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Thursday, 02 September 2010 15:01 |
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The importance of correctly programming one's training cannot be overemphasized. Many times training advice is offered that is quantitative, very specific, and most often takes only a short term approach. As a result, one is often presented with a "one size fits all" training regimen that yields at best temporary gains and at worst leads to a fall in the standard of progress. The purpose of this article is to outline a more general approach. Five basic areas will be considered. They include:
1) Primary Aims in Programming Training
2) Models for Structuring Annual Training
3) Practical Principles of Programming
4) A Sequence for programming Annual Training
5) Managing the Training Process
Hopefully, the interested reader will come away with an enhanced view on how to more effective program either their own training or that of their students.
Primary Aims in Programming Training
1) The aim of exploiting the current adaptive reserves of the body, which is associated with the organization of loading based on the characteristics of adaptation to specialized training. Within the annual cycle, one plans the macrocycles, their specific objectives and the contents, volume, and organization of loading necessary to achieve these objectives. The macrocycles should be incorporated into the years training system so that the special work capacity peaks at the time of the athlete's most important competition. It is appropriate to fit at least two large macrocycles into the annual cycle, even in those sports which have one main competitive period and use mono-cyclic periodization.
2) The aim of preserving the training potential of the loading, which is associated with systematically increasing the intensity and specificity of the training influence, according to the rise in work capacity. This is achieved by applying the conjugate sequence system of organizing loading of different primary emphasis.
3) The aim of concentrated use of extensive, specialized, uni-directional loading to stimulate the body to significantly raise it's special physical preparedness. In order to promote steady, functional adaptation, the training influence should be of optimal intensity, frequency, and duration. The method of concentration may be applied to loading of any primary emphasis. It is particularly effective for special strength loading which can serve as a relatively independent block in the annual training scheme. It's purpose is to create a functional base for the subsequent special preparation associated with perfecting technical skills and developing speed or special endurance.
4) The aim of exploiting the delayed training effect of concentrated strength loading is primarily to determine systematic ways of regulating the general volume of loading in the annual cycle and effectively use specialized strength work to create favorable conditions for improving technique, speed, and competitive preparedness.
5) The aim of transcending the emphasis of Special Physical Preparedness, which stresses the key role of this training in improving the performance of highly qualified athletes. This aim is associated with organizing training where SPP precedes in-depth technique or speed work.
6) The aim of modeling competition activities is associated with reproducing training work that typifies competitive conditions, especially regarding the execution of sporting actions at the high intensity that is encountered in competition. This is a very effective form of special training, improving the athletes physical, psychological, technical-tactical, and competitive
These aims form the foundation for devising general strategies for organizing training and establishing a definitive method of programming training quantitatively. However, adherence to these aims will lead to success only if all the preceding preparation has been systematic and the athlete has achieved well balanced technical and special physical preparedness. To achieve these aims, one must institute measures that take into account actual conditions, the individual characteristics of the athlete,and the specifics of the sport.
Models for Structuring Annual Training
Two types of models are distinguished: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative model describes the dynamics of the athletes state (the functional indicators) which can include but need not be limited to: maximal strength, power, explosive strength, muscular endurance, and aerobic capacity. And the most important parameters of the training means which can include but need not be limited to: average intensity level, tonnage, plyometrics, running (aerobic,anaerobic, and speed), circuit training with medicine ball, technique and the interconnections of the components of the training process (i.e. concentrated loading and the phasic structure of the mesocycles and microcycles). The quantitative model contains all numerical aspects of the composition and organization of training in microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles such as calculation of volume, intensity,and duration of stages and the loading distribution indifferent intensity zones.
1) The specific months of the year are not designated. Each model consists of about 11 months since, on average, one month is allotted for the final transition period.
2) Models of systems of training construction include two components for each sporting group: a model of the dynamics of the athletes state (functional indicators) and a model of the program of loading (training means). The scheme of training construction in each sporting group is based on that periodization regime of annual training which best characterizes it.
3) The model of the dynamics of the athletes fitness state includes the most important functional indicators which reflect special work capacity. One can use any method which enables the coach to measure the values of these indicators.
4) All models utilize the principle of concentrated special strength loading, which elicits the delayed training effect. The strength loading is represented by blocks which are timed to occupy specific stages of the annual cycle.
5) By describing the features of training organization, the models present the most desirable trend in the distribution in the volume of loading of different emphasis over the annual cycle and the variation of this loading over time. However, this variation is not precise. The use of blocks should not create the impression that the concentrated loads are applied suddenly at peak intensity according to some step function: the actual loading follows a concentrated wave pattern which gradually reaches a peak and then subsides in volume.
6) The boundaries of the stages and the dates of major competitions in the given model are based on the most typical schemes of events in each sport. However, if the actual calendar is taken into account, they can vary somewhat so as to fulfill the general principles of loading organization.
Practical Principles of Programming
1) Organization of training should provide favorable conditions for promoting functional adaptation of the body within the constraints of the competition calendar. The calendar should be coordinated with the periods and durations of the macrocycles. The contents of each of these stages is determined so as to enhance the current adaptive reserves (CAR) of the body.
2) The optimal period for enhancing the CAR is about 20 weeks for the efficient loading of highly qualified athletes. However, the period of enhancing the CAR can be increased or decreased over a small range, which requires an appropriate increase or decrease in the concentration of loading. It is important in this case not to exceed the optimal time limit, since excessive intensification of training can disrupt adaptation.
3) To determine the boundaries of the macrocycle, one should be guided only by the dates of the main competitors. This rule should not be broken for any reason, including the desire to demonstrate impressive results in the beginning of the season.
4) There is some difference between the contents of the two macrocycles in the annual cycle. The loading of the preparatory phase is more specialized and intense in the second macrocycle than the first.Therefore, the first macrocycle should always be considered as the foundation for the second. The interest of intermediate competitions should not alter this objective.
When planning the annual cycle one should be aware of the detrimental effect that competitive loading has on the athletes state, since it leads to serious exhaustion of nervous energy. Therefore, during the transition to the next macrocycle, it is necessary to include a recuperation period, the duration of which is determined individually, depending on the difficulty of the competitive stage.
A Sequence for Programming Annual Training
1) Determination of improvement in sporting results and their dates of achievement.
This is the primary objective of training: this refers to the prescription and sequencing of specific training loads of a particular intensity, volume, and duration to achieve a predicted performance goal in a given competition. Here, a multi-faceted objective assessment of the athletes potential and the competition calendar are the basis for making the calculation. One takes into consideration the progress of the athletes preparation during the preceding training stages and those changes which are realistically feasible in the current year at his level of mastery. The calculations rely on a predictive model of the dynamics of the sports results relative to the competition calendar.
2) Determination of the necessary changes in Special Physical Preparation and Technical-Tactical proficiency.
This is necessary for ensuring that the athlete achieves the desired performance goals in the given competitions. The calculations are based on an objective assesment of the athletes special preparedness, analysis of the rate of improvement in functional capabilities in the preceding stages and the identification of those capabilities that need to be enhanced. The calculation is expressed in the form of specific goals, relative to the functional indicators and the characteristics of technical proficiency which must be achieved in the most important competitions. Subjective ratings of perceived effort can be very useful in offering further guidance.
3) Formulation of qualitative models of the dynamics of the fitness state in the annual cycle.
The competition calendar, the level of special physical preparedness and the dates of the main competition form the basis for this calculation. The calculation is reflected in the trends important functional indicators so that these indicators peak at the main competitions.
4) Selection of the composition of the training means and methods.
This stipulates the required increase in special physical preparedness and technical-tactical proficiency during all stages of training. The determination is made by assessing the training potential of the means and methods, as well as the desired increase in special physical preparedness.
5) Calculation of the general volume of loading for all the training means.
This is necessary for meeting the objectives of the physical, technical-tactical, and competition preparation of athletes. The accumulated effect of the loading in all preceding stages and the chosen forms of loading organization of different primary emphasis form the basis for making this calculation.
6) Division of the annual cycle into macrocycles.
This is determined by the structure and strategic objectives of the periodization regime. The calculation is made by taking into account the competition calendar and the dates necessary for optimal increase in the body's current adaptive reserves.
7) Calculation of the distribution of loading over the annual cycle.
This involves all of the means used to achieve the desired dynamics of the fitness state of the athlete. The calculation is based on careful analysis of the preceding training stages, the general volume of loading in each stage, the principal model of training construction for the specific sport, and the major objectives of programming training. The calculation is expressed in terms of the quantitative dynamics of the loading imposed by the fundamental training means over the annual cycle.
8) Organization of training loads over the macrocycle.
The calculation is based on the principles of macrocycle construction, the characteristics of the delayed training effect of concentrated strength loading, and the forms of organization of loading of different primary emphasis. The calculation is expressed in the form of a detailed training program giving the specific distribution of loading during each of the mesocycles which constitute the macrocycle. Provision should always be made available for introducing contingency changes in programs necessitated by unforeseen incidents such as injuries, changes in competitive timetables, and personal trauma.
Managing the Training Process
1) One should first select the most informative fitness characteristics in order to assess special physical preparedness, technical proficiency, and psychological state of the athlete. These characteristics can be obtained by employing special lab methods, control exercises, or standardized field tests.
2) Control over the course of training can only be effective if one regularly analyzes the dynamics of the athlete's state. When doing this, (a) Testing should be done regularly once or twice a month, independent of the periodization of the structure of the training stages, (b) the testing procedure should not be excessively demanding on the time and energy of the athlete, (c) the testing conditions must be kept constant to exclude the possibility of random factors affecting the results, and (d) the testing must have functional relevance.
3) Management requires a systematic comparison (over monthly periods) of the actual results and the target goals of the training. If there is a discrepancy, it is necessary to carefully analyze the situation, determine the cause for such a discrepancy and revise the training program.
One should consider yet another important aspect of managing training, namely the keeping of meticulous training records. The documentation records all of the parameters of training and should provide clear and accessible application of its material, especially the principal strategic features of training construction.
1) A principal model of the annual training.
The model should clearly and concisely reflect the general strategy and the principal organization of the training.Therefore, it should be constructed in diagrammatic form. The principal model provides a good school for the coach's professional thinking and at the same time the graphic form of the model makes it easy for the coach to convey his ideas to pupils. The extent to which they understand his ideas will largely determine the success of the training. The recording of training loads and the calculation of loading intensity, volume, and distribution of loads in different intensity zones should follow a precise format.
2) A quantitative model of the training scheme.
This is calculated for the individual or the group on the basis of the principal model and includes the computation of the dynamics of the most important indicators of special physical preparedness relative to the competition calender. It stipulates the general annual volume of loading for all of the training means and its distribution by months, with the aim of achieving the planned dynamics of special preparedness reflected by the model. The annual cycle of training known to be successful with qualified athletes can serve as a model of the necessary training structure.
3) A program for the macrocycle of preparation.
This is worked out on the basis of weekly and monthly cycles in the organization of the loading. The chosen mesocyclic distribution of means of different primary emphasis takes into account the objectives of the macrocycle and the individual characteristics of the athlete's preparation. These are the fundamental working documents which the coach uses organize and control the training.
4) The individualized long term chart.
This describes the long term dynamics (volume, intensity, and duration) of the training load executed with the fundamental means, as well as the corresponding changes in the functional indicators which reflect the athlete's fitness state and sporting results. The composition of the chart is an important condition for the control and management of training, and chiefly for the analysis of its effectiveness and for making recommendations for future planning.
It is important not only to record the quantitative indicators of the athletic state, but also the athlete's own perceptions of how he feels daily in executing the prescribed training exercises, alongside observations of general state of health and motivation. Often, the onset of a cold, loss of appetite, mood changes, or altered sleep patterns may be more informative than mathematical calculations in detecting over-training in a timely manner. Finally, the chart would always make provisions for contingency training to cope with the unexpected or unplanned, such as soreness, injury or illness.
(This article was written by the late Jim O'Malley)
Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting And Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the Los Angeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Thursday, 02 September 2010 08:05 |
Many of the email questions I receive about Olympic Weightlifting revolve around the Snatch. And more specifically, how one should lift the bar from the floor. Never wanting to disappoint, here is a brief, technical, description of what should occur during the execution of the first pull in the Snatch:
The starting position in the Snatch:
The starting position will depend on the lifters height, body proportions, and the grip width. These variables must be manipulated so that the shoulders are over or slightly ahead of the bar with the bar over the metatarsal-phalangeal joint (the 2nd joint of the toe.) Upon lift off, the knees should be at an angle of approximately 80-110°, depending upon body segment ratios. Lifters with short extremities and long torsos will have a smaller starting knee angle than lifters with long extremities and a short torso.
The Pull
The bar is lifted from the floor predominantly by leg extension, with aid from the hips and ankles. The hips and shoulders must rise at the same speed. The torso will move upward and slightly forward as the bar shifts backwards approximately 1.5 - 4.5 inches towards the lifter, depending upon the height of the athlete. The legs will extend until the knees reach approximately 145°, the torso approximately 30° relative to the platform, and the shins are vertical. At this point the bar will be at the lower third of the thigh with the weight balanced toward the heels but not completely on the heels. This concludes the 1st pull.
The End Of The First Pull
In subsequent articles I will describe the rest of the phases of the Olympic lifts as well as methods to improve range of motion of the working joints.
If you found this informative and want to really learn what’s going on during the Olympic lifts check out one of my upcoming Seminars. Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting And Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the LosAngeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Wednesday, 25 August 2010 14:15 |
We live in a world of instant gratification. Where patience and progressive development are thought of as archaic concepts. We want it, and we want it now. The world of sports is not immune to this ugly reality. Coaches are constantly being fired for not producing championships right away. Teams mortgage their future and trade away their prospects for more seasoned players so they can win right now. There is one thing we can learn from the results of this attitude towards development; it doesn’t work. There are no short cuts to sustained success.
“A Journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”
Lao-tzu, the first philosopher of Chinese Taoism
The world of Weightlifting have had this instant gratification attitude creep into the depths of its psyche. Weightlifting Coaches have become fixed on the outcome and have forgotten about the process.
A coach is a teacher. We are not teaching our athletes how to find the coefficient of restitution for balls dropped from a height of 72 inches however, much like the aforementioned biomechanics problem, we are teaching them how to properly and effectively reach the correct solutions for their physical problems. The most effective method for solving any complex problem, is to identify the desired end result, then determine what steps are needed in order to reach said result. This goes for any problem, whether you are trying to figure out how high a ball is going to bounce after you drop it or how to get an athlete stronger and more powerful.
Putting a bar in an athlete’s hand and telling them to lift it with out proper instruction is not teaching; it’s butchery.
Proper athletic development is a process that not only takes time to occur but also takes a skilled coach to implement. The questions then become, what is the correct process and what is a skilled coach.
The Correct Process
Some definitions first:
Process- A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.
Series- A number of events of a similar kind or related nature
coming one after another.
If we combine these two terms we get: A process is a number of events of a similar kind or related nature coming one after another to achieve a particular end.
This is in essence what the process of proper athletic development should be. An athlete comes to you with a particular goal or “end.” It is then up to you to guide them through the proper steps so that they achieve the desired goal.
Volumes have been written on the different types of systems that can be used for developing athletes. Unfortunately, this information has gone largely unread or ignored by many coaches involved in Olympic Weightlifting even at the highest levels. However, the scope of this discussion is not what system works best, but what part of the system is often overlooked.
Development in Olympic Weightlifting
I have been involved in Olympic Weightlifting as an athlete and coach for over eighteen years. I can say unequivocally that the VAST MAJORITY of the athletes I have seen have correctable technical flaws in their lifting technique that go uncorrected. More disturbing, many of these athletes have been taught incorrectly by so called qualified coaches. It doesn’t matter if you have comprised your training program using the NASA supercomputer, or had you’re equipment forged by the same craftsman that made Thor’s Hammer, if your athletes are not efficient with their lifting movements, you are depriving them of the full benefit weight training provides as well as increasing their chances of injury.
Just Because You Can, It Doesnt Mean You Should
The ultimate goal of a Weightlifting coach is to elicit the best possible performance from their athletes. In Weightlifting it seems easy to determine if what a coach is doing is working. If your athlete lifts more than the next guy/gal, what ever you are doing is working. Lets examine this rational. According to this approach, whoever is on the medal stand at the National Championship or qualifies for an international team must have the best coach. This is not necessarily so if you take into consideration the genetic potential of the athlete. I will make the assumption that the genetics of the population of this continent are not dramatically different than those of other continents. Therefore the genetic potential of the US population is at least as great as other populations. However, as a country we do not perform anywhere near the level of other countries, and haven’t for quite some time. Than why is it our best athletes, who possess the same genetic potential as their international cohorts, cant compete at the international level? The first thing people look to is drugs. There is no doubt that drugs play a role in the landscape of Weightlifting. Would a systemized drug program propel us to the top of the Weightlifting world? The answer is absolutely no! Drugs will not solve the three most important and overlooked variables as it relates to Weightlifting success
1. The program design used to develop juniors
2. The loading parameters used on juniors.
3. Technical efficiency of the lifters.
These variables are being missed used due to lack of understanding of the process of proper athletic development. Many coaches in this country lack the physical science background that is required to understand the physiological effects training stress has on the biological and mechanical systems of the body. Couple that with inability to discern between proper and improper technique, and it is no surprise we perform as we do.
Program design and loading parameters
It first takes years of training with progressively higher volumes with sub maximal loads, using not only the classical Olympic lifts but basic weight training movements as well, to effect the necessary changes in the connective/muscle tissue and endocrine system needed to withstand the training loads required to excel at the highest levels of sport. It can takes up to four years to elicit the changes needed in order to move on to more specialized training. This crucial phase of development is called the Process of Achieving Sports Mastery or PASM. It is in this phase, the athlete “trains to get into shape to be able to train.” A wide variety of exercises should be implemented at low to moderate intensities. During this time the classical lifts and their variations are taught and perfected as well. The exercise distribution over the PASM period should start with a predominance of strength exercises (roughly 75%) such as squatting variations, pressing variations, pulling/posterior chain variations, as well as specific wrist, elbow, rotator cuff, and ankle exercises. During this time the athlete should be taught how to perform the Olympic lifts. The distribution of Olympic lifts in the beginning of the PASM period should be roughly 25% of the overall volume. This 75%-25% ratio should gradually begin to flip flop thru out the four year PASM period culminating with an athlete that is prepared to handle a much higher training load (intensity x volume).
Two things should occur during this PASM period if the training is implemented properly. First, as mentioned earlier, the athletes physiology will change. Their muscles will be strong and balanced. Their bones will have thickened. Their actual connective tissue will have strengthened along with where it attaches on the bone. Their work capacity would have improved to the point where they would to be able to handle and recover from more intense training load.
Technical efficiency of the lifter
Second, the athlete will have created a “habit” According to motor control research; it takes approximately ten thousand repetitions of a movement to create a consistent, unconscious movement pattern. Over the four years the athlete will have completed approximately ten-thousand reps in the Olympic lifts and three or more times that in the strength movements. Their technique in all movements should be biomechanical efficient and consistent. At this point there should be little or no technical deviation on lifts in the upper intensity ranges.
However, if you examine the developmental method used by many Weightlifting coaches, it expresses none of the characteristics of PASM. Instead coaches rush their unprepared, under trained athletes to the competition platform. These athletes are often weak, unbalanced, underweight, and technically inefficient. Because of this poor implementation of PASM, athletes are not developing past their first 4-6 years of training. This is often due to the accumulation of chronic injuries, or they become limited by the biomechanical flaws in their lifting technique.
To be continued...
Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightliftingand Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the LosAngeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Monday, 23 August 2010 09:28 |
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Weightlifting is one of the few endeavors both the scientist and artist can fall in love with because its beauty lies in both realms. The scientist is drawn to its order. It has a distinct beginning and desired end, and everything in the middle can be measured with precision. Based on these measurements, the scientist can describe with great accuracy the best way to achieve this end. The artist is drawn to its beauty. There is a process of deliberately altering variables, which will create a desired outcome. How skillful the artist is with recognizing which variables need manipulating and how to manipulate them will determine how beautiful the end result will be. A great coach is both scientist and artist.
The artistic aspects of coaching Weightlifting such as training design and the manipulation of training variables are subjective. How a coach handles these aspects will depend heavily upon the specific discerning interpretations of his/her own experiences. These interpretations will be unique to a particular coach. The acute and chronic responses/adaptations to training will vary from athlete to athlete making it impossible to develop a consistent and precise “best” method for success.
In contrast, the mechanics for lifting a barbell properly are 100% objective. It’s important to note, mechanics are not the same as one’s technique. Mechanics of Weightlifting are the forces involved with lifting a barbell and the causes behind them. Technique is the visual manifestation of these forces. Causes behind force production such as gravity, mass, and distance can be measured with precision. Using the aforementioned constants, variables involved with the mechanics of force production such as joint angles, bar trajectories, and balance can be manipulated in order to establish the most efficient pulling mechanics. In the late 70’s after decades of measuring and analyzing hundreds of thousands of their own athletes, the Soviets were able to quantify the optimal pulling mechanics.
The Soviets used the scientific method for establishing their conclusions. The results were tested with carefully documented, controlled experiments, which could be repeated by any other researcher. They did not rely solely on observation, hearsay or conjecture. Since the late 70’s, sport scientists from around the world have performed a multitude of research on pulling mechanics. Because humans haven’t evolved since the 70’s, and the effects of gravity haven’t changed, researchers have not found a more effective way of pulling a bar than was found by the Soviets.
Although some top lifters may have observable differences in “technique”, this is not an indication of new lifting mechanics. As I have shown the mechanics of pulling haven’t changed. This much is fact. The observable differences in “technique” have to do with an individual’s peculiarities such as anthropometry or leg/torso strength distribution. These peculiarities will dictate actions, which will suit an individual lifter’s needs. The fact is, regardless of what we can observe, the mechanical action of the lifter/barbell complex for the top lifters around the world remains unchanged.
I’m not going to discuss the details of pulling mechanics. These can be easily found in translated Soviet manuals or ANY biomechanical research done over the last thirty years. What cannot be found is one study showing support or even the existence of any other new, more efficient way of lifting a barbell which some US coaches claim exists.
Until genetic engineering yields athletes with identical DNA, technique will continue to vary among lifters. And, until the laws of physics change, observable technique may be called “catapulting”, “Triple Extending”, or “Triple Lindy” - the fact remains, the forces involved in lifting a barbell and the causes behind them are the same now as they were 30 or more years ago.
The fall of communism allowed for the professionally trained Eastern Block coaches to emigrate. Armed with the tools of both scientist and artist, they teach the very mechanics some US coaches arrogantly disregard or don't understand and continue to transform mediocre Weightlifting nations into powerhouses while… this absurd debate lingers on.
Perhaps that has more to do with the current state of US Weightlifting than the triple extension.
Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting
and Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the Los
Angeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to
all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Thursday, 19 August 2010 11:16 |
Paraphrasing Dr Mel Siff from Facts and Fallacies Fitness, the term Functional Training came out of the scientific and therapy worlds from the terms “structure” or form referring to the "phenomenon of growth of the substance forming the organism, and function referring to the way in which the organism operated."
If we apply these definitions to training for sport, structural training would be directed towards "enhancing, maintenance and growth of the various systems of the body, whereas functional training would refer to the way these systems operate and produce motor output."
Out of this work the principle of form follows function emerged which we find today in many forms of Physical Therapy.
What Function Does This Work...DoggyStyle?
So now these so called "Functional Training" experts are confusing training for healthy athletes with "functional training" Just because they are not using machines, balancing on a ball and training in multi-dimensional space does not necessarily make it functional. This is not how the functional process was ever defined and it is not an accurate description of the training processes that are intended to enhance athletic or sport performance.
What is more alarming is that these same Functional freaks have gone ahead and labeled some training functional while saying other training is nonfunctional.
Doesn’t function really come down to the requirements of the activity? If you need to rehab a torn labarum gotten while performing stupid human tricks on a swiss ball, than perhaps jerking from behind the neck would not be an appropriate choice of exercise. But does that make it a non-functional exercise? It makes it the wrong exercise for the job at hand.
That being said, it is a fact that the Olympic Lifts produce the highest power output in the human body. I would say that power is a coveted trait in sports, then why is it not included in the “functional training” arsenal. There are companies dedicated to “functional” training for athletes, yet if you take a look at the information they are producing, you will not find anything on using the Olympic lifts for power development. Are they really helping athletes become more functional?
All training is functional if it is applied correctly. As far as it applies to training athletes, if the conversation includes wobble boards, wrapping yourself in theraband, or any other physical therapy toys, then you are talking about rehab. If that is the case then get the hell out of my weight room, and go to the training room!
Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting and Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the Los Angeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Wednesday, 18 August 2010 09:08 |
The secret is...there are no secrets!
Sorry to disappoint you. You are actually going to have to break a sweat!
But these seven things will help you reduce your body-fat which is important if you compete in a sport with weight classes such as Olympic Weightlifting.
1. DO NOT buy any books or manuals that tell you how to loose fat, you don’t need them. If you already have, then you will be better served eating them for their fiber content than actually following them.
Tastes great with hot sauce!
2. DO follow a training program that uses compound movements (squatting, deadlifting, presses, Olympic lifts) with progressively heavier weights. You must train hard in order to stimulate the anabolic hormones in your body. When you train this way muscle magically appears and the body uses a tremendous amount of calories; two very important factors involved with loosing fat. (Try Bill Star’s 5×5 workout or become a Weightlifter)
3. DO eat 6-8 times a day.4. DO include a protein with each meal that either walks, flys, or swims. (no F$%@ing vegetable products unless you have the metabolism of a beef cattle.) Protein meals elevate metabolic rate.
5. Do include a low glycemic carb with every meal (<70 GI), This keeps insulin levels in check.
6. DO include a good fat with every meal (olive, high oleic safflower, CLA, flaxseed oil, ect.) This will further reduce your insulin response.
7. DO include a soluble fiber with every meal. This will lower the GI.
So to sum it up train hard and eat like an athlete, not a yoga instructor!
Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting and Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the Los Angeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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Tuesday, 17 August 2010 09:06 |
Some members of the Phat Elvis Weightlifting Team have had some interesting things going on over the last few months.
Leslie Musser received her Masters in Kinesiology from Long Beach State. She is now teaching Grad level Motor Learning and taking over John Garhammer's Strength and Conditioning class (which by the way I got a freaking B in when I took the class from John in 1995 because I was unable to perform arithmetic with a calculator!)
Bob Takano has had a series of articles on Weightlifting in the July, August, and September issues of Iron Man Magazine. (Bob can be found here)
John Garhammer retired from Long Beach State. This is a bitter sweet moment for me. John is one of the reasons I journeyed out to California (Bob Takano being the other). Long Beach State was the place to go if you wanted to become a Strength Coach. There are many good coaches out there who came to L.B. State just to mentor under John.
I am honored to have been one of them.
Last but not least, I have had articles in the August issue of Strength Plus Magazine, the September Issue of Musclemag, and I finally opened the doors to my new gym.
At this rate is world domination very far behind?Fight until your very last breath!
-Wax-
Sean Waxman is the owner of Waxman’s Gym. It’s an Olympic Weightlifting and Sports Performance gym located in Southern California near the Los Angeles airport. Its the only gym in Southern California dedicated to all things Olympic Weightlifting!
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