Elite sprint coach Piotr Maruszewski used T-APEX to address a drop in step frequency after 60 meters. This case study shows how resisted block starts, progressive loading, and controlled overspeed training were combined to support different phases of the sprint, leading to new personal bests and a 10.07-second 100m performance.
For elite sprinters, the problem is not always getting up to speed. Sometimes it is holding that speed through the final part of the race.
That was the challenge facing Polish sprint coach Piotr Maruszewski and one of his top athletes, a 10.08-second 100m sprinter. Testing showed that the athlete’s speed began to fall after 60 meters. The main issue was not stride length. His step frequency was dropping between 60 and 100 meters.
Piotr needed a way to train that specific phase without losing control of the session.
Why the Existing Setup Was Limiting Training
The program had previously used heavy sleds, manual resistance ropes, and older direct-pull machines.
Each tool had a limitation. Heavy sleds could interfere with the starting blocks, making true resisted block starts difficult. Manual ropes gave the coach little control over the exact load. Older machines were also less suitable for smooth, high-speed assisted runs.
Piotr wanted one system that could support acceleration, progressive resistance, and overspeed work without constantly changing equipment.
How T-APEX Was Used
Resisted Block Starts
T-APEX could be positioned behind the starting blocks, allowing athletes to perform resisted starts without the equipment interfering with their setup.
This gave the coach a cleaner way to load the first steps of acceleration while keeping the athlete’s normal block position.
Progressive Resistance
Instead of using the same resistance across the full sprint, Piotr could adjust the load by distance.
In one setup, the athlete started with approximately 12 kg of resistance during the drive phase. The load then reduced smoothly to around 2 kg by 40 meters.
This allowed the resistance to change as the athlete moved from early acceleration toward upright sprinting.
Controlled Overspeed
To target the drop in step frequency after 60 meters, Piotr used assisted sprinting.
The athlete’s unassisted peak speed was approximately 11.8 m/s. T-APEX was set to provide a controlled assisted pull at 14 m/s.
The goal was not simply to pull the athlete faster. It was to expose him to a higher running speed while keeping the assistance smooth enough to maintain rhythm and control.
What Changed
Within the program, the athlete later recorded a 10.07-second 100m performance. Piotr also reported personal bests across the wider sprint program in the 60m, 100m, and 200m, along with improved step frequency beyond 60 meters.
T-APEX also became part of the program’s regular preparation. Piotr used two to three resisted starts before later unresisted sprint work in the same session.
Over time, approximately 95% of the program’s resisted and assisted sprint training moved to T-APEX.
“I can’t imagine myself without the T-APEX sitting on the track. It is the heart and soul of the training itself.”
— Piotr Maruszewski, Elite National Head Sprint Coach, Poland
Recent Results from Piotr’s Sprint Program
One System Across the Sprint
The value of T-APEX in this case was not simply adding more resistance or more speed.
It gave the coach a practical way to train different parts of the sprint: resisted block starts for acceleration, progressive loading across distance, and controlled assistance for later high-speed work.
For Piotr’s program, that meant fewer separate tools—and more control over how each sprint was trained.