Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson's Training - A summary

Strived primarily to be consistent, it was his number one priority.

Program designed to create this.

Did not believe in peaking

Built a base and then did not "milk" it too much, kept topping it up

Consistency - coach , training environment, everything - nothing ever changed much

Setting goals - big goals with small goals to lead to it.

Maintaining work ethic required reminding self of goals, 100% perfect training,

Coach learns from athlete, athlete learns from coach - feelings of athlete shaped work done either quality or quantity. Athlete had superior mental understanding of program,

Athlete-Coach rely on one another

Strategy

Initial College strategy was : Slow as possible for first 200m then go hard, this strategegy was shaped and tuned over the years to be - reach race speed as early as possible in first 50m cruise to 200m then accelerate steadily next 100m and hold form for last 100m

Workouts done to rehearse strategy called EVENT workouts

eg 3 x ( 350m in 46s rest 1min 100) 5min rest

or

Event 300s

Which were run with first 50m very quick but then relaxing to go through first 200m in 28s and then the last 100 sub12s rest 10min between (in College) shorter later to maybe 5min

Aimed to have consistent stride frequency and length for duration of race - not a longer stride at end, Allow a shorter stride to just happen but maintain cadence.

Holding Form

Improved by Strength Endurance

Upper body strength from exercises like running arms with good form 5 x 15 each arm with 30s rest.

Did mostly 400m training even though he ran 200m in 19.32

Offseason did two aerobic runs a week 20-45min max. This was for firsrtv 3 weeks mostly but offseason was usually 6 weeks.

Longer reps 2 x 800m or 3 x 600m rest 15min

Common key workout In pre-season

3 x 350m rest 5min in College , later it became 3 x 350m rest 3min , each 50m at same speed.

One Speed workout was called 60 -40m

2 sets of 2 laps of 60m at 95% slow down 40m then pitter-patter jog 40m then 60m at 95% 40m slow down - pitter patter jog 40m. rest between sets 5min

Speed work often was

30, 40, 50, 60, 70 on bend with full recoveries

Weight Training

3 Gym sessions a week usually in morning

from about 9am till 10am - over in an hour

On any day sometime done Mon-Tue-Wed or spread out in week.

Track is at 3pm usually over within 1:45

Weights is general all body work with short recoveries and usually 3 sets of 10 rest less than 1min maybe 30s

No squats , no Olympic lifts, Also did good variety of core work eg 3 x 30m situps 1min rest

Gym did not change in format throughout the season

Did not ever lift really heavy , he did lunges

Normal Warmup

4 laps jog straight - run bends

Stretch 30min

Drills 4-5 x 30m over a speed ladder with fast cadence. This Michael believed was significant effect on his turnover. These were done with a flatish footed contact not with feet pointing down and a quick recovery.

Buildups sometimes for example 3 x 150m with each 50m quicker

Then workout

Comp Warmup

4 laps as usual

Stretch 30min

3 x 100m - first moderate, harder, fast with full recoveries

a few pre-race drills

Time Trials

Did not like Time Trials rather use a key session and base of ease of pace and recovery.

Typically when 2 x 350m rest 3min in 46s was feeling great - race form was great.

At Competition

Expect the unexpected

Visualization

Train the mind to control the body in competition in the way that is wanted.

Sustained Speed work

60m & over was at 95% - never 100%.

Longer work was done for stimulus not for race pace rehearsal, so nearly all was at paces slower than race pace.

Speed

6 x 100m at 95% non-timed from standing start rest 5min

Plyometrics

Never did plyometrics

Overtrain - Undertrain

Better to undertrain than overtrain

Going into Championship

More taper (already doing less volume anyway)

Workout Accuracy

- cones every 50m - beeper sounded at set intervals - athlete ran each 50m at same speed. - Be on the buzzer

- Standing starts

- Workouts done at times planned not faster - not slower.

Important not to go faster than predetermined targets even with 200s in 32s !!

The program includes a plan that divides

Off season - 6 weeks (first 3 weeks on grass)

Pre season

Early season

Late Season

But almost year the program is similar

Monday - Tempo 200s starting with more at 32s and progressing to less late in year in 25s

Tue - long reps starting at 2 x 800m progressing to 2 x 450

Wed - 350m reps x 2-3 - improving in speed

Thu- hills, speed or event specific

Fri - similar to Thurs

Sat - similar to Thurs

Refreshing Base

Coach needs to decide when to refresh base by going back slightly from quality to quantity even if just for a week or two mid season , important not to take too much from base.

Athletes rewarded