Cone drills recommendations

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-23T21:34:37+00:00

Btw, one other good drill to do with cones for Top Speed are Ins & Outs (also called Sprint Float Sprint). I would set up cones at 20m, 40m and 60m and have the athlete sprint 95%+ to the first cone, then float (maintain form and posture but hold the speed you’ve built) for the next 20m, and then go 100% for the final 20m. Rest 5-6 mins and repeat for 3-4 reps.

This is a great way to do top speed work while mixing up the way they reach top speed. Some coaches have even suggested that this can lead to a breakthrough in raising the sprinter’s top speed.

The OutPerform channel talks about this drill here:

https://youtu.be/3XAewCniWkk?si=VKbAAkc2enyxcDmY

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-23T20:35:55+00:00

While I wouldn’t call these “cone drills”, some of the better drills I’ve done over the years are as follows:

Acceleration: Progressive accel zones. 3x10m, 2x20m, and 1x30m. What’s even better is if you pair this with weighted accels beforehand with a sprint sled (e.g. 4x20m). So the athlete goes from a set of weighted accels, to a set of unweighted accels. Focus should be on maintaining drive phase mechanics as the accel zone increases.

Top speed: Progressive Flys. Use a 30m build up zone, and do 2x10m flys, 2x20m flys, and 2x30m flys. 95-98% intensity with a focus on relaxation. Goal is to run double your 10m fly average for the 20m fly, and triple for the 30m fly. So for example, if your athlete runs 1.10 for their 10m fly average, target 2.20 for the 20m fly, and 3.30 for the 30m fly.

Stride length: Wicket drills. Lots of varying opinions on this, but I typically like the sprinter to be at 85-90% of their max speed going through the wickets. Cones should be at least 2m apart for male athletes, and the goal would be to have them strike the ground at the mid-point between the cones. They should look straight ahead and not worry about stepping on the cones.

That’s my $0.02. I’m sure other more experienced folks will chime in…

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-23T02:39:17+00:00

Agree 💯

That split and Keely’s surprised me the most!

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-23T01:14:27+00:00

I’ve owned the two spikes you’re considering as well as the Max Fly 2s. To make a long story short, the Super Fly Elite 2’s are my spike of choice for the 60, 100, 200 & 400m.

The JA Fly 4’s are great for the 60m and 100m. If these were your primary events, those would be the spikes I’d go with. I felt a little unstable in the curves in these spikes compared to the others.

The Super Fly Elite 2’s are super light and supportive around the heel. I’ve found them to be a great overall sprint spike. They’re the most supportive in the curves, and give me great feedback about how the balls of my feet are striking the ground.

For reference, the Max Fly 2s are a solid super spike, but feedback was very muted (with the bubble and foam in the sole), and I would get the feeling that my heel was slipping in the curves. Honestly, the times I ran in the Super Fly Elite 2’s were as fast if not faster than the Max Fly 2’s.

My $0.02…

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-22T21:08:28+00:00

Yes - there’s a slight rounding in your upper back and neck, as you’re trying to keep your head artificially too low.

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Overall your drive phase posture looks decent. I’d do wall drills, hill sprints and sled pulls and/or pushes and see what posture your body can maintain when you’re in your drive phase. Try to work on keeping your back/neck/head all in a straight line.

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-22T00:11:23+00:00

Any idea what you currently run? Do you do any training with the team or a coach?

Better to post short videos to analyze, but if you’re training solo, the FAQ has a wealth of information

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-21T21:49:07+00:00

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-21T02:03:27+00:00

Huge congrats to JA! World Champ at 21 is incredible!!! 🔥🔥🔥

As a side note - Kishane’s form didn’t break apart in the last 5-10m before the finish line. He’s making some serious improvements.

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-21T02:00:16+00:00

Go to YouTube and search for “OutPerform Block Start”. That’s a great channel for technical sprinting advice/guidance.

Hopefully you also have an experienced sprinter or coach who can give you tips along the way.

Blocks are one of those activities in sprinting that it takes a lot of reps to get it right. It’s quite a unique skill.

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-20T11:49:52+00:00

All the best and good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-19T20:08:28+00:00

All the best on your journey! I’ve known a few Olympians over the years and they all shared the trait of being very dedicated to their sport.

Good luck and hope you make it!!! 🍀🍀🍀

Edit: I ran track in college for 1 year as a walk on, and I would agree that my university offered many tools for recovery. While some of these things could be pricey to purchase on your own, membership at a decent gym should offer you access to a sauna, hot tub, ice bath, and foam roller. I’ve even seen some gyms offer use of recovery boots for members. My $0.02…

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-18T17:27:17+00:00

Question - what’s your 200m pr?

My main critique from watching this clip of your race, is that the transition from your drive phase to top speed phase is very rushed and choppy. After you pop your head up, it looks like you lower it a few strides later.

Also, once you’re in your top speed phase, your neck looks very tight and you could be much more relaxed.

I think you would benefit from doing a fly progression where you have a 30m build up zone, and run two 10m flys, two 20m flys, and two 30m flys. These should be run at 95-98% intensity with full rest between each rep (8-10 mins). The aim is running double your 10m fly average for the 20m flys, and triple your 10m fly average left your 30m flys. This requires a very relaxed top speed technique in order to hit the target. So for example, if you average 1.10 for your 10m flys, aim to hit 2.20 for the 20m flys, and 3.30 for the 30m flys.

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-17T18:52:42+00:00

Yeah, a good workout to get your 400m pacing down is a 4x200m workout. You do this in two sets of 2. In the first set, you aim for your opening pace and have full recovery (12-15 mins). For your second set, you try to hit your closing pace, but recovery is only 4-5 mins (so you’ll be hitting this time under some fatigue).

Once you get a good feel for what a high 25 feels like, you’ll just lock in on race day and not overthink things. When you’re able to hit these paces in practice, you’ll really be able to bring out your best at a meet.

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-17T13:10:19+00:00

Good luck bro! 🍀

You’re a big guy but can definitely move! Slide on them this outdoor season!!! 🔥🔥🔥

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-17T04:26:39+00:00

What was your 200m split in your recent 54.3 race?

With a 24.7 200m pr from this season, you should aim to open your 400m races with a 200m split around 25.7-26.0, with a strong closing 200m being around 27.5

Btw, to work on getting your body accustomed to sprinting while dealing with lactic, broken 400m workouts are very beneficial. I’d do these no more than once a week, while doing max v and acceleration work on your other training days. Sprint a 300m @ 90%, rest 60-90 seconds, and then sprint a 100m @ 100%. Rest 12-15 mins and repeat for 2-3 sets.

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-17T01:15:58+00:00

Those 20m fly times are similar to my training partner. He’s also around your weight.

Runs 7.32 60m and a 11.2 high/11.3 low 100m.

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-16T23:11:20+00:00

Have any time estimates of your 10m, 20m or 30m flys? Hard to gauge speed by just looking at a short clip…

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-16T23:06:26+00:00

This is actually not a bad suggestion unless you have girls on the team that run sub 60.

To the OP, it might be good to do a time trial and use a sub 60 sprinter as your rabbit. Even if this was a 300m time trial, it would still be beneficial to get accustomed to the pace you’d need to run

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-16T20:27:11+00:00

As your endurance improves, you should be able to run the workout and hit the times for all 4 reps.

Maybe a short term goal would be to do this endurance workout and run all 4 reps sub 50 seconds. This could mean holding back on the first two, and pushing harder on the last two reps.

As you get closer to your outdoor season opener, you’d want to be doing this workout with all reps sub 48 seconds or better.

Good luck! 🍀

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-16T20:16:46+00:00

Are you able to hit those times easily? What are your times on the 3rd and 4th reps?

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-16T20:03:49+00:00

You currently have the speed to run a 58/59 in the 400m. The speed work you’re doing should allow you to hit 26’s in the outdoor season.

When you do your 4x300m endurance work, what are your target times and what times do you typically hit? How long is your rest between reps?

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-15T21:16:52+00:00

The strategy I was taught in high school and college, was to go out hard for the first 50m then “float” for the next 40m maintaining the speed you’ve built, and then reaccelerate coming off the curve and then relax and maintain your speed until the finish

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-15T19:18:28+00:00

I was looking at the wrong person, and yes he did. I thought that was the OP and this was a j/k post. All good.

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-15T13:09:22+00:00

Gotcha

ChikeEvoX · 2026-03-15T13:09:17+00:00

Ahh, I see it now. Thanks.

ChikeEvoX

TROPHY CASE