As a fellow high-school sprinter, I agree the first trick to sprinting is to go out there and sprint. That said, you can increase your power output in the weight room as well. Notice I said "power" not "strength", there is a difference: power is strength applied over time. If you get stronger and move a heavier weight in the same amount of time, you increase power. You can also increase power by moving the same weight in a shorter amount of time.

I prefer to use the leg press machine for this purpose. Let me throw some numbers out for example purposes. Let's say you can leg press 500#, using two seconds to press the weight up. You can increase power by pressing 1000# in that same two seconds, or by pressing 500# in a single second. Both examples double your power output.

A coworker wanted some help with his leg drive when sprinting at the end of his runs. I told him to sit at a leg press machine with a very light weight, one-quarter the weight he normally uses. (In our example above you'd use 125#.) Lower the weight under control, then explode the weight up so hard and fast the sled literally leaves his feet for a moment until gravity pulls it back down. Catch the weight with extended legs and unlocked knees, slowing the descent to bring it back down again under control to prep for the next rep.

You don't need a ton of reps of the explosive variety. Try 3-5 reps per set. You can do this with leg presses or squats (be sure to pull the bar tightly against your shoulders and propel your entire body into the air in a jump). Box jumps are also very beneficial for sprinters, with or without extra weight in hand. Start low, work your way higher as you gain experience.

Leg extensions are less useful for sprinting, where you need powerful hamstrings and glutes to propel your leg behind you, thus propelling you forward. So think about adding heavy hip bridges to your arsenal. Awkward as blazes til you get used to them, and easy to feel embarrassed, but amazing results.

nossmf wrote: »

My question is more aesthetic in nature. This month I'm pulling crazy-mad overtime, working 6 12-hr shifts per week. Throw in commute, sleep, hygiene and meal prep, and I barely have a couple hours per day left over. I choose to spend those two hours with my family rather than working out, that's my decision. Hopefully things will calm down in a month and I'll be able to resume lifting. In the meantime, some of those nagging pains in my joints (knees, hip, shoulder) are starting to lessen, so we'll call that a plus.

My concern is how much muscle will I lose in the interim. I already know I'm going to need lighter weights upon my return to the gym, but how quickly will my hard-earned muscle disappear? I currently eat at maintenance or slightly below (100-200 calories), with less protein intake than I'd prefer (averaging 100-120 grams for my estimated 160# of LBM). On training days I add a protein shake to my intake, and some days I'll hit north of 150g from having extra chicken or whatnot, that's just the average. (NEVER less than 80g, I will drink a shake as needed to push above that floor.)

From the sedentary studies i have seen, it would recommend around 1g per lb as sufficient to sustain lbm.

SideSteel wrote: »

If I were you I'd bring cals to estimated maintenance for two weeks, then resume deficit.

I started diet break on Friday, but how much protein should I be aiming for? Is 130-140 adequate?

Meh, I'm estimating I'm in the 15-17% BF range, so not terribly lean but I'm happy with it for pushing 40 yo. I'm familiar with the idea of 1g/#, but have always associated it with either gaining LBM or losing fat, where I'm happy to maintain, so I didn't know if that changed the equation any.

I have two questions related to my lifting routine, which is this one here:
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

Briefly, it's compound, 3 lifts a workout, rep pattern of 3x8-10

My first issue is deadlifts. Im getting to the point of 8-10 reps being too much for that move, and injury as I scale up on weight concerns me. Any suggestions, such as bringing down the volume just on this move, maybe to 5?

Second issue/question is, is there any issue with me changing the sequence from:

deadlift, pull ups, OHP
To
deadlifts, OHP, pull ups?

(Reversing last two). Reason is because I dont want to give up my rack at the gym deadlifts and ohp are in my rack but I use a pull up assistance machine.

Thanks!

Thanks, sidesteel

1. Goal: overall conditioning and health. Progressive improvements in strength. (Vague, I know). I had read some internet mischief that high reps on deadlift can increase chance of injury. I still feel ok at 8-10 reps but that may be too taxing at some point. I'm only at 90 lbs right now.

2. Perhaps I should clarify. I go to the hammerstrength area and set up the deadlift outside of it. So I'm not inside the rack, but using the rack's barbell, weights, etc. any barbell floor work at my gym is done located by these racks (e.g. Outside of them/right in front). So if I leave the area, someone else may come in and take up that hammerstrength, which I need for OHP (i also rack my ohp on the hammerstrength, on the "outside" about shoulder width.

I like that idea jo_marnes, thank you.