Tappering Phase Workout

During the tapering phase for sprinters, the goal is to maintain intensity while reducing volume to
allow the body to recover and perform at its peak during the competition. Here's an example of a 1-
week tapering program designed for sprinters leading up to a major race. Keep in mind that the
exact duration of tapering can vary based on individual needs and competition timing.

General Principles for Sprinter Tapering:

1. Reduce training volume by 30–50% of the normal training load, depending on the length of
the taper.

2. Maintain intensity at a high level (near race pace) to ensure that neuromuscular systems
remain active.

3. Emphasize rest and recovery with adequate sleep, nutrition, and hydration.

4. Focus on sharpness and explosiveness—avoid long endurance work but keep short bursts of
high-intensity work to maintain sprinting speed.

Example 1-Week Tapering Program for Sprinters:

Day 1: Speed & Power (High Intensity, Low Volume)

 Warm-up: 10–15 minutes of dynamic stretches, drills (high knees, butt kicks, leg swings,
etc.), followed by a few acceleration strides.

 Sprints:

o 3–4 x 40-50 meters at 90-95% intensity (maximal effort, focusing on form and
explosiveness).

o 3–4 x 60 meters at 90% intensity.

 Strength: Light resistance training (focus on fast, explosive movements with low volume):

o 2–3 sets of squat jumps (6–8 reps)

o 2 sets of medicine ball throws (5–6 reps)

o 2 sets of core exercises (planks or leg raises)

 Cool down: Light jogging and stretching.

Day 2: Recovery & Technique

 Active Recovery: 20-30 minutes of light jogging or cycling.

 Drills: Sprint technique drills (e.g., A-skips, B-skips, high knees, etc.).

 Flexibility: Focus on full-body mobility and stretching for 15–20 minutes.

Day 3: Speed Endurance (Reduced Volume, High Intensity)

 Warm-up: Similar to Day 1.

 Sprints:
 o 2–3 x 150 meters at 85-90% intensity (focusing on maintaining speed over a longer
distance, with a strong finish).

o 3 x 30 meters explosive starts from blocks.

 Strength: Power-based lower-body exercises (light and explosive):

o 3 sets of box jumps (5 reps)

o 2 sets of glute bridges (8–10 reps)

o Core strengthening exercises (e.g., Russian twists, planks).

 Cool down: Light jogging and stretching.

Day 4: Rest or Active Recovery

 Rest: No strenuous exercise, but include light stretching and hydration.

 Alternative: A light 20-30 minute swim or a walk to keep the muscles engaged.

Day 5: Speed and Acceleration (High Intensity, Low Volume)

 Warm-up: 10-15 minutes of dynamic drills.

 Sprints:

o 3 x 30 meters from blocks at 95% intensity.

o 2 x 60 meters at 90-95% intensity.

o 2 x 10-meter sprints focusing on explosive starts.

 Cool down: Easy jog and stretching.

Day 6: Rest or Light Recovery

 Active recovery: light jogging or swimming for 20-30 minutes.

 Stretching and mobility work, focusing on hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves.

Day 7: Pre-Race Preparation

 Warm-up: Light jog for 10-15 minutes, followed by dynamic stretches.

 Short Sprints: 3 x 20 meters at 95% intensity with full recovery (4-5 minutes rest between
sprints).

 Activation Drills: 2-3 sets of quick high-knee drills, butt kicks, and skips.

 Mental preparation: Visualization or light mental review of the race strategy.

 Cool down: Light stretching and relaxation techniques.

Additional Tips for Tapering:

 Avoid Overtraining: The tapering phase should not involve any strenuous, high-volume work.
Focus on keeping the muscles "sharp" without fatiguing them.
  Rest is Key: The body needs adequate recovery to restore energy stores and repair muscle
fibers. Ensure good sleep, hydration, and nutrition.

 Nutrition: Prioritize carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, protein for muscle recovery,
and fats for general energy. Consider consuming a meal 2–3 hours before the race for
optimal performance.

 Mental Focus: Tapering is also a time to reduce stress and focus on race strategy, mental
clarity, and confidence.

Adjustments:

 If the competition is further away: Extend the taper for 2-3 weeks, but make sure the
volume reduction is gradual over time.

 If the sprinter is fatigued: More rest days may be needed, but ensure that the athlete is not
detrained.

This tapering program ensures that sprinters maintain their power, speed, and explosiveness while
giving their bodies the recovery needed to perform at their best.

Here's a table of differentiation between workouts in the Tapering Phase and the General
Preparation Phase for sprinters. The General Preparation Phase is focused on building strength,
endurance, and technique, while the Tapering Phase is about reducing volume and allowing the body
to recover and peak for competition.

Aspect Tapering Phase (Pre-Competition) General Preparation Phase (Off-Season)

Peak performance, speed, Building strength, endurance, technique,

Training Focus
explosiveness, recovery aerobic capacity

High volume (larger amounts of reps, sets,

Training Volume Significantly reduced (30-50%)
and distance)

High intensity maintained (90-95% Moderate to high intensity (varies by

Training Intensity
of max) phase)

Short, high-intensity sprints (30- Longer sprints or interval training (e.g.,

Speed Work
60m) at 90-95% intensity 100-200m) at moderate intensity

Very minimal, no long-duration Focused on aerobic endurance (longer

Endurance
runs runs or tempo runs)

Light, explosive movements (low Focus on building maximal strength

Strength Training
volume) (higher volume, heavier weights)

Reduced load and volume (light Higher load, higher volume (building
Weight Training
weights, explosive power) strength)

Emphasis on rest, recovery, and Recovery is secondary to strength and

Recovery Focus
active rest conditioning work

Frequency of Reduced frequency (3-4 sessions More frequent sessions (5-6 sessions per
Aspect Tapering Phase (Pre-Competition) General Preparation Phase (Off-Season)

Workouts per week) week)

Longer rest between sprints (4-6 Moderate rest periods, typically 2-3
Rest Periods
minutes) minutes

Mobility incorporated, but less focus than

Flexibility & Mobility Emphasis on mobility for recovery
tapering phase

Training Volume per

Lower (1-2 hours per session) Higher (2-3 hours per session)
Session

Focus on maintaining intensity with Shorter rest periods, focus on endurance

Work-to-Rest Ratio
long rest and strength endurance

Mental preparation, relaxation, Learning techniques, building strength,

Psychological Focus
confidence-building and overall conditioning

Example Sprint
30-60 meters at max effort 80-150 meters at a moderate effort
Distance

To peak for a competition with Build foundational fitness, strength, and

Goal
maximum performance speed endurance for the season

Summary:

 Tapering Phase is focused on maintaining speed and explosiveness while significantly

reducing the volume and intensity of workouts to allow for recovery. This phase aims to have
the athlete in peak condition just before competition.

 General Preparation Phase is about building endurance, strength, and technique. It involves
higher volumes and focuses on the general conditioning of the athlete without the need to
peak for a specific race.

Here’s how repetition schemes typically differ between the Tapering Phase and the General
Preparation Phase for sprinters. The primary goal in each phase influences how many repetitions are
done during different workouts:

General Preparation Phase (Off-

Aspect Tapering Phase (Pre-Competition)
Season)

Higher repetitions, usually 6-10 reps

Low repetitions, typically 3-6 reps per
per session for longer sprints (e.g., 80-
Repetitions per session for sprints (shorter distances
150 meters), focusing on speed
Sprint (Speed Work) like 30-60 meters) at near-maximal
endurance at moderate to high
intensity to maintain explosiveness.
intensity.

Repetitions per Low repetitions, typically 3-5 reps with Higher repetitions, typically 6-12 reps
 General Preparation Phase (Off-
Aspect Tapering Phase (Pre-Competition)
Season)

lighter weights for explosive with heavier weights in strength-

movements (e.g., squat jumps, Olympic building exercises (e.g., squats,
Strength Exercise
lifts) with an emphasis on speed and deadlifts, lunges) to develop maximal
power. strength.

Longer rest periods, typically 3-5 Shorter rest periods, usually 2-3
Rest Between minutes between sprint reps to ensure minutes between sprints or strength
Sets/Sprints maximum effort in each rep and full sets, to build endurance and strength
recovery. without focusing on maximal power.

Moderate to high repetitions of

Repetitions for Minimal; focus is on speed rather than strength endurance work (e.g., 12-20
Strength Endurance endurance, so no extended sets or reps), tempo runs, or circuits to
(e.g., tempo runs) long-distance runs. improve muscle endurance and
stamina.

Lower repetitions, such as 4-6 sets of Moderate repetitions, such as 4-6 sets
Repetitions in 3-5 reps of explosive movements (e.g., of 8-10 reps, to build strength, power,
Plyometric Training box jumps, bounds), ensuring fast and and agility. Focus is on volume and
explosive execution. technique improvement.

Summary of Differences in Repetitions:

1. Tapering Phase:

o Lower repetitions: Focus on maintaining maximum power and explosiveness with

fewer reps to avoid fatigue.

o Longer rest: Allows full recovery between sprints and sets to keep intensity high.

o Low-volume, high-intensity: Less overall training volume but at high effort to

preserve form and speed.

2. General Preparation Phase:

o Higher repetitions: Emphasis on building strength and endurance, so more reps are
used in both sprinting (moderate intensity) and strength training.

o Shorter rest: The focus is more on conditioning, so shorter rest periods are used to
maintain a training load and stimulate adaptation.

o Higher-volume, moderate-intensity: Aiming to increase the athlete’s overall work

capacity and strength for the upcoming competitive season.

In essence, Tapering focuses on quality and intensity with low volume, while General Preparation
focuses on building endurance and strength through higher repetition and volume.