'Feed the Cats' : Sequencing & Programming

with Tony Holler,
Plainfield North High School (IL) Head Boys Track & Field Coach;
2015 ITCCCA Hall of Fame Inductee;
over 35 years of coaching experience at the high school level

What do cats and track & field sprinters have in common? Both are incredibly fast and powerful. Sprinters need a healthy dose of speed development and other explosive movements to maximize their potential. However, the biggest challenge coaches face is determining how much training is needed and what types of training will have the biggest impact with the smallest risk.

Enter Tony Holler and his 'Feed the Cats' philosophy! In this 60-minute presentation, Coach Holler goes into detail about how best to sequence training plans to get the most from this type of programming. For coaches new to the philosophy, Holler breaks down why this method has produced state champions, collegiate, and professional athletes in both track and football.

Lactate Development

Lactate development is a critical component of training for sprinters, especially long sprinters, who rely on it to help power longer races and training efforts. With this type of training, a little can go a long way. But how much is too much? In this segment, Coach Holler talks about the specific volumes he uses in workouts, including maximum distances and time used per rep, total volume of reps per session, and the proper rest required to get the most from these intervals with the least amount of detriment to the athlete.

Organizing the Training Week

How many times should sprinters do lactate development workouts? How often should they sprint in practice? Coach Holler takes the guess work out of these common scheduling questions and more. For coaches dealing with multiple meets per week on various days, Holler breaks down the most critical components of each week and what he values most, in order to help you successfully navigate even the most chaotic competition schedules.

Alactic Development

Alactic development is the backbone of any good speed and power program. In this segment, Holler explains why it's critical to his athletes' success and how he structures these sessions to help them get the most from these workouts. Carefully measuring power outputs during these workouts is critical. As a result, Coach Holler discusses why timing these exercises is important and how you can incorporate that data into building better practices.

Coaching track & field produces many obstacles to overcome, from scheduling to facility issues, while working with teams of varying sizes and athletes of different abilities. Coach Holler takes the guess work out of all of this and provides a simple, clear programming model that will help you create a fast-paced and fun environment to develop electrically fast sprinters. This video is a must-have for any track coach looking to gain an edge in creating fast, powerful sprinters!

62 minutes. 2020.