• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Archives
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sport Psychology
    • Sports Nutrition
  • STORE
3
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

Interview with World Record Holder Alicia Weber

posted on June 29, 2010

A long time ago, I set a club record for the 500m ERG Concept II indoor rowing.  It was 1:27 of pure hell.  Basically I broke the race plan down to about 47 strokes.  I started with 7 very hard pulls (to use up my ATP/CP) followed by counting 30 strokes hard but very relaxed with a good rhythm and good breathing patterns, then finally the last 10 pulls I stopped counting and pulled for dear life!

The secret is having a plan.  But what are the thoughts going through your head during the 1 minute of hell?

Do you count steps or reps?  Even UK marathoner Paula Radcliffe counts steps for a mile.

I asked Alica Weber, holder of numerous rep-based WR, this question.

SpeedEndurance:  Congrats on your 35 push up WR on med balls.  What is on your mind when performing repetitions for a WR?  Are you actually counting the reps?  Is someone yelling out every 10 reps for you?  Can you describe some of your mental strategies on your other world records (i.e. pull-ups, chin-ups)?  Tell us more on your other med ball pushups WRs!

Alicia Weber:  I gauged my pace and counted my reps in my mind for my 3 med ball pushups. In other exercises and longer exercises, I may have someone call out reps or I count and call out my reps every so often.  I block everything out and enter my own world when I am record-setting.  From my practice sessions, I knew I could do 35 reps correctly in 1-minute.  For this record, I am required to start the video at 0 with my arms in extension and end at 1-minute with my arms in extension.  My full body must be in the view of the camera at all times with no distractions.  Med ball pushups and regular pushups must be completed on a hard surface.  My legs must stay straight with a flat back (no hips sticking up and involved) with only abs working.  I am required to have a full-body side view and full-body front view.  The arms must come to 90 degrees or break parallel for pushups.  The record-setter must wear clothing that shows the arms and legs (i.e. tank top or short-sleeve shirts and shorts or other form-fitting clothes). NO long sleeve shirts and/or baggy clothes.  Proper clothing is mandatory to accurately assess proper form for the exercises.  This is a standard in any physical fitness test setting.  If any of the above rules are not followed correctly, the record attempt will be thrown out.

READ  Interview with Ashton Eaton

Due to the intense concentration and balance involved in 3 med ball pushups, I learned to find a rhythm and keep it. If I get off my rhythm or go too fast, I will lose balance.

The balance aspect puts this exercise in a class by itself. I will have a different sport psychology with this balance exercise than in pushups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, sit-ups, etc.  In general, I practice the exercises so much that I begin to formulate a rhythm.  Unlike the med ball pushups, I can learn to go really fast, while keeping proper form with all the other exercises. The muscle memory kicks in and I know what to expect in each exercise.

Official WR Double Screen of the 35 reps/min Med Ball Pushups:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=105585062

*The 3 med ball elevated leg pushups are 2 times more difficult than the 3 med ball pushups and the 2 med ball tricep pushups with the elevated leg (with the chest touching the med ball for a rep to count) are 10 times more difficult than the 3 med ball pushups.

On March 9, 2010, I completed 25 reps a minute of the 3 med ball elevated leg pushups.  Also on March 9th, I completed 6 reps a minute of the 2 med ball elevated leg tricep pushups.  Here are double screen highlights from those record exercises:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=104605863

I hope I answered the questions well and gave readers some things to think about!

  • Bio
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Latest Posts
Jimson Lee

Jimson Lee

Coach & Founder at SpeedEndurance.com
I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.
READ  Interview with Alicia Weber - Part 2
Jimson Lee

@speedendurance

Jimson Lee
Jimson Lee
Jimson Lee

Jimson Lee

Jimson Lee

Latest posts by Jimson Lee (see all)

  • Tokyo 2020 Olympic Timetable for Track & Field - April 19, 2019
  • Ron Davis & Filbert Bayi: Looking to Past for its Athletics Future [Part 2] - February 13, 2019
  • Brothers across the miles: Ron Davis & Filbert Bayi, Looking to Past for its Athletics Future - February 11, 2019
Jimson Lee

Filed Under: Fitness Testing, Interviews Tagged With: Alicia Weber

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Clyde Hart's Speed Development for Track & Field

SEARCH OR LOOKUP BY CATEGORY

RECENT POSTS

  • Tokyo 2020 Olympic Timetable for Track & Field
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 21]
  • Ron Davis & Filbert Bayi: Looking to Past for its Athletics Future [Part 2]
  • Brothers across the miles: Ron Davis & Filbert Bayi, Looking to Past for its Athletics Future
  • Neural Recovery Circuits (Part 2): Valuable Training Tool for Sprinters & Distance Runners
  • Neural Training Circuits (Part 1): Valuable Training Tool for Sprinters and Distance Runners
  • Dan Pfaff: Live in Australia – Fastrack400 [Part 1]
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 20]
  • Training 400/800 Runners Via High School Cross Country
  • Integrating Neural Training with Metabolic Training for Developing Distance Runners
Copyright © 2019. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd.