Strong legs land safer and push harder. Five lifts, twice a week, starting in Session 2.
Why lift
What matters is strength for your size. You are not training to look like a powerlifter. You are training to own every landing.
The five lifts
| Lift | Cue | What it builds |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet or back squat | "brace," "chest tall, knees out," "push the floor" | Force into the ground |
| Romanian or trap bar deadlift | "hips back," "flat back," "hips through" | Push-off power |
| Split squat or step-up | "front heel," "tall," "drive up" | One-leg landings |
| Hip thrust or glute bridge | "drive," "squeeze top, ribs down," "lower slow" | Horizontal power |
| Calf raise series, straight knee then bent | "up tall," "hold," "slow down" | Ankle stiffness |
Optional extra for sprinters: Nordic curl, "hips extended," "slow," "catch." You need a partner.
No weight room?
Bodyweight squats, lunges, step-ups, glute bridges, and planks. Same days, same rules.
Try this: push, then jump
Push hard into something that will not move, for a few seconds. Rest a few minutes, then do a few box jumps or squat jumps. "Push, nothing moves," "reset," "jump," "land quiet." Some athletes jump a little higher after it. We have not found a study of this in high school athletes, so run it as an experiment: test it in Session 3, three pairs on a strength day, and check your marks.
Lifting rules
- Speed first, lifting after. Our rule.
- 48 hours before your next hard day.
- Med ball throws: 4 kg for most athletes, 6 kg if you are strong, 3 kg for rotational throws.
Log every lift. If a weight moves faster than last week, that is your lab result.
Go deeper: the Sprints Coaching Handbook, strength training section, and Season Planning and Periodization for the bodyweight circuit.
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