Already did, but I want to think about it a bit before I respond. If you don’t mind, pm me your email…it’s easier, more reliable and can handle longer messages than the pm system.
Agree with all above comments. I should have made the point that sprinters have many other training components to consider. Effectively you must convert the newly attained strength onto the track whilst maintaining that strength with abbreviated weights sessions.
My current method of cycling intensity (with my OLifters):
Session 1, 2: 75%x2 (6)
Session 3, 4 : 80%x2 (4); 95%x1 (4) - Pull
Session 5, 6: 82%x2 (4); 97%x1 (4) - Pull
Session 7, 8: 85%x2 (3); 100%x1 (4) - Pull
Session 9, 10: 87%x2 (3); 102%x1 (4) - Pull
Session 11, 12: 90%x1 (3); 105%x1 (4) - Pull
Session 13, 14: Max
Session 15: V.light (then repeat cycle)
- Pull includes eccentric clean deadlift with 6s pause at knee/shin (see CT)
- Total pulls above 75% is always 10 - 12 (when progression to target weight is included)
- This program is absolutely specific to Olympic lifters and would need manipulating for athletes in other sports.
You guys have been very helpful, thanks.
More questions…
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Do you guys do the same 3 exercises 3x’s a week every week throughout the phase (like squats, cleans, benches 3x’s a week for 7 weeks), or do you guys like to do something different as far as lifts are going 1x a week as I have seen w/others (like the above program Monday/Friday and maybe hang cleans, front squats, and military on Wednesday)?
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In a 30 week program (approximately), how long would my phases last? I was thinking, in correlation w/track work…
Hypertrophy - 6 weeks (GPP)
Max Strength - 8 weeks (SPP)
Power-Speed - 8 weeks (Pre-Comp.)
Maintenance - about 6-8 weeks (Comp./Peak)
Does that look appropriate, or should I just repeat Max Strength throughout the SPP and Pre-Comp. phases?
I think that’s it for now, except I am a bit curious as to how to implement a buffer into my program as talked about by DW.
Thanks again.
I’d be interested in David W.‘s thoughts on Louie Simmons’ thoughts on macro periodization, namely, that it’s a waste of time.
Lou’s thought, and IME, I agree with it, is that an attribute you detrain for three weeks is gone, or going fast. So if you do an “x” cycle for 4 weeks, then a “y” cycle for 4 weeks, by the end of the second cycle you’ve lost much of the gains you made in the first one. Not to mention having neglected elements during the first one.
IMHO, speed must be trained for constantly, while slowly adding force while maintaining speed. Preferably increasing speed. Charlie’s diagonal training applies here as well.
So 400Stud, my thought is to work on top speed and give that priority, then your start, then everything else. You can add size/strength continually, while still keeping your focus on speed. Speed lost is tough to regain, and “entrained” slowness is tough to be rid of. Speed endurance is important, but what good is it to be able to run, say, 8.5 Meters/sec for a long time if 9.3 is what you need?
I do get that several attributes are needed to run fast(strength. RFD, etc.) but they can be built up slowly while focusing on speed. Some coaches basically have the athletes abondoning pure speed and focusing on other workouts that supposedly will bring back the speed. I say keep the speed while adding in other elements slowly[paradoxically :)].
Juggler, What are your recommendations for training top speed? Usual max velocity work?
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This is essentially the same point that Charlie makes with vertical integration. You never want to get far from high-quality speed work (or for that matter, any other elements in your training program.) What you will do is vary the volumes and intensity depending on where you are in your season.
I pretty much always do squats. rarely I will substitue deadlifts. For bench, I will vary between straight bar flat bench, straight bar incline and dumbells. For back, I vary between rows, pulldowns and pullups. For hips and hamstrings, I alternate between romanian deadlifts and good mornings (wish I had a reverse hyper and glute-hamstring machine!)
- In a 30 week program (approximately), how long would my phases last? I was thinking, in correlation w/track work…
Hypertrophy - 6 weeks (GPP)
Max Strength - 8 weeks (SPP)
Power-Speed - 8 weeks (Pre-Comp.)
Maintenance - about 6-8 weeks (Comp./Peak)Does that look appropriate, or should I just repeat Max Strength throughout the SPP and Pre-Comp. phases?
You really need to work backwards from your most important competitions. From there, give yourself time to peak and then see how long maintenance needs to be by when your first competition is. Prior to competition, you would like to fit in a 3-1-3 max strength cycle. Anything you have left can be accumulation/hypertrophy. If there is a lot of time, then you can do another 3-1-3 before competition.
So, for example, I’m getting ready for indoors. First meet is Jan 4. So, I’m doing this week and next as accumulation, then I’ll jump right into a 3-1-3. I would really like to start my 3-1-3 next week, but I will be on business travel and it just won’t be practical. So by starting in two weeks, a 3-1-3 takes me right up to the first meet (which is not optimal…I may make it a 3-1-2 so I have some time to intensify speed work.) From there, I will do maintenance weights and try to tune up my speed work through Jan and Feb. I think regional championships are in early March (don’t have the exact date yet) so I will peak for those.
Thanks, xlr8.
More questions…
I thought when lifting weights you should do an OL, squatting movement and a pressing movement and that was adequate? How do you fit in pulls and the other lifts you mentioned? I always do Hypers on these lifting days as well. Is that good?
Ideally, how long should maintenance last? I was thinking 4 weeks, but maybe that’s too long?
If I’m training through the dummy meets in the spring to get ready for the summer, can’t I just do Max Strength throughout the spring since the importance of the meets is minimal and my focus is really on preparing for my big summer meets?
Thanks for the help.
You can train through the meets and treat the meets as a special endurance workout.
Be sure to watch your recovery after such meets. Even though they are practice meets you still get a lot of CNS drain from them 
cheers,
Chris
I was referring to the effect of treating these meets as nothing relative to my weights program.
I find that after a good track session, I don’t usually have it in me to do heavy olympic lifts so I just drop them. The basic big movements are squat and bench. Then I do a back exercise and a posterior chain exercise. 4 total.
Ideally, how long should maintenance last? I was thinking 4 weeks, but maybe that’s too long?
Your optimal performance window will happen between weeks 3 and 8 of maintenance, so 4 weeks is arguably too short, not too long!
So if training is started early enough one could do 2 max-strength phases before their 1st competition phase? Would the setup be something like 3-1-3 then 2wks maintenance(?) then into another 3-1-3?
They will be relative to your weight program though as you may need to adjust your lifting intensity and volume slightly immediately after the meets as well
Yes. The biggest variable is how much time you need in maintenance before jumping into another max strength cycle.
Ok, I think I get it now. Thanks xlr8!
So could I do an accumulation phase, max strength, then maintenance, then max strength again and finally maintenance again?
How do you set up sets/reps for the back exercise and posterior chain exercise? Same as squat and bench?
What do you do for posterior chain, something like Hypers?
Finally, I’ll be lifting during the morning and running at night/afternoon, so could I do an OL then? I’ve been doing it now and have done so in the past over this off-season and have lifted before running and actually felt better running than if I had ran first and then lifting. Would this kill me in the long run though I seem to do well with it?
Thanks for all your help again, guys. Much appreciated.
Few examples of posterior chain exercises:
snatch grip deads
Full depth backsquats
high pulls
GHR, rev hyper, hyper
RDL’s
SLDL’s
rev leg press
Hope this helps
Reps in the 3-6 range normally at 80-85%+ of max. 2-3 working sets per exercise depending on phase.
2-3x3-6 all-year for posterior chain exercises and back exercises? Think I got it. Thanks, Chris.
I still do not understand this rep range business. How should the reps change over the year? Should we start of high and reduce it or start of with low reps and keep them low?