Seb Coe Lifting During Base Training Phase

Lifting very effective

I'm not sure about lifting, but if he did lift, it was light with lots of reps. What he did do, under the direction of George Gandy at Loughborough was box drills, high knees, and lots of other strength-building exercises. If you're really interested in Coe's training, see if you can find interviews from that period where he talks about being coached by his father and working with Gandy in the winter.

Lots of reps meaning 10?

“Weight training, including barbell curls and bench pressing, was complemented by both circuit and stage training (circuits require exercises to be performed in rotation, stage training requires the same exercise’s reps and sets to be completed before moving onto a different exercise).
Plyometric work included box jumps which developed the remarkable power, balance and co-ordination which Coe would become famed for as the 1980s progressed.”

athleticsweekly.com

Seb Coe on the training that led to his 1979 world record spree - AW

The two-time Olympic champion speaks to Matt Long about his training ahead of his three world records in 41 days

Open link

S. Coe free weight squatted with heavy weight.

He basically did CrossFit before CrossFit. Heavy lifting, box jumps, rope climbs… Get your metcon on bro

It's often quoted that Seb did "circuit" training, and I've always been a bit skeptical about that claim. In today's world, circuit training usually implies some form of HIIT, as in, short rest between bouts. The above linked article says "circuits require exercises to be performed in rotation, stage training requires the same exercise’s reps and sets to be completed before moving onto a different exercise".

As we know, training terminology changes over time and is never really set in stone. I could be totally wrong, but I think they really are just describing supersets. That is, more than one exercise paired together and alternating them. I do this all time. Squat 5 reps, do 3 box jumps. Do this for 6 sets. The difference between this and the contemporary definition of circuit training is that I take sufficient rest to perform the squats and jumps at a very high (relative) level. If you take short rest, you won't squat much weight and you won't jump as high. Doing tons of box jumps on tired legs won't improve your explosiveness very much, it will increase your ability to remain explosive under fatigue, but that's exactly what all of his running training is for. And his running training is definitely more specific to the task at hand than the weight training. IDK just rambling.

Found some old stuff, https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2892835&page=1

Maybe I'm wrong. But also, Seb wasn't known for being the most honest about all of his training.

The Loughborough Circuit of the late 1970?s
1) One warm-up loop was made on the circuit with 10 repetitions at each station, and only one rope climb.
2) Fifteen minutes of supervised stretching.
3) Two loops of the circuit were undertaken with 30 seconds spent at each station, 15 seconds were allotted for movement between stations, with an additional 10 minute recovery before susequent loops.
Circuit Stations
1) Rope Climb.
2) Reverse Splits
3) Balance Beam Rebound Jumps.
4) Back Extensions.
5) Continuous One Legged Step-ups.
6) Parallel Bar Dips.
7) Depth Jumps from vaulting boxes.
8) Push Ups with elevated feet.
9) Low Thrusts (Sprint Starts).
10) Leg Raises while hanging from wall bars.
11) Bent Knee Sit-Ups.
12) Bounding.
13) Burpees.

From page 192 of Training Distance Runners vol 1.

Half squats: ranging from 2 sets of 5x200 to 2 sets of 500 each; recovery equal to the duration of one set.

Bent-knee sit ups: alternating straight trunk curls with oblique trunk curls, alternate elbows touching the opposite knee; one set of 200 to 250 reps.

Push- ups (press ups): with feet elevated to incline the lower limbs; 5 sets of 20 reps.

Back extensions: using a chair and either a friend or some immovable object to stabilize both legs; 3 to 4 x20 to 30 reps; no more than 100 per session.

Step-ups: Done onto a box or low sturdy table; 2x10 each with alternate legs; then 2×20 each with alternate legs; done as one continuous set.

This is Coe's travel routine when gym access was not available and possibly during the racing circuit. Though the books are generalized and his father constantly misled the public on training. He cranked out heavier weight stuff (ie. 150-250 lb squats maybe?), there's pictures of it.

This isn't Seb Coe, this is from the Sub 1:50 thread and contains a lot of information from Gag's plyos and lifts for Mid Distance training. All these were compiled from different pages and I just put them all together.

Don’t forget attending Steroid Uni.

However I was responding to the question regarding how many reps in the circuit. The poster stated/asked "10?"

The book shows him squatting and states that he usually did 5 reps.

Yes these 30 pages of strength training are very general and are confusing if someone thinks that they will be able to replicate his strength program.

I really think he did pretty standard weight training most of the time. Medium to heavy weight (1–1.5xbodyweight) for low to medium reps (3–8). Maybe he did these insane circuits way way in the offseason to get a little anaerobic fitness and general conditioning in and mix it up and have some fun. But no way was he doing 500 squats and then cranking hard reps on the track.

https://us-east-1-02850030-view.menlosecurity.com/c/0/i/aHR0cHM6Ly9pMC53cC5jb20vd3d3LnN3ZWF0ZWxpdGUuY28vd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMTkvMDgvYXJ0aWNsZS0yNTE0NDIzLTAwMDNEMzBEMDAwMDBDMUQtNTAzXzYzNHg0ODAuanBnP3c9NjM0JnNzbD0x

Hard to tell what the weight is, but it's not some super light circuit. Assuming the larger plates are 25s and the smaller plates are 5s that looks like 185lb total.

Alan

Looking through Peter Coe's book Winning Running he mentions weight traing as well as the circuit traing and stage training. The 7 lifting exercises he supposedly did, with not many reps and sets, were: barbell curls, bent-arm pullovers, barbell bench press, barbell half-squat, barbell alternated front lunges, vertical rowing, barbell step ups (moderate load). Coe states they "are not maximum lifts and are designed to develop strength and endurance."

He also gives us calendars showing strength training done each time of the year. The stage/circuits were not done during the competitive season. It seems that in April he did "pyramid lifting reaching 90-95% max."

Like a lot of training until you know the vigour that it was done it is hard to make full sense.

The circuits were brutal; very competitive with loads of top class athletes ; sort of became famous at the time.

And full full front squats with 90 k sets of 5 plus as I recall.

No, he did circuits. The Loughborough circuit. Look it up.

And that photo from the AW article is Coe doing perhaps the most effective and specific form of weight training for MD/LD athletes: hills.

I went to Loughborough University and did George Gandys circuit training and weight training. Coe followed Gandys circuit sessions and weights while he was there. I was there a long time after Coe but George said to me it was still broadly the same program Coe followed.

Weight sessions were on Monday. They consisted of:

Squats, cleans and bench press all with free weights, pull ups and dumbbell work including sprinters arms and shoulder press. Some core work. The free weights would start in the base phase with 2 sets of 8-12 reps of relatively light weights to allow the body to adjust to lifting and get used to the exercises. It would then progress to 3 sets of 8 with heavier weights and then to 4 sets of 4-6 reps with heavier weights. We did lift pretty heavy.

A couple of miles warm up and warm down was a good way to introduce double days in training for people start uni who had never done that before.

As track season approached the Monday night weights would be replaced by a running drills and speed development session on the track.

Circuits were on Wednesday. I can't remember all the exercises but they were all body weight ones and included a couple of press ups variations, a couple of sit up variations, dips, box jumps, lunges, calf raises, a calf plyometric jumping exercise, glute bridges, rope climb using two ropes with one hand on each rope to pull yourself up, other some core exercises.

It would start with 2 sets of each exercise with 20 seconds on and 40 seconds recovery and gradually progress to 3 sets of 40 seconds on with 20 seconds recovery. The plyometric exercises were not done for the full time period. The circuit session was again a good way to introduce doubles with a couple of miles warm up and down around the session. Circuits stopped when outdoor track started.

Hope that helps.