I’m currently in the midst of a highly competetive indoor university season.
Training on the track is ongoing, but for reasons I won’t get into, I haven’t done any notable weight training since December.
My question is, if our National competition is the 8th 9th and 10th of March, would it be of benefit to get back into the weight room between now and then (roughly 30 days) and if so, when should these weights be done (speed days/recovery-tempo days) and what types of sets/reps?
Speed days once the intensity is high enough but i wouldn’t just jump in at with something amazingly challenging to start with because you are going to get stiff and if you are racing that may be dangerous. I would suggest doing a kind of condensed version of the GPP program. Start with split routine Lower body on speed upper on tempo and then after say 7 days of consistant build up move to a normal high only day after speed work. Since you are racing it may also be better to emphasise the upper body more right now because you don’t necessarily want to stiffen up the legs too much. Be especially careful with the lower back during squats or cleans. Since you havn’t lifted for ages you are going to get stronger almost every session (motor learning) so i’m not sure what kind of rep ranges you should aim for. I’d like to hear CF’s ideas on that part.
awesome, I like the idea of alternating days, it works in with my schedule.
Forgive me, I haven’t bought the GPP video yet (it’s in the works, I’m having some paypal issues) could I get a synopsis of exercises?
I’m assuming for upper body days to do things like
bench
overhead shoulder press
lat pull downs
tricep extensions
and for leg days things like
cleans
squats
lunges?
hamstring curls (do people still do these on the machines? I’ve never felt any great benefit by doing these but my lifting experiences have rarely included these even in the best of times)
Do dead lifts figure into lower or upper body days?
As far as starting weights and reps, if I were to prescribe it for myself, I’d do something along the lines of
6-8 reps per set, for 3 sets , and have the weight set at something I can do without ridiculous effort so that by the 3rd set I’m fatiguing. :o
Obviously what I’m looking for is bare bones necessity. I’d prefer not interrupting my existing program too greatly so by doing maybe 3-4 exercises after workouts for a week, 2 weeks? Then switching to doing them after speed days I’d be aleviating as much of that “I’m back lifting and I feel like a brick” syndrome.