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5-Day Rotation Lifting
Merrillville High School Track and Field
Luis Lopez Throw’s coach
The goal of this type of lifting is to tear down and build up muscle using cycles of high and low volume workouts during designated periods of time. In addition, splitting
the body up and type of lifts into three categories allows one to isolate groups of muscles to measure performance to a higher degree. The workouts consist of training each muscle group twice in a week with the
third muscle group receiving a small rest each week during the rotation by training it once in the week. A goal for each workout is to perform a total of 20 sets for each muscle group at the start of training and
increasing it to 25 sets as conditioning improves. The core lifts are done first, bench/incline on chest and tricep days, squats on leg days, and cleans/snatches on back and bicep days. A combination of auxiliary
lifts will make up the rest of the set total.
The core lifts will be based on a percentage system. Depending on the amount of time prior to the season, each set will consist of 12 reps. Reps of 12 will be used for all
the core lifts for a least 6 rotations or 6 weeks for a total of 10 workouts. At the beginning of each 6-week cycle a goal is estimated for a maximum of what one can do for one set. The other workouts are based on
this one set maximum. The one set maximum is not an estimate of what one can do now, but what one thinks they may accomplish after the cycle. The graph below indicates the number of sets done at the corresponding
percentage.
Percentage %
Once the 6-week cycle is over a new estimate is set for the next cycle but for a lower number of reps. The next 6-week cycle will be reps of 8 with the following
6-week cycle moving to 5 or 3 reps depending on the amount of time in the preseason and the regular season. The 5-day rotation continues throughout the
season, but with a lower total number of sets in each workout. See the figure below. The core lifts continue using the percentage chart.
5-day rotation lifting is meant to control a thrower’s peak in strength at the right time. It therefore becomes important to schedule workouts and cycles to achieve a
peak towards the end of the season, when the Track Meets count. After each cycle is completed the “rep maximum” is reevaluated and should be set with a higher
goal in mind. The intensity of the workout is then defined by the goal rather than on how the individual feels. The psychological aspect of a predefined workout with
clear goals and measurable outcomes considerably increases the intensity of the workouts. Each and every workout has its goal, and with constant reevaluation,
and adjustment large gains in the weight room can be made consistently translating in more power in the throws.
The 5-day rotation lifting is modification of a design conceived by Larry Judge who
currently it the throw’s coach for the University of Florida. This particular design is meant for High School throwers taking into account the need for flexibility in
scheduling, ease of understanding, and athlete ability. Experience has shown that lowering a goal during a cycle has an adverse affect on intensity in the weight
room. It should only be done if the goal was set ridiculously high. The sets should be attempted and completed with a spotter no matter how many times the sets are
failed. It therefore, becomes important to have a good spotter that understands the other partner’s workout. Having a reliable partner to lift with is also helpful when
fatigue sets in. Since fatigue sets in at different times for different people it is possible for one to push the other in the workout keeping the intensity up.
One of the benefits of a 5-day rotation is flexibility in the system. 5 workouts are to be completed in a week; it does not matter when as long as they are done. This
allows for one day in the week to be missed and later made up on a Saturday. Incorporating a missed workout in the week could have the benefit of gaining a
little recovery time between workouts or scheduling a meet during the week. An example schedule is as follows:
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Monday
Chest and triceps
Tuesday
Back and biceps
Wednesday
Legs
Thursday
Chest and triceps
Friday
Back and biceps
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Monday
Legs
Tuesday
Chest and triceps
Wednesday
Back and Bicep
Thursday
Legs
Friday
Chest and triceps
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Monday
Back and biceps
Tuesday
Legs
Wednesday
Off
Thursday
Chest and triceps
Friday
Back and biceps
Saturday
Legs
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