Critique my Lifting Program v3

coach wrote:

kid from PA wrote:

So for a third day of "explosive" exercises, how would this look?

3x Warm-up circuit of Jump Squats, Broad Jumps, A- Skips, B- Skips each for 10 reps

3x5 Power Clean

3x8 Weighted Hip Thrusts

3x8 Landmine 180s

3x5 Trap Bar Deadlift

3x10 Resisted Knee Drive

3x8 Medicine Ball Slams

I already do band walks, glute bridges, etc. as part of my hip/core/stability routine, among other things.

Way too much volume, you'll get hurt or at the least too sore to train for the next 3 or 4 days. Take away the power cleans or jump squats and either the weighted hip thrusts or trap bar deadlifts. I'm not sure what you do for resisted knee drive but I suspect your quads and psoas are getting plenty of work throughout the week.

Alright.

Circuit

3x5 Power Cleans

3x8 Medicine Ball Slams

3x5 Trap Bar Deadlift

3x8 Landmine 180s

Final bump

If you're interested in getting strong and explosive just focus on some compound movements (squats, deadlifts, dips, chin ups, over head press etc). Do them about three times a week. And, do about 3-6 reps for several working sets. If you want more info there are some good YouTube channels on lifting Alan Thrall and Jason Balaha Fitness are two good channels on YouTube. No BS, just get in there do some compound movements.

Lydiard Cerutty wrote:

If you're interested in getting strong and explosive just focus on some compound movements (squats, deadlifts, dips, chin ups, over head press etc). Do them about three times a week. And, do about 3-6 reps for several working sets. If you want more info there are some good YouTube channels on lifting Alan Thrall and Jason Balaha Fitness are two good channels on YouTube. No BS, just get in there do some compound movements.

I love Alan Thrall, that beard is epic.

A runners strength program should be lower body strength and explosiveness focused. Upper body work kept at a minimum.

How about:

Box jump: 3 sets of 5

Trap Bar Deadlift: 5/3/1 protocol

Front Squat: 5/3/1 protocol

Pullups/Dips 3 x 12, 10, or 8, weighed or assisted as needed.

Assuming the lifter is not brand new. If so then progress accordingly from bodyweight movements to lifter weights (2-3 x 10-15) to learn form and function over 1-2mo.

Box jump can be progressed to depth jump and single leg jumps.

Trap Bar Dead and Front Squat are relatively safe variations which are “self correcting” in a sense. A bad front squat you just end up dropping. It’s really hard to do a bad trap bar deadlift and it won’t leave your back sore for days like a conventional deadlift could. Running with a sore back is the worse thing ever lol.

Alan

Thank you so much Alan and LC!

I personally prefer back squatting much more, so I don't plan to change that, but I could move to 5/3/1.

How many times a week do you recommend, and how much weight in terms of percentage (lighter and more explosive or heavier and slower)? Also, if I'm doing trap bar deadlifts, should I be doing RDLs to cover the hamstring work?

I always once a week do a squat variation. Especially the front squat with how it engages the core, more emphasis on the quads and like how Alan said it is a self correcting exercise.

On RDLs and other accessory exercises, you can do them. But as a beginner you don't need to do too much other than your main lifts.

On percent of weight you should do. First, never go to failure. It is better to do half the reps with a weight than to go to failure i.e. if you can do 10 reps with a certain weight, but the last 2 reps are a real struggle, just do 5 reps. It's like a track session you never do intervals to failure. You always(or at least you should) leave room in the tank where you know you could easily do a few more.

On how to do the reps: Focus on exploding through the rep. And,if you're deadlift don't bounce it. It's called a deadlift, lift a dead weight. No bouncing. Also, pause reps on other movements is a excellent way to prevent cheating and bouncing the weight. For example, if you bench pause for a moment at the bottom than explode through the rep.

How often should you lift? Depends, in the off season about three times a week. During the season just once or twice.

Also, I agree with Alan on upper body movements. Your a distance runner, so you don't need too much. Just enough for balance. So, just a few chin ups, overhead and dips is about all you need.

So like an A/B split performed 3 times a week in the offseason and twice a week in season?

I also have to do bench press and cable rows because my coach requires it, so those have to stay. Those are the two mandatory exercises for reasons unknown. I could probably convince him to drop the cable rows, but they work as a counter anyways.

I tried to put one together below:

A:

3x5 Power Clean

Superset: 3x5 Bench Press/Cable Rows

3x8 Bulgarian Split Squat

Superset: 3x8 Overhead Dumbbell Press/Pull Ups

3x10 Broad Jumps

B:

3x5 Squat

Superset: 3x5 Bench Press/Cable Rows

3x5 Trap Bar Deadlift

Superset: 3x8 Dips/Chin Ups

3x8 Single Leg RDL

And then progress to 5/3/1 after a few months on Squat, TBDL, and maybe Power Clean?

Don't drop the cable rows, you need a horizontal pull, you need an exercise that retracts the scapula and externally rotates the shoulders to counter your other movements.

coach wrote:

Don't drop the cable rows, you need a horizontal pull, you need an exercise that retracts the scapula and externally rotates the shoulders to counter your other movements.

Yeah, like I said I like the counter effect (and I like doing the exercise itself) so I'm keeping it around.

I also don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, I find all of these exercises and lifting in general fun to do and I really enjoy doing them in (almost) the same way I enjoy running.

Glad to read that you enjoy lifting, learn lifts that will help you get strong and athletic. You're an athlete not a distance runner.