Making a Weight Training Schedule

[sduvinage]

Even if you have the TIME for both weights and gymnastics, twice a day 4 days a week of weights leaves an imbalance of ENERGY that prevents you from putting sufficient energy towards gymnastics ... and maybe other training as well.

Kirk

Yeah, I would be more worried that you're not spending any time on the track running/sprinting. If one of your weight training sessions is a class for school, and one is track pre-season conditioning, talk to your track coaches and see if you can do running workouts instead. Or maybe your school weight coach would let you, usually they're just happy if kids are keeping busy/active and not just gossiping all class.

Since we are on the topic of having a balanced schedule....this is my schedule
Monday-Thursday:
-Weight Train during school
-Track workouts( sprints etc.) after school...
-Gymnastics ( only high-bar available) after "track workout" ....again weight training is available

Sat-Sun..... Vault outside of school.

Does this seem like a fairly balanced early pre-season plan?

Oh... Here is a random question about reps in weight training.
I know that there are plenty of of topics out there but this question is pretty specific.
So the optimal rep count (to my knowledge) is under 5....generally speaking.
When doing under 5 reps... the rep speed will generally be slow.
As my pole vault coach says, everything in the vault is quick and powerful.
Would lifting with speed ( power= strength + speed ) but a higher rep number be more beneficial or is the possible hypertrophy a trade off....

[kcvault]

It is hard to know if it is balanced without knowing the details of those workouts. How many reps depends on the point of the season you are at and where you want to peak. Less reps is so you can be more explosive and quick not less explosive. This is why squats are important but don't directly benefit you they benefit in the fact that they make it so you can power cling more and power clings affect your speed. It is a good idea to stay at reps of know more then five on legs because after five the nervous system slows down and the CNS being fast is even more important then strength IMO. So in the beginning of the season you might start with something like 5-5, then go to 5 sets of 4, then 4 sets of 3, and end with 4 sets of two. Depending on where you are at this point it is either time to start the cycle over or possible drop the weight and do the movements as fast as possible if you are near your peak.

With your arms however I would do something more like 3 sets of 10 for 6 weeks, 3 sets of 8 for six weeks, then six weeks of a set of 8 a set of 6 and a set of 4, and then end with 4 sets of 4.

On the high bar you can never do to much IMO. I used to warm up with a set of thirty pull up's, and a set of thirty chin ups. Then I would do 15 pull ups hanging a 25 pound weight from a weight belt, 10 with a 35 pound weight and 6-8 with a 45 pound weight. I would also do 3 sets of 20 drop kips, 3 sets of 10 swinging bubkas, 5 sets of 5 muscle ups, 3 sets of ten wipers, and 3 sets of ten levers.
Not all on the same day but each one at least twice a week.

I had know periodization system on the high bar but the more I did the easier I found it to hit different positions in the vault. pretty much all the strength you need as a vaulter for your arms you can get on the high bar.

As far as legs the number one way to build strength is in your sprint workouts. Weight training is only a supplement of your sprint workouts. The run workouts is where the real progress is made. Which is why I actually didn't even lift other then high bar my first year of college and still got faster and stronger. I also noticed this when I played basket ball no matter how much I lifted the only way to significantly change my vertical was to play the game, and jump up at the rim every time I had a chance.

Hope this helps and that my bad wording is not to confusing.

---Kasey

[KirkB]

... On the high bar you can never do to much IMO.

This is true.

I used to warm up with a set of thirty pull up's, and a set of thirty chin ups. Then I would do 15 pull ups hanging a 25 pound weight from a weight belt, 10 with a 35 pound weight and 6-8 with a 45 pound weight. I would also do ...

This is a good workout, but I think it's excercising the wrong muscles. By comparison, it's like climbing the rope rightside-up instead of upside-down (all your Bubka-like drills are upside-down ... good!). In HS, I climbed rope rightside-up, only to be taught to do them upside-down at UW. The reason is that the EXTENSION in PV is an upside-down movement, so you want those muscles tuned. You don't want (and you don't need) so much strength in your lats that you'll pull prematurely when on the pole ... when rightside-up.

Kirk

[kcvault]

This is a good workout, but I think it's excercising the wrong muscles

I agree but all of the other ones except muscle ups are good vaulting exercises. I never found much use for pull ups, bar dips, or flat bench but I did these lifts more out of vanity then anything else. During season I will only do vault specific exercises so that I can stay light.

---Kasey