Training For 400 Metres

1
400 Metre Training

by Ron Parker
Training a sprinter for the 400m race is not as easy as it may appear. The 400m sprinter must be trained in
all three energy systems, particularly the Glycolitic energy system. This requires knowledge of how to train
the Glycolitic system and how to schedule recovery times from the workouts. The coach must also
schedule training for the Phosphagen and Aerobic energy systems and appropriate recovery times.
A successful 400m training plan must incorporate training for the following attributes: Endurance, Speed,
Speed Endurance, Strength, Power, Skill, Flexibility and Mental training.
For the sake of brevity, however, this article will focus on only training the glycolitic energy system with
speed endurance training. The most important aspect of glycolitic training is training the glycolitic
capacity of the athlete during the winter season on the track. Using Speed Endurance 2 training with
total training distances over 3000m on the track increases the capacity of the athlete to maintain speed
during races up to 800m and also increases the capacity of the athlete to repeat races of 400m during the
same competition. These glycolitic capacity workouts are the foundation of 400m training and must be
done using training distances of 300m to 1000m with work:rest intervals between 1:2 and 1:3. For an
8x400m training session the rests would be 2.5 minutes long and would be done walking, often consuming
water during the rest.
The next most important aspect of training the 400m sprinter is Special Endurance training done near
race pace to adapt the sprinter to racing performance. Rest intervals are much longer (1:10 work:rest ratio)
and the pace is much faster than the Speed Endurance 2 workouts. These workouts train the glycolitic
power and the neural systems.
The training microcycles below are those followed by a 400m sprinter during one year of training in their
fourth year of training specifically for the event training once per day (Junior age).
Training Microcycles (7 days)

Month
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Weights
Rest
Hill sprints
Weights
Rest
Speed Endurance
1
Endurance
Weights
Indoor Power
Speed
Endurance 2
Weights
Rest
Speed Endurance
1
Endurance
Weights
Indoor Power
Speed
Endurance 2
Weights
Rest
Speed
Special Endurance
Endurance
Weights
Speed
Speed
Endurance 2
Weights
Rest
Speed
Special Endurance
Endurance
Weights
Speed
Speed
Endurance 1
Tempo
recovery
Rest
Speed
Special Endurance
Endurance
recovery
AM-Recovery
PM-Weights
Speed
Speed
Endurance 1
Tempo
recovery
Rest
Compete
Compete
YTP Period
October
General
Preparation
December
General
Preparation
February
Specific
Preparation
April
PreCompetitive
June
Pre-Comp,
Competitive
July
Competitive
Definitions
Endurance
Speed Endurance 1
Speed Endurance 2
Special Endurance
Speed
Power
E
SE1
SE2
SpE
Sp
P
3000m plus
100m to 300m interval runs
30m to 80m interval sprints
Hills, stairs, med ball, plyos
1 to 2 reps
5 to 10 reps
4 to 8 reps
1 to 3 reps
3 to 8 reps
variable
3000m to 8000m
1000m to 1800m
2000m to 3200m
150m to 1200m
100m to 250m
variable
2:1 work/rest ratio

1:3 work/rest ratio
1:2 work/rest ratio
8-10 minutes rest
3 minutes rest
3 minutes rest
2
On the following pages are the tables of the Speed Endurance and Special Endurance workouts followed
by the 400m sprinter. Not included are the Endurance, Strength, Power, Skill, Flexibility and Speed
workouts that the athlete also followed. In addition are the volume and speed of the workouts on two
graphs speed endurance and special endurance. These are supplemented by the pace tables used to
prepare the workouts plus an article on how the energy systems are trained and the energy system
components for each event in athletics.
Track workouts for 56 sec 400m

Month
November
Week
3.5 min
2:12.0
83
2800m
2.5 min
1:23.5
83
3000m
3.0 min
1:47.0
83
3200m
2.5 min
1:21.0
81
3000m
3.5 min
2:15.0
85
3000m
3.0 min
1:45.5
84
2400m
2.0 min
55.3
77
2500m
3.0 min
1:37.0
75
1800m
2.0 min
54.8
75
2400m
2.0 min
55.6
77
1600m
1.5 min
35.5
4/5/6/5/400m
2400m
2/2.5/3
77/1:32/2:12
77
77
1500m
2.0 min
54.0
76
2000m
3.0 min
1:38.0
76
5x300m
4x500m
6x400m
2400m
2.5 min
75.6
76
3/4/5/4/300m
1900m
2/2.5/3
54/75/1:36
74
2x600/300m
1800m
3.5 min
2:03/54
75
2x500/2x400/2x300
2400m
varied
1:35/75/54
75
2000m
2.5 min
73.9
74
1600m
3.0 min
1:33/51
71
5x400m
2x500/300m
4x500m
2000m
3.0 min
1:32.0
70
2x500/2x400/2x200
2200m
varied
1:40/1:18/34
76
1400m
varied
1:30/67/55/30.6
69
1500m
2.0 min
52.3
72
600m
1.5 min
28.3
62
1900m
varied
53/71/1:35
71
500m
2.0 min
32.5
56
5/4/3/200m
5x300m
3x200m
3/4/5/4/300m
2x250m
2/3/4/3/200m
1400m
varied
29/50/69
69
100to200m by 20m
900m
1.0 min
12.78 to 27.96
62
1000m
2.5 min
27.0
60
750m
1.5 min
19.5
59
5x200m
5x150m
2x200m
400m
10 min
26.1/26.7
59
2x100/200/100m
800m
varied
13.5/26.7/14
59
5x150m
1000m
1.5 min
20.0
61
2x100/200/100m
800m
varied
nt
58
4x200m
1x150m
800m
2.0min
27.4
61
150m
none
18.1
56
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
February
1
2
March
4
April
4
May
1
2
3
June
July
Pace
table
2400m
January
Time
4x600m
7x400m
6x500m
8x400m
5x600m
6x500m
8x300m
5x500m
6x300m
8x300m
8x200m
2
3
December
Day 1 Speed Endurance

Workout
Total Rest
3
August
5
1
Month
Week
November
December
4x100/150/100
1400m
0.5 min
nt
12x100m
1200m
0.5 min
nt
4x150/100/150
1600m
0.5 min
nt
4x150/100/150
1600m
0.5 min
nt
12x150m
3x250m
300/250/200m
2x300m
compete
500/300m
1800m
0.5 min
nt
1800m
0.5 min
38.9
62
1200m
0.5 min
46/39/29
62
1200m
0.5 min
45.5/46.7
62
1000m
0.5 min
1:37.5 600m
65
800m
400/300/200m
900m
10 min
8 min
1:21/46.3
62/46/29
62
62
2x350m
compete
3x300m
compete
350/250m
2x300m
350/200m
2x350m
350/250m
3x300m
compete
300/200m
300/250m
3x200m
compete
300/200m
compete
300/200m
compete
compete
compete
300/200m
compete
150/300m
compete
compete
compete
500m
10 min
54.2/55.0
63
36.3 300m
58
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
July
1
2
3
4
5
August
Pace
June
Time
60
nt
May
Day 2 Special Endurance

Workout
Total Rest
nt
13.00 to 24.11
0.5 min
4
5
April
none
varied
1400m
March
700m
4x100/150/100
February
none
100to180m by 20m
4
January
warmup
900m
8 min
45.3
60
800m
10 min
1:38.6 600m
65
600m
10 min
53.0/37.4
61
600m
10 min
43.0/43.8
58
550m
10 min
52.7/29.0
60
700m
10 min
53.4/53.7
61
600m
10 min
52.5/37
59
600m
10 min
44.8/45/46.6
60
58.2 400m
58
500m
10 min
44.4/38 hurdles
71
550m
10 min
43/36.6
58
600m
8 min
26.1/26.4/27.2
59
56.75 400m
57
500m
500m
500m
450m
10 min
10 min
10 min
10 min
42.2/26.8
56
58.08 400m
58
41.3/26.4
55
56.80 400m
57
56.95 400m
57
61.85 400mH
62
40.9/26.8
55
56.53 400m
57
18.8/41.5
55
60.92 400mH
61
55.88 400m
56
55.80 400m
56
4
Day 1 Speed Endurance training
Volume vs Pace
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
Pace table 400m

Volume (x100m)
20
10
0
1
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
Weeks
Day 2 Special Endurance training and competition

Volume vs Pace
70
60
50
40
Pace table 400m
30
Volume (x100m)
20
10
0
1
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
Weeks
400m Pace Tables for Glycolitic (Anaerobic Alactic) Running Workouts

Distance
Pace for
400m
700m
600m
500m
400m
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
Time
86
Time
83
Time
80
Time
77
Time
74
Time
71
Time
68
Time
65
Time
62
Time
59
Time
56
Time
53
Time
50
Time
47
Time
44
2:30
2:09
1:47
1:26
1:15
2:25
2:05
1:44
1:23
1:13
1:02
2:20
2:00
1:40
1:20
1:10
1:00
50
40
2:15
1:56
1:36
1:17
1:07
57.8
48.2
38.5
28.9
19.3
2:10
1:51
1:33
1:14
1:05
55.5
46.3
37
27.8
18.5
1:47
1:29
1:11
1:02
53.2
44.4
35.5
26.6
17.7
1:42
1:25
1:08
59.5
51
42.5
34
25.5
17
1:38
1:21
1:05
56.9
48.8
40.7
32.5
24.4
16.3
1:33
1:18
1:02
54.3
46.5
38.8
31
23.3
15.5
1:29
1:14
59
51.6
44.2
36.9
29.5
22.1
14.8
1:24
1:10
56
49
42
35
28
21
14
1:19
1:06
53
46.4
39.8
33.2
26.5
19.9
13.3
1:15
1:03
50
43.8
37.5
31.3
25
18.8
12.5
59
47
41.1
35.3
29.4
23.5
17.6
11.7
55
44
39.5
33
27.5
22
16.5
11
5
Distance
Pace for 400m
700m
600m
500m
400m
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
Time
86
2:30
2:09
1:47
1:26
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
Time
83
80
77
74
71
68
65
62
59
56
53
50
2:25
2:20
2:15
2:10
2:05
2:00
1:56
1:51
1:47
1:42
1:38
1:33
1:29
1:24
1:19
1:44
1:40
1:36
1:33
1:29
1:25
1:21
1:18
1:14
1:10
1:06
1:03
1:23
1:20
1:17
1:14
1:11
1:08
1:05
1:02
59
56
53
50
1:14
1:11
1:08
1:06
1:03
1:01
58.2
55.6
53.0
50.3
47.7
45.1
1:02
1:00
57.8
55.5
53.2
51
48.8
46.5
44.2
42
39.8
37.5
51.0
49.1
47.2
45.3
43.4
41.6
39.7
37.8
36.0
33.9
32.2
40
38.5
37
35.5
34
32.5
31
29.5
28
26.5
25
29.5
28.4
27.2
26.1
25.0
23.9
22.7
21.6
20.5
19.3
19.3
18.5
17.7
17
16.3
15.5
14.8
14
13.3
12.5
The tables preceding are used for calculating the pace for running Glycolitic Power and Capacity workouts.
The work:rest ratios to be used are: 1:3 to 1:4 for power and 1:3 to 1:2 for capacity. The rest interval
must be active with either walking (2.5 minutes minus) or walk/jog (3.0 minutes plus).
The pace to be achieved is faster as the distance run is reduced. The diagonals are for Speed Endurance
workouts and the colours are coordinated to designate pace for each level aimed for. An athlete able to
run a workout of 6x400m at a 74 second 400m pace (1:14) would be expected to do an 8x300m workout at
a 53 second pace for each 300 (71sec-400m) or a 4x600m workout at 2:00 minute pace. The rest interval
for these capacity workouts should be 2.5 minutes for the 6x400m, 2.0 minutes for the 8x300m and 3.5
minutes for the 4x600m. The vertical columns are for the Special Endurance workouts.
These tables can also be used for Aerobic Power workouts.

Training For 400 Metres

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1

400 Metre Training

Training Microcycles (7 days)

2:1 work/rest ratio

Track workouts for 56 sec 400m

Day 1 Speed Endurance

Day 2 Special Endurance

Pace table 400m

Day 2 Special Endurance training and competition

Pace table 400m

400m Pace Tables for Glycolitic (Anaerobic Alactic) Running Workouts

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