Weight vests are popular fitness
tools used for increasing the amount of work required of an athlete over
a distance or set of repetitions in exercises that cannot easily be
loaded with traditional means like dumbbells and barbells. Maximum speed
sprinting can be loaded with a weighted vest if a few key principles
are followed, according to track coach Ken Jakalski.
Appropriate Loading
Appropriate
loading is essential for sprint speed development. Legendary sprint
coach Charlie Francis suggests using resistance only heavy enough so as
not to disturb running mechanics and ground contact times. Francis
suggests using a load only between 5 and 10 percent of bodyweight to
improve sprinting acceleration performance. For the average male
sprinter this is between 8 to 20 pounds. Younger sprinters with less
overall strength will require lighter loading.
Appropriate Strength
Strength
developed in the weight room can be transitioned to improved sprinting
performance using loaded sprints, according to strength and conditioning
specialist Josh Bryant. However, adding extra load to an already
jarring exercise in sprinting can be risky if appropriate background
conditioning has not been done. Protect yourself by improving your squat
ability in the weight room and performing a build up of unweighted
sprinting, says Francis.
Appropriate Duration
Russian
exercise physiologist and training theorist Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky
advocates using weighted vests during sprinting for only two to three
weeks at a time and often intermixed with unweighted sprinting for
maximum results. Any longer than three weeks, according to
Verkhoshansky, and the athlete risks developing less than ideal
sprinting technique changes.
Caution
High-intensity
sprinting, especially under load, carries with it an increased risk of
musculoskeletal trauma. Work with a qualified track and field
professional to ensure that your use of weighted vests is done with high
movement quality to ensure the best conditions for maximum safety and
performance.
References
- "The Pros and Cons of Using Resisted and Assisted Sprinting"; Ken Jakalski; 1998
- "Key Concepts in Elite Sprinting"; Charlie Francis, 2008
- "Bridge the Gap: Sprint-Resisted Training"; Josh Bryant, CSCS; 2009
- "Supertraining"; Mel Siff, PhD and Yuri Verkhoshansky, PhD; 2009
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