100-Meter Dash Workouts For Sprinters

Purposeful 100-meter dash workouts should put the primary focus of the workouts on increasing the acceleration, maximum velocity, and speed endurance of a sprinter.

Training for pure speed is not conditioning.  Training for pure speed is not high volume tempo running workouts.  And training for pure speed is not running through an agility ladder.

While all of those modalities have their own time and place in various training programs, they have no value for a sprinter.  If you are a sprinter, the workouts below will have you on the pathway to lowering your time and burning your competition in the 100-meter dash.  Always remember that in sprinting, a little goes a long way.

Sample Speed Workout For The 100-Meter Dash

The first of my 100-meter dash workouts is a dual-purpose training session.

This means that you will be training acceleration and maximum velocity in the same workout.  Acceleration is how fast it takes you to reach your top speed.  Maximum velocity is the fastest speed that you can possibly reach.

To excel in the 100-meter dash you need both elements.  This classic 100-meter dash workout will start with acceleration work followed by maximum velocity work.  The details are below.

1) Perform a dynamic sprinter warm-up before you begin.  You can check out the video below to see what you should do to prepare for sprinting.

2) The first part of the workout focuses on improving your acceleration and working on your drive phase.

3) You will perform two or three, 30-meter sprints coming from a 3- or 4-point starting position.  If you have blocks you should use them.

4) The second part of the workout focuses on improving your maximum velocity.  You will perform two or three, 30-meter flying sprints with a 30-meter acceleration zone lead in.

5) After the 30-meter flys are done, you will cool down, go home, and refrain from sprinting for at least 48-72 hours before you perform another speed workout.  The rest in between the sprint workouts will allow your nervous system to recover and be ready for the next sprint workout.  If you keep your sprinting volume very low (1-2 reps per drill) you will be able to sprint again in 48 hours.

6) The speed workout for the 100-meter dash will look like:

• 2-3 x 30m
• 2-3 x 30m flys

That’s it.

Notes:

• You will take a full recovery (3-6 minutes based on this distance) between reps.  Also, you should aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep the night before this workout to ensure you have a fresh CNS (central nervous system).

• I recommend that you use the Freelap Timing System to record accurate, objective times.  If you do not have a Freelap, you will need someone to time you with a stopwatch.  Keep in mind that hand times don’t officially count and are nowhere near as accurate as electronic times.

• A 4.15 hand timed 30-meter dash is actually about a 4.39-4.5 electronic timed 30-meter dash.  The reason why is that with a hand time, the coach reacts to the athletes’ movement, which will always cause a slight delay for the coach.  With electronic timing, the clock starts the instant you move.  Hand times are not ideal, but a hand time is better than getting no times.

Sample Speed Endurance Workout For The 100-Meter Dash

The first workout addressed acceleration and maximum velocity.  But to truly complete the 100-meter dash, you need a bit of speed endurance work as well.

The training distances for speed endurance work usually take place in a range from 80 meters up to 150 meters for sprinters.  The speed endurance workout you can use for the 100-meter dash is:

• 1 x 80m
• 1 x 100m
• 1 x 120m

Notes:

• You will take a full recovery (8-10 minutes based on this distance) between reps.

• Nobody can sustain 95 percent speed through the entirety of these distances.  I advise that you use floating sprints so that you have a legit race plan.

• For your 80-meter dash you will sprint the first 40m at 95 percent speed and the second 40m at 90 percent speed.

• For your 100-meter dash you will sprint the first 50m at 95 percent speed and the second 50m at 90 percent speed.

• For your 120-meter dash you will sprint the first 60m at 95 percent speed and the second 50m at 90 percent speed.

• You should internally feel the downshift in speed, but it should be unnoticeable to an onlooker.  Your goal is to remain as fast as possible through the finish.

Sample Training Split (2-day sprint program)

Sunday: OFF
Monday: Sample Speed Program For The 100-Meter Dash
Tuesday: Upper Body Lifting
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Sample Speed Endurance Program For The 100-Meter Dash
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Lower Body Lifting

Conclusion

You don’t want to waste your time on a bogus “speed” program.  I’ve seen plenty of these egregious programs online and in-person.  99 percent of them make my eyes bleed.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman