Charlie Francis Training System Notes

Charlie Francis Training System Notes
 In reality as an athlete I made the classic training error of doing high

intensity speed work every day instead of twice a week or three times a
week. In addition I was not doing enough training with heavy weights.
 Gerard would prescribe extensive massage and other recovery techniques in
combination with a system that would determine the distance over which
you could accelerate, as you rehabilitated. This technique was based on the
fact that your final speed is determined by how are you are able to accelerate.
He would establish check marks and would bring the athlete through these
check marks over a series of days.
 Teach one training element at a time. If you point out “three problems” the
athlete can correct only one – leaving two problems on his/her mind. Don’t
move away from one training element until it is correct.
 In a given workout, if you’re anticipating a certain percentage of maximum
performance from the athlete but suddenly he or she “booms off” a personal
best, you’ve got to react to that by cutting a workout off before ‘what’s on
paper’ is finished.
 Complete recovery from CNS work is critical and will require at least 48
hours before a similar CNS work session is repeated. During this period the
athlete accesses massage, contrast baths, calcium supplementation, as well as
other forms of regeneration.
 CNS work on the track was knocking the hell out of heavy weight work. If on
the other hand I did only tempo workout I was totally refreshed and ready
for the weights and could ‘really run them up.’
 Pure speed development runs refer to efforts of under seven seconds
duration – what is called Alactic energy system work. All athletes can achieve
their top speed within seven seconds and lactic acid build up can be avoided.
Speed work must only be done when the athlete is completely fresh and
complete recovery between runs is required.
 If the previous workout has been spectacular, I will pull back and force an
easier workout as a matter of principle.
 Even within a given workout, if the athlete performs a personal best on the
third repetition of a prescribed five repetitions set – 30meter starts for
example – the last two repetitions are not performed – we move on to the
next training element in the workout.
 Speed work should be limited to twice a week and never two days in a row
 Tempo Training
o Distances range from 100-400m at an intensity of 65%-75%
o Should be done 2-3 times a week. Totals 2,000-2400m per workout
o Facilitate recovery, improve cardio-vascular fitness, increase capillary
density.
 Special Endurance
o Fast work stimulating competition speeds over distances of 150-
300meteres develops endurance at speed.
o Usual number of repetitions is 2
o Distances covered in special endurance should decrease as the date of
the competition approaches. In the 2 weeks immediately before the
date of competition only one repetition should be done in a workout.
o Special endurance should be done once a week.
 Usually do abdominal work on days when the emphasis is on tempo.
 The erector spinae must be stretched regularly through flexibility work and
massage to prevent hyperlordosis.
 Speed Endurance training
o Typified by 80-400m. Sprints beyond 6 seconds can be classified as
speed endurance training.
o Prescribed carefully – 1 per week as hard on CNS.
 Periodization model where all elements are trained year-round, only the
volume changes takes recognizes that the most successful adaptation to any
one quality takes place by constant attention to it over a period of years.
 You have to look at the total volume of everything in the workout sessions,
and observe how they interact. This includes what is incorporated into a
warm-up. You take everything in consideration in order to determine the
training impact.
 My athletes never go that far away from any given training element and,
therefore, they never have to re-establish it.
 In the earliest winter phase you have to pay more attention to explosive
power because of the shorter distances. But in the special preparation for the
second and third peaks when you start performing at 100 & 200m there is
more emphasis on speed and speed-endurance.
 We have a progression of development based on quality of training – a build-
up phase which in general reinforces strength and power development. At
the same time, we will be performing high quality starts and 30m work. We
then retain these abilities, but we move finally to speed-endurance which
involves high quality work over 100-120meter distances.
 Absolute Speed
o To build up absolute speed we use 30-60m distances.
o 95-100% Intensity.
o Requires complete rest between runs.
 During the competitive period it is recommended that volume of speed work
be decreased and intensity increased 10 days before a competition. Then
kept at 95% intensity until the competition.
 When we combine speed training and weights on the same day, the quality is
high but the volumes of work must be kept low.
 Speed training should never be put aside for longer than 3-4 weeks within
any training year.

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Charlie Francis Training System Notes

 In reality as an athlete I made the classic training error of doing high

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