Weight

[km9]

I gained 10lbs over the past summer and feel that if i lose this weight, I will be able to jump better. I weight 140lbs and am 5'7" female. What is the best way to lose this weight? I have been trying for a while, but nothing seems to successfully work...

[souleman]

Rather than worry about the weight, the question should be whether you feel strong at the weight you are at. A lot of times when a vaulter loses weight they don't feel as strong. They don't have the endurance or the stamina they had at the higher weight. So be careful what you are trying to accomplish here. When I was in high school I was over weight going into track season. I had very good luck shedding those unwanted pounds with a protein diet and my work outs. For two weeks I ate nothing but, meat, cheese, eggs, and now that I think about it, that was about it. Once again be sure you are wanting to lose fat weight rather than muscle weight. It could very well be that with your training over the winter you have in fact gained muscle weight. Leave it there and don't diet just work out and continue your workouts. Jumping higher comes from concentrating on the technical skills of the vault. On the other hand if in fact you are heavy and out of shape then yes that needs to be addressed. Now is kinda late to address that though. Don't do anything till you and your coach sit down and have a chat about it. He or She will be the best person to tell you whether or not you need to shed pounds or just improve technique. Later.................Mike

[rainbowgirl28]

Your coach just needs to buy a pole 6" shorter and rated at 140.

[H.Gray]

The gain in weight may not be a bad thing.
Firstly don't do anything drastic. Certainly don't go to a high protein - low carb diet like may be suggested. This is a horrible tactic for athletes. Also avoid doing extra "cardio" or long distance training as this will certainly hurt your performance far more than any weight gain might.
Heavier does NOT automatically mean out of shape. Speak to your coach about it (or someone else knowledgeable that you trust), and if after that discussion you feel it is an issue come back here and give us more details. I would be happy to give you some pointers as would some others I am sure.
Good luck

[dj]

Good morning,

Haven’t read the complete thread but I have used my own “formula” for beginners mainly for safety reasons but also for “functional” body weight to strength reasons

Maximums..

Girls/women 2 lbs per 1 inch in height

ie.. a girl 5-2 = 62 inches x 2.0 = 124lbs
……a girl 5-8 = 68 inches x 2.0 = 136lbs

Boys/men 2.25 lbs per I inch in height

ie…a boy 5-8 = 68 inches x 2.25 = 153lbs
…...a boy 6-0 = 72 inches x 2.25 = 162lbs

dj ..