Highland Strong

Program Overview: This program is designed for highland games athletes who are looking to improve their overall strength and throwing performance. It combines weigh training and event-specific training over a 7-week period, culminating in a competition. Structure: The program consists of two gym days per week and one field day. Gym Day A focuses on lower body exercises with some upper body accessories, while Gym Day B emphasizes upper body work with lower body accessories. Both gym days conclude with back exercises. The field day alternates between two event cycles, with slight variations in the order and inclusion of certain events. Progression: The program follows a 7-week structure that includes an introduction week, accumulation phases, intensification phases, a peak week, and a competition week. Unlike traditional programs that decrease volume as competition approaches, this program continues to increase volume, peaking in week 5. This approach aims to enhance the athlete's work capacity, which is especially beneficial for novice throwers focused on building overall strength and size. The trade-off of maintaining higher volume closer to competition is made with the understanding that the target athlete is not yet highly competitive on the field and will benefit more from increased work capacity and strength gains. Exercise Selection: In the gym, deadlifts and push presses are prioritized over squats and bench presses due to their greater carryover to highland games events. These main lifts utilize a combination of AMRAP (as many reps as possible) sets and repeated effort sets. The intensity and volume of these exercises follow a specific pattern throughout the program, gradually increasing in both aspects. Accessory Work: Accessories target chest and triceps for upper body, and hamstrings and quads for lower body. These exercises are performed at RPE 7 (rate of perceived exertion) with sets of 12-15 reps. The volume of accessory work varies significantly throughout the program, peaking in week 5 to create an overreaching effect and build maximal work capacity. Program Intensity: The fifth week of the program is particularly challenging, with high volume in both main lifts and accessories. This week is designed to push the athlete's limits and may result in extreme fatigue. Following this intense week, the volume drops off rapidly to allow for recovery and peak intensity before the competition. Target Audience: This program is best suited for weekend throwers or those who prioritize overall strength gains as a means to improve their highland games performance. It may not be ideal for advanced throwers or those primarily focused on technique improvement. Athletes looking to enhance their technical skills may need to add an additional throwing day and modify the gym portions accordingly. Customization: This program covers most highland games events but excludes the caber toss. This event can be added as needed.