January 2021 is finally in the rearview mirror, and with it, plenty of unfulfilled New Year’s resolutions. But one person who is staying committed to the goals they have set for this year is Nick Symmonds. The former Olympic sprinter has accepted the challenge of deadlifting 500 pounds, which is an impressive feat in itself, but that’s not all. He then must run a sub-5:00 mile immediately afterwards.
Symmonds plans to spend the year in preparation for this, and in his his most recent YouTube video, he shares a look at what that training looks like. Following the advice of athlete Michael Miraglia, who recently set a world record with his attempt at the same challenge, Symmonds practices running straight off the bar, going straight from a deadlift into 100-meter sprints.
He splits the workout into three rounds: first, he lifts 135 pounds and then goes into a sprint, then 205 pounds, and finally, 305 pounds. “This is going to answer three questions,” he says. “Can I deadlift in spikes? Can I still lift 305 pounds? I sure as hell hope I can. And as I build weight, does it slow me down, or am I able to maintain my speed?”
The first lift is “too easy,” and Symmonds is able to explosively transition straight into his sprint, and he completes the 100 meters in 12:83. “Coming off the bar, my legs feel great,” he says. “I’m expecting my 100 time to get slower and slower as the weight goes up.”
However, he finds that his time actually improves on the second round, and he is able to complete the 100 meters in 12:67 after lifting 205 pounds. And when it comes to the 305-pound lift, even though he’s slower to start, he hits his fastest time at 12:44.
“I was actually feeling a little lightheaded on this one,” he says, acknowledging that with his background as a competitive runner, sprinting off the bar was never going to be the toughest part of the challenge for him. “What is going to set me apart from being able to do this or not is that deadlift,” he says.
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