How are you training and when?

[souleman]

It would be such a bummer (I can use that word with this age group) to spend all of this time training and working out only to get hurt the first time jumping after a 34 year absence. So question is, how have you been training? Also when do you start and how much training do you do during "jumping" season? Later................Mike

[ladyvolspvcoach]

Souleman I've been coming back eversince I quit jumping in 1968. But in the past couple of years my motivation and inspiration have peaked. I have a really good friendship with Tim Mack and his coach Jim (B) Bemiller, and Roman Botcharnakov (agapit on this site). I keep telling these college kids that I coach that the 18 year old view of themselves never really leaves them. Those with testosterone especially. So, in this environment I began a y ear or so ago to do the warm ups that my athletes do with the very clear vision that I would soon be soaring as high as I once did. Then a couple of months ago I was doing some run throughs, taking off, and just trying to get my 59 year a$$ into the pit. I was doing really well. I could hit my marks and everything. My ladies actually said I looked like I might have actually done this once. With the 1960's testosterone beginning to rage, I decided to try some of the running drills and really see what the old bod could do (clearly trying to impress my proteges and further validating my expertise in this wonderful event). After successfully running a couple of nine lefts pole runs with the girls, the next run resulted in a pulled hamstring complete with black and blue crap in the lower part of the leg. I'm just beginning to return to the training program, but now I'm doubling the STRETCHING aspect of the daily training and doing very short runs for as long as I can suppress the desire to go up. I'm focusing on technique, technique, technique and getting my fat butt up slowly. I don't know if this rambling helps any, I guess the message is that our bods at this age don't stretch naturally anymore. We don't have "flexibility" and stretching is now critical (as I found out). After I stretch a considerable amout I am able to a lot more running. But my sprints are still only a concept!!!
Dave

[DBH027]

I am 36 and am jumping again after a 13 year semi-retirement....for me I have been lifting weights exclusively for the last 14 months and changed my diet to lose excess weight. I am now getting on the track to do plyos and run and am finding I am not as sore as I expected. As far as vaulting, I am doing all the very basic drills I did when I first learned how to jump.

So far it is going good, I have jumped twice off of 14 steps and have clearances under my belt. I think the lifting helped me with my base, my cardio needs to be better. The one thing I know is that discretion is the better part of valor and for me that's knowing I shouldn't push myself. I finish when I am feeling good....not when I am exhausted like when I was younger.

[Robert schmitt]

spend a lot of time doing drills and vaulting from a two and three left approach. Work on technique. I having more fun jumping from a four left approach than anything. I can take a ton of jumps, I'm not running fast enough to pull anything, I'm not pushing my limits, and in the four years I've been vaulting again I've increased my four step pr from 12' to 14'6".

[Robert schmitt]

One other thing while it is great to have goals don't try to push your body or your abilities beyond what your body is ready for. If one day that you were really planning on jumping you feel tight and sluggish be willing to spend the day doing drills- walking plants, one-two left pop ups etc... Your body will thank you and your tech will get better.

[vaultmd]

I train once a month whether I need it or not

[souleman]

Robert, I know what you mean with the "don't do it if it doesn't feel right" thing. I built a roll back apparatus (per Bubbas' instructions) under my deck and it was kickin' my butt for the first week that I had it up. Last Saturday I did my 9 to 10 left pole sprints in the back yard and nailed 10 of the roll backs. I was pretty happy until Monday night rolled around. After my work out with my Jake rubber band machine, I went out to do my roll backs. I only hit 2 out of 8. BUMMER! Oh well. I took a break from everything last night 'cause I just didn't feel like (mentally and physically) doing anything but plant my butt in front of the tube and watch Band of Brothers. I'll hit the rubber band machine again tonight but I think I'll do the roll backs before I do the crunches. On the bright side, I've been at this only about 2 months and even in this short time and (according to the 18 year old brain that is in my mellon) relatively easy work outs, I can really feel a difference in my stength. Yep, this is fun! Later.............Mike

[DBH027]

what is a roll back apparatus

[souleman]

It's a set of bars for doing a excercise that basically when we were kids we could do all day long 24/7. I think it was called "skin the cat" on the monkey bars. Funny! as we get ancient, they are a real booger to do now. Doug "Bubba" Sparks showed me this and it's pretty cool. http://www.bubbapv.com./Pages/GetVertical.htm His are different than mine. My deck is about 10 feet above my back yard (i have a split entry house with a basement walk out). What I dd was buy some galvanized pipe and flanges and some 90 degree pieces and hung two pipe "U's" from the joices of my deck. His are buried in the ground about a foot and a half. When I made mine the ground was frozen. It's a great excercise. Later........Mike

[master]

... and in the four years I've been vaulting again I've increased my four step pr from 12' to 14'6".

That is very impressive. I would love to be able to do that. I'm very curious about the details. Is that 4 lefts or 2 lefts? What brand, length, weight and flex pole are you using for this? How high is your grip? How tall are you and how much do you weigh? Thanks.

[Robert schmitt]

I jumped that on a 13'9" 190 lb altius 5.85 (inches/ not metric) flex. That is from an 58'6" (4 lefts with a walking step) I'm 6'2" and vary from 190-204 lbs depending on if I'm lifting or not. I think when I jumped the 14'6" (this feb) I was about 198 ish. I grip right on the "max grip" band on the pole. I've never actually measured it but it's probably 5-6" from the top. I can only jump that way on that pole, when I hold the same spot on longer poles I never can put the same jump together. I just orderd a 14'3" 190 to see if I can get the jump well from a little longer run.

[master]

Robert, that is really amazing in my opinion. If I do the numbers correctly, the 14' 6" jump is about 22" over your hand grip! Does your use of an "at weight", or slightly less, pole cause the vault to be any slower than it might be from a longer run with a heavier pole? If so, does that cause any problems or does it give a little more time to work on technique? I'm wondering if it would be good training for me to work on a lighter pole from a shorter distance, knowing I need to work on my form on top. I'm 5'9", weigh 145 and usually jump on a Pacer FX 13' 7" (4.15m) 160 or 165# pole, gripping about 13' (down 6 or 7 inches from the top). Any suggestions?