Power or Reps? How to benefit most from the Bench Press

[ladyvolspvcoach]

If you are blessed with a well designed weight training program targeting your peak at the right time, then the trick is to work on technique and mechanics on the pole on days when your are doing heavy weights. Test the results of the weights by measuring improvements in the gymnastics routines. It can be pretty impressive at this time of the year. Remember at the DI level the training is annual. There really isn't an "off" time. You have to be pretty active from Sep to the end of Dec in order to be ready to GO at the beginning of indoor season, and the outdoor season can go through Conference Championships, NCAA Regionals, NCAA's, USATF and for some a trip to Europe and back at the middle or end of August. So there isn't a lot of down time.

[vaultmd]

Personaly I don't think you should be lifting during the season at all period. You will get more benifit from imitative gymnastic exercises. It drives me nuts when kids lift in PE then have trouble practicing b/c they aren't as explosive lifting that day. Usually it isn't a lack of strenght it's a lack of technique and body control that limits your vault.

Amen. My college guys are lifting more right now, and jumping worse. When they weren't doing weights, they were fresh for vaulting, and had good quality technique days, and were pr'ing regularly on short runs. Yesterday they maxed out on squat, and today was their jump day. Well you can imagine how well jumping went - it didn't. Unfortunately, I'm not their strength and conditioning coach and everything I suggest gets swept under the rug. How am I supposed to get them jumping higher when they can't even run b/c they're so sore? Frustrating!

I've told this story before. When I was in college I didn't improve for 2.5 years. Then we got a new coach. One of the first things he did was literaly ban me from the wieght room by taking my athletic pass away. Pr'd by 9" that year and an additional 3'3" the next. Now I'm not attributing this improvment all to stopping lifting. It does shows that strength or lack of wasn't what was holding me back.

Nice example of activity not equalling progress.

[Robert schmitt]

Now I'm not attributing this improvment all to stopping lifting. It does shows that strength or lack of wasn't what was holding me back

Care to share your secret

My new coach had us doing imitative gymnastic execise twice a week, I actually learned how to vault (somewhat ) instead of just holding high on a big pole.

[advath]

We always do a series of short sprints after weightlifting. After leg lifts we do 4-6 vertical jumps without resistance.

[polecat]

It is difficult to provide a generic answer to a question involving weight training. There are many different body types, and it seems like each body type responds differently. For example, my stocky build really seemed to bulk up quickly to the high weight - low rep training regimen. I was stronger and definitely bigger in the arms, chest and thighs, but slower and less flexible. I switched to a regimen that combined low weights - high reps for weight lifting, plus a lot of dynamic strength exercises in the core area, and my quickness and flexibility improved, without any appreciable loss of strength. And, guess what, my performance improved.

On the other hand, I have seen other body types that just never seemed to react to a high weight - low rep regimen by adding bulk and weight. These athletes also seemed to be able to maintain flexibility and quickness. This regimen seemed to work for them.

Obviously, having a coach who is more inclined to have a "personal trainer" attitude and willing to fine-tune an exercize regimen to fit each athlete's needs is what really is important. This is the ideal, but, unfortunately, too often not the reality. All I can say is that, if you believe your weight lifting regimen is hurting performance, tell the coach and see if both of you can work out a mutally agreeable program.

[DaRuk]

I’m planning out my workout schedule for the next week and was wondering, in-season is it best to bench reps 3X8-10 or power lift 3x3-5
I was looking at Scott Slover’s journal (a great resource by the way on neovault) it seemed he did more reps than power
I am currently doing more power lifting, but was thinking about switching back to reps for the season
What about you all?

Right now you shouldnt be worrying about upperbody too much, especially your chest. Yeah its crucial to look good for the ladies in your singlet , but the bench press isnt going to help you vault much higher. Cleans and squats are gonna give you the explosiveness to jump higher and get your speed up.

[MightyMouse]

Thanks thats Interesting, Ill have to take a look at my weight routine, does any one else agree with DaRuk?

Currently we are jumping in a meet 1ce a week so weights dont really fit into my schedule, i substitued gymnastic like vault drills instead

[advath]

What DeRuk said if very true. The Olympic lifts are most important. We coordinate our running with our weightlifting. When we are in our short period early preseason doing a little distance running, we are lifting light weights with many reps. When we are in our interval phase we are doing "pyramid" lifting (10,8,6,5,5,5) for our Olympic lifts. When we are in our speed training for running we do 3 sets of 5 with very light weights.

When we are in our speed micro cycle we do some over-speed work. Many times I see coaches using athletes to tow athletes during the over-speed workouts. That defeats the purpose. As a coach, I do the pulling of all the athletes using bungee type devices (so I don't get fried) during the over-speed workouts. We do not have any athletes towing during this period.

[vaulter0512]

Our weight lefting consist basically of everything our bench is kinda werid though.... we would start at like 75%and would do to 4sets...each set's reps would change usually started at 10 and would go down or go up and had to increase weight each time. Other things that we are "big" on is ABS!! We do holds...middle..knee ups....straight leg....side-side-middle....and touches...there are a couple more but cant think of the name lol by the end of doing abs we have usually done anywhere from 700 to 900.this isnt' including all the drills..and running we do though... We also do:
boxes
Curels * Rev Curel
Pryamids * Dips and Bench Dips
tri cep push down * pull ups
Lunges * Reloads
*there are more but i dont have time to list*