When to finish up with the weights for the season

Expert Discussion Weightlifting
1

I’m approaching the last 3 weeks of my season with the peak 800 race occuring at the end of this 3 weeks.
For the last 6 months I have been in the gym 2days a week. The exercises and reps have changed over the 6 months but currently I am doing:
Day 1
Single leg lying leg press- 4x5
Single leg hamstring bridge on low box - 3x5
Single leg reverse hyper - 4x6
Running arms with 1kg dumbell - 3x40 (30sec rest)
Side raises - 3x8 each side
Med ball throws to side agianst wall with 5kg- 3x10

Day 2
Step ups on box with 4kg dumbell - 4x6
Total hip machine hip extension - 4x6 (dynamic)
chest press on swiss ball with 10 kg weights - 4x5
Running arms - As for day 1
Single leg Arabesques (spelling) - Similar to single leg deadlift with 5kg plate - 3x8
Bench - 4x4

I do a pilates routine at the end of these sessions with just a mixture of abs+glute work.

My coach is wanting me to stop with the gym work altogether now as I seem to race much better when I am fresh and we have been pushing the envelope in training a lot lately and it is now time to back off. I am just wondering if it is a good idea to stop with the weights completly over the next 3 weeks as i am worried the strength i have built up over the last 6 months will begin to decline and affect my race performances. However, I don’t know a lot about the physiology of strength training and don’t want to question my coach without getting some other more knowlegable opinions first. Many thanks

2

Never drop the weights. Taper by lowering the sets and reps but always keep them in.

3

it depends what kind of training approach you’re taking with the 800, if you’re really heavy in the latic and threshold type training then you very well may just be breaking yourself down with a bunch of weights work.

however, if the, excerises, sets and reps are logical and moderate and the sessions infrequent(1-2x a week) i don’t see why you can’t keep lifting till probably 7-10 days out from your biggest meet(provided of course you arn’t racing a ton and arn’t in deep training volume and intenstiy)