Please critique my strength program.

Expert Discussion Weightlifting
1

I am currently in a sort to long GPP - 2 x speed sessions, 2 x Gym, 2 x Tempo per week. 3 weeks on, 1 week easy, and testing each easy week.

Gym #1

*1 Leg Leg Press 4 x 6
*Bench Press (working on % of 1RM - 8 week cycle:-
6 x 3 @80%
6 x 4 @80%
6 x 5 @80%
easy
6 x 5 @85%
6 x 4 @90%
4 x 3 @95%
Test
*Hang Clean 4 x 6
*Meb BAll Throws

  • Reverse Leg Press 4 x 6
    *Close Grip Pulldowns 3/4 x 6
    *Abs

Gym #2
*Chins 3/4/5 x 10/12 (Incresing every macrocycle)
*Step Ups (Jump ups w/ Meb Ball over head)
4 x 5 (increasing reps each Macro)
*Push Press 4 x 6 (increasing weight each Macro)
*Dips (no weight currently) 4 x 12 (increasing each Macro)
*Lying Hypers 4 x 8
Abs

As you can see Gym #1 is more weight/power intensive, where as Gym #2 is more bodyweight intensive and both have a plyo element in them.
In addition, do some speed ball training on my tempo days 6 x 3 minute rounds with 1 min recovery.
Cheers.

2

Why leg press? Any reason why you cant do some sort of squat variation? Other than that exercise selection looks good. You may want to rethink your exercise order and on Day 1 put Hang Cleans first and Day 2 put Push Press first. You want to do the most techniccal exercises which involve the most motor units first when you are fresh so that you can get the most benefit from them.

3

Cheers Quik,
Couple of reasons why 1 Leg Leg press.

  1. Not very Anatomically designed to Squat (I’m sure many readers will be saying “what a cop out!”). 6’1" Tall and Legs are 41" (Hip to Ankle) Very long! At the moment I am using full ROM and with considerabley lighter weights (<50% @ Leg LP 1RM). I can get full flexion/extension with mimimal Lower back dramas (a historical problem with me - L3/L4 buldging disc problem that is being managed quite well, but will always be there). Also, 1 Leg helps me concentrate on core stab in the exercise very effectively. All in all, it just seems to work for me…
4

I gotcha. I still think there may be other exercises more efficent than the leg press your are doing. Maybe other members could comment.

5

Any ideas? Reasons for and against?
cheers.

6

What about substituting in a squat variation? I always like dumbbell split-squats with your back leg elevated on a bench. Lunges, reverse lunges… ?

7

I think your reps are too high on your cleans and push presses. I rarely do more than 2 or 3 reps.

Try something like this:
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showpost.php?p=84307&postcount=14

I’d also recommend you do some snatches or hang snatches if you know how to do them.

8

Perhaps some compromise here. I’m 6’4" with leg length the same as dirtyolprorunner, and I don’t have quite the same kind of back lumbar issues, but I did have a serious case of back spasms about 10 years ago that weakened my back muscles somewhat.

When I got to 300 pounds on my squat, I decided that I didn’t want that weight on my shoulders any more, so I shifted to the reclining squat machine (Cybex, in my case). This is still a squat motion, you load it with plates, but it takes the load off the back and in fact probably supports the back better than a leg press. This is also the type of equipment normally used in physiology labs these days (because it’s safer), but a lot of gyms don’t have it.

These days, I only do a conventional squat for testing, at the end of my max strength phase (as a triple, never a single).

9

Also, being tall, with long arms and legs, I’ve been tossing up the idea of Hang Cleans instead of traditional Cleans due to the increased ROM due to my height and limb length. Charlie has stated previously that the speed of the exercise does not matter that much as it will never re-create the speed of the sprinting action on the track anyway, however, would I greater benefit from the Hang Cleans starting from a higher position in the exercise?