A friend of mine who runs track in college started lifting in a weird way. He trains with extremely high reps low weight in everything. I also run track and was wondering if there is a benefit to this and what is it? His workout is like this three times a week weight four times running. Weight go bench 3x25, DB press 3x15, power clean 3x20, triceps 3x25, weds= squats 3x25, body weight leg curls with ankles being held on the ground 3x25, reverse leg press 3x25, Fri= snatch 3x25, straight jumps 3x25, Db lateral raise 3x25, curls 3x25, incline db press 3x25. He plans on doing this for about a month. I dont know his running routine. Should I give it a try.
While it probably wouldn’t hurt to try his routine for a while I suggest you do a search for Coach Davies and Charlie Francis on this site, they have a lot of information to give about speed training and lifting. Best of luck.
Ths would actually be slow twitch training since slow twitch fibe respond better to higher reps…Mike
Unless your friend is a long distance runner, this routine is probably counter-productive. Strength and speed is built on heavy and fast movements not high reps.
This does seem to be in opposition to the goal of gaining speed. The only thing I can think of is if all reps are to be preformed explosively. However, I think that using reps that high the weight would be to light to illicit the desired training response…ie: speed/power. There could be one other possibility. This could be a break in routine to get your friend ready for more intense/heavy lifting. You said he was only doing this for a month right?
Well, I did mention that to him but he said it would not be slow twitch training because of the speed of the rep he was doing. He said everything would be xplosive.
your friend is full of shit. Have him look up the prilepin table and read some books.
I simply fail to see how this would train the fast-twitch muscle fibers. He’s doing all the right excercises, but not at the right rep schemes. I mean twenty reps of cleans -holy shit! The weight you would have to use for that would be absolutely nonexistent. honestly - how “explosive” could you be at the 18th rep?
Unlike sentiments expressed by some others on this thread, as a general rule, I don’t have a problem with training low weights explosively with high reps. Doing so is one of the many ways to work on speed-endurance, one of the limiting factors among sprinters. I think many athletes probably do not train at various points along the force/time curve. Low force-high speed training, medium force-medium speed training and high force-low speed training all have their place. I think the training program outlined may well improve speed-endurance. If this is the goal of your friend, so be it. If your friend runs the 400m, this sounds like at least a plausible training regimine – of course I would have to know more about your friend and his sport. The Prelipin table is an excellent guideline, but it is not written in stone. An example of the recognition of this is the training of the WSB club. The WSB club uses weights which are 50-60% of 1 RM on speed days for reps of 2-3 (2 for squats and 3 for bench) despite the fact that the Prelipin table recommends more reps per set. Louie did this because he observed that 2 speed reps on squat and 3 speed reps on bench take about the same time as a max in these respective lifts. This is a good example of using independant thought and not blindly following someone else’s guidelines. As far as whether you should use your friend’s routine – that depends on what your needs are and what your weaknesses are. Even if your weaknesses and needs are the same as your friend, the best routine would be one tailor made for you, no matter how well (or poorly) the program works for your friend.
Sincerely,
Matthew A. Levy
For my 2c, I agree with Matt. While I don’t think this is a good general program, as a speed-endurance builder, its good. Except for maybe the sets of 20 cleans.
As a phase in a bigger, plan its probably a good one.
". Low force-high speed training, medium force-medium speed training and high force-low speed training all have their place. " Both low-force-high speed and medium-medium are kinda wasted for sprinters. High force-highspeed and highforce-lowspeed would in general be much better for sprinters. The prilepin table isnt written in stone, but even WSB stays w/in the ranges of it.