Training for Speed - another post!

I thought I'd focus a bit on weight training that my coach and friend Jagdeesh suggested. Jagdeesh was my junior in college - didnt know him then since I had finished college the year he joined. He ran for college (Madras Christian College) and Tamil Nadu. He was a national level sprinter whose best timing was 10.70 for the 100m.

His weight training sessions were most interesting. First off a sprinter's weight training session was a full body session and did not follow a split routine like a body builders. Makes sense when you consider that a sprint involves the entire body.

The weights used were always very light - 5kgs at the most. So if its a dumbbell - its 5 kg per dumbbell. If its a barbell exercise, its 5kg per side.

We would start with shoulder presses. They were usually performed fast and furious for about 30 reps. Three sets of this with about 1.5 minutes rest.

Next would be Bench presses. Again a light weight. Obviously this an exercise where I can handle a bit more weight. So I was using 20 kgs on a 7kg bar. Again the presses were some what fast. The idea being to bounce into a thrust. Much like a plyometric bound or box jump. The muscle was allowed to coil and burst into the movement. Three sets of 30.

Trunk Twists then focussed on the core. Little to no weight. just the rod - 7kg.

Alternating Lunge jumps with 10kg on 7kg bar.

Calf raises. These were the only exercise where I had to use heavy weights and work on slow reps. Still put in about 25 reps for each of the 3 sets.

Finish off with Ab work. This was some what hard core. On an incline bench, I had to do 25 situps - full situps not crunches. Without rest move into side situps - 25 on the right and then 25 on the left. With no rest. After a minutes rest crunches on the swiss ball. 50 reps for 2 sets.

THe warm for this would be 10 minutes of jogging, followed by 10 minutes of warm up exercises for each body part from head to ankle with a lot of stretching.

The work out would end with a full fledged stretching session.

Try it out or mail me for details.