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Training Plan Heptathlon

Training Program The Heptathlon, for senior and junior women, comprises of seven events and is a competition
against oneself and the scoring tables with the aim to score more points than the other
            TOPICS competitors. It is a test of mind and body; challenging the person's character, attitude and
determination and their physical abilities.
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The Events
Track & Field The heptathlon (7 events) is held on two consecutive days in the following order:
Training Aids
Day 1 Day 2
Website Blog
Website Information 100 metres Hurdles Long Jump
High Jump Javelin
Web Links Shot 800 metres
200 metres

TEXT TRANSLATOR Training

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When training for combined events, athletes will work on techniques and conditioning, during
which each event sets its own major physical demands.
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The elements in each of the combined events and the key physical demands of those
elements are detailed in the following table:
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Aerobic Gross Relative Running Explosive Speed Strength
Event Skill Mobility
Coach Training Endurance Strength Strength Speed Strength Endurance Endurance
100m
- Med High High High High High Med -
Sprint Training Hurdles
High
- Low High High High High High - -
Jump
Shot
- High High Med Low Med High - -
SITE SEARCH FACILITY Putt
200m Low Med Med High High High High High High
Long
- Low High High High High High - -
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Jump
Javelin - Med High High Low High High - -
Search BRIANMAC 800m High - Low Low Med Low - - High

Speed and strength (power) are of vital importance, and so it seems reasonable to conclude
that successful combined eventers must be fast and strong. The predominant requirements of
the heptathlete are mobility, skill, speed and explosive strength.

The long term planning of combined events includes the planning of technique and strength
conditioning. This concept is true for athletes of all ages - whereby technique is dovetailed
with conditioning, but to varying degrees depending on ages.

For younger athletes (13 to 15) during the years of early training, athletes should work on
the simple disciplines, ones that are more 'natural' to learn, such as sprinting, hurdling, long
jump and high jump.

Later training (15 to 18 years) should include more complex events such as shot and javelin
events that are more demanding.
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Train Schedule

Weight Training

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Conditioning

Conditioning should take the form of, primarily, body weight circuits and running, bearing in
mind young athletes will be developing a fair amount of strength, agility and endurance
simply by practising the events themselves.

For senior and top level athletes, conditioning should be worked on more extensively than
technique.

Denise Lewis

In 1997, Denise Lewis trained six days a week and the key element for Denise was
conditioning, which underpinned the whole training program throughout the year. A weekly
schedule would include:

• two aerobic runs

• two body weight circuits
• one medicine ball session
• two weight sessions,
• two track sessions,
• two technical sessions. This involves a hurdles session (outdoors) during the week but
the main sessions are done on a Sunday morning where usually two events were
tackled each time. (11 training units)

Mobility underpins the conditioning program and includes a mixture of general and specific
exercises.

The Early Years

Tony is a Senior British Athletics coach with many years experience in coaching young and
senior athletes in the combined events. The following is some advice from Tony in introducing
young novice athletes to the Combined Events.

A training regime for a novice multi eventer might be two technical sessions and a running
session on every training night/day e.g.

• Tuesday long jump, shot & running

• Thursday high jump, hurdles & running
• Sunday would be to concentrate on the weakest event and/or develop the new skills
the athlete would need to compete in the next age group, plus a running session

Running sessions are based on 400 metres training but much less volume and athlete
specific.

The fun begins as a coach and athlete have to start fitting in basic weights, strength,
mobility, conditioning, GCSE exams, A levels, girlfriends! etc.

The basic premise that I would work on would be to improve the weakest events first but
continue to develop the other events at the same time.

Coordination training (skill work) should be done predominantly during the early years (13-18
years)

Speed, particularly running speed, can be ideally developed during the early years (13-18
years) but maximum strength training should be undertaken almost exclusively by top level
athletes.

Hard anaerobic endurance training is not appropriate for younger athletes and should be
reserved for top level athletes only.

Coaches who work with young athletes must work primarily on skills, technique and speed
training. Training athletes to become stronger can take place at a later stage.

If coaches try to develop a strong young athlete and ignore developing skills and technique,
then there will be an accelerated improvement initially followed by a 'stunted' improvement
later.

If the skills and abilities are laid down at these young ages, then continued long term
improvement will ensue.

It is vital that combined event athletes develop high levels of coordination before engaging in
strength conditioning work.
Senior Athletes

For senior athletes, very high emphasis is placed on strength conditioning and technical work
takes a subsidiary role during the winter.

Points Calculator - Combined Events (Female)

Select if the event had electronic timing, the event, enter your result and then select the
"Point"s button.

Electronic Timing Event Result

Points
Yes  60mH  sec

Free Calculator

• Senior Combined Events points Calculator - a free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that you
can download and use on your computer. This spreadsheet addresses all the senior
male/female combined indoor/outdoor events.

The scoring tables for specific boys and girls combined events (80 metres & 110 metres
Hurdles boys, 800 metres boys and 75 metres & 80 metres Hurdles girls) are not based on a
polynomial equation so a simple algorithm cannot be used to determine the points. Copy of
these tables can be obtained from Neuff Athletic Equipment.

Rules of Competition

The competition rules for this event can be obtained from:

• International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

• British Athletics

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work then the reference for this page is:

• MACKENZIE, B. (2000) Heptathlon [WWW] Available from:

https://www.brianmac.co.uk/hepth/index.htm [Accessed 25/10/2016]

Related Pages

The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:

• Pentathlon
• Hexathlon
• Heptathlon
• Octathlon
• Decathlon
• Planning the Training - 6 stages of development
• Find a Coach
• Sport/Event specific articles

Associated Books

The following books provide more information related to this topic:

• LEASE, D. (1999) Combined Events. 4th ed. UK: British Athletics

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