Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

9/22/03
warmup: 800m, pullups pyramid, static stretches, abs
belgian weightlifting: 1xfailure
  bench press
  bicep curls
  upright rows
  bent arm pullovers
depth jumps 3x
power cleans 3x5
single leg extensions 1x15
single leg curls 1x15

9/24/03
warmup: 800m, pullups pyramid, static stretches, abs
belgian weightlifting:
  bench press
  bicep curls
  upright rows
  bent arm pullovers
single leg extensions & curls 1x15
3x300m, stride pace
3x25 pushups
20min hip flexor work

9/26/03
warmup:  800m, 300m stride, static stretches, abs
technical drills
ladder drills
pullup pyramid
weighted arm swings 2x1min, 1min rest

When you say Belgian weight lifting, are you referring to 1 set at a given weight taken to failure. If so, are there any sets preceding that set and how do you determine the load to use on your one set to failure? Do you have any references that I could find out more about this Belgian weight lifting…...I'm quite familiar with H.I.T. training which sounds to be essentially the same; but I have never heard this form of training called "Belgian weight lifting" and would like to find out more. Unless it's something very different than what I'm thinking of, I wouldn't recommend doing it for very long. Also what's your rationale for doing leg extensions and leg curls without doing a squating movement or some variant (lunges, step-ups, etc.)?

yeah, it's one set of a given weight taken to failure.  there are no warmup sets, but the warmup that we do includes pullups and pushups to warm up the upper body muscle groups.  the minimum number of reps per set is 6, so each person adjusts their weight load to that.  i'm not too framiliar to the H.I.T. program.  could you elaborate on that?  the leg extensions and curls are more for patella tracking than anything else, and the weight used is pretty light.

9/29/03
warmup: 800m jog, 2x300m striders, 2x60m accelerations, pullup pyramid
belgian weights:
  bench press
  bicep curls
  upright rows
  bent arm pullovers
  lat pulldowns
  mod. lat pulldowns
box step ups for speed: 2x15sec.

10/1/01
warmup: 800m jog, 5x300m striders, stretching, abs, drills (a's marching, skipping, running) pullup pyramid
box stepups for speed: 2x15 sec.

You're program is basically the same as H.I.T. with the basic idea that you're doing minimal (i.e.- one set) to momentary muscular failure. As I said before, it can certainly produce results, but it makes it hard to periodize a strength routine if you're always going to failure and never manipulating the volume. Also, it's really not the best way for strength gains and plenty of studies have evidenced this fact. Again, if time efficiency is your focus, then that setup might have a place, but for maximal strength and power gains, 1 set to failure is not where it's at.

As for doing leg extensions and leg curls for patellar tracking, this was a notion started by PTs a long time ago and there's no evidence whatsoever that it actually accomplishes this goal. In fact, most PTs have dropped leg extensions and curls from rehab programs because of the potentially harmful effects they can have on the knee joint soft tissue (especially leg extensions) and the potential for teaching maladaptive neuromuscular firing and coordination.

well, no leg extensions yesterday.

10/3/03
warmup: 800m, abs, pullups
2x20 stepups
2x15 on some weird low pully machine.  you attach the velcro strap around your ankle and use a running motion with that leg.  i can't really explain it very well.  sorry.
2x15 seconds box step ups for speed

10/6/03
warmup: 800m jog, 2x300m striders, stretching, abs, pullup pyramid
belgian weights:
bench press
bicep curls
upright rows
weighted arm swings 1min.
stepups 2x20 per leg
stepjumps 2x20 per leg
speed stepups 2x20 seconds

10/8
warmup: 800m, pullup pyramid, abs, stretching
weights:
power cleans- 2x8 15kg plates, 1x3 20 kg plates
stepups 2x20 per leg
speed stepups 2x25 sec.

after being unbelievably unlucky, and having a really bad work schedule, i think its time for me to get back to work.

today's (tuesday) workout:
warmup
drills
ladder down: 1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, 150m, 100m, 50m
warmdown

weights

and, any ideas to gain weight back safely? i lost 10lbs from food poisoning, and i've only been able to get 1.5lbs back.  i've been eating like a monster for the past month, but no dice.