An example of a training program

Program Mohammed al Malki preparation Asian Games in September (see the post before)

After my last post, a few coaches asked me to outline how Mohammed’s training program would look like.

Notes:
This is the program as made and executed as well. Don’t try to copy even part of it, just look what I was looking for: a program that worked for this particular individual, based on his strengths and limitation. I take an example of how a typical training week look liked throughout the months.
Due to cultural factors Mohammed was off two days a week, so 5 days of training, once a day only, and two days off. I did not write down the usual normal warming -up and drills.

Peculiar factors:
No starts from the blocks,
No (supra-)maximal speed,
No resistance running,
No weight training,
No jumps or bounding,
Very specific training-stimuli in variation from 60-600 meters, volume changes little, intensity increase gradually through the months.
All based on avoiding the recurrence of his thigh injury and making a risk-benefit ratio for each form of training.

Abbreviations:
St.st = from standing starts
Mip. = micropause or rest between the reps or runs
Map. = macropause or rest between the sets

Jan 19: 6 x 300m rest 5 mins, 48.8/47.0/44.5/41.8/43.8/44.2
Jan 20: 8x 120 m st.st
Jan 21: 3 x 3x 200m on flats, with 30 secs rest and 8 mins between the sets: 30/30/29//29/28/28//29/30/28 secs
Jan 22: 500-600-500-600-500m rest 8 mins 1.30/1.50/1.29/1.49.1.28 secs
Jan 23: 250-200-15-/250-200-150 m on flats, mip 4-5 mins, map 8 mins, 35.2/27.0/18.4//33.7/25.6/17.2
Jan 24: rest
Jan 25: rest

Feb 23: 4x200m and 3×200 m in relay form, mip. 1,20 min, map 10 mins, 25 secs
Feb 24: 5x (300m – mip. 1.00 min -200m) map 6 mins 45/27- 44/28 -44/28-43/28-41/28
Feb 25: 3×250, st.st rest 8 mins 30.2/29.5/29.1
Feb 26: 10×1 20m st.st rest 5 mins: 14.4/14.1/13.9/13.9/14.3/13.9/14.2/14.3/14.0/13.8
Feb 27: rest
Feb 28: rest

April 21: 8 x 1.5. rounds on the grass around the soccer pitch with half a round walk
April 22: 250-200-150-120 rest 14 mins, 28.51/22.09/16.17/12.86
April 23: 6 x 120m st.st: rest 4-5 mins, 13.76/12.99/13.01/13.14/12.97/14.2
April 24: 2x300m st.st rest 20 ins, 33.68/34.46
April 25: rest
April 26: rest.
April 27: 3 x 3 x 200m with 30 secs mip. and 8-10 mins map: 26.1/28.2/28.5//26.0/27.2/26.9//25.9/26.2/27.1
April 28: 10x 100m st.st, rest 3 mins: 11.35/11.37/11.24/11.16/11.16/11.35/11.44/11.24/11.32/11.10
April 29: 2 x 350m rest 30 ins, 40.08 (splits: 23.0/34.24) and 40.74 (split 35.22)
April 30 easy jog and strides on the grass om flats
May 1: 5x 200m st.st: 22.61, rest 5 mins, 22.76, rest 6 mins, 22.87 rest 15 mins, 22.76 rest 5 mins 23.30
May 2: rest
May 3: rest
May 4: 1 x 500m 62.08 (splits 36.5 and 49.7)
May 5: 4 x 3 laps around the soccer pitch on grass on flats
May 6: TV recordings
May 7: 1 x 150m st.st : 15.50
May 8: 4x(300m, 30 secs mip, 200m) 38.5/27.3, 9 mins, 40.2/27.3, 10 mins, 39.6/27.5, 12 mins 40.6/27.1
May 9: rest
May 10: rest

Last 3 weeks of preparation:

Sunday Sept 9: flight from Athens to Amsterdam
Monday Sept 10: 3 x 300m, rest 15 mins , 37.33/36.96/34.65
Tuesday Sept 11: flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Wednesday Sept 12: rest
Thursday Sept 13: morning: easy aerobic run 20 mins, afternoon 3x250m flying st 26.50/26.30/26.95 rest 12-15 mins
Friday Sept 14: 500 m – 300m p. maximal 61.31/33.80
Saturday Sept 15: rest
Sunday Sept 16: easy 10-20-30-40-50-60-50-40-30-20-10 sec running on grass with 1 minute rest in between
Monday Sept.17: 3 x 300m standing start, rest 12 mins. 33.20/36.06/35.15
Tuesday Sept. 18: 5x200m on grass, rest 50 secs
Wednesday Sept 19: flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing
Thursday Sept 20: rest
Friday Sept 21:3 x 200m flying //2 x 200m flying, rest 1 minute and 5 minutes between the 2 sets 23.97/23.66/25.00///23.00/23.16
Saturday Sept 22: relay training 4×400 meter
Sunday Sept 23: rest
Monday Sept 24: 2x250m flying easy: 27.76// at 150m hamstring pull !!??
Tuesday Sept 25: rest
Wednesday Sept 26: rest
Thursday Sept 27: Asian Games 400 meter heats 1st 48.04 sec
Friday Sept 28: Asian Games 400 meter semi-final 2nd 45.83 sec behind Ismael Ibrahim from Qatar
Saturday Sept 29: Asian Games 400 meter final 1st in 45.81 sec
Sunday Sept 30: rest

2 Comments

  1. Eric

    Hello! Interesting approach. So many continuously running. Where is the secret? May be this long rest between runs, I am talking about rest in one practice (15min rest).
    What happens with hamstring?! How is it possible to pull it and after few days to win the medal!?!?

    1. Hello Eric, thanks for your questions. Yes, running since that is the demand of competition. Competition = 1 0r 2 times running on one day, rest minimal 2 hours, intensity 100%. The high intensity, low volume and long rest in competition is something that cannot be well prepared by low intensity running at high volume and short rest or by staying in the weight room, by core stability exercises or fascia rolling. What else did you expect?

      I have no idea what happened to the hamstring (I wish somebody could explain it to us too) So, or the biophysical that I applied therapy worked or I have been witnessing a miracle (too bad it is the only one I ever witnessed, but I welcomed it nevertheless 😉

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