Preferred Recruit · Track StandardsHigh school track and field weight room workouts
Most high school track athletes do well with two or three strength sessions a week built on squats, hinges, lunges, presses and core work, learned with good technique first. Sprinters and jumpers add explosive work, throwers lift heavier, and distance runners keep it lighter.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Preferred Recruit · built from 1,143 college programs' standards
The core lifts
- Squat or goblet squat
- Hinge: trap-bar deadlift or Romanian deadlift
- Single-leg: lunges, step-ups, split squats
- Upper body: push-ups, presses, rows
- Core work and low hops
By event group
Sprinters and jumpers add jumps, bounds and medicine-ball throws. Throwers spend more time on heavy lifts and Olympic-style lifts with coaching. Distance runners do lighter full-body strength to stay healthy.
Safety
Learn each lift with a qualified coach, add weight slowly and cut back in race weeks. Pain that changes how you move means stop and get it checked.
Common questions
Do college coaches care about lifting numbers?
Mostly for throwers. For everyone else, coaches care about marks, and lifting is how you get there.
How often should I lift in season?
Usually once or twice a week, lighter, and away from big meets.