When I train track and gym on the same day, I always schedule speed training on the track in the morning and weights in the afternoon…as in keeping with most of the thoughts on this forum i.e. speed training with fresh legs first. I know myself that if I hammer my legs in the Gym first I’ll perform like a wet noodle on the track. However, my VHJ is always greater after I have primed my legs with a few squats/cleans first…not if i’ve knackered myself, but after 2/3 low rep heavy explosive sets.
Victor Lopez (track and field coaches review Spring 1995) and Fred Hatfield (power: a scientific approach 1989) theorise that the best way to develop explosive power, acceleration, elastic response and speed is to schedule weights (half pyramid 50% to 90%) then multi-jumps(low hurdles frog jumps bounding), followed by speed/acceleration(starts to 20/30 up to 50/60m) and top speed flying 20’s.
Lopez states ‘when we do weight training, most of the time the contraction we use is concentric…therefore, if one of the objectives in the training of sprinters is to improve the stretch shortening cycle, it is important that strength work with weights is followed by eccentric work…It is for this reason that we prescribe multi-jumps. sometimes we do these exercises with resistance on the track and sometimes in the weights room. All strength work where the execution is slow, should be followed by strength work where the execution is fast’. Speed work is then scheduled because…‘the neuro-muscular system will respond much better because it will have been maximally recruited/stimulated by the heavy weights and multi-jumps’.
As I said earler if one does too much work in the gym I would think there would be a decrement in performance on the track. But where sets/reps are low in the gym (but % max high) with complete recovery and a well conditioned athlete is this a good system to use for 4/6 weeks special speed block? Obviously loads would have to be carefully assessed to prevent injury/burnout.
Any comments? Anybody tried this system?