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At this point we've had four weeks of training. This week is testing week. They train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Test day is Friday. The purpose of this post is to lay out how we kept the athletes moving so they wouldn't feel detrained but also have them performing optimally on test day. In my experience college athletes don't handle not training well. They start to feel weak. Whereas a 35 year old powerlifter will welcome a week out of the gym before they have to perform.
MONDAY
1. Team dynamic warm up
2. Bwt Box jump - 3x5
3. Speed squat- 6x2 - emphasis on set-up and technique. Reps should be crisp and should feel light. Straight weight so they are used to it for testing day (GPP-SPP).
4. Reverse hyper - 3x20- traction and stretch low back
5. Groiners- 3x20- keep adductor atimulated and loose
6. Abs 3x 20
7. Lay pulldown variation - 3x10 - traction mid/upper spine
8. Band mobility for lower body- 30 reps each position (Dick Hartzel routine from Westside Barbell Accomodating Resistance VHS tape)
WEDNESDAY
1. Team dynamic warm up
2. Shoulder clean 2x20
3. Speed bench 6x3@50%-emphasis on set-up and technique. Reps should be crisp and should feel light. Straight weight so they are used to it for testing day (GPP-SPP).
4. Inverted row 3x12
5. Chest supported Y raise 3x15
6. Banded side Bend - 3x20
7. Shoulder traction 30 reps each position (Dick Hartzel routine from Westside Barbell Accomodating Resistance VHS tape)
TESTING DAY:
1. Dynamic warm up- same as always. You should keep this consistent. No tricks on post test days (extra hip flexor/ Lat stretch, PAP techniques) I know this goes on in our industry, none of that bullshit here. I'm confident enough in our training and our kids efforts that we don't need it. Test order is also important. Test in the order of least amount of time under tension first to longest time under tension last.
2. Box jumps 3x5, moderate height. Just something to wake them up a little.
3.Body composition (typically done on Wednesday while speed benching)
4. No step vertical jump
5. Squat max (to a parallel box)
6. Pull-up test- some use a light band around the pull up bar and the knee if we don't think they can do 1 unassisted
7. Bench max - 95lbs for as many reps as possible (coach request)
8. Wall sit for time with 45lb plate on lap (coach request)
DONE - if these indicators improve, typically so do speed and agility. Don't over complicate things, it usually doesn't end well for you or your athletes! Here are our results...
As I mentioned in the first post of this series this was a great training block for this group...it was great because this was a great group of kids. They were focused and came to train everyday. This was also their first training block after winning the first conference title in school history. As training goes, life goes.