Summer break...

[birdi_gurlie]

SO...
I've gotten 7' this year. Our team captain and my coach have a bet that I'll make it to regionals next year...simply because I work hard at it. We have 5/6 girls in the running. 1 will OBVIOUSLY make it...she's gone to states every year since sophoore year. However, that leaves 4/5 of us competing for 2 spots. :S [Honestly, I think they should allow FOUR vaulters per school, since thats how many move on to states, but that doesn't really matter.]

Any ideas for summer training?
I can probably vault once a week and I know I'm going to go to a camp [probably vaulthouse...maybe I can convince my parents to pay for 2, since it's only a 2 day camp :p{okay, .5 day, 1 day, and another .5 day...tech. 3, but I count it as 2.}]
We're making a high bar and/or trapeze-thing in my backyard.
I am going to bring my pole home over the break.
I can go to the gym pretty much whenever.
I'm running XC [as much as I hate it.] simply bc it keeps my heart in shape and if I DON'T, I'll waste time and won't go exercise...gotta get my butt off the couch [I will do the above, but yeah...]

Any ideas for summer training?
Drills/weight-lifting-routines/work outs/tips in general/etc...?

[VaultPurple]

You could have made it this year but ur team just has so many pole vaulters, so beat em or graduate one... my question for your region is how was there girls that jumped 7', 7'1", 7'2", and 7'6" all in the same meet? shouldnt the bar have gone from seven to seven six?

I know how the rule can suck with only 3 but it keeps it a little more competative. Last year at my high school we had 5 guys jump regional qualifying height but could only send 3.

As far as training Id spend all summer doing grass vaulting seeing how high I could hold from 1 left... then do sprint training, push ups, pull ups, core, high bar, maybe light weight or body weight one legged squats and stuff like that. You just got to get fast and explosive and get on some big poles.

Do cross country if you must just to build up ur leg muscles but make sure you do your own sprint training atleast twice a week to keep your legs fast.

Dont know how far u are from cary but there is an indoor vault place (http://poleflyers.com/) that is having practice on wed and saterday all year long that is putting together a pretty good group of coaches... they are partnering with HPC sports (hpcsports.com) which is a program for athletic development in all sports and the owner was pole vault coach at ARMY (Mike Young). Suposably getting Tim Macks old training partner, some 18 foot vaulter, couldnt remember the name to come out and help coach too.

may be something for you to check out once or twice over summer

[rainbowgirl28]

Do Junior Olympics and whatever other summer track meets you can find. Ask other vaulters at camp, they'll know of some. Try to do other events if they don't conflict with vaulting.

The number one thing you need to do is vaulting (obviously), but the number two thing you need to do is become faster and more athletic. Don't worry about making every day focused on track. Go play soccer with your friends or join a crossfit program or go run hills or go do gymnastics or try something new.

[birdi_gurlie]

Do Junior Olympics and whatever other summer track meets you can find. Ask other vaulters at camp, they'll know of some. Try to do other events if they don't conflict with vaulting.

The number one thing you need to do is vaulting (obviously), but the number two thing you need to do is become faster and more athletic. Don't worry about making every day focused on track. Go play soccer with your friends or join a crossfit program or go run hills or go do gymnastics or try something new.

We don't have an a Junior Olympic team or other summer track meets of ANY sort here that have vaulting. Not in our area. The camp I go to is already several hours away.

Thanks! I'll definitely try to!

[birdi_gurlie]

You could have made it this year but ur team just has so many pole vaulters, so beat em or graduate one... my question for your region is how was there girls that jumped 7', 7'1", 7'2", and 7'6" all in the same meet? shouldnt the bar have gone from seven to seven six?

I know how the rule can suck with only 3 but it keeps it a little more competative. Last year at my high school we had 5 guys jump regional qualifying height but could only send 3.

As far as training Id spend all summer doing grass vaulting seeing how high I could hold from 1 left... then do sprint training, push ups, pull ups, core, high bar, maybe light weight or body weight one legged squats and stuff like that. You just got to get fast and explosive and get on some big poles.

Do cross country if you must just to build up ur leg muscles but make sure you do your own sprint training atleast twice a week to keep your legs fast.

Dont know how far u are from cary but there is an indoor vault place (http://poleflyers.com/) that is having practice on wed and saterday all year long that is putting together a pretty good group of coaches... they are partnering with HPC sports (hpcsports.com) which is a program for athletic development in all sports and the owner was pole vault coach at ARMY (Mike Young). Suposably getting Tim Macks old training partner, some 18 foot vaulter, couldnt remember the name to come out and help coach too.

may be something for you to check out once or twice over summer

First, none of us are graduating. Second, they tied for 4th so they had to have a vault off between those two.

Okie dokie. Like I said, we're putting in a high bar and/or trapeze thing, so that'll help.

I don't live near Cary...it's pretty far away. I'll be up near there for a camp, HOWEVER, I don't have a driver's license yet and that JUST might interfere

Thanks!

[powerplant42]

BG... I have something you could do... The 80% drill that I mentioned ~6 months ago... Do that one, and the sand vaulting, high bar, and real vaulting... Get film! Stay away from the weightroom for the most part, maybe only go 3-4 times this summer. I know your physical stats, and I know that they will improve as you mature physically. You'll also build up all the vault strength you'll need for now with sprints and the HIGH BAR.

[birdi_gurlie]

I'll do a little more strength training than that, though most of it is high bar...the high bar I use is at the gym, for now.
I'm not sure about the sand vaulting [I don't have access to a sand pit over the break, and I don't think my parents would agree to bring it to the beach! ]
Can you remind me of the 80% drill again? Isn't it running 100m at 80% with the pole? And the flying 30s or something?

I don't have much access to a track...I can vault once a week, that's it...and sometimes I can't bc the vault coach can't come or there isn't a coach that day for various reasons or I'm out of town [at least 4 weeks]

I have done sand vaulting...I just haven't had the time to get it off my camera card! It will be done this week though, at least on my computer, if not youtube. [We have states...need both cards!]

[MarissaBraindead]

I'm actually having the same problem. I just started vaulting in March and have only cleared 6"6. The competition in my county that is going to be staying next year jumps from 8-9 feet. I tend to get extremely competitive even though I'm new to a sport and also have very big issues with just dropping training. I live in the middle of Maryland and if I want to go to the closest vaulting coach
1. i would have to get all the way to the bottom of Maryland and 2. i would have to come up with the money to pay for the lessons which i do have a job but i think it would conflict with the vaulting itself. So I'm trying to find a way in which i can vault a few days a week.

The one thing i could suggest to you is to talk to some of your local college coaches. I'm fortunate enough to have Coach Gittermann from UMBC Track teach at my high school. They seem have a lot more resources on things in the Track world than high school coaches do. You can also try to get people to start a club.

[birdi_gurlie]

Unfortunately, there IS no college in my area with PV...except for an hour away and my mom won't be too happy with that, lol.

There is a USATF summer club where I live...but they don't have PV, though it's practices are held at my school.

My coach knows a LOT about PV though...we've had multiple people go to states in PV...3 of 4 girls in the region that went to state were my school's. He keeps saying to add more strength...I'm working on that along with speed. And I'm TRYING to stay behind the pole, but I can't figure out how! I've been trying sand vaulting but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right...I DO have it videotaped, just not online yet.

Oh, and I'm going to the Lojo Vault Assault camp this summer.

[powerplant42]

BG, I'll say this one more time, then I'm done:

FORGET ABOUT STRENGTH TRAINING AS A FOCUS. Just jump on a high bar or go to the track instead.

As for staying behind the pole... It's a commitment thing. Start out with 0 step Jagodins in the sand... Jump up with the hands high, punch the pole UPWARD, keep the eyes up, drive the knee, finish the take-off, and then just hang on. You'll feel a slight 'rock', then your chest/stomach should close to the pole (more with 1 steps and up), and then you can spot your landing. Think about MOVING THE POLE, not 'jumping'. Watch the BTB2 DVD again.

[rainbowgirl28]

BG, I'll say this one more time, then I'm done:

FORGET ABOUT STRENGTH TRAINING AS A FOCUS. Just jump on a high bar or go to the track instead.

As for staying behind the pole... It's a commitment thing. Start out with 0 step Jagodins in the sand... Jump up with the hands high, punch the pole UPWARD, keep the eyes up, drive the knee, finish the take-off, and then just hang on. You'll feel a slight 'rock', then your chest/stomach should close to the pole (more with 1 steps and up), and then you can spot your landing. Think about MOVING THE POLE, not 'jumping'. Watch the BTB2 DVD again.

You've never met her, maybe being really weak is keeping her from improving her technique. What is technically desirable must be physically possible. Isn't that a quote from Alan?

Given how much BG loves the pole vault, I am sure she is going to work on it every chance she gets.

BG, if your coach also thinks you need strength training, by all means, do it! None of us have met you IRL or know what your weak links are. Although just from looking at your videos, you don't seem naturally gifted with much speed/explosiveness (neither was I!) so I have a feeling that listening to your coach will get you on the right track.

[birdi_gurlie]

Lol, I'm pretty dang skinny...I promise, I need the muscle. I can't even hold a flex-arm-hang for very long. When doing a pull up, I get halfway up and fall back down. Last year, when I started, NEITHER coach thought I'd be good at vaulting. It took me a month to just get over 4'6"...and a month longer to learn to throw the pole back. PLUS, I never said I wasn't going to do that too...but if I practice for a little while every day or two [depending on what I need to do every day], doing some strength training won't hurt.

Thanks Becca! Up until 9th grade, I wasn't much of a sports person...I did gymnastics for 6 months, karate for 2 years, and that's it. Nothing between 5th and 9th grade [besides 2 weeks of track once a year...not enough to really do much.] So...there wasn't much of a strength-base. Like I said, I WILL do other drills, such as sprinting and other drills [esp. when I'm out of town...though there may not be a pole to aid in training, in some cases] but the strength will make it easier to do somethings better.

Yeah...I've noticed that I've gotten faster bc of some of the stuff I've done at the gym. [Easier to apply more force/lb ratio]
Sadly, I haven't had much chance to go to the gym this semester. [Too many meet/schoolwork conflicts.]
My dad said the people at the gym have been asking about me
I'm gonna start going again this summer, as soon as this last project is done. I've worked out on the high bar at the gym or my school when I can...the one at the school is used most often; right after practice. I might do a little before XC practice at the school, depends on how early I get there.
[I need to work on endurance, just a bit. I always run the "C" work out...2-3 mi a day...not much. Just enough to help get my heart in better shape.]