PoleVaultPower.com

So I'm 5'10" and weighed in yesterday at 136lbs...

would it be wise for me to be trying to gain weight at all?
as long as its muscle weight?

I'm betting you have a pretty fast metabolism. If you're having trouble making strength gains, you might want to think about adding some protein shakes to the mix. Try to find a protein powder that is not completely loaded up with fat. You could just have it with milk or whatever, I am a big fan of adding frozen fruit and yogurt to the mix.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:I'm betting you have a pretty fast metabolism. If you're having trouble making strength gains, you might want to think about adding some protein shakes to the mix. Try to find a protein powder that is not completely loaded up with fat. You could just have it with milk or whatever, I am a big fan of adding frozen fruit and yogurt to the mix.

hmm...

i definitely have an EXTREMELY high metabolism, always have.

i'm kind of prejudiced against protein or anything thats less that fully natural. people have suggested it to me before but i've never tried it because it feels like i would be cheating nature or something. Like, i've just naturally tried to incorporate more protein into my diet lately with eggs, steak, fish, etc. If you have any good suggestions on protein stuff that is fully healthy though, i'm all ears and i'll look into it.

but do you think its detrimental to be as light as i am compared to my height, from a technical standpoint?

i wonder if there is an optimal weight/height ratio for being a vaulter?

People neglect the importance of meals before and after a workout. And protien does not have to be in a powder if you are not comfortable with that. Consider drinking a glass of milk (skim is best, and wont sit in your stomach as long) 15 minutes before you lift. Then as SOON AS POSSIBLE after a workout, have a big meal full of protien, 10 minutes after a workout is the best, but anything before an hour will still help you. I always go for the sub with double meat, or the steakhouse beef dip as quiznos. That will have protien and carbs your body needs to recover, and then some. Drink plenty of milk with it, because milk alone has 8g protien in 1 cup. You can easily down 3 glasses of milk after a workout with would be approximately 30-40g of protien plus all the other good stuff milk has in it. The key is to eat, eat, eat. Your body cannot get bigger if it does not have the tools to make itself bigger. And with a high metabolism, it is better to have more calories than you need than be in calorie deficit. That means dont be afraid to have a double quarter pounder with cheese if your body is craving it.

BadMotherVaulter wrote:

rainbowgirl28 wrote:I'm betting you have a pretty fast metabolism. If you're having trouble making strength gains, you might want to think about adding some protein shakes to the mix. Try to find a protein powder that is not completely loaded up with fat. You could just have it with milk or whatever, I am a big fan of adding frozen fruit and yogurt to the mix.

hmm...

i definitely have an EXTREMELY high metabolism, always have.

i'm kind of prejudiced against protein or anything thats less that fully natural. people have suggested it to me before but i've never tried it because it feels like i would be cheating nature or something. Like, i've just naturally tried to incorporate more protein into my diet lately with eggs, steak, fish, etc. If you have any good suggestions on protein stuff that is fully healthy though, i'm all ears and i'll look into it.

but do you think its detrimental to be as light as i am compared to my height, from a technical standpoint?

i wonder if there is an optimal weight/height ratio for being a vaulter?

Of all the things you can supplement your diet with, protein powder is pretty natural. Eating actual foods is always best, of course, but for a guy like you, it sounds like you are having a hard time getting enough. I would recommend hard boiling at least a dozen eggs every week and eating them throughout the week. Shakes are just quick and convenient.

Jason has good advice too, it is really important to eat ASAP after you workout so your body can recover.

As for height/weight ratio, you could stand to gain 10-20 lbs of muscle and be better off for it, but I wouldn't stress about a specific number. Just try increasing your calories (in a good way) and spending the time in the gym, and see what happens.

vault3rb0y wrote:People neglect the importance of meals before and after a workout. And protien does not have to be in a powder if you are not comfortable with that. Consider drinking a glass of milk (skim is best, and wont sit in your stomach as long) 15 minutes before you lift. Then as SOON AS POSSIBLE after a workout, have a big meal full of protien, 10 minutes after a workout is the best, but anything before an hour will still help you. I always go for the sub with double meat, or the steakhouse beef dip as quiznos. That will have protien and carbs your body needs to recover, and then some. Drink plenty of milk with it, because milk alone has 8g protien in 1 cup. You can easily down 3 glasses of milk after a workout with would be approximately 30-40g of protien plus all the other good stuff milk has in it. The key is to eat, eat, eat. Your body cannot get bigger if it does not have the tools to make itself bigger. And with a high metabolism, it is better to have more calories than you need than be in calorie deficit. That means dont be afraid to have a double quarter pounder with cheese if your body is craving it.

you're definately one of the most helpful people on these boards. thank you for the tips!

right now, all i can do for training is what i can fit into my morning break at work. like today, i did 120 ab reps (situps, leg-lifts, throw-downs) 40 pushups and 10 diamond pushups. On lunch i'll probably do some lunges and eat.

Then, when i get to go vault, i'll start the workout with some pole runs then move into the pit... and i normally do bubka's and swinging bubka's sometime throughout all that.

its hard being an unattached vaulter. haha.

P.S. 15ft by september. mark my words.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:

BadMotherVaulter wrote:

rainbowgirl28 wrote:I'm betting you have a pretty fast metabolism. If you're having trouble making strength gains, you might want to think about adding some protein shakes to the mix. Try to find a protein powder that is not completely loaded up with fat. You could just have it with milk or whatever, I am a big fan of adding frozen fruit and yogurt to the mix.

hmm...

i definitely have an EXTREMELY high metabolism, always have.

i'm kind of prejudiced against protein or anything thats less that fully natural. people have suggested it to me before but i've never tried it because it feels like i would be cheating nature or something. Like, i've just naturally tried to incorporate more protein into my diet lately with eggs, steak, fish, etc. If you have any good suggestions on protein stuff that is fully healthy though, i'm all ears and i'll look into it.

but do you think its detrimental to be as light as i am compared to my height, from a technical standpoint?

i wonder if there is an optimal weight/height ratio for being a vaulter?

Of all the things you can supplement your diet with, protein powder is pretty natural. Eating actual foods is always best, of course, but for a guy like you, it sounds like you are having a hard time getting enough. I would recommend hard boiling at least a dozen eggs every week and eating them throughout the week. Shakes are just quick and convenient.

Jason has good advice too, it is really important to eat ASAP after you workout so your body can recover.

As for height/weight ratio, you could stand to gain 10-20 lbs of muscle and be better off for it, but I wouldn't stress about a specific number. Just try increasing your calories (in a good way) and spending the time in the gym, and see what happens.

thank YOU very much too.
i'll start trying to get a meal in after my workouts, at least something.

i guess i should go to GNC to browse protein stuff?

i WISH i had access to some weights or a gym... thats the bad thing about being a POOR unattached vaulter.

You can still make gains with bodyweight stuff. You can also find heavy stuff around your house to lift, get creative. You can also go to a sporting goods store and invest in a few dumbbells. You can do cleans, squats, and bench with dumbbells.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:You can still make gains with bodyweight stuff. You can also find heavy stuff around your house to lift, get creative. You can also go to a sporting goods store and invest in a few dumbbells. You can do cleans, squats, and bench with dumbbells.

...now i'm getting some ideas about those big sacks of concrete here at work lol.

You could consider nutrition bars as a supplement to regular meals. That makes it easy to get some protein immediately after a workout or just as a snack at any time during the day. That being said, not all nutrition bars are the same. I personally like Clif Bar and high protein Balance Gold. Check the nutrition labels. I don't buy any that have less than a 2:1 ratio of protein grams to fat grams. They are usually between 200 and 280 calories in a 50 to 70 gram bar. I'm not sure what can be gleaned from this fact, but my son is vegan and Clif Bars are one of the few he will eat.

By the way, I'm 5' 8" and weigh 143. I don't have a lot of body fat. So you being 2 inches taller and 7 pounds lighter gives me a pretty good picture of your stature. I feel the need for muscle in the vault is very specific. The most efficient vaulter will have enough muscle (and very little extraneous weight - also known as fat) to perform all the moves required to do the vault. Obviously there are not absolutes for this, but you can assess your own ability to perform, and make a determination whether an area of your body needs more strength. Don't put on weight for weight's sake. Let it happen because you are developing the strength to do a skill that the vault requires.

- master

master wrote:You could consider nutrition bars as a supplement to regular meals. That makes it easy to get some protein immediately after a workout or just as a snack at any time during the day. That being said, not all nutrition bars are the same. I personally like Clif Bar and high protein Balance Gold. Check the nutrition labels. I don't buy any that have less than a 2:1 ratio of protein grams to fat grams. They are usually between 200 and 280 calories in a 50 to 70 gram bar. I'm not sure what can be gleaned from this fact, but my son is vegan and Clif Bars are one of the few he will eat.

By the way, I'm 5' 8" and weigh 143. I don't have a lot of body fat. So you being 2 inches taller and 7 pounds lighter gives me a pretty good picture of your stature. I feel the need for muscle in the vault is very specific. The most efficient vaulter will have enough muscle (and very little extraneous weight - also known as fat) to perform all the moves required to do the vault. Obviously there are not absolutes for this, but you can assess your own ability to perform, and make a determination whether an area of your body needs more strength. Don't put on weight for weight's sake. Let it happen because you are developing the strength to do a skill that the vault requires.

- master

Okay and where might i find these protein bars?

I know right now, i'd gauge i'm definately under 8% body fat... and the muscle i'm working on building is just core muscle, abs, pecs, etc. and i really am working on my legs (i lost a LOT of leg muscle after my ACL replacement) so i'm doing high reps, no weight.

on a sidenote to you personally... i read almost everything you post for two reasons.... one, you know your stuff.... and two, your avatar makes me smile every time. hayward field is my mecca lol. I WILL vault there someday.

You can get bars at just about any grocery store. Wal-Mart usually has pretty good prices, sometimes you can find them for cheap at discount places like Big Lots, but the selection can be super hit and miss.