Mastering the 400-Meter Dash: Insights, Training Progression & Workouts for High School Coaches

400-meter training specific to your high school team tailor coaching, achieve team balance, optimize performance, and access elite training insights!
Learn legendary 400 meter coach Clyde Hart's four essential principles for success in the 400-meter race!
Discover effective warm-up methods to prepare athletes for optimal speed and performance in the 400-meter race!
Learn how to equip your sprinters with the necessary aerobic capacity for the challenges of the 400m dash!
Learn how to teach your athletes effective strategy and pacing plans for the 400m!
Ensure athletes are adequately prepared for training and meets by utilizing effective warm-up and cool-down protocols!
with Clyde Hart,
Baylor University Head Coach from 1963 -2019;
2017 USA Track & Field Legend Coach Award;
2001 USTFCCCA Hall of Fame inductee;
Hart has coached eight Olympians to 12 Olympic medals -- 9 Gold, including winning the 400 meter in three straight Olympic games. While at Baylor, Hart coached 34 national champions (14 individual and 20 relay) and 533 All-Americans. Hart-coached athletes include Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson and Sanya Richards-Ross!
and with Derek Leininger, Ph.D.
Co-author of the book 'Breaking Down the Wall: Training the High School 400 Meter Runner' he co-wrote with Clyde Hart;
2010 coach of the Indiana State Champions in the boys 4x400 meter;
2009 coach of the Indiana State Runners-up in the boys 4x400 meter relay;
Coach Clyde Hart is widely considered the best 400 meter coach in the history of the event. Coach Derek Leininger, a former high school cross country and track coach, was greatly influenced by Coach Hart's 400-meter training and adapted Hart's training ideas to his high school team to experience successful results with his high school program.
Hart and Leininger collaborated on a book chronicling the training and insights specifically to help the high school-level 400-meter coach - 'Breaking Down the Wall: Training the High School 400 Meter Runner' that was released in the fall of 2023. Shortly after the release of the book, Coach Hart and Derek Leininger were featured speakers at the 55th annual Iowa Track & Field Coaches Clinic held in Ames, Iowa; this is one of the largest coaching clinics in the Midwest.
Over two one-hour time sessions, Hart and Leininger spent half discussing the insights and principles for coaching the 400-meter runner and then they moved to address more training-specific topics. These sessions have been edited together carefully with added graphics for maximum learning.
learn more here: www.championsh...

[@decathlete2000]

How would a decathlete need to train for the 400m ? 1x350m per week with maximum intensity ?

[@CoachDuWayneCampbell]

please dont do that t oany decathlete. Use a sensible 400m program as the base of your running program 2-3 time per week.

[@decathlete2000]

@@CoachDuWayneCampbell what is a sensible 400m program 2- 3 times per week ? Could you please elaborate ?

[@CoachDuWayneCampbell]

@@decathlete2000 It depends. There are lots of 400m workouts available on the internet however the decathlete needs the 400m workouts to be a part of a cohesive system that complements the rest of his training. So you cant just pic one workout nad repeat that per week. its going to take a variety of workouts that also have carry over to the sprint hurdles and jumps.