I hope someone can help me out. I’m an oly lifter, training 4 times a week. Leg training (back, front squats, pulls, cleans, snatches) represents most of my workouts. My problem is, that my legs feel like they’re made of stone.
I’m 6’3 and even at that height I have problems with dunking the ball and jumping. Sometimes I have a great day and I feel like I could fly, but this happens maybe once a month. I really want to do something about this, as this has been going on for several years now.
I tried with low volume, high intensity workouts (like 3x3), but it seems that I can’t make progress while lifting like that.
If anyone has a suggestion, please post.
I’m going to guess that you may want to look into some plyometric work once in a while if you are looking at improving jumps.
However, I’m sure more qualified opinions will follow…
Bump.
I’d like to see what Charles Staley has to say about this. Interesting topic.
It would be great if coach Staley could help.
[quote]Hrastnik wrote:
It would be great if coach Staley could help.
[/quote]
Hopefully one of the mods tip him off…
…but if I was a betting man I’d bet he’ll say something like “take some time off, then come back with decreased volume.”
But since you say you don’t make gains on low volume protocols I’m guessing his response will be something like “take some time off, then start waving volume in accumulation/intensification cycles.” Then he’ll give an example.
The fact that you feel great on occasion but terrible most of the time tells me that the overall volume-intensity scheme of your program is out of whack. Your peaks and valleys should be planned. With my programs, I tell my athlete when they’re supposed to feel beaten up and when they’re supposed to leave the gym refreshed; I even tell them when I want them to test things out and push the envelope based on where I feel supercompensation will occur.
I started with accumulation/intensification cycle about a week ago, so I’ll be able to peak in october.
I’ll see how it goes.
Still, any opinions would be helpful.
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
The fact that you feel great on occasion but terrible most of the time tells me that the overall volume-intensity scheme of your program is out of whack. Your peaks and valleys should be planned. With my programs, I tell my athlete when they’re supposed to feel beaten up and when they’re supposed to leave the gym refreshed; I even tell them when I want them to test things out and push the envelope based on where I feel supercompensation will occur.[/quote]
cressey, spot on as usual
I wish I had Eric Cressey to train me lol.
dl-
My suggestion is try to get a session with a good soft tissue therapist with the objective of getting a sense of the overall tissue health and tonus of the involved muscles. I’d be interested to know if you’ve got a lot of spasms and/or scar tissue for starters. Depending on what this sessions revealed, I’d next suggest taking 3 weeks totally off and seeing how that changes the picture, if at all. Finally, it’d be worthwhile to take a serious look at your nutritional status, esp with regard to protein intake.
Hope that helps to get the ball rolling…
[quote]Hrastnik wrote:
I hope someone can help me out. I’m an oly lifter, training 4 times a week. Leg training (back, front squats, pulls, cleans, snatches) represents most of my workouts. My problem is, that my legs feel like they’re made of stone.
I’m 6’3 and even at that height I have problems with dunking the ball and jumping. Sometimes I have a great day and I feel like I could fly, but this happens maybe once a month. I really want to do something about this, as this has been going on for several years now.
I tried with low volume, high intensity workouts (like 3x3), but it seems that I can’t make progress while lifting like that.
If anyone has a suggestion, please post.[/quote]
OK, thanks.
[quote]Charles Staley wrote:
I’d next suggest taking 3 weeks totally off and seeing how that changes the picture, if at all. [/quote]
I had a feeling that was going to happen.