Sergey Litvinov Leg Workout Myth

UPDATE: It turns out this workout is an urban legend among the throwing community and did not actually happen. Sergey Litvinov’s son confirmed this. The team at Throwers Unite apologises for the wrongful information provided.  Despite Sergey Litvinov not using this workout we still believe that it may be beneficial to some of our readers. As a result we have left the original article untouched. 

Sergey Litvinov, an olympic gold medallist in the Hammer Throw had a rather eccentric training methodology.

One of the most notable workouts consisted of a simple routine.

The workout consisted of:

• 3 Sets
• 8 Front Squats with 410lb ( 185kg )
• Followed by a 75 second 400 meter run.

The workout seems simple, but is brutal.

A member of Throwers Unite recently described the agonising experience

[quote_center] “I would rather squat 10 sets of 10 than do these.” [/quote_center]

So how exactly did this routine allow Sergey Litvinov,  a  5′ 10″ 200lb ( 90kg ) athlete to achieve his explosiveness?

The Science

Through this exercise Sergey Litvinov was working his fast-twtich fibres with a low-speed contraction and high-force movement in the squat and then working the high-speed, high-force contraction component in the sprinting portion of his routine.

These contrasting movements allow the neural pathways to be maximally activated and likewise produce maximal force.

This allowed him to develop fast, explosive power that translated into his throw. Ultimately leading him to throw 86.04metres.

Found this article interesting? Or have tried this routine?

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