Quitting weight training to improve sprinting

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?

crumpet wrote:

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?

I used to be world ranked in the 400. Real stuff, not old people stuff. I never did heavy weight sessions. I did explosive stuff. Power cleans etc. On the leaper machine.

Strengthening your core and keeping weight down is more important than developing unusable strength. Sure I lifted some in the off season, but more to break the program up, and always along the lines of more explosive stuff. Like hang cleans and 1/4 - 1/2 squats.

Its been known for a long time that many careers are lost in the weight room.

If you wish to run 400, focus on 300, and 150 type work outs. Learn to improve out of the blocks, and learn how to accelerate. There are more similarities in 100 m and 400 running, than 200. Worry less about strength, don't even worry about power. Focus on technique and efficiency. Focus on learning the event. Good luck.

crumpet wrote:

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?

I used to be world ranked in the 400. Real stuff, not old people stuff. I never did heavy weight sessions. I did explosive stuff. Power cleans etc. On the leaper machine.

Strengthening your core and keeping weight down is more important than developing unusable strength. Sure I lifted some in the off season, but more to break the program up, and always along the lines of more explosive stuff. Like hang cleans and 1/4 - 1/2 squats.

Its been known for a long time that many careers are lost in the weight room.

If you wish to run 400, focus on 300, and 150 type work outs. Learn to improve out of the blocks, and learn how to accelerate. There are more similarities in 100 m and 400 running, than 200. Worry less about strength, don't even worry about power. Focus on technique and efficiency. Focus on learning the event. Good luck.

Do You Even Lift? wrote:

I’m a masters age sprinter early 40’s who started sprinting a few years ago.

I’ve come from a background of general gym work and strength training, but I have a feeling it’s not really helping my sprinting.

My improvements over the last few years have been very slow although I’m at my lifetime best at the moment.

Recovery seems to be the biggest issue with heavy and explosive weight training, so dropping it should allow me to train more specifically for sprinting itself, which I can only do in low volume at the moment.

So I’ve decided to drop heavy lifting and in fact all weight training altogether, for the next 12 months to see if my sprinting results improve, 100m, 200m and 400m.

I’ll still do body weight exercises and some plyometrics but no barbell, dumbbell, or cable work.

I’m 6 ft tall and 174lbs very lean and don’t expect I’ll drop much if any bodyweight by stopping heavy weights.

Has anybody else seen an improvement with dropping heavy resistance work or lowering volume?