Alternating Reps Workout

by Steve McGill

In the fall season, I’m always looking for ways to add volume while still keeping things event-specific. One workout I stumbled upon while making adjustments mid-workout is the one I’ll be describing in this article. I’ve used it for the past few weeks with several of my hurdlers, and have found it to be a quite effective way to give hurdlers some hurdle volume, a feel for the race, and a reminder that they are sprinters first. Basically, the workout consists of a sprint rep followed by a hurdle rep, going back and forth in that manner through the end. Here are the specifics:

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The Setup:

Place five hurdles on the track. The first hurdle should be at the race mark, and all hurdles after that should be two feet in from the race mark. Prior to beginning the workout, remove all hurdles except the first one, but place a cone where each of the last four hurdles should be.

The Workout:

The athlete will do the following, all from a falling start or three-point start, in spikes:

Sprint past the first hurdle (in the lane next to the hurdle lane)
Sprint over the first hurdle (in the hurdle lane)
Sprint past the first two hurdles.
Sprint over the first two hurdles.
Sprint past the first three hurdles.
Sprint over the first three hurdles.
Sprint past the first four hurdles.
Sprint over the first four hurdles.
Sprint past the first five hurdles.
Sprint over the first five hurdles.

After a 6:00 rest, the athlete will repeat the above ladder.

Variations:

In some cases, for the second set, I’ve allowed the athletes to begin the set by going down the ladder instead of up. Doing so helps them psychologically (because going down the ladder is always easier than going up), and it helps me because it ensures that the rep over five hurdles will be a high-quality rep, since it’s the first rep after the break. So that’s a win-win for athlete and coach.

Were I doing this workout during the competitive season, the athletes would only do one set, and I’d give them more than just a walk-back rest between reps. This time of year, focusing on volume and on building hurdle-endurance and speed-endurance, more is better, as long as we can maintain quality. Also, all reps would be from a block start, since race preparation would be part of the equation in terms of what we are trying to accomplish.

If quality is deteriorating in the workout, then it might be best to not go all the way up to five hurdles. Maybe go up to just four.

Benefits:

This is a very fatiguing workout. And this time of year, when there are no meets in the way, very fatiguing workouts are what you want. The sprint reps remind the athlete to be aggressive, in attack mode. The hurdle reps allow the athlete to take that aggression over the hurdles. This workout is also a very good way to get in some sprint work without necessarily having a “sprint day.” I like for my hurdlers to understand the relationship between sprinting open and sprinting over hurdles. It seems to me that their bodies adapt to the hurdle rhythm more quickly that way. I’m also always looking for ways to make sure my hurdlers don’t get locked into their rhythm to the point where they lose aggression without even realizing it.

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