100-Meter Dash Workouts For Sprinters

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

I’ve run the 100-meter dash as a master’s sprinter. I also train sprinters and have tested these workouts on the track. The reality that many people don’t know is that training for pure speed isn’t the same as doing football conditioning or high-volume running workouts.

These methods have their time and place in training programs, but they don’t help you sprint faster. 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.

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 you can hit. To excel in the 100-meter dash, you need both. The details for the workout 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 boosts your acceleration and improves your drive phase. 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.

3) 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.

4) After the 30-meter flys are done, you will cool down and refrain from sprinting for at least 48-72 hours. Properly resting between sprint workouts gives your nervous system a chance to recover. If you keep your sprinting volume very low (1-2 reps per drill) you will be able to sprint again in 48 hours.

Notes:

• Take a full recovery (3-6 minutes based on this distance) between reps. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep before this workout. This helps keep your CNS (central nervous system) fresh.

• I suggest using the Freelap Timing System to get precise and 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 = a 4.39 to 4.5 electronic-timed 30-meter dash. The reason why is that with a hand time, the coach reacts to the athletes’ movement. This causes a slight delay for the coach. Hand times are not ideal, but a hand time is better than getting no times. With electronic timing, the clock starts the instant you move.

Sample Speed Endurance Workout For The 100-Meter Dash

To sprint a strong 100-meter dash from start to finish, you need some speed endurance work too.

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:

• Take a full recovery. Based on the distance of these reps, you will rest 8-10 minutes 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, sprint the first 40m at 95 percent speed. Then, float the last 40m at 90 percent speed.

• For your 100-meter dash, sprint the first 50m at 95 percent speed. Then, float the last 50m at 90 percent speed.

• For your 120-meter dash, sprint the first 50m at 95 percent speed. Then, float the last 70m 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: Acceleration and Max Velocity
Tuesday: Upper Body Lifting
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Speed Endurance
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Lower Body Lifting

Conclusion

Don’t waste your time with a bogus “speed” program. I’ve seen plenty of these fake hustle programs, and 99 percent of them make my eyes bleed.

Ready to stop guessing and start sprinting with purpose? Let’s go.

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