I think that the numbers are impressive for athletes who don’t devote much time to weight room. This is only possible because fast sprint times translate to heavier weights, and vice versa. One of the sprinters i train started weights at 21 yo and within a few month was able to half squat 200kg pretty easely, with 1 squat workout a week, and not every week. We stopped at 200 for safety reasons, could have done at least 250). This is possible if you adopt a holistic approach which take in account all the other training elements (especially short sprints at WR level) which “support” the weight training.
Going round and round here (sorry pope). I would be fascinated to see a sprinter squat at least 250kg for even one rep. The only people I have seen squat 500+ with good form below 200lbs are national/world caliber olympic weightlifters.
I don’t think PJ talks about deep squat, if that helps. I may be wrong.
When you say squat 500, do you mean full squat? or half squat?
Define half squat because I watched a video from one of the top throws coaches and the athletes weren’t even going to parallel, yet called the squats “deep.” Yeah, they were lifting a shtload, but they weren’t going to parallel even. That is fine if the program is designed that way, but it really misleads everybody else.
So what you are suggesting is that Ben never went to intensities above 6 RM (around 85% of 1RM) in the squat through all of the MaxS cycles during his whole athletic career?!?
I know what you mean Davan. I consider crease of hip parallel to knee cap is half squat.
Not to say that one squat is right or wrong but when discussing squats I think this is the type that people should refer to as it seems to be the most used. Or at least most attempted.
I remember in highschool for football testing I squatted like “315 x6” and could have done 10-12 or something but I wanted to just do more weight and we ran out of time. Yet in retrospect, I probably couldn’t have half squatted 295-315x1. And some of the guys on my team got reps taken away because they didn’t go “low enough” yet “adbrauner went low enough”! lol how high must have theirs’ been! These are our football coaches all over, sanctioning such blasphemy. 
In recent years, I used to always use a box for my squats as I was a stickler for consistency in depth. A problem with my gym has forced me to go to free half squats now though. I think I go too low, but talk on the internet is cheap.
Why don’t you read what his own coach says and then decide what you want to believe?
I have, and don’t think that Charlie was saying what you read into it, ie that weights above 6RM (85% 1RM) were NEVER used in MaxS cycles throughout Ben’s whole career. I believe what Charlie was saying is that during the later stages, Ben became so strong that he had to place a ceiling on the weights (both for safety and effect on intensification of sprinting) and the squat was stopped at 600 lbs at 6RM. I do believe from reading Speedtrap, CFTS (chapter by Tudor Bompa), all of Charlies other materials and much of Tudor’s work that Ben did use weights above 6RM during the earlier MaxS phases of his career (particularly prior to 1985).
People shouldn’t walk away from this thread thinking that MaxS cycles for a sprinter MUST be above 6 reps (< 85% 1RM)!!! Traditional MaxS (including intensities above 6RM) is an important training tool. Notwithstanding at higher levels it may need to be adjusted/capped for continuing intensification on the track.
i think misinterpretation is with the safety issue. different strokes for different folks, this depends on the level of the athlete as well. when you’re weaker, lower reps may be appropriate, when youre stronger more pre cautions have to be taken, such as focusing on increasing breadth (volume) rather than intensity (weight) to an extent that still hits maximal strength.
Powerlifting competition parallel. I am watching Brad Gillingham’s DVD. He is a MONSTER and struggles with 680x2 raw powerlifting depth. No f-ing way many/any sprinters are doing that. Someone prove me wrong with a video lol…what’s that, you can’t? oh too bad then. People post videos of them jumping onto 50" boxes, doing bounds, doing starts, doing tempo but never lifting…
haha I certainly can’t squat 500, but I would think many athletes could do 500 @ 200. If someone can do low to mid 300s FULL squat, wouldn’t they’d be at least mid 300s in a half squat? So they’re only < 150 from 500 and this is relatively early in their career.
But a 680x2 compared to 500 is a big difference. Not to mention Brad is like 6’5"? Relative strength is going to be much more difficult for someone of that size, 6’5" 320.
Maybe this is just for sprinters rather than athletes as a whole? I could see that maybe.
i agree im not 200lb and squat well over 500lbs. ben squat numbers are sick.
So you’re about as strong as FloJo then since FloJo can lunge 300+ at minimal bodyweight.
flojo didnt lunge no damn 150kg like the article listed. shit i lunge 365+ and wasnt even training for that lift in college. so i guess shes twice as strong as u, huh?
yes because I suck. I am not supposed to have olympian weightlifter training marks.
do u really think she lunge that much.
No. That’s my point. I don’t think she lunged 315-330 or whatever. I don’t believe many of the training marks unless these are modified lifts. FloJo prob did a step up onto a 3" box with 330 and called it a lunge.
Some of these numbers sprinters throw around are about the equivalent as someone telling me Pyrros Dimas runs 6.50e in the 60.
at one point i did believe she lunge 150kg
so what? point is her strength training and strength levels served their purpose. they helped as a variable within her overall plan to run as fast as possible.