Anyone Have a good workout routine

[marshall]

Lifting weights is a waste of time for young athletes. Too many simulation, coordination, agility, flexibility etc activities that are much more suited to the development of the athlete. Even if you have to put them in the weight room you should have them do Simple Circuit Training until late teens. Besides, all they do in the weight room is stand around and gab anyway.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

hahahahah, so true.

[vault3rb0y]

Only from personal experience, i feel that our whole goal is strength FOR OUR BODY WEIGHT. I found it very interesting that the gymnastic guys at PSU are the most cut and look like the strongest guys on campus- and they do absolutely no lifting. Obviously there are benefits of lifting, but i think those benefits should be carefully monitored by a coach for each individual athlete.

I feel differently about lower-body strength training, however. Getting faster requires turn over and stride length, which comes mostly from running correctly but can be greatly increased with strength training. I even talked to college coaches my junior year in HS and asked them what, if any, specific part of my training should i focus on the rest of high school, to set myself up for success in college. They told me getting stronger and faster in my legs, then letting them take over from there. I believe 1-legged squats and lunges coupled with plyometrics are ok for high schoolers. It's absolutely crucial that they be taught with correct form and that the reps do not go under 6 for risk of injury, IMHO. The heavy back tension just doesn't seem right for a kid that's barely hit puberty yet. Also, i feel that the actual running, training, and STRETCHING should have more emphasis than lifting. I saw more back injuries and leg muscle tears/strains in those athletes lifting all summer then coming out for track, than those with much more running/stretching than lifting in their schedules. Even though they got really strong, it was actually hurting their running because they were too bulky to be athletic.

[ACvault]

Only from personal experience, i feel that our whole goal is strength FOR OUR BODY WEIGHT. I found it very interesting that the gymnastic guys at PSU are the most cut and look like the strongest guys on campus- and they do absolutely no lifting. Obviously there are benefits of lifting, but i think those benefits should be carefully monitored by a coach for each individual athlete.

I feel differently about lower-body strength training, however. Getting faster requires turn over and stride length, which comes mostly from running correctly but can be greatly increased with strength training. I even talked to college coaches my junior year in HS and asked them what, if any, specific part of my training should i focus on the rest of high school, to set myself up for success in college. They told me getting stronger and faster in my legs, then letting them take over from there. I believe 1-legged squats and lunges coupled with plyometrics are ok for high schoolers. It's absolutely crucial that they be taught with correct form and that the reps do not go under 6 for risk of injury, IMHO. The heavy back tension just doesn't seem right for a kid that's barely hit puberty yet. Also, i feel that the actual running, training, and STRETCHING should have more emphasis than lifting. I saw more back injuries and leg muscle tears/strains in those athletes lifting all summer then coming out for track, than those with much more running/stretching than lifting in their schedules. Even though they got really strong, it was actually hurting their running because they were too bulky to be athletic.

I could not agree with you more on both your points. Once you are in the air the vault is a gymnastic event. You need to be able to control you body weight and make efficient use of it. Even if you do not have access to access to a gymnastics facility there are still tons of balance and strength drills you can do to help you in the vault.

In terms of lifting for the lower body, longer term use of this is essential if you plan to have an extended career. You need POWER in your strides to set yourself up for a good jump. The benefits of leg strength training do not just cover one season at a time, but years down the road. I have seen this in other vaulters, and myself, where leg strengthening is implemented early on and the number of injuries down the road are minimal. I myself have never even had a leg injury that kept me out of a meet or practice for more than a few days!