Training Update w/ Video

I figured that I would take a quick break from my series of posts about the USA discus and give everyone an update on my training.

After a bittersweet end to the 2011 season, I planned for a psychological rest period between the World Championships in Daegu and the Pan American Games. After a brief physical break of a week, I restarted my training for 2012 promptly. During this 1st training cycle I still considered myself on a mental rest.

Fun Program- 4 weeks

• I threw 2 days per week for 4 weeks in the grass with bare feet
• Just working on how to improve my throw in 2012
• I did high intensity cardio for 60min, 3 times per week. Was challenging and surprisingly fun!
• Did interval training with weights twice per week and mobility work as well

Results: Lost about 15lbs of extra beef and felt very healthy to start my next program which is designed to help solidify some of my movements in the ring.

Program #2- Technique Base- Current

• Throwing 8 sessions of discus throws per week
• Throwing about 130 throws daily
• 1/2 of these throws are fulls throws others are special strength
• Sprint every day/ sometimes twice
• Lift every day 30min(same exercises) light
• Over 2000 throws per month, good quality and healthy body
• Build special strength
• Be very fit for the discus throw

Currently this program has worked well and is very similar to the training that I did for 2010 when I had my best overall season. The difference here is that I am able to throw 2X per day with better quality than before. So far I have thrown a 2.7kg tool, 2k discus, and 1.8k as my base for full throws in the ring and 4k shot and 25lb plates for special strength exercises.

My history as a strength coach and athlete has taught me that for my personal attributes, I have very little translation from weight lifting to my throw. I have been rather strong for quite sometime and tend to become very big 300lb+ quickly, even when lifting for pure strength. I train much differently than many throwers, but I have found that I have a unique and special power in this regard that many do not posses.

Due to what I have just stated I lift heavily for very short intervals of 2-4 weeks throughout the year and many times I do no lifting for 6-8weeks at a time. This just depends on what I am working on the ring and how my body is responding. A great example of this is last summer between May 17 and the Daegu final on August 29th I had 2 lifting sessions, but increased my throws fitness very gradually with a large volume of high intensity throws.

Over the 1st 5 weeks I have had a lot of inclement weather and just braved the storm. Over the last few days the weather has been very nice and I am coming up in my throws. Best so far with 1.8k is a smidgen over 70m and with the 2k 65.2m with some good wind. I hope to do about 2m better within the next 2 weeks on both distances, prior to doing some heavy power training for a few weeks in February. I have not measured the 2.7k tool in training thus far.

If there are any questions or comments, I would love to hear. Thanks.