Seb Coe’s Strength & Conditioning – Part 5: Seven Types of Heavy Weight Exercises Performed By Seb Coe
[Article by Chelsea Ho of Sweat Elite]
Continued from: Part 4 – Seb Coe’s Circuit Training Program
Recall in the previous article that George Gandy created a comprehensive conditioning program that helped his elite athletes, including Seb Coe, rise to success. This included 3 major domains:
- Stage Training – his most famous workout was coined ‘The Loughborough Circuit’
- Traditional Weight Training
- Hill Running
In this article we discuss number 2 – that is, Seb Coe’s Heavy Weight routine.
Coe along with his Loughborough teammates would commence heavy weight training straight up in October (start of macrocycle) and are taken right through to the end of August (1 month before end of macrocycle).
Seb Coe’s Number 1 Heavy Weight Exercise: The Full Squat
This works the four quadricep muscles and the gluteus maximus, an exercise which certainly played an integral role in developing Coe’s superior leg propulsion, knee lift, foot contact and leg extension.
Start with fewer repetitions and lighter weights. Then build up to 2-3 sets of 6 reps @ 1.5 times body weight for men, or 1.25 times for women.
The movement should be precisely controlled and proper technique is key. Feet should be shoulder width apart, pointing slightly outwards, knees pointing in the same direction.
The Quads will initiate the movement, and at a particular angle or range of motion, the gluteus maximus will be recruited to bring the athlete into an upright position. When descending towards the ground, avoid bouncing at the bottom of the movement but also try not to pause.
Interestingly, when Coe managed to build up to 3 sets, Gandy said that a ‘ceiling’ had perhaps been reached at this point in Coe’s strength development.
Other Heavy Weight Exercises
To correctly assign the correct number of reps and sets to an athlete’s desired difficulty level, here are two examples: an easy session of barbell half-squats comprises of 6 sets of 2 repetitions; a difficult session of barbell bench presses comprises of 4 sets of 6 repetitions.
The following tables, images and instructions are sourced from Martin, D. E., & Coe, P. N. (1997). Better training for distance runners. Human Kinetics 1.
Barbell Curls
Use a palms-up grip, feet and arms should be spaced about 38cm apart. Inhale as you curl the bar towards the top of your shoulders. Keep the back straight with legs and hips locked. Return to the starting position in a smooth, controlled manner while exhaling.
Bent Arm Pullovers
Lie on a bench facing upwards, shoulders and head resting at the end, a barbell supported by the arms just above the chest using a palms-down handgrip a little wider than the width of the chest. Inhale as the weight is moved over the chest and face and finally lowered until it nearly touches the floor. Then return to the original position by travelling the route in reverse.
Barbell Bench Press
This activates the pectoralis muscles. If the bar grip is wide the outer pectoralis is best stimulated, if narrow then the inner pectoralis is stimulated. Inhale as the bar is lowered and exhale when pressing upwards.
Barbell Alternated Half Lunge
Adopt a palms up grip, keep the back straight, head up and feet planted firmly on the floor next to each other. Inhale while taking a step as far as possible until the thigh of the stepping leg is almost parallel with the floor. The rear leg should be as straight as possible. Step back to the starting position while exhaling.
Vertical Rowing
This exercise is best done using a machine with a bar attached to a cable, with the pulley arrangement connecting to a weight stack. It is appropriate to adopt either a wide or close handgrip. Pull the bar straight down until it touches the top of the thighs. Then return back up to starting position. The latissimus dorsi is best stimulated when the arms are locked at the elbows.
A Few Simple Tips Minimise Muscle Bulk from Weights
Seb Coe’s coach recommends keeping the sets and reps low (i.e. 3 x 6-8 reps) to minimise hypertrophy in the muscles. This would allow Coe to maintain an ideal body frame for distance running.
Also, generally speaking, it is more desirable to increase the number of reps rather than the weight itself.
Continue to: Part 6 – How To Incorporate Strength and Conditioning Into An Overall Running Program
Sources:
Martin, D. E., & Coe, P. N. (1997). Better training for distance runners. Human Kinetics 1.
Harries, I. (2002). Strength/Power Training for a World Class 800m Runner. Enduramax Running Consultancy.
Gandy, G. (1987). Indoor Conditioning For Middle Distance. First published in Athletics Coach, Reprinted in Track Technique Issue 107.
