Hello all.

I have started a new thread for my journal as things have changed massively sporting wise, hence my absence from both weight training and ESN for a few weeks.

Well basically I have quit rowing and will no longer be on their olympic development programme. I have however switched sports to bob-sleighing, the reasons being:
1. GB rowing being very unsupportive
2. My coach being a cock
3. I hate rowing

So 6 weeks ago I had a trial for the bobsleigh development programme and it went very well with me scoring high on all the tests. So from now my aim is to be in one of the squads by the new season November-Feb/March and then the Olympics is Sochi Russia 2014.

I am very exited about it as I feel I have finally found a sport that suits my physical attributes the best and something that is fun! Also I have been training with one of the 1st team crew members and his coach/dad who lives in Liverpool so there is less traveling to training venues as I can do all my sprint training in Liverpool.

Any ideas advice you guys/gals have would be great training wise as I am starting a fresh. I already have a general idea on what to do but more input would be great.

Oh wow!!!!! That's amazing!

I know absolutely nothing about that sport (apart from the fact you have to be a total loon! ) so can't offer any advice but will be here waving the pom poms in support!

Good on you Coop. It's brilliant what you are doing, and I like your attitude and approach.

Ooh, dead exciting!!!!

Be prepared to lose 2-3 inches in height due to the excessive G-Force.

I think you'll need to practice holding your breath through the higher G turns and strengthen up your neck big time and explosive sprinting off the mark. I don't know what sort of ecess you'll get to the actual equipment but you may find doing some Outdoor Karting with the faster 70 mph Karts of some benefit for neck strength and holding air.

Wow. Is there anything you don't know about Alex?! Well impressed!

Alex wrote:Be prepared to lose 2-3 inches in height due to the excessive G-Force.

I think you'll need to practice holding your breath through the higher G turns and strengthen up your neck big time and explosive sprinting off the mark. I don't know what sort of ecess you'll get to the actual equipment but you may find doing some Outdoor Karting with the faster 70 mph Karts of some benefit for neck strength and holding air.

Good lateral thinking- the only downer is that you'll never find a commercial kart that's fast enough, Coop would need to buy his own and that'll tack an easy £10k onto his training bill.

A more boring but practical way of achieving the same effect would be to get your hands on one of those neck harnesses that wrestlers use.

My friend Matt Roberts is in the GB 4 man Bobsleigh team, he would be good to get in contact with. How did you go about doing the tests?

Thanks for the input guys!
[*]Will have a look into the neck strengthening exercises
[*]Yes I am currently training with Allyn Condon who is also in the 4 man team, he has mentioned Matt. Did he used to be a hurdler?

Todays Weights

5x5s

Power Clean

50x5
60x5
80x5
85x5
90x5

Very snappy!

Squat (OLY ATG)

100x5
105x5
110x5
115x5
120x5

Bench

60x5
70x5
75x5
80x5
85x3

Bench has lost strength a fair bit, it is my weakest exercise anyway. Need to get that back on track. Other than that leg strength and oly lifts were as good as, if not better than when i left them.

I've got to hand it to you Coop. Not content with being in a tiny boat with other fearsomely heterosexual men you are now going to be bombing down the ice, with skin tight lycra on, virtually right up the arse of the guy in front of you.

Good work, I applaud thee.

Why thanks Cleavy! You can see my logic.

Wow! That is awesome. This is a sight lot more than I achieved or even thought of achieving at your age. Serious kudos!

Thanks everybody.

Alex, how do mean?

How did you go about doing the tests?

Coop_de_Ville wrote:Thanks everybody.

Alex, how do mean?

How did you go about doing the tests?

Yeah Matt was a hurdler. His brother was a 400m runner. They were both at a National level.

What i ment was how did you manage to get onto the team really?

Makes sense as your so good at oly lifts, it has a great carry over to the bobsleigh.

Well I'm not on the team yet. As far as I can gather there is three sets of trials in August, September and October where the fastest people will be put with the the best driver. Then the second fastest people get put with the second best driver and so on....

At the moment my sprint and jump times are similar to those who are currently in the second team (so I have been told) so with work I hope to make sure I get a place come the end of the summer.

I definitely agree Cheshire Cat, the explosive natures fits perfectly to the position I will be in the Bob.

Thats awesome. Well done again mate.

Coop_de_Ville wrote:At the moment my sprint and jump times are similar to those who are currently in the second team (so I have been told) so with work I hope to make sure I get a place come the end of the summer.

If anyone can do it, you can Coop

Yesterdays training

Sprint session

5x100m at 75% pace working on technique

4x30/30/30m (driving for 30, holding at 75% for 30, extend stride length for 30)

Just a pure technique session today

Weights

Deadlift (supersetted with stair jumps x5)

3x160
2x180
1x190 PB

Pleased with 2x body weight PB.

Box squat with isometric hold on the negative and exploding on the rise (supersetted with split jerk with bar x5)

3 sets x 90kg (5 reps)

Bench Press with isometric hold on the negative and exploding on the rise (supersetted with med ball bench x10)

3 sets of 60kg (5 reps)

Core circuit


Nice session, pleased with double body weight PB for the dead lift. Still debating wether to do 3 weights sessions a week as I am still focusing on speed work.
The testing doesnt start till August so I have got time, hmmmm any thoughts?

Woo!! PB!!! Great Stuff Coop.

Nice deads! Are they meant to be in your program kidda?

Cheers skid. Well I am debating on changing my programme up a bit now as my goals have changed. So in the process of getting a new one together, deads will defo be in though.

Ah right. Yeah i heard deadlifts are real useful for sprinting.

Karlos wrote:Ah right. Yeah i heard deadlifts are real useful for sprinting.

i think i heard that somewhere before too, im not actually including them in my program though.... WIll see what happends when i do my first training session after easter hols lol.

and fairplay coop, you must be pretty talented, hopeful for one olympic sport then hopeful in another! BOOM. I would love to even have a chance of gettin to olympics!

Yeh deadlifting is a must for sprinting along with cleans and squats. So my main focus of the new programme will based around those three exercises. Bench will also be important as the push from the arms that will be needed at the start.

Cheers Ash, lets hope it all works out.