles can be used to mark desired take-off distance as a means of ensuring proper take-off distance when the first hurdle is up. Finally, using hurdles lower than race height can be beneficial. In some cases you’ll want to do that for athletes who are new to starting blocks. In some cases you’ll want to do that for part of the workout if you want to build an athlete’s confidence first.
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