The squat load is very conservative. These past 4 weeks we basically progressed from 3-4 sets of 6 to 3-4 sets of 3. For the bench, I adapted a scheme that I derived from a Russian bench press champion’s program that I analyzed a few years ago.
The heaviest load they lifted in the bench, before today, was 82% and no single set over the last 4 weeks exceeded 4 repetitions. We worked up to 90% x1 today and everyone looked great, a few guys kept going (by choice) and set PRs.
That wasn’t my intent of the question. Obviously a large issue in NCAA setting is total workout time and the ability to get certain qualities trained with sufficient volume and rest.
I know how long that workout takes my athletes, as I have used the same sets and reps in the past.
Not gonna speak for James but I’m sure it’s not full recovery btw sets/reps, I know last year they did long hills so this could be a sub for the long hills.
Have you already consolidated the weights onto one day, ie MWF speed/weights, TTh tempo? My understanding of your programming is split weights during alactic power and consolidated weights during alactic capacity, is this still correct?
We began this summer with all primary weight training after our alactic field work on Mon/Thur; leaving only auxiliary work following our aerobic field work on Tue/Fri.
I did, however, disburse some of the intensive elements over the course of the week in the form of explosive med ball throws and jumps which are performed prior to the aerobic field work on Tue/Fri.
Regarding this first block of summer, the hills sprint workload and distribution of intensive elements across the training week were pages taken directly out of Charlie’s GPP and modified according to my plan.
In Block B will you up the weightlifting to 3 or 4 days a week or will you keep weights to 2 days a week. The reason being to increase the concentration of the load. Also, would you add medicine ball extensive throws inBlock B.
Please understand that I’m only willing to provide generalities.
Extensive med ball work has been in the training in the form of the wall rebounds on the aerobic days.
Throughout the summer the alactic bioenergetic emphasis shifts from power to capacity; while the aerobic bioenergetic emphasis shifts from development to maintenance.
The training block biomotor as well as biochemical/bioenergetic emphasis (there are 3 blocks) progresses from General Preparatory, to Specialized Preparatory, to Specialized Developmental
General weight training becomes de-emphasized (philosophically) as the summer progresses while specialized strength training begins to take priority.
I have constructed a series of specialized drills by position and these will be trained first in the session on every single training day (both alactic and aerobic) as we have specialized alactic and specialized aerobic training.
The training week taxonomy will remain as Mon/Thur Alactic, Tue/Fri Aerobic and I have yet to decide if the majority of intensive elements will become consolidated to Mon/Thur. I’m finalizing the programming throughout this week and over the weekend as we begin block two this coming Monday.
I do not have my guys train the posterior musculature ‘heavy’ because I believe it can quickly become dangerously close to compromising the quality and injury potential (hamstrings) of the alactic field based training (whether it is linear sprints, or specialized movement drills)
The heaviest weights we use on the RDL are the equivalent of bodyweight + 40lbs on the barbell.
We only RDL for 4 weeks in our first off-season block pre-spring ball and again for the first 4 off-season weeks of summer training. Back raises on a 45 hyper and GHR are performed year round during auxiliary training and continue to be when the RDLs go away.
I also very much like the partner resisted reverse hyper (as Charlie demonstrated so often); however, this, as a whole, is not performed quite as frequently in the rotation because the 45hyper device and GHR device present greater logistical ease (don’t require partner).
I must also note that I do not have my skill players perform the GHR as I feel that the structural demand increases the possibility of hamstring pull.
It’s important to note that the posterior musculature may become very ‘strong’ void of the typical ‘heavy’ training; hence the value of sub-maximal efforts. I’ve had more than one skill player be able to lift me (255lbs) off the ground while performing partner reverse hypers.
BFS claims that doing parallel squats almost totally eliminates knee and hamstring injuries. I read a book of theirs with a chart of 25 years and thousands of athletes who performed PS and 1 kid had a knee injury in all that time. The reason was a complete balance of strength training occured when PS were performed.
I believed it when I first heard that about 4 years ago. So I observed athletes at my high school. … I was convinced at what I saw. Nearly every athlete I saw who had a knee or hamstring injury had a direct correlation to less than parallel squatting (squatting high).
off topic, yes, but what do you guys think? Any reason to argue against their research?
He also said in his stint at a high school in washington, he had a football team with 50 guys run between a 4.8 and 4.5 forty. They were supperior at the parallel squat. They won the state championship while holding the opponent to minus 77 yards offense.
James, I also feel the same way about hamstring work. It doesn’t take much with weight work to cause excessive soreness and tightness there. We typically do hamstring work on the last workout of the week so that it provides the most rest between workout sessions (i.e. do it fri, next session is Mon)
I warned One of my athletes who is at a MAC school about doing hamstring work in season and going hard. Sure enough, 2 weeks into practice he pulls a hammy at practice, missed considerable amount of time as a result.
I think in programs where speed work is non existent, doing post chain work can be done more so, but when adding in speed work, particularly max veloc, this has to be monitored carefully.
I often reinforce to my guys how important it is to me that their bodies feel excellent as frequently as possible and how I’m willing to go to great lengths to do what I can to assist in this process.
Agreed.
I’ve learned of an incredible amount of programs, both collegiate and NFL, that never conduct actual speed work. Hence the inadvertent compatibility of the monstrous weight training loads that we see so commonplace.
This is because the coaches, apparently, do not understand what actually constitutes speed development due to the indoctrinated belief that ‘you can’t teach speed’ and athletes won’t get much faster then they were in high school.
Those M/W runs all depend on the speed. Slow enough can serve as tempo, too fast and you end up in trouble.
I visited an NFL team with a similar set up, although their speed work was more like cone drills, and their “tempo” run speeds increased each week leading up to a 4-day balls out session, 2 weeks before training camp, where they would participate in 60 practice sessions in a few weeks time. :mad: