Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

I have a list of Weight Lifting Exercises that I know are useful for 200m & 400m runners… I'll just put these exercises here so you can pick which ones would be most helpful. If you have any new exercises that may not be mentioned here then feel free to to add them to the list. I have been doing my own research and find that these ones are the most beneficial. I'll list the ones that I do.

Chest

1. Bench Press (flat, incline, & (decline once every two weeks) (barbell or dumbbell)
2. Military press

Traps

1. Upright Row
2. Shoulder Shrug (front and back) (barbell or dumbbell)

Shoulders, Triceps, & Biceps

I am not as concerned with too much upper body lifting, but here are a few suggestions.
Bench Press works the Shoulders and Triceps also.
1. Deltoid lifts (straight and lateral)
2. Tricep Extensions
3. Bicep Curls
4. Shoulder Press (I was told this is more specific for body builders)
5. Dumbbell Push Press
6. Hammer Curls   
7. Dumbbell Arm swings
8. Chin Ups
         
Lat's

1. Lat Pull Downs
2. T-bar Rows

I don't really work my lats because I want a forward drive with my arms.
         
Middle Back

1. Barbell Row (Lying Flat) or Dumbbell Row
2. Incline Bench Pull             

Lower Back

1. Straight Leg Dead Lift
2. Good Mornings
3. Hyper Extensions ( Core exercise )
4. Pull Ups
5. Reverse Hypers
           
Abdominus & Obliques

1. Crunches ( legs raised on swiss ball )
2. Decline Sit Ups & Incline Sit Ups
3. Bicycle
4. Leg Raises ( hanging bar or hanging chair)
5. Side Hyper Extensions
6. Wood Chop exercises

Have any suggestions? I just do a variety of good core work for abs.

Quadriceps, Hamstrings, & Glutes

2. Squat (Half, Back Sqaut, Jump, & Single Leg Squat) heck any Squats!!!! & box squat...lol
4. Ab/Ad machine Thigh Abductor
5. Lunges(barbell or dumbbell) (standing or walking)
6. Step Ups (barbell or dumbbell)
7. Glute Ham Raise
8. Dead Lift (variations… Standard, Romanian, Snatch Grip, & Straight Leg)

Calves

1. Standing & Seated Calves

Here are a few exercises that might be helpful but I don't do them: Jump Squats, Partial squats, Reverse hypers, Lat Pull downs, & medicine balls (over head throws) I don't do any medicine ball exercises.
   
            Olympic Lifts

(I believe these two are most beneficial but I am not too big on doing OL's)

1. Power Clean
2. Snatch

You can also add a few more lifting exercises of a more general nature if you think they are good.

Areas that I feel are highly unneccessary to work:  Neck & Forearms

I think if I did all body work that may be fine...but I try to do specific exercises with general lifting exercises seeing how sprinters need specific exercises also.

Other exercises… not recommended until further research can be done... 
            one reason is that most of them are not free weights

Pec machine, Flys, Weighted Chins, Neck Press, Chest press, Leg Curls, Leg Press, & Leg Extensions.

OffTheBlocks - 27 November 2006 04:51 PM

stay away from the leg press, leg curls, bicep curls, tricep press. not because theyre bad for you but because they wont translate into improvements on the track. stick to the most compound exercises. youre an athlete not a bodybuilder.

I know that general weight lifting exercises may be helpful, but I don't have to use them like a body builder, but If you personally think that they are unneccessary. I would appreciate some "info"? on these "compound" exercises. -Thanks

Why do you keep making these threads?

Flow - 28 November 2006 04:49 AM

The basics are olympic lifts, deep squats and variations, dead lift, romanian dl,
glute ham raise, military press, bench press, pull ups, & other back exercises. 

Use free weights, move weight as fast as possible.

I use a Squat Machine from ("Body Masters") not a "smith" machine would I be getting the same results from using this machine rather than free weights? When you mention "other back exercises" I am not really familiar with these "other back exercises" but if you have any I would definitley consider them. -Thanks

danimal9 - 28 November 2006 07:42 AM

I "kind" of agree with flow here, but I would focus early on with deeper squats, then change 1/2 and 1/4 squats with heavy loads and complex them with a couple of plyo jumps or 2-3 reps of a medium load Olympic lift like the snatch.

Flow asked if you would progress to 1/2 squats  because of the 400m event?

danimal9 - 28 November 2006 11:37 AM

Full Squats are good for developing starting strength. 1/2 and 1/4 squats are more speed related, and I have 2 fold reasons for this, motor neuron recruitment with heavier loads than full squats can handle and faster execution of the lifts with lighter loads.  With heavy loads I like to have my athletes complex and for speed it's part of a ballastic lifting day. Deadlifts are a good way to develop starting strength too.

S.Bones - 29 November 2006 04:49 PM

What's your definition of "heavy" loads?  Twice body weight? 

In a normal periodization scheme, I could see shifting from full to half squats when one moves into a max strength phase.  But what about for developing athletes in their first serious course of weight training?  At what point, would the weight become heavy enough to merit going to a half squat.  Would this be an specific number, related to body weight, or merely a relative number - 80-90% of current one rep max?

danimal9 - 29 November 2006 09:09 PM

There is no certain weight, it's all relative to your strength capabilities.  For a beginner, work at weights that give some fatigue on 6-8 reps is a good place to start.  To do this you add weight each new set until that fatigue sets in on the 5th rep.  You stay on that weight until you go down in reps which should be 2 weeks, where the weight will then go up again, and the process repeats, until get down to 3-4 reps per set and then you will have to focus maximum strength and be careful with weight selection.

It wouldn't be a specific weight were I would go to half or quarter squats, it's just a different focus in training.  To some degree in my more advanced athletes they only do half and quarter squats with weights and only full or 3/4 squats when we want to maximize starting strength along with deadlift for 2-3 week periods and may do this 2-3 times in a year. 

This site has a complete spectrum of weight lifting that any sprinter can do, some may not be appropriate for you though. But the exercises that you mentioned above are very good, you definitely have an understanding of what a sprinter should do, stick to the basics, don't get obsessive, when you stick to the basice you get results. Don't let any fool tell you that you need to do variations and such forth.  It's like this, if some one says if you touch a fairy wand on a frog it won't turn into human, but if you wave it a sertain amount times then it will turn into human. They try to confuse you by saying they have scientific answers to alot of things. Sometimes it just takes pure motivation and hard work. Use important training principles and use them in the most basic ways, don't be a fool and waste your life figuring out what might be the best variations etc. ,  time keeps going, you only have limited amounts of time as an elite sprinter, you know how to run and I assume you already have a plan for running or a program,
remember it takes more than running to be great , it takes good habits too. Do your weight training and develop good core work, you are as strong as your weakest link, core is important.

http://www.shapefit.com/training.html

Thanks for the advice, & yes I have a running routine, all I want is some advice on what might be the best basic exercises to start out with and then after learning how to do them properly focus on variations. I am in my last year of high school and I have always loved track but didn't start getting real serious about "weight lifting" until this past year. I am focusing mainly now on improving my track shape, I am already in good shape but I want to reach the max of what a sprinter can reach too and I believe that developing core work is vital, I don't want to rely completely on my weight training. The running workout itself is the most important. Stretching too is very important and know ing which ones to do. I try to stick too dynamic before a workout and static after to prevent injuries. I thankyou for your help and this sight was most helpful, lots of good stuff. - Wise One

I totally agree I think the more running you do the better your body can adapt to training harder and not get tired. I think that's basic enuff. What I don't understand is why does track have to become a science… I think if you are gifted naturally and use that talent, then you can go places, not that any one can't get #1 you just have to put your mind to it. Dedication is a very important key. 

Some one told me about this web page coach johnson , it has everything!
It gives me options to work with, I have considered using 100% free weights and this gives me alot info. on using that stuff. I know it's very hard to get a straight answer from someone cuz I've been to too many forums asking questions but they talk like retards and tell you crap about crap that I already know. I'm an athlete looking foor good exercises I like to have the full spectrum so i have options to see whats best. great sight

You know the funny thing is that I only found a couple minor exercises from this whole forum, I have modified my exercises a bit too, still the same just some errors. But these exercises are really good especially my arm work...when I swing them like I'm running they feel awsome, they feel stable and strong enough to keep me satisfied. Still I'm interested in finding other ab workouts too… but I don't think I'll get a straight answer ...lol right Monkey

well you might find a surprise here and there. sometimes the ppl that respond don't know what they talking about. 

the only question I have: is which weight lifting exercises are critical for mid and long track sprinters and which ones that might not be critical but still beneficial?