PoleVaultPower.com

Hey guys, so i haven't lifted legs almost ever, mostly because i thought it would damage my legs if i lifted when i was already distance running.
(odd combination but it actually does not hinder my training for vault since i am in the 800m,)prolly gonna get flamed for the combination but w.e

So now that i am starting leg wieght training, i really wanna get bigger quads to power me through the runway. I know squats are good and so are lunges. Anyone have a link to a website that can give me some workouts to do 2-3 times a week to strenghten my lower body/core.

just ask you coach, i am sure he knows what he is talking about, and could put together appropriate lifts to do in the weight room for you

Just be sure to lift with purpose. Have a plan and stick to it. If your season is over, build a base and then cycle your training.

I hate to see kids lift just to be lifting without a clue as to where they are going or what they want to accomplish.

dedicate yourself right now to getting better other than lifting such as: eat correctly, getting enough sleep, running and start other good athletic habits that you wont loose after a couple of weeks. Also try to incorporate fun into everything like get some of your friends to lift and run and then every month max out and see who got better and who is the best and you will almost want to start working out.

IDK if you have the same problem, but make sure when you lift you arent just lifting for strength, you gotta do lots of stretching and try to keep your quick muscle fibers firing. Obviously you wont stay at top speed all through the summer, but one summer i did a ton of lifting and not much running, and it took forever to get my quick muscles firing on my run again in the fall (actually football season at the time). So just throw some plyos in there 2 or 3 times a week so you dont completely loose the speed.

Ive been told the best way to build a powerful run might be to lift with your legs and do pole runs a few days of the week during the summer. That worked for me this past summer great.

Pole_vault'n wrote:Hey guys, so i haven't lifted legs almost ever, mostly because i thought it would damage my legs if i lifted when i was already distance running.
(odd combination but it actually does not hinder my training for vault since i am in the 800m,)prolly gonna get flamed for the combination but w.e

So now that i am starting leg wieght training, i really wanna get bigger quads to power me through the runway. I know squats are good and so are lunges. Anyone have a link to a website that can give me some workouts to do 2-3 times a week to strenghten my lower body/core.

Your quads don't power you throught the runway, your hamstrings and glutes do. Quads are all show and no go, a side effect of squats and lunges and deadlifts and sprinting.

Just do leg curls, calf raises, tons of sit ups, and buy some foot weights that you can run around with. Do form running in addition. That makes you so much faster. I taught my friend a few running drills and within an hour or so his 40 time was better by almost half a second. Also, you should do some olympic lifts as well. Doing the clean and jerk, power snatch, etc., etc. provide you with explosivity, a very important attribut to have as a vaulter. Do small sets with around 70%. (Look around on this message board for better advice on sets and reps.) However, you must have a spotter and/or a qualified instructor to guide you in your form, or you may really hurt yourself.

ipolevault wrote:

Pole_vault'n wrote:Hey guys, so i haven't lifted legs almost ever, mostly because i thought it would damage my legs if i lifted when i was already distance running.
(odd combination but it actually does not hinder my training for vault since i am in the 800m,)prolly gonna get flamed for the combination but w.e

So now that i am starting leg wieght training, i really wanna get bigger quads to power me through the runway. I know squats are good and so are lunges. Anyone have a link to a website that can give me some workouts to do 2-3 times a week to strenghten my lower body/core.

Your quads don't power you throught the runway, your hamstrings and glutes do. Quads are all show and no go, a side effect of squats and lunges and deadlifts and sprinting.

I agree with hams and glutes... but your quads are responsible for hip flexion... and everyone talks about "big knees" on the runway... Hip flexor/extensor ability will improve your stride length, while to posterior chain (hamstrings, glueteus...) will help in turnover... both should be worked to ensure a safe quad/hamstring deficit.

No on the foot weights please, I hear that they wreak havoc on your knees.

DanielS wrote:No on the foot weights please, I hear that they wreak havoc on your knees.

Not anymore than two footed if done correctly and with the right amount of resistance. It is actually really god for your CNS as well... lot of research saying unilateral stuff can be even more beneficial than bilateral... but for the most part I personally stick to bilateral movements.

Anyone know about how much a persons leg weights should weigh in order to achieve good results?
Ive been useing 2 pounds on each leg for over a month and Ive seen em prove effective in both making my workout harder and getting stonger.
So id just like to know if increasing the wieght is a good idea or not and if i should increase the weight, by how much and what intervals.

VaulterLegionare wrote:Anyone know about how much a persons leg weights should weigh in order to achieve good results?
Ive been useing 2 pounds on each leg for over a month and Ive seen em prove effective in both making my workout harder and getting stonger.
So id just like to know if increasing the wieght is a good idea or not and if i should increase the weight, by how much and what intervals.

If given the movement that you are completing, you are able to do so in a controlled, near weightless speed of manner, I would say yes, go ahead and increase the weight. Given that you are using only 2 pound weights, remember that only going to 3 pounds is going to make an impact on the workout.

A lot of the "ankle weights" and other types of training tools kind of went to the way side about 10 years ago (maybe a little more) because people were saying that it applied to much impact on the skeletal structure. If the weights are conservative, and fast explosive movement can still be maintained, I believe they are a great training tool.

Maybe try a standing broad jump test with the different weights on. Maybe 3 of unweighted, 3 with the 2 pounders on, and 3 with the 3 pounders on. (take about 3 minutes inbetween each jump... it will take a little while, but you will see the most accurate results). Ideally, the performance should not be compromised by more than 8-10%.

This is just a suggestion, yours to do with as you please, but let me know what you decide to go with, and how it works out.