T Nation

Strength & Power with Limitation?

Powerlifting
#1

I am a 400/400hurdler who is preparing for my next season by training to get in the best shape possible.My goal is to building max strength and power but,i have some limiting issues.

At the end of my season I found out I have a small stress fracture on the side of my foot. I am now cleared to resume some training but not too much hard pounding on my feet as there is still some soreness. During that time,ive been riding the stationary bike, and i can still do all liftings, olympic lifts as well.What things can I do to better condition myself without injuring myself?

Also,the last couple weeks,Ive put in some serious volume in my weight trainig. A little lately, I have had a little back pain. After a couple days or a week of not squating it usually goes away, but I have decided to listen to my body and take other measures. What other lifting exercises could I do to continue to build strength without compromising my back?

Thanx.

#2

Aside from hip belt squats and machine work not much will really not hit the back just hit the squats etc Hard and then recover maybe a lighter assistance day leg presses, leg curls GHR etc

Oh and better conditioning. Try loaded low impact stuff drag a sled, carry things like farmers walkk OH carries, flip tires load heavy objects, Tabata stuff like squats and sled hammer work

Phill

#3

As for the foot, be careful with plyometrics and specifically high-intensity ones like depth jumps.

In terms of the back, I agree with Phill. It’s also hard to say without seeing the way you perform your lifts and the actual parameters of the program you’ve been using. You could post videos of you doing the lifts on youtube.

Or the best choice would be to get a qualified coach to teach you the lifts properly. I’ve read about half of “Starting Strength” today and it’s quite comprehensive in explaining the squat, bench, power clean, overhead press, and deadlift. It’d probably be a worth investment.

In my own training, I’ve found that it’s useful to get the bar off my back sometimes for a week or so. Front squats on that given week will generally do the trick for me or even avoiding heavy stressfull loads at all.

Best of luck.

-Matt