During the rugby season, my weight training is usually cut short because I don’t always have enough energy.
I recover from most work quite easily, but heavy back squats take the most out of me. Since I’m already doing speed work, plyometrics and cleans, could I cut out all other leg work (squats incl. front squats) and still make decent strength gains?
David,
I would probably drop the cleans and put back in the squats. My reason is that you are already doing a lot of speed and speed-strength work, what you are missing is the limit strength stuff. However, if you find squats taxing, then you will have to carefully manage the overall volume of your entire training program.
Personally, I find that if I drop the squats, I can really start to feel the difference after a few weeks…so I never drop them anymore. If I can’t do regular squats because of injury, then I find a suitable substitute such as box squats, deadlifts, etc.
xlr8
xlr8, do you think front squats are a suitable substitute? I personally find them a little uncomfortable on the wrists when the weight starts to exceed my power clean weight by any great margin, which is why I used to avoid doing them but they are still much less taxing on the nervous system than back squats!
I don’t find squats as taxing as cleans or deadlifts IMO.
If you cut out squats, you will go backward IMO.
So how heavy would you go on your squats during your competitive season? Do you allow one day for heavy and one for speed ala Westside? Do you have one day of squats waving such as 3x2 -55,65,75%?
Thoughts?
Since resistance training is general, why can you not get the same CNS effects from other heavy exercises (but less weight than squats of course)?
Just an example of my latest weights session:
Power Cleans 95kg - 2x3
Bench Press - 105kg - 1x6 1x2
Front Squats - 100kg - 2x4
Chinups - BW+35kg - 1x4 1x3
+abs
front squats were very light because I was just readjusting to the exercise and did not want to cause too much DOMS during competition phase. they will be at least 120kg.
Originally posted by Viking
So how heavy would you go on your squats during your competitive season?
Heavy. I would go around 80 - 90% for about 3 reps. The idea is to go heavy enough to maintain your strength gains. You can’t achieve this with light weights.
Do you allow one day for heavy and one for speed ala Westside? Do you have one day of squats waving such as 3x2 -55,65,75%?
Thoughts?
Nope. Go heavy both days, but keep the volume pretty low. 3r x 3s two or three times a week seems about right. Don’t bother with the Westside ‘speed day.’ If you are on the track, you will be getting your speed work there. Your time in the gym is for developing or maintaining limit strength.
xlr8
Originally posted by David
xlr8, do you think front squats are a suitable substitute? I personally find them a little uncomfortable on the wrists when the weight starts to exceed my power clean weight by any great margin, which is why I used to avoid doing them but they are still much less taxing on the nervous system than back squats!
The fact that they are less taxing on the nervous system is precisely why they are not as effective as back squats. I would really try to work in the back squats by dropping other elements of the program if possible, but if you can’t, I guess that front squats are better than not doing any type of squatting.
xlr8
Originally posted by David
Since resistance training is general, why can you not get the same CNS effects from other heavy exercises (but less weight than squats of course)?
There are two effects of lifting. There is the CNS part and the muscular strength part. IT certainly is possible to get CNS activation through the use of other lifts. As a matter of fact, I would argue that something like a power clean probably requires more CNS energy than a max squat. Likewise for a all out sprint. However, the nice thing about back squats is that they provide significant stimulus of max strength.
I think your original question was how to make strength gains without squatting. First off, since you are in-season, I wouldn’t be looking to make any strength gains. You should simply be attempting to maintain your current strength levels. And althogh you are correct that weight training is not specific to running, you need to maintain strength levels in the muscles that are involved in running. Back squats are one of the best ways to do this.
Again, looking at your workout and my understanding of the requirements of your sport, I would probably drop the power cleans (you are probably getting plenty of speed and power-speed work in your games, practices and track training) and do the back squats.
xlr8
Clemson are your speed days very similar to the setup Westside uses on speed days? If not please what is an example of one of these workouts for your guys?
Also how often do you use these workouts, every 3-4 workouts or something?