Thought i’d go BW to failure, not benched in a few weeks and couldn’t give 100% of what I had which pissed me off no end, had the feeling of one more rep in me on the last 2 sets and had to be helped up as i did a half rep each time. Grrr.
Jan 14 PM
RDL
3 x 12 x 108.5kg
Deadlift
3 x 5 x 122kg
Narrow Grip Press ups
2 x 33
Much better. Read a deadlift article on here that helped remind me of lifting technique (more growling and less dicking about when in position), smashed those reps out with relative ease. Wanted to get back to basics with BW exercises so dips and pullups earlier this wk after tempo and did a few press-ups tonight as i’m normally less disciplined about doing my upper body work.
Surprised myself with front squat, have been working on core so picked up where i left off 6 weeks ago. Bench was a little better, still missed a rep and almost didn’t even make 6 on the last.
Jan 19 PM
Clean Pulls
3 x 7 x 72kg
Bench Press
2 x 7 x 83kg
6 x 83kg
3rd set of bench is horrible, same recovery and it’s more of a struggle to get to 5 than the last sets of 7.
I looovvvvee deadlifting. Cut a set of RDL’s as I don’t need a full 3 sets after the sprint work. Tried a mini-pyramid with DL as I feel best in the middle set.
Good front squats, I find it harder to hold than to rep but it’s pretty close, so as long as i’m in position quickly it works my quads. Anticipated my bad 3rd set of bench and took the weight down and went explosive. Glad to complete this so well as training this morning took a lot out of me. Next race in 6 days time!
Race 1 - 7.45. False start in the race didn’t help, made to go the second we got back behind our blocks. Got out well and then at 30m I just didn’t have a top speed to hit and didn’t make any progress through the field.
Race 2 - 7.47. Two false starts this time. It’s quite simple - you don’t move until the gun goes. 3rd time I got out the worst, good acceleration and four of us were level at around 35m, when I lost composure and tried to muscle it to the finish.
Frustration venting Deadlift
5 x 128.5kg
2 x 5 x 133kg
Rather annoyed that the false starts weren’t called back until 10m down the track, even if it doesn’t take much out of me it’s still hundredths of a second between a p.b. and angry deadlifts.
Bench Press
8 x 78.5kg
2 x 6 x 85.2kg
Scratch that previous comment. I will be deadlifting, just not enough to screw my CNS, so minus 10kg and 1 rep less.
Very happy with my new layout, got back in the groove of stiff legged deadlifts as my stance was working lower back too much before today. Fast deads, easy (but that’s a good thing!).
A repeat of last Thursday, have been torn away from my regular training week time and again, feels like ages since i’ve had an uninterrupted week of weights. My main session was a little more tiring as a coach came over and gave me some input on my box jumps, did about a dozen at 45 inches and then had to do speed.
I’ve switched to back squats again, and as I can’t put much more on the bar I lowered the height I go down to. It’s touch and go like before, so can’t really call it a box squat. I cracked out the tape measure (old squats to 50cm, new to 41cm), definitely recruiting the back of my legs more and took some getting used to.
Have a 60m race on wednesday, it’s my first run on a fast indoor track so that alone is worth a few hundredths. If everything comes together it should be a decent time.
It pains me to type that, I am so annoyed at myself. Granted I didn’t reduce my training load because it was a minor competition and I want to peak for counties, but to run my slowest time of the year on a fast track like that is infuriating. I got out ‘ok’, transitioned ‘ok’, and then had a complete absence of a top speed, and everyone just glided away from me. To make it worse there was a false start and I got out like a bullet the first time. The warm up area was too short to do a top speed run so I guess it was just a nasty surprise that I had no top speed to hit.
Weapon of choice… Back Squats. Music - Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster (entire Horse of the Dog album)
7 x 108.5kg
7 x 113kg
3 x 7 x 117.5kg
11 x 108.5kg
Spread my weights more equally over the three speed sessions to make sure i’m not overly fatigued at any point in the week. Next weekend (6/7th) I have 3 to 4 races in 2 days, so i’m going to taper for those, then that’s me done for indoors.
Feb 25 AM/PM
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
2 x 12 x 113kg
Back Squats
2 x 5 x 117.5kg
Explosive Press Ups
2 x 8
Running Arms
3 x 40
Lighter load is already making an impact on speed, I feel like I did a few weeks ago and I only have to keep it going for another week.
Feb 27 PM
Clean Pulls
3 x 7 x 72kg
ISO HS Hold
3 x 15 secs
Bench Press
3 x 7 x 81kg
Speed is returning, have done too many speed sessions in a row with blocks, so no blocks tuesday and then submax on thurs. Tues will also be the last weights session.
Weights were fine, my bench at home is a few kgs harder than at the track gym, so would expect to do 97.5kg for 4 there, and considering this is maintenance in-season then i’m happy with that.
After the weekend I have up to a week off (though I can never leave my weights alone for a whole week), then it’s GPP and back to 6-8 exercises and hopefully some p.b’s in the gym. I’m a trim 75kg right now, want to bench 1.5x BW, deadlift and squat 2x BW for reps and generally just get stronger and fitter for outdoors.
Heats - 7.45. Last heat so aware that I didn’t need to go all out to qualify. Less intense out the blocks and eased off at 45m.
Semi - ???. Better start, tense at the end as I was level with a guy and only one automatic qualifying spot. He won by a torso and a bit, maybe 6 or 7 hundredths. Electronic timing broke so we were given hand times, which aren’t even worth reporting.
This is my rest week, I will be doing a 20 minute core workout every evening and i’ve bought a powerbreathe (see .com for details) as it should help me train hardr in conditioning, so will be doing that protocol all week.
I’ve been wanting to incorporate some sprint work into my program and can’t seem to find any info on footwear for sprinting. I would be running on grass surfaces. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
We generally have two pairs for running on grass, you have your football boots with blades not studs (guessing they’re called soccer cleats in US), the blades in the middle help you get purchase and reduce slipping;
and when the ground is harder we use cross country spikes, as you don’t need the firmness of a sprint spike, the heel helps stability, and the longer spikes (about 7-9mm is good) can dig into the earth.
If you shop around you can get a half-decent pair for £20-£25 ($30-$40), they don’t need to be the trendiest thing in the world as cross country runners seem to like garish multi-coloured shoes.
Hope that’s clear enough. Good luck with your sprinting
Going to work on my weaknesses instead of my strengths, have read KB’s Vertical Jump Bible and have implemented that into my training on sunday morning after drills.
/\ THIS is why I lose so much ground after 30m, so i’ve stopped ignoring it and admitted I need to do less max. strength and more reactive stuff. VJ test every 4th week.
VJB Plyometrics (week 1)
Walking Lunges
3 x 16 x 10kg
Jump Squats
3 x 10 x 58.5kg
Back Squats
3 x 8 x 108.5kg
Sundays have to be the mindset that I shouldn’t have to grind out reps. Plyo’s were devastating on my quads, I had to do 1.5x the set recovery otherwise i’d seize up. This is my first session back from my break so hopefully it won’t be that hard every time.
Have had doms and tight muscles all over the place this week, particularly my hamstrings from tuesdays speed and hips from those crouched plyo jumps, deceptively tiring. I feel wired differently after sundays plyo’s and look forward to continuing them for at least the first 4 week cycle.
Manageable but very tiring. The extra recovery seemed to help but I was shaking on the last two sets of back squats. I felt more spring in the ankle jumps and was working harder in the lunges, i’m already eager for that Vert test in 2 weeks time.
Still upping the weight as i’m finding it easier than winter. Split squats are good, my stance was more restrictive with right leg back so a possible imbalance to work on. Got to keep it ticking over as this hard training will pay off later in the season.
