Do top collegiate teams D1 lift weights?

yes, they lift.

Snortner wrote:

yes, they lift.

^^

yeah, not all lift--but a lot/most do something.

Yes, most good programs lift. Dont get your panties in a bunch because of the lifting program your coach is subscribing. You answered your own question when you stated that most of the athletes on your team are making big gains. Must be working right?! Most runners are REALLY weak, and could use some "higher wieight" type lifting routine. Its not going to magically destroy your ability run. Conversly it will likely give you much more power and core strength.

The importance of lifting and type should depend on the athlete's needs. Nothing pisses me off more than the one-size-fits-all approach that seems to predominate all these types of discussions. Individualize the programs (including weights/circuits, plyos,etc.) and more top-level athletes will emerge from more College programs than currently appears to happen. I know that some coaches/programs actually do this - but it really is surprising how few that really is given the financial resources (for good facilities and supposed coaching) available in the NCAA.

In other words some may need more lifting (see Coe) depending upon basic body-type (ectomorph vs mesomorph) and event range (short middle-dist 800 vs distance 10k+) and basic speed (ST/FT), and some may require different means of strength development (circuits - see De Oliviera) or relatively little (Snell).

1. Yes, all the top programs do some sort of lifting, whether it be prescribed by a lifting coach or what the athletes' deem necessary for themselves on an individual basis. It can range from HW-LR which you are describing to more basic bodyweight exercises which utilize LW-HR dumbbells,etc...This is all done as supplementary work to improve core strength and as a method of some injury prevention. Elite distance runners lift as well.

2. I recommend you stop reading so closely into what your coaches are prescribing you to do in training and just go with the flow. Of course it's never ideal to blindly follow a training regimen, but when overthinking things and forming your own stubborn opinion about how things should be done, you tend to step on other's heels (which seems to have happened with your former coach). So just do what your coach tells you and seek out the improvement. Otherwise, get out of the NCAA and do the training you think is the best combination of lifting and running.

I ran distance at a big ten school and we never lifted once. We did a lot of core workouts with push-ups but no lifting weights. I never understood that I think lifting done the right way is very beneficial.

you must be a freakin idiot. honestly, a freakin idiot. You do know that lifting prevents injuries right? unless you are, i dunno, having some type of wieghtlifting competition, you are getting huge benefits HUGE. it stregthens your core and other musles in ways that running cannot. I know I spend about 1-2 hours a day in the weightroom. YOU JUST CANNOT BE YOUR BEST and aviod the weights. Plus, then you might actually be able to pick up chicks BOOM ROASTED

I don't know if all D1 programs lift, but the ones I am familar with do and all elite athletes that I know of lift. However, not knowing what you are doing with weight training is probably worst than not lifting at all. And, as someone stated, lifting should not be a one size fits all approach. The best approach is when lifting is tailored to the individual needs of an athlete. Most injuries occur when there is an in balance or weakness in a certain area and some sort of weight training is usually precribed. You don't always have to lift weights, I am talking about strenght training in general.