GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 1 July 2002
Welcome Aboard! the key to superlative performance in not only the Master Athlete, but everyone else, too. In the past few years, those of us in the Yet, none of this came clear to me until lifting and throwing game have seen a number of after the Northwest Regional Masters Track and newsletters and magazines come and go. Many Field meet when George Mathews mentioned of these were excellent, but the “market” was too that “the problem with being a Master is the loss of muscle mass.” He noted that at a certain age, Subscription Rates: you suddenly become frozen, it seems. Free off the site: Hypertrophy, the building of muscle mass, http://danjohn.org/coach.html seemed to be the answer. The problem? The traditional means of Published by Daniel John periodizing, building up one’s training over a Daniel John, Editor few months was shaped like this: Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 Period One: Hypertrophy (Good old All Rights Reserved Bodybuilding) Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly Period Two: Basic Strength Time (Go Heavy, prohibited. Go Hard, Go Home) Period Three: Basic Power Stage (This is when small to make anything pay off. one starts lifting faster in the weight room, more “Get UP!” is dedicated to all those who emphasis on speed on the track lift and struggle on the field and weightroom. Competition…compete The upside of Get UP! is that it does not expect Period Five: Recovery (an active rest period of a to break even, nor make a profit. It is free. The few weeks where one backs way off and lets the downside is simply that the first few issues will mind and muscles heal. be written…mostly…by the Editor. For the older athlete, this may still Oh, “Ge t UP!” has no true meaning, just work, but John noted that there was a key a phrase you hear a lot in lifting meets and element missing Passion! George also pointed football practice. The focus of the newsletter will out that the loss of hypertrophy (muscle mass) be the same as the websites…real information was the missing. that works for most strength and power athletes. An overview: There will be an emphasis on “complementary Phase One training,” competing in one discipline to help This could last as long as a whole another, like Highland Games to help discus career. Basically, it is the “nerve and muscle” throwing. Throughout the newsletter, I will stage. One learns the techniques of the sport and include short blurbs about nutrition and training. ingrains a simpler and smoother method of performance. Ideally, one would begin with a “Phase Training” for the full blood profile test, I would argue for HDL Master Athlete and Triglycerides to be monitored throughout one’s adult life. John Powell added testosterone About two years ago, John Powell and I and DHEA levels for men, too. had a long conversation about training past the During training, one strives for, first, age of forty. John, for those of you who may not correctly performing all the movements…from know, is the former world record holder in the lifting to jumping to the competitive movement. discus and holds two bronze medals from the Second, John recommends repetitive, but Olympics…as well as a Silver medal from the rhythmic, sets of “big lifts,” i.e. squats, cleans world championships at age forty! and snatches. John broke down “past forty” training John had an illumination in his into two basic “phases:” Phase One, which may throwing career when he talked with World Shot last from 30 days to 30 years, and Phase Two, Put champion Peter Sarul and then members of the British Javelin team…who were very
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 1 July 2002 successful at the time. They told him about this Phase Two workout: John had only one word: Passion. From Power Clean: 60K x 10 the Latin, “to suffer,” I can’t think of a better Squat: 70K x 10 word to describe the Love/Hate/Suffer/Fury that Power Snatch: 50K x 10 is required to improve as an athlete. Sadly, many Front Squat: 60K x 10 young athletes have all the physical gifts, yet no Crunches: 25 passion. “The Love of the Game” is a perfect title…for a disappointing movie. You did these in a circuit, one after another, then Passion. Well, how do we get it? Master tracked your heart rate on completion. You did athletes can teach the youth here: this cluster for three sets. As your heart rate 1. Travel to a lot of meets. would go down (over time), obviously your 2. Hang out with your competition for long conditioning was better. periods afterwards. Also, your total circuit 3. Read everything, watch everything you can time should try to go about your sport. down, too. 4. Travel some more. Hang out some more. John discovered Learn more. that these “fast” 5. Spend your money on your sport! workouts focusing on 6. See number four above! speed and condition, led Yet, something is missing. I think him to his lifetime best George hit it on the head when he discussed throws. (On the left, hypertrophy. For Phase One, we can focus on John at his peak.) speed and technique (nerve and muscle), but in Phase Two…as we build passion in our For basic training, John believes that hearts…we need to build muscles in our body. repetition is the mother of instruction in Phase As a matter of interest, short spurts of One. He though any drill that one could do over intense training increases the natural Growth and over…while focusing on making the Hormones of the body…the anti-aging drugs. In technique simpler and simpler…would be the Phase Two, a serious attempt to both raise GH key. For a discus thrower, he recommended and build muscle are a yin-yang relationship! doing the turn forwards and backwards (without The research, although it is tough to throwing) with an overweight implement, then discover, seems to point to several things, if you going through a workout. want to increase GH (and hypertrophy). In every sport, there are drills that 1. Eat some protein before lifting…ten to twenty ingrain technique. Here is a basic “learning to grams. snatch” routine from internet guru MLL: 2. Monitor rest periods between sets (one minute Every workout: rests have shown, in some studies, to spike GH) 1. A set of 20 snatch drops, settling into the low position, 3. Use “full body” lifts, such as my favorites: trying to feel the stretch and attempting to do ‘em with 10 Power Clean and Front Squat under your heels and then 5's and then nothing (if you could Power Curl wear shoes with a heel it would be great). Clean and Press 2. 50 snatches from the high hang. You are training yourself Overhead Squat to explode witrh the bar. Good Morning or variations 3. 20 snatches from the high hang while attempting to jump Clean grip snatch under the bar. You havde to train yourself to jump the bar up Power snatch and then at exactly the right moment jump under the bar 4. Don’t be afraid to “bodybuild.” Get those arm 4. Overhead squats: 2 sets of 5 with bar 2 sets of 5 with 65 curls, triceps extensions, lat pulls, whatever. 2 sets of five with 85 Put your time in during Phase Two 2 sets of five with 95. building your Passion and Body. You should be able to do all this in a half hour. Not a bad idea. But how to move on?
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 1 July 2002
“Magnesium is essential, not just for relaxing muscles and thus avoiding muscle cramps and spasms, it is also The Overhead necessary for the maintenance of Squat hormone levels, especial ly “I would only do one exercise, if I testosterone.” could do it all over again,” Chris told Ori Hofmekler me. “Really? Which one?” “Overhead Squats.” I thought he was joking. Sure, I had done a few and I thought they never really amounted to anything. Donate Blood! “This coach in California won’t let his As you guys who have been around guys throw until they can do fifteen know, I give blood as often as I can, four or five reps with bodyweight.” What? Fifteen? “It makes you one piece, an animal.” (From “The Overhead times a year. I usually pass out, but I have been Squat Article”) giving blood since 1978 and I keep coming back. I had a great talk with all the nice gals at the Red Cross, believe it or not, I usually get into What did you have for conversations about health, lifting and theology. Breakfast? Well, the research is getting clearer and clearer (of course, the Red Cross would push this This question: “What did you have for point anyway) that giving blood is one of the Breakfast?” is the answer to all questions and the healthiest things a man can do! It lowers the question to all answers. “I want to gain weight, I blood iron levels, a good thing: you don’t want want to lose weight, I want to lift more” were all “rust,” and it helps the blood flow “easier” answered by Dick with “What did you have for through the system. The nice young girls (don’t Breakfast?” tell my wife about my “nurse problem”) also A good breakfast: Meat, eggs, other stuff sang the praises of high protein diets for health A bad breakfast: Not meat, eggs, other stuff and the evils of sugar, simple carbs, and, one Note: the all-time answer by a young new lifter: even included, starches. “I had a great breakfast: seven bowls of My point: for long term health benefits Cheerios!” and free drinks, give blood. I feel great after I do From “The Dick Notmeyer Glossary.” it because it is over, plus it is good for the
community. I figure when I die, I will stand before “The ONE who made all” and I will hear a litany of all the great sins I have done. A long litany. I am hoping someone will yell from the back: “Hey, I got some of his blood.” And I will Adam Nelson on Throwing hear: “Okay, whatever, come on in.” When you do your stands, your primary concern shouldn't be the dist ance you throw but the distance you “One of Tommy Kono's more famous sayings is "less is more." Due push on the ball. For example, the longer you push on the to this schedule change I'm gonna find out. Mike Huszka said a few ball the more force you apply on it, t he farther it will go years back that if he could power snatch 70 kg for a triple in eventually. training that he could start in the snatch with full confidence with 90 kg. The trick as a master is to find out how much work gets a Always keep an idea of how you want to throw in decent result without turning you into a pile of rubble in very short your head. Never lose sight of that. Personally, I order. You can't train if you're hurt...so unless you have an don't do a lot of drills. I do stands and overheads unfulfilled death wish, it makes much more sense to train for timing and to check my power. For the most part, I moderately than to beat yourself up continually. Results are good do all my technical work out of the full, because I and you feel a whole lot better. As a master that's supposedly what find that when I break it down I can't stream I'm after anyway. So, enough of my theories..I hope that you are everything together to fit in the full.” able to train and that things are well with you.” Nelson is currently the leading shot putter in the world. From Fred Lowe’s post on Go Heavy. Fred is one of USA’s finest lifters ever…and continues to amaze people as a master.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 2 II July 2002
Wow …there is a need! The following reflects all my years in sports (and life). What is amazing about this list of "truths" I received twenty emails in the first is that none of these are exotic, so nobody pays hours that I posted the location of this free attention! newsletter. Many were from people who wanted to offer articles. Others were thankful that The Summa Liftologica someone was simply offering a resource to think Daniel John about lifting and throwing…for real people. Point, the first: KISS, or Keep It Mike Rosenberg (of “Rosenberg Bars,” the hated and feared two and a half inch farmers Simple, Stupid! bars) reminded me that the key to what I offer everyone are these points: Overview: Paredo, the Italian economist, 1. The Body is One Piece discovered the 80-20 Rule. That is, 20 % of what 2. There are three kinds of strength training: you do, gives you 80% of the final effort. • Putting weight overhead In application, 80% of a company’s • Picking it off the ground sales come from 20% of the clients. In athletics, • Carrying it for time or distance 20% of your training leads to 80% of your 3. All training is complementary. competition efforts. That is why I like Mike…he is my little The key is to find the 20% that leads to Cricket Conscious on my shoulder. the “biggest bang for the buck!” Most In this edition, our first article is athletes usually come to the answer something I put together years ago when that, and this is beyond what mom and somebody asked me about “training truths.” dad provided at birth, in the weight Well, “buy low, sell high”…the truths are fairly room it is the basics: cleans, presses, blasé. As a theologian (part-time, anyway), I fell squats. On the track, it might be back on the model given by St. Thomas stadium steps, hills or sprints. For the Aquinas…start with the foundations…but shed a endurance athlete, it might be those little light in all the way. “hard runs” with friends on Saturdays. Also, there are some various gems Once an athlete knows the techniques, tossed in this month…some sage advice from a sometimes very great progress is made lifting legend as well as a fairly direct point from on the simplest of programs. For example, many, an expert in “Evolutionary Fitness.” We’ll be many lifters and throwers used the following adding a lot more authors next time as we get program in the Sixties and early Seventies: some copyright issues cleared up and other Monday: Train Hard (and heavy and go home!) writers drag themselves out of the weightroom Tuesday: Rest and face the word processor. Wednesday: Train Hard If you want to sent an article, include a Thursday: Rest one or two line bio, then email it to Friday: Rest [email protected] Saturday: Train very hard; if competing train very hard after competition. Keep the exercise number low, the intensity high! Published by Daniel John Essentially, the simpler the better. The Daniel John, Editor key is to trust that honest hard training on basic Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 core movements leads to improvement in lean All Rights Reserved muscle, performance, and measured strength. For Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly me, this means Power Snatches, Clean and Press, prohibited. and Overhead Squats. These three lifts make the Subscription Rates: discus go farther and my total in the Olympic Free off the site: Lifts go up. If all I do is Power Snatch on http://danjohn.org/coach.html Monday, Clean and Press on Wednesday, and
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 2 II July 2002
Overhead Squat on Saturday, I am going health, the guys at the Olympic Training Center to be at 80plus percent of my best. You made it clear that annual blood tests are your best know, maybe over 100% because … bet. Cholesterol and triglycerides can be Point, the second: Little and compared to past eating behaviors, prostate Often over the Long Haul! problems can be checked, even gout by blood tests. A yearly blood test has a standard to compare itself with, last year’s blood test. Overview: Success is like the erection of In lifting, it is a little more murky. a building. It is one brick laid upon another. Olympic lifters have their best competition So too, with training: it is the ability to snatch and clean and jerks. Powerlifters need to squeeze out five pounds here and a rep there that be more careful: one federation may ban certain leads to long term success! Programs that wraps and belts. The deadlift in competition may promise huge gains in three weeks don’t mention serve as a good standard. As long as your lifts go the huge drops the next three. For an example, I up, you are making progress. offer 1964 Olympic Shot Put Champion Dallas Photos have really helped my wife and Long’s High School lifting bests: may be an idea for others. She stands in the same 9th Grade doorway in a bikini (no, you can’t get the proofs) Squat 90 Military Press 90 Bench Press 90 and takes front, side and back. Then she 10th Grade compares and contrasts them with the last batch. Squat 125 Military Press 125 Bench Press 125 She discovered that the scale lies. 11th Grade Other standards? Well, there are some Squat 200 Military Press 200 Bench Press 200 classic ones: bodyweight military press, 12th Grade bodyweight snatch, and double bodyweight squat Squat 350 Military Press 275 Bench Press 350 are common enough standards that I heard of This senior year, he blasted the 16 pound college them in several different settings. shot over 61 feet. In 1957! Learn to measure yourself against Prepping for the 64 Olympics, he would yourself. But be real: don’t fool yourself into bench up to 440 for 3, Incline 370 for 3, and thinking that a fifty pound improvement in the Squat 4 sets of 5 with 400 pounds. These reflect squat really happened if you didn’t go as deep, eleven years of training to become Olympic or, you have put on fifty pounds with the champ. None of his lifts are breathtaking, none Monday Night Football Beer and Brautwurst of the leaps in improvement unbelievable. A Diet. Also, be wary of using workouts to make little here, a little there … comparisons. If you did 3 sets of 8 with 205 in Maybe the best book to supplement this something with a one minute rest and two weeks idea is Paul Kelso’s later did the same sets and reps with 225 with a “Powerlifting Basics, Texas- five minute rest, are you stronger? I have no Style” from Iron Mind idea, there are just too many factors. Enterprises (916-265-4876). Measure yourself with simple standards. Simple, basic instruction Simple. perhaps, but Kelso’s emphasis on “Showing Up” is brilliant.
Point, the third: Have standards.
Overview: As an Olympic lifter, my squat goes up 200 pounds by adding knee wraps and a supersuit. How does this affect my o lifts? I have no idea. Standards are simply that: what are the units that I measure my improvement with? For
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 2 II July 2002
Point, the fourth: Eat food. girlfriend gets fatter (less lean, if you will) on one meal a day and six diet drinks? Because the Overview: an odd point, perhaps, but more bathtub model is rubbis h! • questions are usually generated at a lifting Eat food. • forum by supplements than any single lifting Eat multiple meals a day. point. • Eat breakfast. To recall: • Eat. If it works immediately, it is illegal. Point, the fifth: There is a time to If it works quickly, it is banned. plant and a time to sow. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Time and again, I have rediscovered the Overview: John Richardson won the Big West wisdom of sticking to lots of vegetables, fruits discus championship a few years ago. I worked and lean meats. In addition, drinking huge from high school through college with him and amounts of water helps. What about potassium? asked him what is the best advice I ever gave. He Yes, I take that, when I buy it. Flax oil? Great said: “You always say ‘they can’t all be gems.’” stuff, keeps me regular. Whey protein? I dunno. Simply, not every effort in the Creatine? Water gain, I dunno. Super Amino weightroom will be a new personal record. blast? Hmmm. Bee Pollen? B-15? And on and Trying to do this will only end in misery and on and on. frustration, and drug use. If you spend fifty bucks on a product it There are times of the year when it is will work! If you are paid fifty bucks to say it appropriate to kill yourself in the gym. But, works, you will say it! I still think Bob Hoffman sometimes you need to maintain, hold on, and had a clear overview in 1964: plant the seeds for the next harvest. “To summarize: live as normally as Tommy Suggs said it well: possible as the big contest approaches but “Train along without pushing yourself. Train reduce your sugar and starches to a minimum. hard and often, but don’t knock yourself out Eat lots of protein and use germ oil concentrate and stay away form the Olympic lifts. Then five as this has a tendency to reduce excess weight. weeks before a contest try yourself out on the Drink normally until a day or two before the Olympic Three. Don’t push too hard and don’t contest. If necessary, take off what weight must worry if you seem a little weak. Then try to add be lost the day before and the day of the five pounds a week per lift in the press, snatch competition.” and clean and jerk. Make up your mind that Although this focuses on weight loss for you are going to make progress no mater an O meet, this same advice is being sold in what.” literally hundreds of low carb books today. Food The idea is to lift at your peak at the is important for training. Food, I said. Food. meet. Every workout over a career can’t be the In addition, beware the “Bathtub best of all time. Notice, though, that I didn’t say Model” of nutrition. Basically, it is this: The “sit in the gym and eat bon-bons and tell human body is a bathtub, the spout is calories in, everyone that you are a “genetically inferior” and the drain calories out. Add more water, drain you natural easy gainers don’t understand my stays the same, makes you fat. Water comes in needs.” You need to train heavy and hard, but the same, drain increases, makes you lean. Very realize that this doesn’t mean “limit” lifts each simple. So simple it is just not correct. There is workout. an old saying about the human brain: “If it was More to come…for more simple enough to understand, you information: Consult your wouldn’t care to understand it.” training journal and try not to keep making the same The same with the body. Why mistakes do people lean out on 6,500 calories a day, while their
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 2 II July 2002
What is an “Elite” Athlete? “Although with my basal metabolism and One of the hardest things for me to deal with as a coach is a muscle mass, "low calorie" for me is parent who is pushing their kid to do stuff that…well…the kid something like thirty-five hundred calories a can’t or don’t wanna do! I got a call from a dad trying to day. Americans in general overeat and push his daughter into using one of my roughest training programs, “The Big 21,” and had nothing but problems. underexert. And what they do eat is all-too- Simply, she wasn ’t strong enough to be able to use the weight simple carbohydrates; the pasta that most changes required…she barely could lift 45 pounds and the people eat is a bowl of sugar briefly deferred, program demands lots of plate changes. low in nutrition and high in calories. The body can't metabolize that kind of load.” A couple years ago, I did a workshop for some very good high school throwers and the first question came from a Art DeVany “dad.” So, I put together this short list on some basics of “Closer to Truth” Television Show being an “elite athlete.” What is an elite athlete? “Gems” from Dave Sheppard 1. The athlete no longer is on a steep learning curve. The athlete, in other words, is no Sheppard was one of the USA’s great lifting longer improving in quantum leaps from legends from the 1950’s. Although he may get year to year, or season to season. Lifts, for lost in that “pantheon” of greats (Kono, Davis, example, no longer double over two years. the George Brothers, ‘Skee,’ Bradford…and Improvement is slow. many others!), his skill in the Squat Snatch 2. The athlete has a year-round approach to encouraged many American lifters to adopt this one sport. style over the split. After his recent death, Butch 3. The athlete uses some form of intense Curry and others on the Go Heavy Forum posted training camp or focused training of some some of his “best quotes.” I offer them for your kind each year. information and enjoyment: 4. The athlete uses high levels of strength “While still living in NYC training before the competitive periods. and writing my own Save for lifters, as strength levels go down, workouts, I asked Dave to performance should improve. help me plan a new 5. The athlete has made a personal choice to routine. Well I made some be elite. changes and was following my new schedule for about 3 weeks, when Dave Caber Toss 1. Put your foot on the end of the caber showed up. I proudly while the other person raises it to you. showed him my plan and asked what he thought Thank them. Hold it up until it of it. He looked it over and after about 3 minutes, balances easy. he asked "Are you improving"? 2. Wide feet, squat down with the caber “resting” on your right shoulder. You need to be ready to “pop” your fingers I said "Yeah!" He replied "Good Routine!" under the caber by first clasping a couple of inches above the base, then Dave always said "You've got to pull 'til you tugging it up while sliding your can't pull some more and then you have to Pull fingers …both hands/same some more!" time…under the caber. Stand Tall with the caber. Keep your hands close to your body. The 3 "S's" in Lifting "Steak, Sleep and Squats" 3. Begin to move forward with the shoulder “pushing the caber.” “Dave Sheppard always raved about dead 4. When you stop…the caber moves forward…NOW!!! hangs, he claimed 115kgs. (snatch) when he did 5. Clean Grip Snatch…focus on his world records.” snatching it …behind you! Fun for the whole family!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 3 I August 2002
Keep those cards and tell me that benches are an upper body exercise, I need merely stick a fork in your calf while you letters… bench your max. If it only is upper body, the fork Emails, coming. I have sure enjoyed the should have no affect on your lift. Yet, it does. comments and obvious interest. The webcounter Be careful who you do this experiment with, is spinning each time an edition comes out. It is some people take it to extremes. nice to know that people are interested! I guess Mike Rosenberg’s point about Being "one piece" is the real gift focusing on the “three keys” is right. We have a of the O lifts and why they carry lot of interest from people about: over to Highland Games and the 1. The Body is One Piece four Olympic throws; shot, disc, 2. There are three kinds of strength training: hammer, and javelin. I have a • Putting weight overhead video somewhere of Soviet high • Picking it off the ground jumpers doing set after set after set • Carrying it for time or distance of power snatches to improve their 3. All training is complementary. jump. What the overhead squat Mike Rosenberg, and the O lifts, perhaps a few Cricket Conscious. others too, including the front squat, do for the athlete is demand flexibility, In this edition, Keith balance, total muscular development, kinetic Wassung asked if we could awareness and movement into one package. reprint, with Cyberpump’s permission, an article he After a few months of serious overhead squat penned not long ago. There work, you might only notice larger spinal seems to be a new phenomenon in strength erectors. Yet, your vertical jump and other training and sports: blame your folks for your athletic moves will increase. At the Upper Limit shortcomings. Keith accurately gets to the gym, we used to measure VJ, standing long jump “heart” of the matter. Also, an answer to the and both "three jumps." (Continuous three great question, “what are you talking about?” as jumps, hop-hop-hop, or, three combined standing well as some tidbits of nutrition and a few bits of long jumps) Athletes would improve radically training advice. Enjoy when they started doing the Overheads and/or O If you want to sent an article, include a lifts. These athletes were also off the "learning one or two line bio, then email it to curve" for the jumps, so any increase usually [email protected] reflected training. Well, I like to think that, anyway. Question: What do you mean As a football player or a “the body is one piece?” thrower, the "one piece" idea really carries over. I always talk about Paul's quote when First, that is a good question. But be sure to he threw 182' as a understand the concept of "one piece." It is sophomore, but it is true, he something I learned years and years ago and I really did stay together in call it the two rules: the throw and it went far for
a 155 pounder. 1. The body comes in one, flexible piece. 2. Specificity works-but at a price. I hope this answers your question. The
concept of "one piece" always needs to be The one piece concept is the idea that nothing a tempered with "specificity works-but at a price." bodybuilder believes, basically, is true. If you If all you did was snatch and clean and jerk, you
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 3 I August 2002 would get very, very good in those lifts. If you Human Genetics and Weight did them for seven hours a day, six days a week, Training you would get even better. Or get crushed. Lynn Jones calls this "the Bulgarian Butcher System," by Keith Wassung if you survive, you thrive. That's "the price" of specificity. Keith Wassung is a former natural Powerlifting and Olympic lifting champion, with an impressive athletic resume in football, track and wrestling.. He is the author of nearly 40 publications relating to health research and lectures extensively around the country to both Doctors of Least allergic foods? Chiropractic and to Medical Doctors. Dr. Elson Haas notes in an interview with “Mind and Muscle Power” The subject of genetics and genetic that the least allergic foods are: rice, pears, potential has become a mainstream topic in lamb, kale, salmon (and other deep sea recent years, largely due to the research and fish, like halibut and sole) trout, turkey, publicity of the Human Genome Project as well rabbit, sweet potatoes, and honey. He as publicity about DNA in high profile criminal goes on to recommend cabbage, carrots, cases. With all of the available information, there cauliflower, broccoli, apricots, beets, is still a great deal of mis -information among the squashes, olives, olive oil, cranberries, general public regarding the role of genetics for herbal teas and tapioca. human beings. I am not an expert in the field of Any one who has had trouble with human genetics, but I have written extensively allergies understands the need to stay clear about it in my research articles entitled Human of the “troublemakers.” Genetic Potential and Chiropractic, Restoring the Balance: Hormones and the Endocrine System, and in my latest book Creation or Evolution: A Scientific Review, I devoted an Old Style Sheaf Tossing entire chapter to genetics and DNA. Each of the 100 trillion cells in the 1. Left foot forward, right back human body (except red blood cells) contains the entire human genome-all of the genetic 2. Pick up hay on pitchfork; Right hand on end of fork…Left hand somewhere close to metal pikes. information necessary to build a human being. Inside the cell nucleus, 6 feet of DNA are 3. Let the bag “pendulate” back…when the bag gets almost packaged into 23 pairs of Chromosomes. As a to the body… carrier of information, DNA is 45 trillion times more efficient that the silicon computer mega- 4. Clean grip snatch! Let the pitch fork “slide” through the left hand after the intial “pop” and toss it with the Right. chip, which is manufactured by highly skilled engineers. 5. Use your warm-ups to measure your position vis-à-vis the Each gene is a double-stranded DNA bar. that holds the blueprint for making a specific molecule-usually a protein. These blueprints are An spelled out in varying sequences of four Easier chemical bases in DNA, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine, also known as A, T, G, Way… C. If you could take the tiniest font on your computer, say a Times Roman #7, then decrease the size of that by about two-thirds, then using those letters to fill up an entire sheet (with no spaces) of 8.5 x 11” paper, it would take about one million pages to correctly spell out the sequence of the human genome. A printed
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 3 I August 2002 manuscript of the human genome would require will not produce the same result is the a stack of paper higher than the Washington environment changes significantly; that is to Monument. say the environment has a strong influence on It is a misconception to think that our whether--and how--a gene gets "expressed" genes are the predominant determining factor in who we are, or what form of accomplishment we U.S. News and World Report 4-21-1997 are capable of. If our genes were the primary determining factor, then everyone who carried "Genes are unquestionably the fundamental genetic disease traits would eventually develop units by which our bodies are constructed. that disease, but this is clearly not the case. However, pure genetic determinism does not Genes certainly provide a set or parameters, but adequately explain the varied capabilities of our research clearly shows that the way genes are biology. A more accurate view of the role of the expressed are far more important in determining genome is to see the genes as providing the our capabilities. This genetic expression is overall plan for the developmental pathways. activated by way of hormonal chemicals that are The actual pathways will be modified by the directly controlled by the Central Nervous environment to which the individual is System. Hormones do not damage or alter genes; exposed" 3 rather they cause the gene to act in a certain way, telling it when to reproduce or activate. If the Dr. Peter Nathaniels, "Life in the Womb" nervous system is working properly, then the The above citations lend credence to the correct chemical message is sent to and received notion that out genetics, though providing by the genes. The notion that genes work in distinct parameters for our potential, pretty much response to the stimuli of the environment, via respond to the stimulus and demand that we the CNS has been extensively written about in place on them. I frequently hear weight trainers recent years. make excuses for their progress by claiming that they do not possess good genetics. I often see “The environment in which you grow up is as this used as some sort of disclaimer in written important as your DNA in determining the articles. My question for them is “how do you person you ultimately become. You cannot know you do not have good genetics in dissociate genes from the environment that advance”? There is not yet a single diagnostic turns genes on and off: and you cannot test in existence that can accurately predict dissociate the effect of genes from the genetic capability. Many will cite “bone environment in which proteins exert their structure” as being genetically determined. effects. Certain genes lead to vulnerability, but Genetics may dictate length, ratios and skeletal not inevitability. insertions, but bone is living tissue that constantly remolds or reshapes itself in direct NEWSWEEK, April 20, 2000 relation to the stress placed on it. According to Wolfs Law “Every change in the function of a "For example, when geneticists say that have bone is followed by certain definite changes in found a gene for a particular trait, what they internal architecture and external conformation mean is that people carrying a certain "allele" - in accordance with mathematical laws. Wolf’s -a variation in a stretch of DNA that normally Law simply means that bones will change their codes for a certain protein--will develop the shape and structure in response to how much or given trait in a standard environment. The last how little mechanical stress is applied. words "standard environment”, are very important because what scientists are not I know of literally thousands of people saying is that a given allele will necessary lead who built phenomenal and powerful physiques, to that trait in every environment. Indeed, there and yet when they started they were the is mounting evidence that a particular allele proverbial “98lb weakling”(including myself weighing 93lbs as a high school freshman). I
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 3 I August 2002 believe that the majority of people who get There are not many long-term rewards in weight involved in weight training do so because they training and this may inhibit many from pursuing are smaller or weaker than their peers. Having it at a level that would produce world class superior genetics can also be a disadvantage, strength or physique gains. I do believe that the though it is often self-inflicted. I grew up in vast majority of athletes who ever end up Nebraska, whose college football team has a training in a gym have the capability of creating tremendous walk-on program. Each year a body that would be absolutely mind-blowing to hundreds of freshman athletes show up for the the average person. Their only limit is their own first day of practice. Every year there are person drive, vision and dedication. As Henry numerous players who were 2 and 3 time All- Ford liked to say. “If you think you can, or think State types, the type who was probably always you can’t, either way you will be right”. HIT is bigger, faster and stronger than their peers, and an excellent training system and the information probably had not worked nearly as hard in provided on Cyberpump should be sufficient to training. For the first time in their lives, they are allo w the majority of athletes to reach their not the top dog and many of them quit within the strength potential. first week or so. I have seen countless number of Keith Wassung athletes in the gym that seemed to possess all the www.riverhorsepubl.com physical traits needed to develop world class [email protected] strength and or physiques, but they rarely do it. REFERENCES The same is true for athletes in all sports and in the business world as well. (Do you really think 1. Sapolsky, Robert ( 2000, April 20) “All in Allan Iverson has a whole lot going for him in the Genes” Newsweek the way of genetics?) I will take the athlete with 2. Wray, Herbert (1997, April 21) “The the “Rudy” type attitude, who has heart, soul and Politics of Biology” US News & World guts, than an athlete with all of the genetic Report advantages in the world whose personal drive 3. Nathaniels, Peter, MD (1999) “Life in the and motivation was not as strong. Nature has a Womb”. Ithaca, NY: Promethean Press unique way of balancing things out. A taller Reprinted with the permission of Cyberpump. person may not gain weight and strength nearly as rapidly as a shorter, stockier man, but when The great insights of Brian Oldfield: they do make the gains they look a lot better and 1. Lift twice a week, but do full body, explosive, heavy stuff more graceful. A taller person with long limbs 2. Train with overweight implements rarely set bench press records, but they are 3. Take your minerals 4. Sprint training or hills is very important usually excellent deadlifters. It would be foolish 5. Become a true student of your event and try to think to state that genetics play no part in our through every single aspect of what you do developmental potential, they do, but they are so 6. Discover what foods you are allergic to and avoid them many other factors that come into play that it is 7. Complicate the movement with drills to simplify it in the ring not difficult to overcome most genetic situations. 8. Enjoy yourself...have some fun! Work ethic, technique, intelligence, strategy, Brian, of course, held the world record in the shot put at attitude, heart, persistence, discipline can all be 75’…and is a good friend. maximized to achieve strength and development goals. Published by Daniel John I truly believe that we become whatever Daniel John, Editor we set our minds to become. The majority of Copyright © Daniel John, people who achieve great things do so because 2002 they had the drive, persistence, vision and All Rights Reserved dedication to do so. This is not only true in Any unauthorized weight training but in all areas of our lives. reproduction is strictly Normal people just don’t achieve great things, if prohibited. they did, they would probably not be normal.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 4 II August 2002
Gravity good. Brian further told me that you have to “let muscle memory take over and hope you did all Mike Rosenberg, the official conscience those repetitions right” when you execute a of GET UP! offers his first article this edition. ballistic movement. We were talking on the telephone about the point Given the premise that of his article which I had never even ballistic movements considered!!! “Gravity,” Mike said, “has always operates largely on been around and until an apple hit somebody on auto-pilot coupled the head nobody noticed it.” with the desire of That is why we keep Mike around. coaches to coach up Moreover, he also believes that writing for this until the last second newsletter is his ticket to riches. Keep believing! before an athlete executes, how can the coach best guide the Let’s not forget our mission: athlete to focus on proper execution just prior to 1. The Body is One Piece a lift or throw? 2. There are three kinds of strength training:
• Putting weight overhead • Picking it off the ground Why can’t a complex set of instructions • Carrying it for time or distance or guidance be reduced to one or two words that 3. All training is complementary. mean the same thing to the athlete? Of course they can, but it is not an overnight process. The Verbal Queues distillation of complex instructions has to start early on during training and eventually become a Mike Rosenberg one or two word exclamation. Mike Rosenberg has jumped into Olympic Lifting, My favorite is the patented Dan John Highland Games and throwing as an adult. He is “One inch a second first pull fixer”. The skilled at bringing resources exercise is basically executing the first pull of an together, usually large hunks Olympic weightlifting movement at the rate of of steel for throwing, lifting and carrying. This article one inch a second in order to gaining an walks us through something understanding of your body position during the so obvious that most of us exercise. To start with, Dan tells me “First check miss it! – bar on your socks, wiggle your toes, keep your How many arms long, squeeze the grip, big chest and stay times have you been to an event and listened to a over the bar.” That is quite a bit of information coach bark a steady stream of instructions to an to contend with and the bar hasn’t even left the athlete while he or she is on the platform or ground. Next, I begin to lift at 1” per second. In when they are in the ring preparing to execute? the low hang he says, “Second check – wiggle If you have been to a competition, I bet you have your toes, big chest and stay over the bar.” I seen it all too much. Coaches cry all the time: check myself and continue up to the high hang. “Keep your chest up!” “Stay tight as you lift!” Then he says again, “Third check – wiggle your “Hips and bar together!” “Keep your arms long!” toes, big chest and stay over the bar”. After “Push through the shot!” …on and on. What passing the high hang he yells, “JUMP!” and I drives this article is something Brian Oldfield then jump with everything and perform a power told me when attempting to fix my numerous snatch or power clean. stone throwing flaws. His wo rds were, “You can’t think though a ballistic movement.” If you As repetition after repetition are can’t think through a ballistic movement, what performed the instructions begin to morph: makes you think that barking out sagely advice The first few repetitions go like: while an athlete prepares to execute will do any
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 4 II August 2002
First check – bar on your socks, wiggle your toes, keep your arms long, squeeze the grip, What is easier to tell an athlete on a big chest and stay over the bar. lifting platform, “check” or a long litany of Second check – wiggle your toes, big instructions? A single word can be developed chest and stay over the bar. over time to convey as much meaning to an Third check – wiggle your toes, big athlete as a myriad of instructions. At John chest and stay over the bar. Powell’s throwing camp, this idea has been put Jump into practice for many years with success. The queues “spanky”, “X” and the latest addition, “screw spring” have very specific means and The next couple of reps sound like: expectations. Each queue conveys to the athlete First check – bar on socks, wiggle toes, arms a specific set of actions that are to be performed. long, squeeze grip, big chest, over the bar. Just as training muscle memory is important to ingrain a pattern of movement, distilled verbal Second check – wiggle toes, big chest, over the queues are no different. The coach must bar. systematically lead the athlete from a complex set of commands to a simple cue while Third check – wiggle toes, big chest, over the conveying exactly the same information along bar. the path. The coach must work at keeping the queue and the expected results consistent as to Jump not confuse the athlete. It is a process that must be planned and practiced. The next couple of reps sound like:
Check – socks, toes, arms, grip, chest, over bar. Stefan Fernholm…Squats! “Stefan had James do a rep scheme of 5-3-7…the Check – toes, chest, bar. same as Stef. The key lift was wide stance squats…striving for great depth. Stefan was extremely flexible and spent much of his warm up Check – toes, chest, bar. trying to get his hip flexors more flexible. He would jam his upper thigh into a curb or step and then reach Jump out as far as he could with the opposite leg to stretch the hip flexors. Stefan felt that the hip flexors made or broke one’s speed. Squats were always mixed Oddly enough the with straight leg deadlifts…often done like a last couple of reps “superset” in the spandex brigade…so that he really become: pushed himself to go back and forth. I watched Stefan do 405 in the straight leg for 8’s. This was after a tough set of squats. Freaking impressive. Check Check The greatest thing I picked up from Stef’s leg Check workouts was mixing the squats (and the straight Jump legs) with either sprints or bounding or simple box jumps. His advice to an O lifter at the Upper Limit was to forget fancy periodizing in the squat and Not only focus on simple heavy squats WITH serious jumping does the word after the sets. The complicated cycling of weights held little for an athlete, he figured, unless squatting “check” have a was part of your sport. You squatted to get well define and strong…jump to get fast. These 5-3-7 sets were all specific meaning but its position in the string of over the place…he would stay with the same weight verbal queues has a specific meaning too. I some days, or jump up a lot, or do a little pyramid. He would load a bar next to the squat rack to do knew what to do at each command without straight leg deadlifts…then hop away after!” having to hear a full drawn out description.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 4 II August 2002
The “Old” San Jose State A “Five by Five” Idea… Lifting Program Marks and Powell also had another insight that is worth considering. Every internet While talking with John Powell, he reminded me lifting forum ultimately ends up discussing the that he learned the lifts from Richard Marks. “proper way” to do the classic five sets of five Marks was a tremendous thrower and lifter “back repetitions workout. in the day.” I have tried a bunch of ways, two warm
up sets of five, then three “work” sets of Reps are 5 sets of 5 or 5 sets of 3. After you five…all five as work sets (ouch!)…adding finish Week 2, go back to Week 1 and repeat. weight to each set… “waving” the weights up, Marks was a great believer in backing off about down and up. 12 weeks (in the weightroom, for throwers) John told me about a very good idea. before your key competition: The lifter picks a weight that would be a good
short term goal for five sets of five. In the gym, Week One you try that weight for five sets. Monday For example: Power Clean Set One: 225 for 5 Snatch Grip Pulls Set Two: 225 for 3 Squats Set Three: 225 for 3
Set Four: 225 for 2 Wednesday Set Five: 225 for 2 Military Press This is your “5 by 5” workout. The total Light Bent Arm Pullovers reps were 15, ten shy of the 25…but, and this is Incline Press (Barbell or Dumbbells) the key, in the next workout, you strive for an Triceps Work of any kind additional rep or two on each set. Over a few
weeks, you slowly inch your way up to the 25 Friday full reps. Snatch John’s point was interesting… “if you Shoulder Shrugs get one more rep, aren’t you stronger?” Yes, then Front Squats he added: “…and you should throw farther.”
Week Two Monday Incline Press (Barbells or Dumbbells) Stone Put Light Bent Arm Pullovers 1. Find a natural place for your Press Behind hand. If you can find a groove for Neck your thumb, that helps. Lateral Raises 2. Left foot forward, right foot back. Assume the car push position, Wednesday twist back to the X, twist and Squat drive your right foot and PUNCH Snatch the stone. Upright Rowing 3. Gather award.
Friday Power Cleans Bench Press Straight Arm Flies Triceps Work
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 4 II August 2002
psoas) killed me the next few days. Of course, I Some “Rack” Work Ideas am a geezer, so you young bucks might not need Rack work, Functional Isometric Contraction, it. “Bottom Position” work, “Quarter Squats” and a bunch of other variations are a classic way to train yourself to get 3. I would agree with some who argue that one through a “sticking point.” You can, however, quickly burn day a week is good and you could do three if out. So, after you get excited about fixing your weak spots with some heavy, isolation work, take a moment to “think” only doing one move in the rack. This is going to through some of lessons I have learned. be an experiment of one...what works for you Before reading this, pop over to and your weak points. I liked three days a week http://danjohn.org/ds.html and read my for about two weeks then fell right off. Two at interviews with Dick Smith, master of the most would work for me, I think. Functional Isometric Contractions. Dick was the one who really understood the rack work, in fact, 4. Be sure to be to quote Dick "Hoffman NEVER understood the honest about your rack work." For example, Dick emphasized that weak point. I had you simply clear the bottom pin in rack work, Dave Turner look you don't slam it into another pin to increase the at my Clean load. The perfect weight is one that ALL YOU recovery, not my CAN DO is clear the weight off the rack and front squat. Get hold it for all you got. the point where you slow or Second, Dick was very clear that one noticeably "gear quickly overtrains in the rack...but doesn't notice change." it at all. I found the same thing in 1991. I went on a serious imitation of Bill March's program and got very strong, then pulled my right trap. In Brian Oldfield’s Lifting fact, Paul Northway commented on my training about a week ago..."God, you jerked 315 off the Program from 1972 rack without ANY warmups." I got seriously Sundays and Thursdays strong and badly overtrained mixing programs. Press off the Rack Power Cleans 135 for 3 135 for 3 This stuff works!!! 225 for 3 225 for 3 275 for 3 275 for 1 Now, this year, after talking with Dick, 295 for 1 300 for 1 I went into my Deadstop Front Squat program to 310 for 1 325 for 1 cure my sticking point. 320 for 1 345 for 1 I noted a few things: 330 for 1 355 for 1 340 for 1 365 for 1 1. Six singles MAX! In fact, I think it might be 350 for 1 less now...a couple of warm ups (Dick wouldn't Brian also threw “for max” three days a week. agree with this, but I don't just clear the bottom position, I stand right up, so the weight would actually be less) Published by Daniel John Daniel John, Editor 2. I like two sets of five with 50% of the Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 estimated max in the full motion before I start All Rights Reserved doing the deadstops. You know, 165 x 5 x 5 in Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly the front squat to get ready. I tried them cold and prohibited. it works, but I also noticed that my hips (the
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 5 III August 2002
Our First Sponsor! A Different Kind of Battle This fifth edition marks the start of our Jim Smith first “official” sponsor. Eric Aragon of Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting powerathlete.com has kindly decided to sponsor for years and is always ready to experience new techniques our little newsletter. This edition introduces us to and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health Jim Smith, aka “Combat Jim” from Animal and strength questions. Ability. Jim outlines an area of strength training A little over one year ago I discovered we may often forget…at least, I did! odd objects and let me say things have never We will also have a little discussion been the same. I’ve been training iron weights about a “then” and “now” approach to some and also using rocks, sandbags, kegs/barrels, problems my athletes faced in the mid-nineties. farmer’s walks, beams, overhead carries, and My approach wasn’t wrong, but I think the even waiter’s walks with a thick handled internet and some more real world experience dumbbell. I have gained more ‘real’ world has reshaped my thinking. strength than ever. You know the kind of Let’s not forget our mission: strength you can use outside of the gym. Since 1. The Body is One Piece I’m a personal trainer, my clients have also 2. There are three kinds of strength training: reaped the benefits of odd objects. • Putting weight overhead Finally, I remembered reading about the • Picking it off the ground ‘iceman’. That’s the guy • Carrying it for time or distance they found from five 3. All training is complementary. thousand years ago frozen From the “I knew this after receiving deadly wounds from some ancient already” file battle. This guy was about “We call it plowing, a very familiar five foot tall or less when term with our farmboys…. We throw a strip of alive and only weighed 115 canvas around a boys’ waist, and he tows another lbs, yet when they rebuilt track man across a specified distance and number his bow it had a 90 lb of times, just as if he were plowing the south draws. You may be saying, forty…{To do this} he must get up on his toes, “Okay he was strong, but there are lots of guys pick up his knees, work his arms hard, and really out there who could pull 90 lbs.” Well you are lean in to it. The boy holding the lines shouldn’t correct, but there are few guys out there who put up to much resistance or he’ll start could pull 90 lbs and carefully take aim then wallowing like a football guard.” release it with precision enough to consistently feed them. At least I haven’t seen them. So I’m thinking what made this little guy so tough. He was a hunter/gatherer. That means besides hiking for miles and killing prey then cutting it up he had to haul it back to his camp; which could have been many miles away. I said to myself, I could simulate a heavy long haul. Since I have 100 yards marked Ralph B. Maughan ”The 120-yard line high hurdles.” USTCA Quarterly Review, October on the street in front of my house for sprinting 1966, 60. and other carries, why not do a distance carry? You see, Coach Maughan was my coach in So I started every week on non-lift days carrying college…we used to do these all the time. I just for distance. I would carry 100 lb sandbag for relearned all this again!!! 1860 yards. I picked this distance because I wanted to carry for at least a mile. The first few times I did it I was dying, but eventually it
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 5 III August 2002 became tolerable. I did this for a few weeks time and my hat was pulling my neck in a way while lifting on M-W-F. After a time I went back that was not going to benefit me. In other words to other lifts and laid off distance carry for a if I didn’t do something I’d get whiplash. So I while. Then I decided my workout partner squatted down quickly, laying the sandbag needed this experience. So I put distance carry across thighs and grabbed my hat and threw it on every other time. Needless to say he was shocked the side of the road. at how hard it was. My best time was 14 minutes This whole time I was slowly loosing and 24 seconds. After that we laid off it again. feeling in my hands from the cold. I hadn’t really We let a month go by and decided to carry for noticed until I felt the bag sliding out of my distance again. The day previous it was around arms. So with my numb hands I heaved the bag 45-50 degrees, I thought great the temperature up to my shoulder. Since I couldn’t really feel ought to be nice for carries. what I was doing it went all cockeyed. Oh yes, The next morning when I woke up it this was a different kind of battle. My body by was 25 degrees; since I had told my partner we this time was trying to convince me to give up. It were distance carrying I decided we still were. I was I against myself, willpower against put on my layers and set up my Russian hat so weakness. I trudged out the remaining few that I could flip it back and let it hang down my hundred yards on sheer back when it got hot. The Russian hat is the kind will power. I barely made with the earflaps that tie down, so what I did was it in before my hands tie them together at the ends. We warmed up and temporarily ceased picked up our 100 lb sandbags each and headed functioning. I hit the out. What we do is go out 100 yards turn and timer and saw that I was come back over and over. We usually do 200 amazingly only a little yards bear hug style, over two minutes slower and then swing the bag than my best. I had to a shoulder for 200. thought I’d be closer to Then switch to the ten minutes slower. other shoulder for 200 I’ve been thinking and repeat nine times. a lot about that carry and know that the carry Well on the first switch itself is something that just about anyone who I knew I was in trouble lifts could do. The thing is they have to want to as my hat twisted half bad enough. I realize that the main thing I over my eyes. I was trying to keep up my speed accomplished is I showed myself that if you while pulling the hat off my eye. Then things don’t give up you could do anything. I hope my went downhill from there as I switched shoulders experience gets others to try sandbag distance the hat turned and the ties tightened on my neck. carries. They aren’t just a strength thing and they Great I thought now I’m being throttled. So definitely aren’t just endurance. Sandbag there I was freezing in the dark (05:00 hrs) as a distance carry is a singular event. Once you do it “noose” was slowly choking me while people I guarantee you’ll never forget it. You’ll also drove by on their way to work. I knew what they have taken your will power to the next level, were thinking ‘here goes that crazy guy and his which will benefit you in everything. friend carrying sandbags in the cold.’ I thought to myself how I had just Since this article was written my partner & I posted about mental toughness on my forum. carry the 100lber for 2 miles every so often. Just Well now was the time to put my money where the other day (8-12-2002) I did 2 miles in 31 my mouth was. I reached inside myself and got minutes & 7 seconds. Then we did six 100yd in touch with my ‘inner dino’ and forced myself zigzag sprints. Of course now I’m as sore as a to go on. Each time I shifted the position of the beat dog, but happy ☺. bag there was a new treat just waiting for me. Finally I shifted the bag to bear hug for the last
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 5 III August 2002
So, developed our first training program A New Approach by Dan John for the next year, the Accumulation Training Back in the 1990’s, I had an opportunity Phase, to look like the following…for the High to work with a number of fine discus throwers School athletes. and coaches. John Price, national master champ, Daily Warm Up John Richardson, Big West College Conference Cycle A Champ, Paul Northway, high school 214 foot Stiff Leg Deadlift supersetted with thrower, Craig Carter, Utah State’s throws coach Leg Curls …two cycles of 10 each. (and All-American hammer thrower) and the Cycle B incredible James Parker (keep an eye on him for Bench Press (Universal Machine) supersetted the 2004 hammer) trained with me …and a few with Lat Pulldowns. interested others… throughout the year. Two cycles of 10 each During this process, we were exposed to Cycle C multiple resources in the throws. I found some Sidebends (Right) supersetted with Sidebends “East German” materials on (left). modern periodizing that we Two cycles of 10 each adapted for guys who worked Cycle D and school athletes. The three Stiff Leg Deadlift supersetted with periods, Accumulation, Leg Curls …two cycles of 10 each. Yes, you Intensification, and repeat this TWICE! Transformation, became the basis for our Monday and Wednesday training vision. Olympic Lifting One of us came across one of Max Clean and Press: Three Sets of Five Jones’ “Throws” magazines and found these Clean Grip Snatch: Three Sets of Five simple four points concerning East German Power Snatch from floor: Three Sets of Five juniors (or “former” East German throwers) at the 1989 European Juniors: When you finished, we would throw the heavy 1. High Quality of Conditioning “powerballs ” (25 pounders) for height, for 2. Between throws “repeatedly turning right foot distance and for and knee to feel hip lead” distance with 3. Remarkable Shoulder Mobility opposite hand. I 4. 30 Puts in a.m. as well as a “snappy” leg noted: “Be sure workout on day of competition. to do your What was remarkable about this is that shoulder flexibility with a broomstick while when I had our annual throws “summit” (sitting resting.” around yakking about how to improve), our high school athletes came up with this list: After the general powerball throws, we worked 1. Shoulder flexibility on technique with lighter balls into a wall. 2. Football or Tuesday and Thursday something fun…one Same daily warm up, and then work only on day a week. technical stuff. Lots of throws into the walls. 3. More leg bicep Friday work…stiff DLs and Flag Football League! leg curls. We had some odd rules. Every player 4. Circuit training or had to rotate through at quarterback, first down “something” to “get were at the two 25 yard lines and at the 50. Yes, in shape” we played 5 on 5…full field! 5. Clean Grip Tons of fun! Snatches were obviously helping!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 5 III August 2002
Changes to the program? for distance is dangerous! You have to build up the base to deal with this stuff. Sure! But, first realize that what we Oh, it is really fun, too. were doing wasn’t bad! Three national champs The weightlifting Part and a college conference champ …not a bad plan We learned quickly that it was too static. The for the late fall/early winter. great insight came in two directions. First, we So, what would I change? First, we began doing Week One’s lifts from the “high knew that the hamstrings were one of the keys to hang,” starting the O lifts from the crotch; Week a long successful season. So, we tried to work it Two’s lifts from the “hang,” just below the knee; “from both ends.” and Week Three’s lifts from the floor. Second, Now, I do it a little different…with we discovered that we could handle more reps in better results! I now use the “Romanian Week One, we just couldn’t lift as much…so, we Deadlift” as the hamstring lift of choice for soon found that 8’s were a good option. This, throwers…with a twist. became the inspiration for the “Transformation 1. Use a snatch grip and Program,” that you can find elsewhere on the deadlift the weight up. website, 2. Step forward onto a http:danjohn.org/coach.html 2 x 4 or some 25 pound plates so A final technical issue…it wasn’t until June that just the balls of your feet are 2002 that I could teach that foot and leg on the board…heels stay on the movement. From “Discus Notes: 2002:” ground. “Bill Witt takes me aside and defines my problem… to 3. Lower the weight to explain it to me with “settle” but that didn’t ring a the knees or socks by simply bell. Bill tells me “screw.” pushing your butt back farther The lights flashed on for me. In the middle of and farther…I think the the ring, as a right hander, I focus on screwing (like a hams trings here as an archer screwdriver screws a screw) the right foot in the pulls back a bow. ground. Since this discovery, my throws have 4. Return up and gone…really far.” repeat. (You will hate me tomorrow!) The next big issue would deal with the method of “getting into condition.” I would now recommend dumping all that superset stuff and get out sleds, canvas, dumbbells, and wheel barrows and have a few months of pulling, pushing and dragging. I sprint with an 80 pound stone in my backyard and it does miles more for my “conditioning” than a couple sets of ten. Coach Maughan was right about “plowing!” We would also throw the balls in From our Sponsor Page: dozens of more variations. One handed, two http://powerathlete.com handed and, yes, even with the feet! We would measure for height, distance, speed or whatever and battle to beat each other. General conditioning is much more important than I ever Published by Daniel John thought. The thrower has to constantly tweak Daniel John, Editor their body into better overall conditioning. Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 This ain’t jogging! Grabbing a 25 All Rights Reserved pound powerball with one foot and “tossing” it Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002
Biggest Issue Ever! The One Lift a Day Program Note: these are the training weeks for the third I always laugh when I see that in the week before the Trials Magazine racks…most advertising ever is George “Ernie” Pickett usually the case. A lot of people liked last issues Olympic Team Member- Heavyweight Class “dialogue” where I looked backed to 1995’s fall Lifts at Trials: 457 Press, 341 Snatch, 462 training and discussed some variations that I Clean and Jerk, 1261 Total would do in the fall of 2002. One of the things Training Program that people liked was the fact that I didn’t say Monday that “we were so wrong then and so right now.” Snatch: 135 for 5, 205 for 3, 255 for 2, 295 for 2, Often, when people compare one 305 for 1, 320 for 3 singles program to another, one training system to another, you get the feeling that the person has Tuesday changed religions! You can learn a lot from a Seated Incline: 135 for 5, 205 for 3, 295 for 2, Highland Gamer, powerlifter, O guy, even a 315 for 2, 335 for 2, 345 for 2, 355 for 2 Nautilus Personal Trainer.
The key is to keep everything in Wednesday balance, the mission behind the mission of this Cleans: 225 for 3, 305 for 2, 355 for 2, 355 for 2, newsletter. 385 for 1, 405 for 1, 420 for 3 singles Let’s not forget our mission:
1. The Body is One Piece Thursday 2. There are three kinds of strength training: Front Squats: 225 for 5, 305 for 3, 355 for 3, 405 • Putting weight overhead for 3, 455 for 3, 500 for 2 • Picking it off the ground • Carrying it for time or distance Saturday 3. All training is complementary. Approximately 85 % of limit for a single on Another Dialogue Olympic Lifts (Note: every once in a while will I posted some information at the Old School go all out on Saturday.) Forum about a weightlifting program where you used only one lift a day. I had read about it and discussed it Bob Bednarski with David Turner at Olympic Team Alternate - length, then adopted it for Heavyweight Class my 1991 training. I shot Lifts in Trials: 424 press, 358 up to a 314 pound snatch and 385 Clean and Jerk. Snatch, 451 Clean and Jerk, Then, I dumped it. Steve 1234 Total Shafley, one of my internet inspirations and Monday an all-around excellent Military Press: 135 for 5, 205 for 3, 250 for 3, strength athlete and I had 250 for 3, 275 for 3, 300 for 3, 325 for 3 a conversation about this Note: Dave Turner, a fine O lifter and Math program…all the way teacher, did the percentages on this and feels back in 1999. (My eleventh or twelfth Bednarski may have gone too light here. He got comeback year). He kept behind on the press at the trials and had to make the email correspondence huge jumps to try to edge out Dube and Pickett. and I offer our discussion as a way to work through one idea into fitting your goals. It begins with an Tuesday edited version of the original post, then reflects a Cleans: 135 for 5, 225 for 3, 300 for 1, 350 for 1, series of emails. 400 for 1, 425 for 3 singles
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002
Wednesday Wednesday Squat: 315 for 5, 405 for 5, 475 for 5, 525 for 5, Noon 575 for 5, 625 for 1 Squat: Same as Monday
Thursday Afternoon Snatch: 135 for 5, 205 for 3, 250 for 1, 285 for 1, Snatch 132 for 5, 220 for 3, 264 for 2, 286 for 1, 305 for 1, 325 for 3 singles 308 for five singles
Saturday Thursday Work up in three Olympic lifts to approximately Power Cleans 1200 total 132 for 5, 220 for 3, 264 for 3, 286 for 3, 308 for 3 sets of 3 Sunday Squats: same sets as Wednesday, except skip the Saturday last set Work up to three Olympic Lifts to 90-95 percent of limit. In December of 1968, this workout was reported Two weeks before a contest he goes up to in his “Lifter of the Year” article: starting attempts. Monday: Presses, working up to 5 sets of three He gets at least three days’ rest before a meet. with a moderate poundage-350 to 385 pounds. Tuesday: Snatches, up to five sets of three with This is the program that I stole to do my best 305. O lifting. Of course, it worked so well, I Wednesday: Squats up to three reps with 450- dropped it and did something else. 500. Thursday: Clean and jerk up to 3-5 singles with Dan, 405-425. I did want ask a few questions and listen to your Friday: Rest suggestions on the subject: Saturday: Total or work heavy on two lifts. 1. Integration of cardio and strength training. Sunday: Squats up to Unfortunately for my lifting, I have started three reps with 450-500. my cardio training for rugby. This generally includes sprint-interval, short hill runs, and an One forgotten little occasional distance run. (2-3 miles). I was very workout that I like of attracted to the one lift per session style, because Bednarski’s was his first it seemed to offer a way to optimize recuperation “Lifter of the Year” award after he did so well at and to allow me to increase my strength during the 1966 World Championships. Best lifts at the this period. A rugby match consists of 90-100 time: 402, 352, 446 minutes of sprinting, tackling, pushing, shoving, Monday and occasionally brawling, just to let you know Noon workout what kind of rigors I must endure, since I am Squat: 305 for 5, 355 for 5, 405 for 5, 455 for 5, unsure of your familiarity with the sport. 505 for 3 Afternoon 2. Rotation of the big exercises. I am planning on Military Press: 132 for 5, 220 for 5, 264 for 3 rotating exercises when they become stale. (for five sets of 3) Do you think this might allow me to train without taking a "rest" week? Alternatively, I Tuesday could drop all weight work and just perform Isometric Work: 3 pulls, bottom, midway, top, 1 sandbag and sled pulling. I have straps for my squat midway, 3 presses, start, middle, finish sled that allows me to do upper body pulls, pushes, explosive work on it, etc. Additionally, I
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002 am planning on using the sled for a "recovery" measured by vertical jump tests. In addition, and type workout as per Louie Simmons a benefit to you, you work explosively while recommendations. tired, which will carry over into rugby. Yes, I know the sport well. 3. What about performing a few On cardio, it is always difficult to mimic repetitions of a competition conditioning. The Soviets pylometric exercise discovered this with soccer, guys were excellent instead of speed at drills, but lost the skills in games. Someone work? I would use simply had everyone take pulse tests. During the depth jumps and drop push ups off of small drill tests, pulses were at 80, in games 180. So, blocks for the squat and bench press. I would they devised ways of testing skills with the probably just stick with the speed work for the higher pulse rates, soon the players’ games skills pulls and overhead press. improved.
Anyway, here is my final breakdown, starting today:
Sunday: rugby cardiovascular training Monday: Noon: bench press/ballistic push up PM: 1 tricep exercise/1 back exercise for ~5 sets Tuesday: Noon: squat/depth jumps PM: sled work Wednesday: AM: rugby cardiovascular training Thursday: Noon: overhead press/dumbbell speed press PM: 1 tricep exercise/1 back exercise Friday: AM: rugby cardiovascular training So, what does this mean? Pure cardio rarely Noon: Power clean/dumbbell clean carries over into sports, pure skill training rarely Saturday: --Rest— carries over into sports. Your sled idea has merit for rugby. Now, devise a way to mimic a game. Steve noted in 2002: “Looking back on this, that Perhaps, 30 varied "bouts" of pulls? 10 seconds, program seems a tad ambitious. My actual 3, 20, 5, 3, 8, etc... where you may jog easily for breakdown of training looked like this: 20-30in between? This seems to fit what most rugby players do in a game. Certainly, throw in a Monday: squat, jumps with dumbbells in my finisher, too, at the end. Some psycho long pull hands or something. Tuesday: bench, push up plyometric drops off 6" platforms The recommended Thursday: power clean "week off" is just Friday: overhead press, light fast dumbbell something I, we, have presses” seen too many with Keep in touch, multisport athletes, i.e. Steve guys who use lifting to improve another Steve , discipline. The body The "speed work" is plyometrics! We found that can only take so "Mixing" lifting with plyos, not only a huge much. Like a rubber timesaver, led our athletes to be more explosive, band, if you keep
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002 stretching it, over time it breaks, not snaps. I am may think about only pointing out that you should plan this time Week one: waves of 10, 8, 5, 1 off, rather than be forced into it by injury or Week two: waves of 5, 3, 1 illness. You choose, of course, but experience Week three: waves of 3, 2, 1 shows this to be true. Week four: unload Don't ignore the high reps! They Whenever I break this simple rule, I pay. Now, if provide some relaxation against the heavy loads I am only lifting, this can be an "easy" week, but of triples, doubles and singles. On week one, that you have to ease off sometimes, unless you are a single could be just an easy heavy, even as low raw beginner. as 80%. The Cuban lifters used to live at 80% Keep me informed, singles, with 10 sets of 10 in the squat and Thanks "muscle moves." They would dump the volume Dan before meets and be very fresh. And by the way, if you are done under PS. One thing, I don't necessarily want to put on forty minutes in a squat work out, you weren't the big board: you need every fourth week either fooling around. Good workout. off doing this or devoted to play and fun. Three Keep me informed. By the way, when I weeks on, one week off. If not, after a few add ideas to your ideas, I'm not trying to one up weeks, you will get bored, injured or stifled in you, just trying to give you some food for progress. It is better to plan the days off, rather thought. than be forced to take them. Dan
Dan, Primal Cardio What do you think about a triple wave with a Jim Smith 3/2/1, 3/2/1, 3/2/1, repetition scheme? I find I am Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting for years and is always ready to experience new techniques concentrating mostly on progressively heavier and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where singles, then dropping back to a triple or two people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health before heading back up. I have used this wave and strength questions. with some success before. Each corresponding I don’t know about you guys, but I get wave would be a bit heavier than the earlier very bored walking/running on a treadmill for 20 wave. This pattern seems to be working, and I – 45 minutes. Not to mention the joint wear and am attempting to add weight to my highest single tear that steppers, bikes, treadmills, climbers, etc as often as I can. ad nauseum give you. I’m not the strongest guy in the world by far, but when I lift I like to lift Oh well, anyway, I did squats/dumbbell jumps hard, not stand around talking to people or today, and worked my way up 10 lbs heavier at “going through the motions” as the majority of my highest weight than last week. I decided to trainees do. So I want to do hard cardio too. A do a bit of ab work, if there is time remaining, while back I stumbled upon Tamir Katz’s site on but nothing else. I finished in 40 minutes today, Paleolithic Diet and Exercise. I felt like I had but was dawdling in between sets a bit. found something I had lost and been looking for. Steve He stresses basic primitive activities, sprinting, throwing, and carrying. Steve Since then I’ve come up with some You may find the middle wave to be the great routines to simulate primitive lifestyle (at heaviest. It works really well, in fact, at the least in my imagination☺). Lately I have been Olympic training center, they do four of these incorporating bear crawls and alligator waves in a row. One thing, though, be sure to walking with my sprints. I had already done measure this program against your goals. You distance sandbag carries as you may recall from may need the 5's and 8's for your sport, the added a previous article entitled “A Different Kind Of muscle mass and perhaps the conditioning. You Battle”. These were meant to simulate a small
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002 amount of having to haul dead game to the village. Of course, my partner and I were only Less is More going a little over a mile (unlike the many, many Eric Aragon miles that were probably done back in the early You are going to find out a lot about Eric in this article, but days), but you’ve got to start somewhere. let it be said that this is a guy “who puts his money where his Here are some things I’ve been doing lately: mouth is.” Eric is the guy behind our sponsor, powerathlete.com, and devotes long hours to teaching the Sprint 50 yards then, next generation the proper way to lift. Walk about 50 yards Many moons ago, I played college Bear Crawl 50 yards then, football. After a few too many concussions (that Walk again explains some of my odd behavior), I decided to Backwards Sprint 50 yards then, quit football and go into something a little less Walk again brain damaging. I picked Powerlifting and within Backwards Bear Crawl 3 years, I was a national competitor. Along the That’s one circuit, just keep going until you feel way, there were ups and downs, goods things, like you need to stop so you will not die. Then bad things, times to laugh, times to cry, etc. do another circuit hehehe and you can stop. Nevertheless, I learned to love weightrooms, as Another is: well as the whole scientific process and innate Sprint 50 yards ability surrounding “strength.” Walk After placing 2nd at the ADFPA Alligator Walk Collegiate Nationals in 1987 (Eau Claire, WI), I Walk started to train for Jr. Nationals and quickly Sandbag Carry learned that my body could not take this much Walk abuse and function properly. During a heavy Backwards Alligator Walk Deadlift workout, just 4 weeks after Collegiates, Or as I like to call it retreating alligator, and 3 weeks before Junior Nationals, I hurt my believe me if he feels like I do at this point he’s back. Pulled everything around the sciatic, and ready to retreat. Just keep repeating, as with the crushed my pride! I was a strapping 23 year old other and you will be a lean mean primal man and for the first time in my young powerlifting or woman in no time. Between circuits just take life, I had a debilitating injury. a quick sip of water and minimize the rest. Needless to say, I took time off, and Remember this is a form of cardio. You can found time to actually meet a respectable woman come up with all kinds of ideas yourself for and marry her (going on 15 years now). I also making circuits. Usually about four different found time to finish my undergraduate degree cardio-type/strength-endurance exercises are and get accepted into graduate school. about what you should probably do. But feel free As we used to say in Artillery School to experiment and let us know what happens. (yes, I was also an Artillery Officer in the National Guard), “time passes and weather changes.” I became a collegiate strength coach, finished my graduate degree, dabbled in corporate fitness and then started selling quality fitness equipment. (To limit your boredom, I’ll skip ahead). In the new millennium, I was headed quickly towards 40. Hence, like most middle-aged men, I got this wild -hair and took the USAW Club Coaches course taught by legendary Idaho Weightlifting Coach, Michael Jim Smith’ Alligator Training Protocol Conroy. One start-up club (http://www.cogentweightlifting.org/) and eight months later, I visited the Olympic Training
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002
Center and went through the Senior Coaches Tommy’s “less is more” concept comes into course taught by Paul Fleschler. I started play. competing myself and actually become a decent Master lifter. More importantly, I’m getting more and more Utah kids interested in Olympic style lifting. Today, I devote countless hours to weightlifting and sport performance training, as well as try to run my retail fitness store and Internet sight (www.powerathlete.com). I study weightlifting books, videos, websites, talk to and workout with local “power athletes” and climb allover anything to do with weightlifting, to the point of near divorce. In these efforts, I came across the “ultimate” weightlifting resource…Tommy Kono. His new book, Olympic Style Weightlifting, is perhaps the best and most understandable weightlifting book I found. Which finally leads me to the title of this article, Less is More. Tommy Kono…1956 Olympics “Less is more” comes in many shapes and sizes. Here’s one example: Two intense workouts per week. Try to keep each one at 1 – 1½ hour workouts with limited rest between sets and staying focused on the workout. When I first read this simple concept, I oversimplified it, “That’s too easy!” I thought to myself. Then…, I tried it. As a former powerlifter, I used to rest and talk between sets, at least 3-5 minutes. It was “needed.” I’m sure most powerlifters know where this is going. That’s right, limited rest and (Vasili, Dan, Tommy Kono and Eric) focusing on the workout was almost like doing Tommy’s book covers this concept aerobics for this 38 year old power athlete with wonderfully! I only wish I could convince high zero endurance. For the first four workouts school coaches who grew up with the “more is (about 2 weeks worth), nausea and light- better” Americanized philosophy that they headedness became my workout partners. need to, at the very least, read Tommy’s book. After that, the workouts became easier With all my schooling, education, and quicker. My wife was happy because I no seminars, certifications, etc., I know the “more is longer spent two-three hours in the weightroom better” concept works for most American and I was happy because my body recuperated athletes. I’ve lived it, breathed it, coached it, and faster. By Tuesday morning, I was always ready bathed in it until my fingers were all pruney. for the workout. At the risk of boring you, However, the problem with high-level below, I listed a typical week, taken straight periodization (a direct by-product of “more is from my “less is more” workout log. better”), at least, in my “limited” experience, is the vulnerability to over training, especially with young, multi-sport athletes. This is where
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 6 I September 2002
Warm-up (same on both days) John Powell’s Training Jump rope 60X both feet, 30X each foot Just off the telephone with John. His 1-2 minutes of core work on stability ball current training? The 20 minute drill, and/or with medicine balls. running, dips, situps and deadlifts. Inner/outer Rotator Cuff 1 X 20 @ 5# “All the stuff I like!” 3 X 8 @ 20Kg bar overhead squats A touch of wisdom here …he is also starting Tuesday (proverbial Snatch day) each day with a big shake with creatine, Snatch blueberries and protein. 1 X 5 @ 40KG 1 X 5 @ 60KG 1 X 3 @ 70KG From our Sponsor Page: 1 X 3 @ 80KG http://powerathlete.com 1 X 1 @ 90KG (attempts – i.e., sometime I get good reps, sometimes, I don’t) 1 X 1 @ 100KG NO GOOD 1 X 1 @ 85KG GREAT Back Squat 1 X 5 @ 70KG 1 X 5 @ 110KG 1 X 5 @ 140KG 1 X 5 @ 180KG 1 X 2 @ 200KG DONE WITH SQUATS STRETCH – GO HOME Check out Eric’s Grip Bars and the press blocks…where else can you get stuff like this? Thursday (proverbial C&J day) Pretty much the same format only C&J ended at 120KG (on a good day) And front squats usually ended at 150KG (again, on a good day)
That’s it! I stretch and do honey-do’s on the weekends, which usually involves moving heavy objects around the house/yard. I rest a bunch and I still make some gains, but the extra recuperation time really helps my joints and I’m quickly learning as I get older…, recovery is the key to consistency! Practicing “less is more” makes that recovery easier, less painful and less ibuprofen. Another issue finished! Published by Daniel John As always, Daniel John, Editor Show up and lift. Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 All Rights Reserved Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002
It’s hard to believe it has GPP is generally pretty easy to figure out. For an example, I will been one year… use rugby. To get into shape for I continue to find myself in awe of the practicing rugby I had to do a few courage displayed on September 11, 2001. Let us different things. First off, I had to never forget. improve my cardiovascular This looks to be our longest issue yet. conditioning, second, I had to prepare We have articles covering GPP, SPP, Hammer my body and joints for the game and the actual Throwing and more Combat Conditioning. I practices during the week, and third, I often had know that some of our readership might not find about 10-15 pounds to shed as well. So, some all our articles applying to their lives, but where choices had to be made: Typically I would begin else do you find stuff like this? the pre-season with a slow runs. These runs had Enjoy! to be slow for me to ease into a kind of "pre- conditioned" state. I had to get my ankles and Let’s not forget our mission: knees used to the pounding of running again, and 1. The Body is One Piece start to get my heart and lungs into better 2. There are three kinds of strength training: condition. I would typically start off with a mile • Putting weight overhead on an inside track. I would also begin to jump • Picking it off the ground rope more frequently. Jumping rope is a great • Carrying it for time or distance exercise, and it doesn't pound the body the way 3. All training is complementary. running does. It also conditions and hardens the GPP and SPP: Another Look joints and muscles of you legs, especially the calves, knees, ankles, and lower quads. Steve Shafley Well, you might ask, why the hell don't Steve is one of my internet inspirations and an all- you just play rugby, or indoor soccer, or around excellent strength. His impact can be seen on something like that? The simple answer is that many internet forums…the guy knows those activities are too much like the sport to be his stuff! considered GPP, and I didn't want to develop We've all injuries or overuse symptoms from doing heard about GPP. It something too similar. GPP should really not stands for General relate to the sport much at all. For example: Physical Preparedness. Long distance running has absolutely no place in Essentially it's work rugby. None. Rugby is all sprint/contact/recover done to get you into over and over again. If you are jogging around shape for you to start on the rugby field, you are definitely not in practicing your sport. condition to play with any kind of intensity. Read that again...It's However, slow long distance running worked work done to get you very well to increase my levels of general fitness, into shape to start and to toughen up my legs for the rigors ahead. practicing your sport. This definition has specific So, during the preseason, I would implications. SPP, or Special Physical typically do a few things concurrently, and yes, Preparedness is work done to directly improve you could consider this aspects of your sport that you need to work on. conjugate periodization. This also has specific implications. Where does GPP, to improve overall all this crap fit in? I mean, GPP is sled dragging conditioning and prepare and car pushing, and wheelbarrow work, and for the SPP ahead, stuff like that, or it can be circuits of calisthenics, flexibility work (which or hill sprints right? Well, that's kind of what can should be done mostly be, but it's not the whole story. after the rest of your training), and weight
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002 work. would just feel ready to start intensifying the You can view the weight work as a process. form of GPP and SPP. Basically you are Practice would begin, which developing, or trying to develop qualities that would consist of ball handling drills, will enhance your game. Usually a paring down rucking and mauling drills, kicking of exercises would occur. You must go to the drills, game flow drills, and some exercises that give you the most bang for the fitness work. The fitness work would buck. The time to get bigger is now over. You typically be some kind of sprinting are losing fat, and working on strength and your and calisthenics circuit. Those who explosiveness, and if possible, use exercises that didn't take time to prepare for the season would will directly benefit actions of your sport. An be obvious. They were the guys who were example of this would be the power clean and huffing and puffing, and sometimes puking. press to develop the lift in line-outs during rugby Practice would address practical issues of play. learning aspects of the game, but usually What are lineouts? A line of guys form wouldn't address some very specific aspects of up against each other, one team throws it in, any field game that needed to be. Very right down the middle. There are usually two specifically these would be agility, linear speed, jumpers, and four guys to help lift them up and and additional sprint/recover conditioning. hold them in the air to try to get the ball. The Fortunately, these all enhanced each other. power clean and press allowed me to lift our For sprint/recovery conditioning, I jumper, who weighed 200 pounds, and hold him would begin timed sprint/jogs. I would sprint for up in the air at arms length by myself, thus 30 seconds, then jog for a minute. As I got better freeing the lifter for defensive or offensive play. and better conditionioned I would lower the This gave us a distinct competitive advantage. recovery times. I knew I was ready to play when The power clean is also a very good drill to help I could do 30 second sprints/30 second jogs for you improve rucking. 30 minutes. Rucking is basically the For agility, I would set up cones, about type of play that forms 20 yards from each other, in a zig zag fashion. over a tackled man Usually there would be about 4 legs to this drill. and a loose ball on the I would sprint to each cone, and work on ground. changing direction rapidly and efficiently. Now let's go on to SPP. SPP is a For linear speed I would do a series of different kettle of fish than GPP. SPP is, 20-40 yard runs. Just an all out explosion from a essentially, practice for your sport, and drills that standing position with full recovery in between directly enhance your performance on the them. Occasionally I would do hill sprints to playing field. Once again, I'll use rugby as an help my overall leg strength. Overall, I would example. say that the agility, or lateral quickness, was the Generally, you need to give yourself most important aspect of getting round and being some time to get into shape, via GPP. For older "fast" on the field. guys, this might be 8-12 weeks, for teenagers Weight work would be pared down and younger folks, this could be from 6-8 weeks. once again. Essentially, all the strength you've There were certain signs I looked for before gained previously is all you're going to gain, thinking about starting the SPP for rugby. I especially with the additional workloads of SPP. would look for faster and faster I would get down to the bare essentials of weight times on my longer runs, I work, and attempt to maintain strength. For me would look for very little the bare essentials were 2 or occasionally 3 soreness in the muscles or sessions a week, power clean and press, squat, joints from these runs and SLDL or Romanian DL, bench press, and ab from the rope skipping, and I work. I would usually continue to do some kind of rotator cuff work as well, because those
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002 needed to be kept strong for the rigors of Hammer Throw Basics scrumming. So...now we've gone through all of that, I am sure you are wondering "Why?" I don't play Todd Taylor rugby. That's totally useless to me. Use it as an Todd is a senior citizen hammer thrower who does some illustration on how to set up your own type of coaching and helps anybody who is interested in improving. GPP and SPP for your own sport. You notice I As a master’s competitor, he has won USA Track & Field Masters National Championships. He states: “By nature I didn't mention sled drags, car pushes, am an “analytical” type and I have also had the benefit of wheelbarrow work, or other stuff like that. Those some of the best coaching available. My purpose is simply could all be used in place of some of the drills sharing what I have learned, what I think makes sense in mentioned above, but, since it was usually winter terms of ease of comprehension, and what verbal and imagery cues work for me. I hope that you find it beneficial when I began preparing for the season, I often in being able to learn and enjoy this unique event. I have couldnt' be bothered with the hassle of getting all made attributions to coaches/athletes where appropriate.” that crap out and bundling myself up. GPP has got to be something you are willing to do, and “The Taylor Throwers—my wife, Joyce is also an are able to do, not necessarily the best drills you accomplished thrower and Masters National Champion. can do. Mighty Mite Throwers—the unofficial club for the super stud hammer throwers who are less than six feet in height; Now, you often hear GPP talked about especially those of us in the 67”—69” vertically challenged in relation to powerlifting, and usually it's talked category with short levers. Portland Masters Track Club — about in conjunction with the sled, and assorted great camaraderie and great fun to compete with and against others and cheer each other on. “ ways to drag the sled. This is because sled dragging provides the perfect medium for GPP for the powerlifts. It strengthens and conditions Fun but Frustrating you in a fashion totally unlike performing the The hammer throw is often acknowledged as competitive lifts does. Light sled dragging can the most technical of the throws to initially also act as a restorative, getting blood running le arn and eventually through the muscles worked by lifting, and become proficient. This helping them recover, but the is largely due to the specifics of sled dragging are a centrifugal force of the whole other topic. implement during So, to determine the proper rotation and the fact that kind of GPP and SPP to include you are shifting your into you sport, you have to think about it. Does your balance and weight sport include swinging a bat, against the force of the or a golf club? If it does, maybe some kind of ball as it speeds up. sledgehammer work might be useful as SPP. Technique rules in the Does your sport require you perform out of hammer!! Hammer breath with your heart racing, with precision and throwing can seem skill? Then you better be doing your sport downright unnatural specific drills fast and hard. The only thing is and something our bodies were not meant to that GPP shouldn't mimic your sport. It shouldn't do. Despite size and strength disadvantages, be sets of 20 in the deadlift if you are a shorter and smaller athletes with good powerlifter, and it shouldn't be 40 yard sprints if you are a football player, because really, that's technique often perform well against larger SPP. Practically anything can be GPP, but SPP competitors. This event takes a lot of needs to relate directly to patience. Because it can be frustrating, it improving qualities needed in will be helpful to understand a little bit your sport. about the athletic attributes and physics
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involved in a good hammer thrower and the Olympic style lifts along with plate throw. twists are the foundational lifts for all throws—power or hang cleans & s natches, Athletic Attributes front, back and jump squats, lunges & A stereotype exists for all track & field step ups, push presses, incline bench throws of the big and strong athlete. presses, etc. Strength in the hammer is “Functional strength” is essential, but the needed for counterbalancing the force key athletic attributes for a hammer thrower generated by the hammer and to get into and are balance, rhythm and timing. All hold the key positions during the throw. A movement has balance and rhythm. great finish in a hammer throw is not a huge Balance is needed to counter the weight of upper body testosterone movement, if done the hammer and sustain the rotational forces correctly. The infamous “thrower’s yell” involved. Good foot speed and general should not be the grunt at the end of a quickness is helpful, but speed in the muscle tightening and straining yank on the hammer is a result of a gradual speed implement; rather it should simply be the progression or buildup with each subsequent release of energy from a smooth, controlled, turn with the implement; this is contrasted forceful movement. with the quick explosion of the “glide-style” shotputter. The rhythm of the throw enables For relative perspective on athletic attributes the speed progression. Timing is the ability for success in the hammer throw, consider to hit precise positions optimally at key the success of American throwers at the points or stages during the winds, entry open level of international competition. (transition from winds to turns) and turns. Americans are traditio nally at the top of the shot and discus world rankings and these throwers often started at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. Few American states throw the hammer or javelin in high school and few American athletes can meet the Olympic “A” Standard (minimum qualifying mark) in those events. In Eastern European countries, youth begin throwing hammer at the American equivalent of 7th & 8th grade using very light implements. The implement weight is gradually increased as they learn the proper technique to throw world class distances; only then do they begin serious weight training to increase their strength levels. In short, they learn to throw far before they even worry about strength. One can certainly achieve a measure of success
Let’s back up to strength. Lower body and “muscling” the hammer and weight (its core strength (lower back & abs) is more indoor version), however, this generally important than upper body strength in the creates bad habits that interfere with proper modern throwing technique. Variations of technique to throw far and maximize your
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002 potential. Remember, as in all the throws, that he/she is in “double support” phase (i.e., the “feeling” of your best throws is both feet on the ground) because greater “effortless” because of the fluidity and force can be exerted on the hammer when smoothness of the ironically explosive you are more stable with two feet in contact movement, i.e., balance, rhythm, and timing. with the ground. Also, the thrower “pushes the ball” with the right arm (like a tennis Hammer Throw Physics 101 forehand stroke) and drives with the right You need to understand the rotational forces foot and leg (like the pushing leg while on a involved and the determinants of distance. scooter or skateboard).
As the hammer increases in speed, the ball Distance in the hammer throw is a function has more outward force pulling against your of radius (arm length), ball (not body) speed, body; therefore, you must counter the and angle of release. The genetically increased speed/force by setting your body blessed with long levers have a distinct against (opposite) the weight of the ball. advantage, if they have decent balance and This explains the awkwardness and jerkiness rhythm. Therefore, for the rest of us that many beginning throwers feel as the mortals, “staying long” with the arms from ball moves around in the orbit as they learn the winds, entry and in all of the turns one turn and then add turns—one feels like through the release is absolutely critical. the ball is going to pull them off their feet or The object of speed in the hammer is not to out of the circle. In reality, the hammer turn like a helicopter rotor “whirly bird” but throw becomes a constant leaning where you generate “ball speed around your body”. have to “trust” that the hammer will hold Optimum angle of release is obtained by you up and keep you in the ring. This starting with a relatively flat orbit of the ball “countering the ball” thing is subtle; you don’t just lean real hard all at once and jerk the ball out of its orbit path.
Related to basic physics of the throw is the concept of the so-called modern technique of hammer throwing—“geo-synchronous orbit”. In the old technique of “counter and drag”, the thrower pulls the ball with the left arm & side and drags it off of their right side as they turn. It takes great strength to counter the ball and pull/drag it while on one foot for much of that style of throw. The Russians took hammer throwing out over 80m in distance with a fundamental concept in the modern technique—the “hammer thrower system” is the thrower turning with the ball as an integrated unit and all of the thrower’s energy ideally goes out into the ball. The other key aspect is that one attempts to maximize the amount of time
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during the winds, and then the momentum of cue means a constant natural reaction to the increased acceleration in the turn’s increase increased speed/force of the ball. Cues that the orbit angle with each turn. If you work for some people do nothing for me. In establish the right “high and low point” of the text of this paper, I have tried to place the orbit, you will find yourself “throwing most of the cues in boldface font to assist the ball up” at release and not a line drive the reader. Some athletes may have to shot off the center field wall. While there is forgive my analogies to other sports with a “posting up” of the left turning axis leg which they are not familiar. (right-handed thrower), a common fault is not “throwing out into the sector” at the Posture release. Instead of continuing a ¼ heel/toe Posture is critical and often overlooked. turn and rotating the hips around that Getting the right posture at the beginning blocked left leg (so you are looking at the and maintaining it is the key to good balance sector with your chest), often the hammer throughout the throw. incorrectly gets thrown over the shoulder like a sack of potatoes. You want to be bent in the knees (not the back) enough in a standard athletic “ready position” (football linebacker type) with back straight, so that you feel your calves/Achilles tendon pulling on you a little bit. Feet should be about shoulder width or a little wider with your weight evenly distributed between forefoot and heel and between left and right feet. This is the key to the “hammer thrower system” as it is called. A good metaphor for me is to imagine myself as a tetherball pole that is unwinding the tetherball around me—the more you hit the ball, the radius increases and the ball accelerates. The pole is a solid, anchored foundation in the middle of the ball’s increasing speed.
So, just by understanding the basic physics The head (a fulcrum for the body) is to be involved, you have some key “cues” for looking straight ahead; your hips/butt (the good hammer throwing technique. A quick body’s other fulcrum) counterbalance the word on “cues”—some of us learn visually, force of the ball. It's best if you can pick up others by hearing, and yet others by both the path of the ball with your peripheral methods. The concept of “sitting against the vision (keep your head level and eyes hammer”, for example, works for some as looking straight ahead) rather than looking the key to counterbalancing, yet others take right at the ball; otherwise most beginners it too literally and get bent forward at the will bend over when they rotate around to waist and off balance; and still others try to the back of the circle and get off balance mechanically insert the cue and motion into with no counter against the force of the ball. a portion of the throw not realizing that the
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The arms should be kept as long as possible the handle on the fingers is in the middle from beginning to end of the throw; portion and not closest to the palm. Some remember, radius is a key distance variable. throwers just use three fingers of each Another tendency for beginners is to bend hand on the handle to even further extend the arms and pull the hammer in towards the the radius; however, many find this body to help stabilize them. You have to try uncomfortable and/or too hard on wear to be relaxed in the upper shoulders and feel and tear of the hands. Beginners may as long a radius as possible. Whenever you wish to both lightly wrap the fingers of feel the hammer is pulling/bending you the left hand along with using a glove over, bend your knees in front of your chest; until their hands are used to the pressure this automatically places your butt/hips on the hands. Now jumping forward with behind your heels as a counter to the ball a little heads up on a sore and/or beat up and you will regain your balance. Beginners left hand from throwing the hammer— may find that as the hammer is at its low once you get beyond very beginning point in the back of the circle and then at its stages, this usually means you are over high point of the orbit at the front of the engaging the left side and pulling on the circle that they are on the “tilt-a-wheel” ride hammer and dragging it during the turns. at the amusement park. The more you practice turns with and without the The wind can be started several different implement, the more quickly this sensation ways depending upon preference. The will subside. classic wind is to place the ball in the circle just off to the right and behind the right leg; The Winds the handle is gripped with both hands and The winds impart initial momentum to the the ball is then pulled around in front of you implement and are the key to establishing and up towards the left shoulder. I the rhythm of the throw which in turn personally don’t prefer this style because enables a speed progression and gradual there is a tendency to bend around to grip increase of the orbit angle to its ideal angle and pull the hammer at the start and not stay at release. The thrower faces the back of the in that good posture, i.e., one gets bent over circle and generally winds the hammer right from the start. With both hands on the around him/her twice and then begins the handle at the start of the wind, the other entry into the first turn when the ball comes wind starting styles are to place the ball:1) around past the center of their body at the between the legs and behind you inside the nd end of the 2 wind. circle (ball is swung forward & then back to the right before swinging it in front of you), or 2) outside the circle directly in front of The right-handed thrower grips the you (ball is swung back to the right & then handle with the left hand then across the front). Yet another way is comfortably wraps the other hand around placing the ball behind and to the left of the it. The thumbs rest on the outside of the left leg with only the left hand gripping the handle and are pointed upward during handle; the ball is swung forward and up in the throw. You will either need to tape front of you to a comfortable height, back the left fingers or purchase/make a along the right side, and then across the throwing glove with the fingertips front. The purpose of the last three methods exposed. The optimum grip position of
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002 is to establish a little rhythm and momentum during the orbit other than setting the low right at the beginning. point directly in front of them. However, I am heavily influenced by Lance Deal, the Regardless of the starting position of the American record holder in the hammer and ball, the left shoulder initiates the weight, and his coach Stewart Togher. For movement of the implement across the front many beginners, I have found the of you for the first wind, rather then simply “pendulum wind” concept helps them lifting the implement up with your arms. understand the rhythm and key positions of You should keep looking straight ahead and the throw. Right from the winds, Togher keep your head still as you rotate the and Deal emphasize the “main event” of the shoulders to the left, feel the ball directly throw that occurs at 180 degrees directly behind your head, and then turn the behind you out into the middle of the sector shoulders back to the right as the ball comes at release of the hammer. around. Often beginners will wind with their arms only and not get a full shoulder If you think about the pendulum on an old turn; the full shoulder turn will help you clock, the pendulum is moving fastest at the establish a longer radius . If you turn your bottom after a gradual gravity drop from the hands over with the back of the right hand top of the arc. Think of the hammer orbit facing up as the ball passes in front you like the pendulum arc—180 degrees behind between the legs, it will help you get into a you being the top and zero degrees between good full shoulder turn as the ball travels left your legs in front being the bottom. After in the wind. you have turned the shoulders left, then shortly you should distinctly feel the ball at Nice and easy does it with the winds. You 180 degrees (directly behind the head) and are simply imparting initial momentum to feel the gravity drop of the ball to zero the ball. Don’t be winding so fast and hard degrees (directly in front between your that it pulls you out of that good starting legs). Feel and focus on the rhythm that this posture position. Avoid bobbing up and establishes in the winds. To feel this rhythm down or weaving/leaning from side to side. correctly, practice slow multiple winds. A good check on your winding speed is the “wind & turn drill”. In this drill, you wind The orbit of the 1st wind around the body is the hammer once, do one turn, and upon not critical, but as you come back around to rotating back to your starting point (at the the front to begin the 2nd wind, you want to back of the circle) you go right into another consciously set the low point of the ball wind & turn, wind & turn, etc. If you are directly in front of you. On the 2nd wind, not in a good stable position when you wind you want to set the radius out long (be the second time, you will be pulled off relaxed in the shoulder girdle), sweep the balance, which means you are winding too ball out around the left side , and let the fast. [The beginner or person just throwing ball “run long”. from the stand position or one or two turns will obviously need to generate greater speed in the winds prior to release]. The Entry The “traditional entry” of the throw is Some throwers are simply winding around considered the start of the left heel/right toe themselves with no particular emphasis turn as ball passes by directly in front of you
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(hard for discus and rotational shot throwers who may try to turn on their left forefoot). It is very important to maintain good posture, let the ball turn with you, and not dip or lean with the left shoulder to start the turn.
However, I have found it easier for
beginners to learn the “loose upper body”
style of throwing. One of its proponents is a
successful small thrower and collegiate
coach, Ken Norlen, at UC Davis. I have
Those who initiate the entry or first turn found that his three key principles or cues with the heel/toe turn as the ball passes in front of them at the end of the second wind allow one to forget about footwork and can have a tendency to “turn inside the orbit” of the ball. Their body can get ahead concentrate on balance and rhythm instead: of the ball and they end up dragging the ball around for the whole throw. The cue of “see 1) see the ball, 2) send it by, and 3) step to the ball” means generally that you want your body mass aligned with where the ball the ball. is; however, remember not to have your eyes fixated on the actual ball and get yourself bent over as mentioned above. But I first need to back up and talk about where the “entry” really begins for Togher The next Norlen cue is to forget about the and Deal. Deal uses the metaphor of the fly footwork and “send the ball by” to at least fisherman who casts the line rhythmically off your left shoulder (90 degrees) and let several times before setting the fly on the the ball “pull you into the turn”. You will water where he wants it to land. Here’s how find your feet automatically going into a to apply the metaphor—in the 2nd wind (as heel/toe turn and you find yourself able to the ball is behind you at 180 degrees) the easily “step to the ball”, as the outward pull ball falls in the pendulum gravity drop down of the ball toward 180 will pull the right foot through zero in front and all the way around off the ground when it is time. At the entry again to 180 degrees behind you, as you step and on subsequent turns, you want to keep quickly toward the ball with your right foot. the right foot down as long as possible in It is a nice long sweep of the ball out into “double support” and then “step to the the direction of the throw. ball” very quickly at 180. Your foot lands somewhere around 220 degrees; thus, you have minimized the amount of time you were on one foot or single support. You want to actually “see the ball” with your
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body at 180 degrees and be relaxed enough and then get you off balance. Also note, that to have a focal point out in the distance if you over rotate on the entry, you will tend (tree, fence post, etc.) with your vision to to subsequently do toe turns and be aligned know you are at 180. for throwing the ball into the cage or out of the sector. Four-turn throwers initiate the A word here about how you “count” your entry with a toe turn in order to have the foot turns (1…2…3..). Many count the start of room inside the circle to complete four each turning motion or pushing of the ball at rotations, but turns 2 through 4 are heel/toe the back of the circle. Here is another turns. method of counting that gets you focused on the main event of the throw—out into the sector. As you step to the ball, the hammer The Turns is at the top of its orbit and it is called “the When you "catch" the ball at the top of Turn catch” of the hammer. Counting your step 1 (i.e., top or high point of the ball’s orbit) down with the right foot as “one” will help somewhere between 180 to 220 degrees, as you get focused on 180 and the importance you “step to the ball” that right foot is of the quick step and set-up for the rest of pressed down into the circle (not just the turn and throw. From that fly-casting tapping down as you go around). Then, you metaphor of the pendulum gravity drop of counter the speed you just put on the ball the ball (from 180 down through zero) and with the entry into the turn as you on out to 180 with the quick step of the right immediately shift your hips/butt behind foot, you are patterning the release of the your feet. The right leg drives and the right throw out into the sector. Togher and Deal, arm sort of “sweeps the ball” around to then, would “count” a 4-turn throw as “five zero degrees at the back of the circle and on throws” of the ball to 180 (turns 1-4 & around again to 180; and you take another release). I looked pretty silly and kept quick step to the ball. It is important to feel taking 5 actual turns when first trying this; the “ball speed” move around you (the but if you can orient yourself to 180 and the tetherball pole metaphor) and “send it by” catch of the hammer as the “count” for each into the next turn and out to 180. This is the turn, it may help you do a better job in this “main event” in the hammer. The key to the critical part of the throw and keep you from hammer (like breaking the rotation of the over-rotating on your turns. full discus movement into line and wheel drills and ½ & ¾ throws) is to make it a Once you “enter” the throw, the knee angle linear 180-to-180 event, rather than a of the turning axis leg should be locked in circular one, i.e., you are simply walking for the remainder of the turns. There should towards the back of the circle rather than not be any up and down movement with that spinning around. leg. [Advanced throwers that “appear” to drop the left knee lower at the “catch” in Notice that you are using your body weight reality have a lower left hip countering the to counter the hammer in a gradual lean ball that is caused by the right knee/foot against the ball. The more you lean, the aggressively moving toward the ball in faster the ball moves around you (remember single support] It is also important to fight ball speed not body speed is the key distance the tendency to stand up on the left leg that variable), and the more you have to lean will cause you to do a toe turn with both feet (back against the ball) to keep up with its
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speed. A good drill for grasping this feeling generate the acceleration in the final turns is the one ball “walk-around” drill. and transfer force out into the ball at the Starting with the hammer on your right side release. Do not get caught in the trap of on the ground, you assume your good trying to push the ball around hard right posture then start turning around in little from the beginning. When you do this you “pitty pat” steps with arms extended to give just find yourself turning faster (inside the you some momentum. After 2 or 3 turns orbit of the ball) the more you push, but you start a heel/toe turn and go into successive won’t necessarily get the extra distance you turns. Really concentrate on sitting against desire because you are unable to counter the the ball more and more just after the catch in increased force. Remember the faster the each turn and feel the acceleration of the ball goes, the more force the ball has, and, hammer around you back around to 180 just thus, the more you have to lean/sit against by counterbalancing the ball. Unless you the ball to counterbalance the increased are really big and strong, you will find better force. success by learning this countering concept and the feeling of the ball speed moving How and when do I add the next turn? This around you. question often gets asked and here is the answer—before you need to! For example, the best way to stabilize your 2nd turn of a 2- turn throw is to throw some on 3 turns and pretty soon you won’t even be thinking about that 2nd turn. On a concrete pad or your driveway or sidewalk, practice multiple turns with the walk-around drill and wind & turn drill. The only way you get used to turning is to turn; for most throwers the dizziness will go away and the balance will come.
“Do nothing in the first turn!” This is the one consistent training journal entry made by Lance Deal. It simply refers to the Acceleration and Speed Progression. concept that the entry and first turn is merely You probably will notice that I have spent an “extension of the winds”. It also says far more time with the winds and the first that even though you know better, there is a turn. The reason is that the correct body tendency when the adrenaline is cranked up position, balance, rhythm and countering to wind faster and try to push the ball around provide the foundation to “set up” the last hard in turn 1. Deal often refers to the many two or three turns. Everybody wants to “paradoxes of hammer throwing”; one of know how he or she can “go faster” or get these is that you have to “slow down to “more speed” with the hammer. In reality, speed up”. Next I will discuss acceleration you can’t just turn on the turbo jet boost or and speed progression, but it cannot be find some extra gear, rather it is a gradual overemphasized for the 3 & 4 turn thrower countering and speed progression using that you need to be smooth and under that same sweeping motion from 180 to 180 control with good rhythm in the 1st turn to that you did at the catch in turn 1.
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• I “do nothing in the first turn” except For a 2-turner with the hammer, especially that nice smooth entry (fly fishing cast with some size and/or strength, you can from 180 in 2nd wind out around to the accelerate the ball in 1 1/2 turns--turn 2 & sector), counter at the right foot step to the release. The 3-turner simply uses the the ball at 180 (count “1”) and nice long first turn as an extension of the winds and sweep around back to 180. only really accelerates hard for 2.5 times— turns 2, 3, & release. The top 4-turn • At this point, then I am at the top or throwers generally use a 2 + 2 pattern where catch of turn 2 (count “2”), I they use the first two turns to “set up the consciously counter the ball more by acceleration” in turns 3, 4, & release. sitting back more while simultaneously driving hard with the right foot/leg and Now, for the magic elixir of acceleration— pushing hard with the right forearm on there is none! Unlike golf where the duffer through zero and on back out to 180 can become a decent bogie golfer with better (count “3”). clubs like the oversized woods and perimeter weighted & cavity back irons, as a • So, what I have done until now is hammer thrower, you will have to do the basically smoothly counter the ball and equivalent of a lot time on the driving range, sweep the hammer around me feeling practice greens and get some lessons!! I will the ball speed in the first two turns. tell you what works for me that I have modeled after successful open throwers. • I then end up adding the push of the ball Most throwers need to be able understand at the top of turn 2 (count “2”) which the hammer physics, the technique accelerates me into turn 3 where I fundamentals, obtain coaching, practice with simply push a little harder while drills and 50%-80% effort throws to ingrain counterin g and it takes me into turn 4. the neuromuscular patterns, and then “find your throw”. By this I mean there are many • At the top of 4 (count “4”) I do not different body types, athletic abilities, have a mad dash to get to a power strength levels, and abilities to comprehend position for the release. I am just and emulate certain concepts. You have to repeating what I did at the top of the be able to incorporate bits and pieces of this previous two turns—pushing a little theory, imagery, and cues and find what harder each time as I simultaneously works best for you. You will have found counter with the hip/butt behind the “your throw” when you are very consistent heels and sweep the hammer to feel the and have more good throws with balance ball speed around me. and rhythm with most of them landing out in the sector. • Do the stomp!! A real key for me in those last two turns is the ability to stay I follow a traditional 2+ 2 pattern as a 4-turn in double support as long as possible thrower. In my case I counter, counter before stepping with the right foot, and (butt/hips behind heels), push, push (the ball then, stomp the foot down, push hard with my right forearm). and drive the right leg.
The Release or Finish
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002
As you catch the ball at the top of your last An Email from Todd turn, you pretty much just hold on and do Dan: that sweeping action with the whole right side/arm (not a pull with the left) out around It was certainly great to meet you and the wife in the left and up out into the sector. You person and enjoyed throwing with you. Glad anticipate the ball coming to zero in front you could make this fun event. where you stand up ramrod straight with the head back (getting the head back will lift For a "discus" thrower you had some pretty the chest) and arms lifting. The key on the solid technique in the hammer. One thing that release is to keep on doing another ¼ will really help your hammer...speed heel/toe turn, so that you are throwing progression. Although a 4-turner like myself will take the first turn slower than a 3-turner, for around the left leg block to 180 and not just a strong guy like yourself you can accelerate the throwing it over your shoulder like a sack of ball on just one-two "cranks" (application of potatoes. force) on the ball. All three of your turns were pretty much the same speed. Wind slower and I prefer the term “finish” over “release” concentrate on getting a nice full shoulder turn because you should be just finishing the last and radius and then use the entry/first turn to "set of a series of throws around you out toward up" the thrower. Analogous to the the sector—you simply release the last one. discus....rushing (even for a 3-turner) the You should feel both arms come through the first turn is like getting out of the back of the bottom in front of you and out into the circle too fast with the left foot pivot. To prove my point...take a single wind then hit the second sector. If your left hand/arm ends up turn hard and the third turn very hard...you will substantially apart from the right one at feel the acceleration at the end and the speed actual release, then you are pulling on the progression. ball (ironically you will take momentum off the ball you just got through building up!). You have very good balance and sit against the ball well. You had atendency to get a little bent over in turn 3; looking at the ball and cause you Epilogue to get bent over; keep your eyes on the horizon and pick up the ball with your peripheral vision. Throw far and have fun. Hammer throwing is a journey. I hope this road map helps. Here is the article I promised...hope it helps. The goal like modern business is “continual process improvement”. In the weight throws, it helps to get the ball to about shoulder level going into that first turn so you set up a nice orbit (especially with the 56#). I just gotta say… The key to both the weight and superweight is to That is an incredible piece of work, be patient at the finish by anticipating and Todd. Really…this is going to be waiting for the ball to come down through zero reprinted and recopied and Xeroxed and degrees between your legs and then lift with the legs and arms. In reality, a good finish in weight posted and pinned on places all over the and hammer is like a hip snatch with a world that respect the art of hammer dumbbell.....take a dumbbell and hold with both throwing. hands off your right hip in a hammer stance; Thank you! move the DB down to zero degree between the legs and immediately pop those hips (like a snatch/clean) and use that momentum to lift the
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002
DB straight up as you pivot the left foot....done You can use a beam, log, barbell, right your head will be between your arms on the sandbag, even do a waiter’s walk with a finish. dumbbell. I got this idea from Dan. I haven’t tried a barbell waiter’s walk yet, but A key to the finish....too often throwers will that sounds like FUN. finish the hammer by throwing over their left One thing to be shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Instead, throw around the blocking left leg by opening up the careful of is dropping it. left foot into a 1/4 turn and throw straight up. Believe me the last thing you want You'll notice when I finish my arms are still in a is a weight coming down on your prolonged follow through just like a basketball head. Even if it doesn’t hurt or kill player shooting the free throw with full wrist you, you don’t want the extension to impart the final rotation on the ball. neighbors to think you are even crazier than they originally thought. Regards. So how do you get started? Easy pick a course, take whatever weight/object Todd you are going to carry out to your start line. Ironman Now a couple of tips for anyone especially Talk about a someone doing it by him or herself: In an resource! ideal world we would have someone there to But, what’s wrong spot/coach us, but in the real world that not with being a discus always possible. If you are going to do the thrower? overhead carry from a place where you can’t take it off a rack (and let’s face it most people don’t have a rack on the street), you are going to have to get it from the ground to Overhead Carry: overhead using the least amount of energy. A Much Neglected Exercise You don’t want to waste energy before Jim Smith you’ve even started. With a barbell all you Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting have to do is a typical power clean and push for years and is always ready to experience new techniques press (push press it even if you can press it, and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health don’t waste energy). On a side note this adds and strength questions. an element of safety to the exercise. You will not be using a weight that you can’t lift. One of the most neglected, but in my I’m not saying that you NEVER opinion valuable exercises is the overhead should just make sure you are very advanced carry. When walking with a weight before you do. I’ve done this a lot and I will overhead your body really has to work in not use a weight that I can’t get overhead unison and needs constant stabilizing. You myself. With a beam, log, or sandbag make can do this exercise HEAVY for short the necessary adjustments. On the waiter’s distance or medium for longer distances. version use your free hand to help swing or You’ll receive benefits of cardio, power clean it. If you use a long farmer’s tremendous trap/shoulder work, core size bar I have found that getting my carry stabilizing, and some leg work. If you power hand as centered as possible and placing my clean and push press it from the free hand to the rear of the handle while ground/street you get even extra work. straddling it allows you to swing it to your
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 7 II September 2002 shoulder easy. Then your free hand is already in position to help push press it. As is normal you’ll find that you can always use From our Sponsor Page: over half of what you can with one hand as http://powerathlete.com with two. The last time I barbell overhead carried I used my bodyweight 165 lbs and still was able to waiter’s walk with a thick 2+ inch handled 36 inch long dumbbell using 110 lbs. Could I carry 220 lbs overhead for 100 yards, not anytime soon. Another tip is if it starts to lean back either get control quickly or drop it. It’s better to break anything other than yourself. One way I’ve found to help avoid this leaning backwards is Next Issue??? Hopefully, we will when you are trying to get those last few yards and the weight just wants to continue to get lots of go. Let it slightly lean forward so you are submissions. We have moving fast to catch up with it. As you contacted Mike Rosenberg practice you’ll come up with your own about his ability to turn a techniques and realize that doing an caber…on his very first ever overhead carry is something that will give attempt? Will he share his you a sense of strength and accomplishment. secrets? So go out and scare the neighbors or spandex gym crowd if you get nothing else Any way…if you want from this exercise that should be enough. to send something in, email us at [email protected] and let us know!
Published by Daniel John Thanks, Jim. I will add Thick Bar Waiter Daniel John, Editor Walks to my next Step Aerobics Class. Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 All Rights Reserved Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002
More Sponsors…More Interest (The photo is of Eric Seubert (on the left), Dan John and Dick Notmeyer at Dick and Joy’s 50th Eric Aragon’s Powerathlete.com Wedding Celebration.) became Get UP!’s first sponsor a few issues ago and we are happy to announce that Sportkilt has Monday joined us, too. Sportkilt provides excellent kilts Snatch and Scottish accessories at a reasonable price for 135: 2 x 3 those interested in the heavy athletics at the 165: 1 x 3 Highland Games. 198: 1x 3 http://sportkilt.com 220: 1 x 3 Think of how popular you will be 242: 1 x 3 with your neighbors in a Sportkilt 253: 1 x 3 and a pair of thick bars from 264: 1 Powerathlete…walking around the 270: 1 (Maybe 280, if he feels good) block Pulls (Snatch with Straps) This issue has Chris Dillon’s first article 253: 3 on early morning cardio, an interesting email 280: 3 from my brother, a look at “recruiting” athletes, 297: 3 and some little gems from here and there. 308: 2
319: 2 Let’s not forget our mission: 330: 1 1. The Body is One Piece Squats 2. There are three kinds of strength training: 135: 5 • Putting weight overhead • 225: 5 Picking it off the ground 315: 5 • Carrying it for time or distance 365: 5 3. All training is complementary. 415: 5 Mike Cohen’s Training from 435: 3 the Mid-1970’s 405: 5
In 1978, my buddy, Eric Seubert, joined Tuesday the Junior World Team in Olympic Lifting for the Clean and Jerk United States. I was off in Logan, tossing the All Singles discus, but we talked several times…just before 135 295 he headed off to Greece. One thing Eric thought 185 315 had a lot of merit was Mike Cohen’s approach to 225 335 lifting. With the hindsight of several decades, I 265 appreciate this simple approach to training, If he feels good, he goes up, otherwise several especially all the rack work. heavies. This is one of those programs worth Clean Pulls considering for all strength athletes. 315: 3 390:2 340: 3 407: 2 365: 3 418: 1 390: 2 425: 1 Clean Pulls to Top of Knees 315: 4 390: 4 450:4 340: 4 410: 4 370: 4 430: 4
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002
Clean Pulls from Knees on Up There are basically 2 kinds of cardio – regular, 245: 3 515: 3 low to medium intensity style like you see in 335:3 605: 3 most gyms around the world, and HIIT style 425:3 665: 3 cardio, where the intensity is varied from high to Once every other week: low throughout the workout. Since switching to Jerk Supports HIIT cardio, I have had phenomenal results for 245: 2 475: 2 fat loss and I’d like to think this article would 315: 2 500: 2 give others the incentive to give it a go. 365: 2 525: 2 425: 2 I used to turn my nose up at doing intense cardio in the morning, mainly from anecdotal evidence Wednesday presented to me from bodybuilder friends such Easy Drop as my training partner, a lean 230lb 400-for-reps Snatches benchin’ machine. He uses low to medium intensity cardio mostly; going for walks, exercise Thursday bike and other such activites, and admiring his Same as Monday “rippedness” I (of course!) followed suit, never missing a beat and hitting the exercise bike 5 Friday days a week for 40 minutes. While that sort of Same as Tuesday cardio is fine for him, being a somewhat naturally lean mesomorph who uses a multitude Saturday of recovery enhancers, I believe there is a better Similar to Wednesday option for the majority of us, who aren’t naturally lean and have to struggle to get to a He rests maybe a minute between sets. He told really low bodyfat percentage. Eric that he had only lost one week of training time to injuries. He also expected 30-40 gain on From comparing my results from using both the total a year. “Always think speed.” His styles, I can definitely say that, for me, HIIT workouts lasted about an hour and a half…only style cardio is best for people, like most of us singles in the Clean and Jerk. His gym bests at here, who naturally store stubborn fat. the time were 285 and 360 with meet bests of 297 While many of the guys I train with and 365. and talk to in person in regards to “Yield to all and you will soon have training are naturally lean, most of nothing left to yield.” the guys I come across on the internet definitely tend towards Aesop the more endomorphic build, and that is exactly who this article is aimed at. I hope to discuss why “Intense Morning Cardio – intense, interval cardio is beneficial for the lifter wishing A Piece of the to cut fat and retain lean body mass, and how it can be incorporated into a training program Endomorph Fat-loss easily. Puzzle” Firstly, as the title of the article states, it is best Chris Dillon to do intense cardio in the morning – preferably Chris is 21 and has been training since '99. “I’m 6' 210- before breakfast. With regular, low to medium 220lbs depending on how many tubs of pringles I ate that week and best lifts so far are 235X5 Military Press, 200X17 intensity, cardio the time of day doesn’t really Seated Overhead, 309 for 25 Squat, 100 for reps in chins, etc. matter so much, since the idea is simply to burn etc. If there's anything else you need just let me know.” calories towards a weekly calorie defecit –
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002 hopefully resulting in a 1-2lb fat loss per week. d) If you eat before working out (in this case, However, the idea of HIIT cardio is not to “burn HIIT cardio) you have to burn the food you just calories” but instead stimulate the metabolism. ate before starting to tap fat stores. This is generally why including this kind of cardio, especially when in a fat loss rut, can e) It's anerobic, so gives a nice "high" for the rest make dramatic changes to a physique. of the morning/day. Endorphins, baby. Even though this doesn’t help your dieting per se, the So… how exactly DOES one perform HIIT strong mental feeling will carry over towards it cardio? OK, first off, totally get out of your head and other areas of your life. the idea that cardio is an easy or “half assed” activity that you do in front of the TV for 30 f) I have felt a lot more awake and minutes… while performing HIIT cardio you altert after including HIIT cardio 3 will NOT be able to hold a conversation, sorry! mornings a week, even with no Basically, this style of cardio is performed by stimulants before or after the session. alternating super intense training with low intensity. A real world example of HIIT cardio, g) You look hardcore doing it at one I used very successfully, was sprint all out 7AM. OK, I’m running out of for 100 meters, then walk slowly for 100-200 points… ;-) meters, then sprint again. Repeat this for 10-15 “sets” and you will be spent. Oh, and you’ll also Con's -- feel great for the rest of the day and get really lean if you perform it on a consistent basis with a a) The body is in a depleted state in the morning, good diet… pretty cool huh? and for optimal anabolism, needs nutrients as soon as you get up, in theory. Probably not a Here are some pro’s and con’s I researched problem for a mesomorph/endomorph, but an summed up for HIIT cardio, hopefully from ectomorph might not do well due since they have these points you can decide yourself whether this to scrounge for every pound of muscle they gain. style of cardio would be beneficial to helping Then again, this article is obviously aimed at you achieve your goals. people who have a harder time losing fat than gaining muscle. a) When training in the morning -- especially with HIIT cardio, which is pretty similar to high b) Without NYC/Ripped Fuel/MD6 or similar, rep squats in intensity -- it elevates your you might not be able to get up for it in the metabolism for the rest of the morning (in fact morning. However, having said that, I am an until late in the evening). Evening cardio doesn't awful morning weight lifter, yet manage to pull have the same effect, since your metabolism off HIIT cardio no probs in the morning. I'd say drops while you are in slumber. Hence from a you should wait 'til you're hydrated, though, but metabolic standpoint it is much wiser to include that should be obvious! I would definitely the activity in the morning. recommend a stimulant – MD6 from Biotest seems to work best for this, though any b) If done before breakfast, going from the Yohimbine/Caffeine combo would do nicely – anerobic nature, nutrients (carbs) from the meal just as it helps you get through those last few will be better shifted into the muscles intervals. (glycogen), which is optimal when dieting. Basically I think the benefits out-weigh the c) From studies and articles I've glanced through, negatives... due to less glucose (carbs) in the blood in the morning, fat is more likely to be mobilized for I also agree totally with the regular bodybuilding energy. theory that morning cardio -- if done the regular way -- i.e., low to medium intensity for 30-45
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002 minutes, is no better. I think that would be better done in the evening, say going for a nice walk. No Squats?! Well, of course I worked squats… but I find on a diet my leg recovery is extremely So, how do you incorporate HIIT cardio into low and this is worsened when adding in HIIT your routine? cardio 2-3 times a week since it really does add a lot of volume of work for the thighs and low First, I would choose the kind of HIIT cardio you back. My solution? Squat every 14-20 days. wish to do, be it sprints, rowing, swimming or Sounds stupid, I know, but I recently dieted whatever you like. Personally, I chose sprints down from around 230lbs and 20% to 210lbs and because I don’t have constant access to a rower 12-13% while using the HIIT cardio style (such as a Concept 2) and have a school field mentioned above and my using the once every 3 next to my house, which is easily accessible week style my (Olympic style, high bar… Dan every morning. After you have chosen the John has a great article on “how to squat”, check activity, I would recommend you first start to it out) Squat stayed at 300 for 20 deep reps, incorporate it 2 mornings a week and see how DESPITE losing the fat and sprinting 3 days a your appetite is stimulated from there. For me, 2 week! Upper body work wasn’t affected AT mornings a week keeps my cardio up and doesn’t ALL, though, which is a lot more than can be allow me to gain much fat even when eating said when doing low to medium intensity cardio quite heartily, but doesn’t really cut it for fast fat 5 or 6 days a week. loss. For that I would recommend 3 mornings a week, or even alternated every day with weight Obviously 80%+ of fat loss is down to diet, and lifting. My routine while on a recent super-strict I can’t cover that here, besides stating the fat loss spree, looked something obvious – high protein, low to medium carbs like: and fat, no processed food, lots and lots of water, etc. etc. – but since you’re at Dan’s site you probably have an idea on the basics anyway, and I’m sure IF you’ve already been doing all that and have still hit a plateau (happens to all of us – for me usually around 13-14% bodyfat) then please add this style of cardio to your routine, I’m sure it’ll work wonders… though nobody said it was easy, either.
Hopefully I have presented HIIT cardio in a good light and easy to understand manner. I truly did get great results after I added it to my routine, and I hope you do too! Best of luck.
(Chris pushing the Inclines in Training) Monday – Heavy Chest/Shoulders/Triceps Tuesday – HIIT cardio, 7:00AM Wednesday – Heavy Back and Biceps Thursday – HIIT cardio, 7:00AM Friday – Heavy Chest/Shoulders/Triceps Saturday – HIIT cardio, 7:00AM Sunday – Rest
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002
2. When you try and suddenly pull backward An Email from my Brother when moving on a treadmill, you fall off the My brother, Gary, is eight years older than me and is working with his son, David, learning the discus. Well, he back. has also embraced the “psycho” lifestyle of our subscribers. He is quickly learning some lessons: Lessons learned. Dan, Technology and the farmer's walk are at On using a treadmill with the farmer's walk: opposite ends of the workout spectrum. Combining the two is against one of God's laws I'm on the way out that must be in some of the fine print in the back to my deck off the of the Bible. family room, and right next to the Gary door is my treadmill. Instant A Few Words about inspiration, why Recruiting… not use the “Believing a player can easily bulk up after treadmill for the he arrives on campus, the Sooners will embrace a farmer's walk. I rangy schoolboy who has exceptional quickness and get my two 45-lb agility, as long as he has the frame that can hold the dumbbell and get added muscle supplied with the help of the team’s on the treadmill. (This is a picture of Gary carrying weight program. me…1961…old school training methods) When scoping talent, Oklahoma coaches have little use for the complex statistical analyses 1. When you have two dumbbells in your hands, devised by recruiting services. They’d rather know you can't operate the buttons whether a prospect excels at multiple positions or in 2. The handbars on the treadmill force you to multiple sports, evidence of wider athletic ability. “We recruit athletes…” stand way back near the end “The Pillage People,” Sports Illustrated, August 12, 2002. Page 65 Fortunately, my two boys are playing Gamecube right next to the treadmill. Shout several times to get their attention. They both attempt to get What is an article about recruiting doing the treadmill going while still operating their in Get UP! Well, it seems that much of the game controllers. I am now successfully moving population of this little newsletter coaches…in at 2.5 miles per hour. After .2 of a mile I have to addition, many of the readers want to be stop. Yelling push stop several times finally recruited. The problem? Well, that’s our article works. One child responds. in a nutshell…what’s the problem with 1. Never rely on someone to control recruiting? your destiny 2. Never try to jump off of a treadmill with two Speed and Smarts 45-lb dumbbells Years ago, I was standing next to my college track coach, Ralph Maughan, and he Now, getting smarter, I attach the panic stop clip made a very simple statement about recruiting that comes with the treadmill. You clip it on college athletes…something he was very your belt and it has a cord that attaches by successful at doing. “Always recruit speed and magnet to the console. If you should faint, it smarts because you can’t coach either of them.” pulls off and stops the treadmill. You just heard a line of genius…speed and smarts. Under a year round coaching situation at 1. You still need someone to get the treadmill a four-year university, an athlete born with speed moving and blessed with brains can transform
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002 him/herself into a solid conference performer by How many white Utah kids under 7’6” their senior year. Don’t ask me about height, are there in the NBA? weight, sport, or whatever…given enough speed and brains, miracles can happen. Smarts is easy The first problem I see with recruitment enough to check on with SAT, ACT, admissions for any sport is insisting, at the basic level, on work, grade point average, and even a casual the athlete committing his/her full life on a year- conversation. Speed is usually evident in the round basis on one sport. We simply don’t know performance of the sport. A horrendous high what the future holds. You may have a world school technician has probably only just learn champion in kayaking, speedskating, luge, the rudiments of the sport. Given a year round hammer throwing, or the caber. Your great approach and any level of coaching…you might power forward might be a better tight end. have a gem. The first pitfall is forgetting to measure athlete to athlete without looking at the coaching Pitfall the first… and time allotted to developing this athlete. If a Why, oh why did high school programs start high school discus thrower plays football and developing year-round sports? A local high wrestles for four years, he would only have a school demands that their baseball players, total of 12 months devoted to throwing. You will whom they recruit from midget ball, play match that in their freshman year in college. year-round baseball. Fine, I say, I don’t care. Shouldn’t that alone make them better? I really don’t. But, think this through…
1. Who usually dominates Little Pitfall the second… Leagues? The kids who mature
first. “Looks like Tarzan, Plays like Jane.” It 2. What kind of athlete would forgo was funny a while ago to read Bud Jeffries quote playing other sports? The kids who me using that line. That line is probably as old as matured first and find they hit their American Football. Yet, we coaches all fall for adult height…at 5’4”…and don’t it. You look at this kid…a specimen of all that want to get pounded by kids 6’4”. our sport glorifies. Tall, fast, strong, lean, quick, 3. What message are you sending to smart…then, the whistle blows and the games the other coaches? We don’t want begin and our hero ….fades…to…black. We you…we don’t need you. have all seen it. 4. Exactly what complimentary I often note that the biggest mistake lessons will these kids high school track coaches make is that they learn…playing one sport all year? “recruit the image of a thrower.” Somebody says None. “throwers are big,” so the coach lines up every 5. Long-term chances of big, fat, grossly out of shape kid in the school improvement? I don’t often see it. and hands them a disc and shot. Throwers are
fast. Throwers are mean. Throwers get big after Okay, so you recruit this kid who lifting for six years. played one sport, year-round, for four years into Looks like Tarzan, throws like Jane. a college program. Ask yourself…how much can Every school seems to have a “Big Wally,” a big this kid get better? Notice the approach kid who waddles into the ring and does a mentioned by the Oklahoma Sooners…they look standing throw…good enough to win in the for multi-sport athletes. In Utah, many high eighth grade, laughable in high school, school basketball coaches won’t allow their unthinkable in college. basketball players to compete in other sports. Go to a football summer camp at a How fair is it to this kid, let’s say 6’3” and 185 university and watch the same thing happen. The pounds, to explore his limits in basketball only? head coach, who appears for almost twelve
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 8 III September 2002 seconds a day, will look over at a kid who has all base…learn all you can and wait as long as you the tools and begin recruiting. They ignore the can to focus on just one sport. fact that the kid is going to look just like that in From our Sponsor Page: five years, a man among boys…but in college, http://powerathlete.com there ain’t no boys. This has been called the “Notre Dame” Have you checked out Eric’s problem, too. For years, Notre Dame would Coaching Page? Great Stuff! recruit the best lineman in the USA…high school kids who dominated at 6’5” and 265 pounds. Four years later as seniors at Notre
Dame, they would play at 6’5”, 265 pounds. The
Notre Dame Problem combines elements of both pitfalls, but you have to be careful about recruiting “the image” and forgetting what four years of maturity and weightlifting can do for some other kids.
So, how do you recruit?
First, try not to recruit. Offer kids lots and lots and lots of opportunities. Get them off the Gamecubes and into a variety of sports. Published by Daniel John When I grew up, we had basketball and baseball Daniel John, Editor at our school and neither excited me. But, my Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 family loved track and we loved football. All Rights Reserved Fortunately, I had the chance to be exposed to other sports. Those kids who get keyholed into Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly one sport at an early age may never really root prohibited. out their potential. How many schools offer lifting meets, Highland Games, Strongman comps, wrestling teams, rowing, Next Issue??? speedskating…well, you get the point. Submissions keep Second, if you are a coach or parent, coming in…the world waits look to the long term. Beyond high school, even beyond college, the athletes you work with breathlessly for Mike should have opportunities to compete…and Rosenberg’s Caber improve…long after the age of 18. Don’t forget Column… Coach Maughan’s point about “smarts.” Be sure Any way…if you want to take care of education, career, social life, and to send something in, email family life. Don’t fall into the trap that many professional athletes fall into…it even has a us at [email protected] name, “Delayed Adolescence Syndrome”…and and let us know! have nothing at the end of that rainbow. Finally, if you are an athlete keep exploring the world of sports. If you are an Olympic Lifter, consider a powerlifting meet or a Highland Game. There are lessons to be learned there. If you are in fighting sports, try somebody else’s game. It can be illuminating. One of the missions of Get UP! is to remind everyone that training should be complimentary. To get to the top requires a good
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002
The Clean Grip Snatch and The Caber On July 8th, 2002 I called Dan to tell http://sportkilt.com him I actually got to practice with a caber on th If you like Highland Games…throwing heavy July 4 and actually turned it once I figured out stuff, but you can’t see dropping over $300 for a how to perform the pick. Dan says, “Wait a kilt, see our friends at sportkilt. minute, you turned it your first time out?” I We continue to grow… replied, “No, not really, it took me three attempts I love the responses we get from this to figure out how to pick it and walk with it, but once I got the hang of it I turned it on my 4th and little newsletter. Most people like the variety of th authors and ideas. Maybe you are not a hammer 5 attempts.” Dan proceeds to tell me most thrower or caber tosser, but you can learn grunt rookies take a while to successfully turn a something from this edition’s authors. caber. I told him, “It wasn’t that bad since I took Especially as winter begins to close on your advice.” Another rousing cry from Dan of us, those of us who participate outdoors need to “man, can I coach!” followed by a short pause start thinking long term again. So, let’s think with “what did I tell you to do?” about our mission! Dan had challenged me to enter my first Highland Games, the Saint Mary’s Games in Let’s not forget our mission: th 1. The Body is One Piece Notre Dame, Indiana on July 20 . I reluctantly 2. There are three kinds of strength training: accepted his challenge even though I had never • Putting weight overhead thrown a Scottish hammer, tossed a sheaf or had even touched a caber. Nervous and worried I • Picking it off the ground asked for advice on how to train for the caber • Carrying it for time or distance without easy access to one. Dan advised 3. All training is complementary. performing clean grip snatches would work in Finally, “How I Turned a lieu of a caber. Caber on My First Try” Mike Rosenberg
Not to start an argument about sport Mike Rosenberg has jumped into Olympic Lifting, specific training and the merits of whether or not Highland Games and throwing as an adult. He is skilled at there is carry over between an exercise and bringing resources together, usually large hunks of steel for throwing, lifting and carrying. This long awaited (weeks!!!) performance in an event, but when you don’t article discusses how an athlete can learn from brilliant have a caber lying around, you take the advice coaching.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002 you get and work with what you have. Enough on the “Ring.” But, what a good said. response!!! Todd is a senior citizen hammer thrower who does some What I have found to work best as an coaching and helps anybody who is interested in improving. assistance exercise for the caber is the clean grip As a master’s competitor, he has won USA Track & Field snatch (CGS) from the high hang. Basically it is Masters National Championships. He states: “By nature I am an “analytical” type and I have also had the benefit of the following video, but performed with a clean some of the best coaching available. My purpose is simply grip width vs. a snatch grip width: sharing what I have learned, what I think makes sense in http://www.fitrex.com/video/small/hang_snatch. terms of ease of comprehension, and what verbal and avi. imagery cues work for me. I hope that you find it beneficial in being able to learn and enjoy this unique event. I have made attributions to coaches/athletes where appropriate.” From the point where you stop forward motion with caber and dip (flex) at the knees is The Taylor Throwers—my wife, Joyce is also an where the CGS from the high hang applies as accomplished thrower and Masters National Champion. surrogate training. The explosive 2nd pull, trap Mighty Mite Throwers—the unofficial club for the super stud hammer throwers who are less than six feet in height; shrug, rising up on the toes and upward especially those of us in the 67”—69” vertically challenged movement of the arms as performed in the CGS category with short levers. Portland Masters Track Club — makes for good caber practice. It won’t help you great camaraderie and great fun to compete with and against with the pick or the “spider dance”, but in my others and cheer each other on. opinion it was a great help to me for getting the caber to turn.
Take a look at this excellent toss by Harry McDonald http://saacc.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebui lderfiles/glhmct1.mov and a simple two step walk and throw by none other than Kit The Old Caber Dude himself http://www.old- dude.com/video/caber-toss.mpg and note the similarities to the CGS. Is it spot on – nope. But is it close, and whilst gently nestled in Indiana corn country and caber-less, close is good enough. You inquired about hammer drills in a small area. My wife and I often will work in the In my first competition on July 20th I shotput and discus areas at the high school successfully turned the first caber (16’ 4” @ because of time & travel limitations of beating 40kg to 11:00 on my second attempt. I turned an the darkness to get to a hammer cage. 11:45 on my third attempt but did not keep a straight line of motion and had it DQ’d. None Here are some options to think about. the less I was please with Dan’s simple advice about using the clean grip snatch as a training From the shotput or discus circle, throw tool. Yes Dan, you can coach. heavy bars or pieces of pipe. This is a drill not a lift. The straight line of the bar gives you a visual Hammer Throwing from a reference of where you are in the ring so you can Confined Area hit positions correctly. Thing to work on: Todd Taylor 1) letting the bar "run left" around your left Okay, you got me…this isn’t an article, side to "pull you into" the turn. but a response from Todd to an athlete 2) keeping enough weight on the right side, so
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002 you are not overloaded left and have an active right side. Left Hand Only. Exxagerate the pipe(hammer) going past you and let it run 45-90 degrees or 3) "feel" the force of the bar pull your right more and feel the force pulling your right side foot off the ground. into the turn. At 180 see your body aligned with the pipe. 4) when you get the right foot down, keep pressing into the ground and shift your hips Right Hand Only. Feel your forearm coming back and "feel" countering alone generate the across your body and let the upper body remain acceleration or momentum into the next turn relaxed and get pulled ahead of the lower body. (i.e., forget about the upper body. But you should be aligned with bar at 180 degrees. 5) "see" 180 degrees and be aware of your hips and shoulder alignment to the ball. Also, use those 18 & 20 lb. hammers to do multiple turns on a sidewalk, driveway, patio, 6) on the release/finish, anticipate the bar parking lot, playground....use what is available. coming down to a low point between your legs The Lance Deal's and Kevin McMahon's can do and then everything (back, shoulders, head) multiple turns and gyros until you get dizzy lifting straight up and around the left side watching them, but they don't. With those 18 & block. 20 lbs use that slower turning motion at the beginning to 1) really feel the outward force of The upside is that a 3'-3.5' 16-25 lb bar the ball, 2) use the downward force of the right or piece of pipe displaces its weight and doesn't foot and countering hips back to gradually chew up the ground or just lands in the accelerate the ball, 3) do not use your pit/throwing area--remember a drill not a lift or arms/muscle to try and accelerate the ball, and 4) throw. feel the "ball speed around you", somewhat like a tetherball unwinding from its pole as its radius gets longer and longer and the speed accordinly accelerates.
P.S. If you are still throwing the 16lb hammer, RobLink, get a heavier pud than 20lb....even for one arm throws.
Hope this helps. If you are motivated to train and throw you can always find a way to make things work. Another Great Piece from “Ironman.” Nobody Works as hard… It was another one of those school You can also do one-arm/hand turns. assemblies where they allow the coaches to tell Placing the hammer in one hand or the other give the school about their recent successes. You you a longer radius and slows you down so you begin to drift and stare down the wall clock can really see and feel what is going on. You above the stage after the first thirty minutes or start these with a walk-around wind (keep taking so. Then, somebody said something that woke little pitty-pat steps until you get a little me up. momentum going). You concentrate on what the “Nobody works as hard as we do!” body is doing on the opposite hand/side as the When I heard the high school Cross Country hammer. You can do these without a release. coach say this to the school assembly, I was
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002 frankly surprised at this blanket statement issued After a few warm up tosses with each in front of dancers, debaters, academics, implement and three competition throws, the musicians and sojourners on the way of life. Life volume of tosses adds up. Stone put, 56 pound is hard….Cross Country is more of a sport, weight for distance, 28 pound weight for really. distance, hammer throw…then the caber toss. I was more surprised that nobody from The caber toss separates the novice from the the wrestling team bounded up on stage and neophytes, it is very hard to turn the caber the tossed him off with a head and shoulder throw. first time you see one. Following this event, we Yet, we have seemed to have harvested this had the sheaf toss and, finally, the 56 pound cultural notion that a hard breathing, sweaty kid weight for distance. Towards the end of the day, with flailing arms and awful form is…working Craig asked me: “I think I need food or hard. something…I’m just not all here.” Let me state my point simply with a I don’t think the scientific journals have statement that has caused me more arguments caught up with Craig’s problem. His heart rate and bad feelings than anything one could was close to normal, no need to wear a heart imagine: the typical high school discus thrower monitor at a Highland Game. His muscles were could duplicate the typical high school cross “fresh,” he hadn’t pumped them up with a country runners workout far sooner than the supersetted Triceps Extensions and EZ Curl reverse. Why? Simply, athletes who train for workout. Yet, he was drifting off. I knew the power can quickly add the “endurance” feeling: he actually had eaten, filled himself with (whatever that term actually means) much easier fluids, and stayed in the shade. But, his body than the typical jogger can transform into an wasn’t ready for “it.” explosive dynamo. Ah, what is “it.” Before you lock Recently, my brother-in-law, Craig, yourself back in an elementary Philosophy Class bought a kilt, signed his name to entry form and studying Socrates, let me simply quote from began his first Highland Game. He competed Crossfit’s Foundation statement: “Heavy load along side my wife, Tiffini, and me as we began weight training, short rest between sets, high that interesting day long competition that most heart rates, high intensity training, and short associate with men in dresses. They are “kilts” rest intervals, though not entirely distinct and only idiots ask what is under them. components, are all associated with a high neuroendocrine response.” What Craig experienced was a “systems failure,” in other words, he had never trained for these events that make for heavy load, short rest, high hearts…and his “metabolism” voted to knock off for the rest of the day. Throwing the caber involves picking up a log that weighs around 100 to 200 pounds, pointing it straight into the sky, running with it while it rubs your skin off, stopping, and performing an Olympic Lift with it. After you throw, of course, polite Highland Games behavior insists you carry it back for the next competitor. Your heart rate goes through the roof, “catching your breath” becomes more than just a cliché, and you discover small bleeding wounds on your hands, chest and neck. In what seems like seconds, you then hear, “you’re up!” Highland Games are only one of many “strength sports” that teach the athlete the need
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002 for neuroendocrine response training to simply movie to the next. I have trained with the 101 meet the needs of the sport. Certainly, in team Dalmatians and the Little Mermaid. Not long sports like rugby and football, the efficient coach from now, I will be training with “In Sync.” would find a friend in the Crossfit approach. I would argue that ALL of track and field…including our distance people…would find the path to personal greatness quicker with an approach based on the credos of Crossfit.
During my undergraduate years at Utah State, Mark Enyeart returned to train in Logan. A high school sprinter, he had become a middle distance runner under the tutelage of Coach Ralph Maughan. Enyeart was the national collegiate champion as well as an American Use the minute hand to time your total Olympian. His return literally changed the USU training time. The best powerlifters in the world running program…Mark lifted weights. Heavy come from Westside Gym in Columbus, Ohio weights. He didn’t look like a starvation victim; and their workouts last about half an hour. The he had muscles…a physique! And, on the track, Eastern European Olympic Lifters call it quits he ran everyone down. Soon, my running after 45 minutes. How long do you train? I have teammates joined me in the salty, musty air of a little time experiment I use with my young the team weightroom. One example was worth a throwers: Tabata Front Squats. We put on thousand articles. perhaps 65 pounds on the rack and insist that the Time and again, people ask me “what is athlete have a good view of the second hand. the key to proper training?” It is “time.” Sure, Rack the bar on your chest and get as many reps you can go out and walk, literally, for twelve as you can, in good solid form, in twenty hours a day. You could consider this training, but seconds. Rack the bar and rest ten. Repeat. would it prepare you for a Highland Game or Repeat. The Tabata front squats are done in that fight to the death? Long hours do not make the fashion…20 on, 10 off…for four minutes. demands on the physiology that intense training There is a $12,000 machine that does in just a few seconds, at most a few guarantees overall improvements in four minutes. minutes, the Time Machine. See? I saved you In my opinion, the single best piece of $12,000. My athletes unanimously agree that training equipment in a gym is one of those time seems to stand still during the second cheap wall clocks with the large faces and the minute. Why do we do this? First, it is a sound sweep second hand. The key for me is that method of bringing up “capacities,” whether second hand…I keep the majority of my rest aerobic or anaerobic would be somebody else’s periods at one minute. Moreover, my clocks guess. Second, it teaches what can be done in usually remind me of my children. I steal their four minutes. Literally, I have never had an old Disney clocks when they move from one
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 9 I October 2002 athlete want to do much else after this exercise, Tabatas, the clock becomes judge and jury over besides flop on the ground. the entire exercise. The long term benefits of Four minutes to hard work might sound adding “Coach Clock” are amazing. like a quick fix…well, okay, it is, but the front The Cross Country coach started squat is not easy. It takes an element of reading off the names of the freshman girls’ team discipline to learn how to do the front squat and the mileage they would run in a typical day. starting from the wrist flexibility needed to hold I realized that the clock stops moving if you stare the bar to the hip flexibility needed to go deep. at it long enough. You must remain upright in the lift at all times and the bar seems to want to choke you as you gulp air. We work up to 30% or more in the Tabata Front Squats and we need “encouragement” to get anyone to do them more than once a month. Yet, the benefits are amazing. Sure, we all look a little leaner, but as competitive Olympic Lifters, we have found that this lift carries over to the competitive platform! First, you have the “wind” to handle several limit repetitions on the platform within a few minutes. Second, you seem to train the nerves to constantly “get up” from a deep position. This second point may have applications for the deadlift, squat, military press, and, with safety considerations, the bench press.
From our Sponsor Page: http://powerathlete.com
Have you checked out Eric’s Coaching Page? Great Stuff!
Published by Daniel John Daniel John, Editor The best piece of equipment for a home Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 gym? The wall clock. One can start by timing the All Rights Reserved total period of training, then move to measuring Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly rest times. With some training ideas, like prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 10 II October 2002
The Taylor Throwers—my wife, Joyce is also an accomplished thrower and Masters National Champion. Mighty Mite Throwers—the unofficial club for the super stud hammer throwers who are less than six feet in height; especially those of us in the 67”—69” vertically challenged http://sportkilt.com category with short levers. Portland Masters Track Club — great camaraderie and great fun to compete with and against If you like Highland Games…throwing heavy others and cheer each other on. stuff, but you can’t see dropping over $300 for a kilt, see our friends at sportkilt. Off Season! I officially started my “off-season” this weekend. Even with a fractured wrist and surgery, I still managed to lift in five Olympic lifting meets (including the Masters Nationals in Baton Rouge), compete in three Highland Games, and throw in two track meets (including the Superheavyweight Throws Championships in Seattle). What did I learn?
Dunno. Maybe next issue…
I do know that I need to take a little time off to The Inspiration rethink and recover, before pushing ahead again. Inspired by Dan John’s Waiter’s Walk as a variation First, let’s think about our mission! on the Farmer’s Walk, I decided to try a Waiter’s Walk Shuttle, i.e., repetitive walks for distance while hoisting a heavy object overhead. On one of our Let’s not forget our mission: beautiful, sunny Fall weekend days in Oregon, we 1. The Body is One Piece drove the pickup truck to a local river (shhh!…this is 2. There are three kinds of strength training: environmentally correct Earth Liberation Front • Putting weight overhead Country…don’t want them blowing up my house) to • Picking it off the ground look for big boulders. Oh…the “we” is the • Carrying it for time or distance Ironwoman who trains with me. 3. All training is complementary. Stone Selection So…here we are with the Fall leaves in gold and red Waiter’s Walk and Stone floating by in the cascading water and the midday sun reflecting off the surface. Since rain has been Throw Shuttle--GPP Training nonexistent for awhile, the riverbed was quite exposed Todd Taylor and broad with an ample selection of boulders. Originally, the thought was to just grab a boulder that Todd is quickly becoming our number one could pick up comfortably and hold overhead one author! without too much tension. I grabbed one that felt Todd is a senior citizen hammer thrower who does some about right and so did my wife, but then I went to grab coaching and helps anybody who is interested in improving. one more that I thought would challenge me. Keep in As a master’s competitor, he has won USA Track & Field mind that at this point, I wasn’t really sure how this Masters National Championships. He states: “By nature I Waiter’s Walk Shuttle was going to work except that I am an “analytical” type and I have also had the benefit of some of the best coaching available. My purpose is simply planned to do multiple carries of different weight sharing what I have learned, what I think makes sense in boulders. So one of my selection criteria was being terms of ease of comprehension, and what verbal and able to pick up the boulder and have some angles or imagery cues work for me. I hope that you find it beneficial holds for a comfortable grip while fully extended in being able to learn and enjoy this unique event. I have overhead. made attributions to coaches/athletes where appropriate.” Once the selection was made, then there was the traverse over the rocky shore and path in the woods
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 10 II October 2002 back to the pickup. I found out right there that this was ready for the lighter weight. Finished round one was going to be something different for a General in 1:46.26 as I pushed my stopwatch button. Preparation Phase (GPP) exercise, as I tried to do a modified Farmer’s Walk of both boulders at once with In terms of cardiovascular and muscle exertion, I felt one on each hip…not! Abandoning that plan, I took just like I had done a heavy set of some Olympic the heaviest one first and then went back for the variant lifts, and thus decided to take a full 3 minute second. The boulders sat on the patio for about a rest before taking on additional “sets”. I fully week and then I weighed them…100#, 70#, 38#. The expected my times to increase for however many 100# is basically flat about 8” high and 22” in length additional sets I might do, but interestingly enough and roughly the shape of the state of Texas…had a that was not the case. For Round Two, I got off to a little tip at the end. The 70# is about 18” in length and bad start as I had trouble gripping the 100# and had to shaped like a big jelly bean; it was smooth but also drop it from chest height and start over. Quickly had some indentations here and there that would assist glancing at my watch as I completed the round two leg with gripping it. The 38# my wife selected is shaped with the 100#, I was 9 seconds slower because of the somewhat like a snail’s shell. fumbling on the grip at the beginning. However, I made up the time with 38# and actually finished about 1 sec. sooner (1:45.20).
I rested up my full 3 minutes and started on Round 3. Overall, I felt pretty good but had all I could do to get the 100# the last few feet; and ten feet from the line with the 70# my triceps were shaking and buckling so bad I sprinted to the line. At that point, 38# overhead never felt so good! I was sure my time would be slower, but I finished a full six seconds faster than the first round (1:40:08). At that point, I was ready to go in and watch U of Oregon Ducks play USC on
Waiter’s Walk Shuttle television—yeah I was a football guy too. About Couple weeks later at the start of the 2nd Microcycle in sixty minutes later, my lower back felt like it had done my GPP for next season, I decided to have my first some “good mornings” with the free weights and my training sessions. For a workout warm-up I just did a triceps/traps/shoulder girdle felt like I had done some few arm circles and bodyweight squats. I first “high pulls.” established a baseline distance by picking up the 100#, cleaning to the chest, pressing overhead and then walking as far as I could before I felt uncomfortable balancing it with my arms. The baseline walk was 129’, so I made it a nice round 130’ and set the 70# at the other end, then carried then 38# up with the big boy. My gut hunch was that I could go 50 yds (150’), and I probably could have for the single walk with the 100#, but since I was going to do a shuttle with all three boulders I wanted to make sure I got through it without killing myself, i.e., a triceps failure that would result in me being pile driven into the ground or Stone Throw Shuttle TKO’d on the spot!! At halftime, the Ducks were leading the Trojans and so 90 min. later from the Waiter’s Walk Shuttle, I I decided that I would time myself for the elapsed time headed out to do stone “throws” with the boulders. I of all three boulders. Since I was using my sports intended to do a few sets of plate twists and watch on my wrist with the stopwatch feature, I bodyweight squats as a warm-up, but forgot all about pushed the button then dropped down to pick up the them as I was returning from the mailbox intimidated 100#. Upon reaching the line, I glanced at my watch by the powerlifting totals of the World’s Strongest and noticed 40 seconds had gone by and then bent Woman, Jill Mills, as I was thumbing through the over to pick up the 70# for the return trip. By the time current issue of Long & Strong Throwers Journal!! I I got back to the other line and picked up the 38# I quickly pondered how I would actually do it. I would use the same 130’ legs and make multiple throws from
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 10 II October 2002 one line to the other. I decided to clean and push press/release the 100#, throw the 70# back over my head, and throw the 38# just like the weight throw. Somehow, I thought I wanted to keep track of both reps and elapsed time. I figured each leg would be a pretty good exertion level and I would give myself enough time to record the time after walking back as recovery and go right away with the next boulder.
Final Thoughts In case you’re wondering, there is a field next to the house so I wasn’t putting craters into my nice green lawn. Anyway, this could be a great challenge for somebody looking for a little different approach to a
I got off to a “rocky” start with the 100#, as it took me GPP workout session. Unlike sitting there in a rest three attempts to get a good enough grip to pick it up period thinking about that next set in a weight to chest height comfortable enough to do a push press workout, you get so focused on the goal of getting to and then release. I found the first few throws to be the line and then completing it with all three boulders taxing, and lost count of how many throws it took to that you just go for it and don’t think about fatigue reach the 130’ line. I also fumbled a little bit with until you are done. I’m sure some readers will snicker technique on the 70# overhead throw; eventually, I at the wimpy weights of my boulders, but you have to settled on a deadlift to the waist then a knee re-bend cut this senior citizen a little slack!! Go try it and give and clean curl back over my head. On the first 38# I the rest of us some feedback; better yet, come up with had a bad grip and it went more lateral than behind some more interesting variations. Happy bouldering!! me. Needless to say, my throws and times were less A Power Wheel Experience with the lighter boulders to cover the same distance. Jim Smith I got some good momentum going with Round Two Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting on the 100# as I kept my body away from the boulder for years and is always ready to experience new techniques and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where and just used grip and arm strength to do an actual pull people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health and get under it like a power clean. Even as a flat- and strength questions. shaped stone, when I got a good push press/release with 100# the sucker would roll a couple of times First off let me say I get no money from the force when it landed. For the 38#, I whatsoever for promoting this product. At the end of alternated throwing to my left and right. It took me this article I’ll tell you where you can order one if you awhile to find the “sweet spots” with good gripping are interested. edges for each of the three different sized and shaped When I first heard about & saw the power wheel I boulders. I only ended up doing Two Rounds, and the thought, “Yeah it looks okay, but it probably isn’t that times and number of throws actually decreased from great”. Especially when I saw that it cost $40. I the first round—attributable I think to better thought that I could make one for a lot less and it technique. would work just as well. I tried a few different variations of attaching my feet to a small bike tire. Now the Stone Throw Shuttles definitely felt like a This was a disaster. So I sucked it up and shelled out workout and I had a meal replacement drink 30 the cash. minutes afterward. At that time, my biceps & forearms felt like I had done curls/rows and my upper body and legs felt like I had been doing sets of power cleans.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 10 II October 2002
9. Plyo-jumps- get in walking position and instead of walking hop forward with arms. KEEP BUTT UP A LITTLE, you’ll know how much when it doesn’t hurt low back. This is a very advanced exercise! You can check on-line at mattfurey.com or lifelinefitness.com. Both are the same so go with the least expensive. There you have it all of my experiences so far with the Power Wheel™
When I received it & tried a few exercises The “Secret” to Success in Sports!!! on it I was thrilled. This was the best $47 (S&H You will ignore this point, everyone does. The first thing to do to added) I had ever spent. You could not only do the increase muscle mass is to sleep more. Cover your windows in your basic stuff that you can normally do with the cheapo bedroom with an additional blanket, toss a towel over your LCD on wheels you can get just about anywhere. You can do the alarm clock, and stuff towels under the door to block out light all kinds of neat and unique exercises. Like pike holds, and sound. Quit talking to sexy_vixen in the chatroom, stop watching reruns of “Friends,” and go to bed early. Now, when I hip up holds, push-ups, pike-ups, hip -ups, walking on went through my growth spurt, I had a helluva time falling asleep, hands, alligator walks, inchworms, plyo-jumps, etc. but couldn’t get up in the morning. I later “taught” myself to fall My personal favorites are the power wheel™ walking asleep with Bud Winter’s book, “Relax and Win.” There are dozens and power wheel™ alligator walking. of tapes and books available now to help one fall asleep faster. I I have only had this device a little over 1 month, but I combined several of my favorites and made a “sleep tape.” Now, I have seen great results from it. Also I reached my goal can fall asleep quickly and anywhere. of walking non-stop 100 yards on power wheel walks. From the “Muscle Gain ” Article Now I’m trying out power wheel™ sprints for 20 yards. I’ll try a few other distances I’m sure. I’ll give a brief description of the exercises I named. All are done with feet attached to wheel. From our Sponsor Page: 1. Pike holds- hands on floor so that you are in a top push-up position. Roll wheel as close http://powerathlete.com to your head as you can so that your butt is to the sky. Hold for 30 seconds. Have you checked out Eric’s 2. Hip-up hold- lie on back with hands palms Coaching Page? Great Stuff! down close to hips (if desired you can bend
arms and push elbows into floor). Curl feet in towards body like doing a leg curl. Keep hips up glutes flexed. NO HIP JOINT BENDING! Hold for 30 seconds. 3. Push-ups- perform push-ups 4. Pike-ups- same as #1 but move into butt up position and back to top push-up position. 5. Hip-ups- same as #2 but moving into top position and returning to position close to floor. DO NOT LET BUTT TOUCH
FLOOR! 6. Walking- get in top push-up position and walk on hands desired distance. 7. Alligator walking- same as walking, but Published by Daniel John each time you step forward do a push-up Daniel John, Editor (your hands will be diagonal). Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 8. Inchworms- perform a pike up, but instead All Rights Reserved of rolling feet back walk out with hands so Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly that you move forward each rep. DO NOT LET WHEEL ROLL BACKWARDS! prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002
I’ll start with the pistols. Since I’m a personal trainer I also have lots of guinea pigs opps I mean clients to test out my experiments hehe. Pistols http://sportkilt.com Let’s start with the pistols or one-legged squats. If you like Highland Games…throwing heavy This exercise has been around for quite a long stuff, but you can’t see dropping over $300 for a time. Here’s the way I do the exercise. Start in a kilt, see our friends at sportkilt. standing position then take a deep breath lift Fat Loss Experiment your strong leg in I went to Moab, Utah one weekend and front of you (it’s Las Vegas, a small shanty town in Nevada, the usually a good idea next weekend. It is my patented “I want to be a to start with your fat pig” Training Protocol. So, as I watch my weak leg performing “throwing muscles” frown over my belt, it is the work first). time again to drop some fat. I am still convinced Exhale as you squat that pure fat loss is the single most difficult thing down to rock bottom and unless you want knee for an athlete to do! problems DO NOT BOUNCE! As you lower I’ve gone back to the basics…lots of you will want to reach out in front of you. Let meat and veggies, morning walks with the dog your back round, as a matter of fact you will and a few sets of this and that in the weight have to do this so that you will not end up sitting room. I’m really taking some time off this year on the floor. As soon as you reach the lowest to recovery from nearly three years of position drive your heel into the floor/ground competitions in various sports with my longest and rise up taking another deep breath. period “off” being only five days. Troubleshooting 101: many of you will find this Look for my picture in many of those nearly impossible to perform. Do not despair I “before” shots for weight loss gimmicks. have a few helpful hints to enable you to build Our mission? To teach everyone: up to an unsupported pistol. 1. The Body is One Piece Partner Assist – Have a partner stand in front of 2. There are three kinds of strength training: you with your palms down hook your fingers • Putting weight overhead over theirs (partners hands will be palms up). Your partner should help you stay forward and • Picking it off the ground give just enough lift for you to rise. • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. Rope/Strap Assist – With a rope or strap connected above you hold onto it and use it for Pistols, Handstand Push-Ups balance and lift. This is probably the least & Back Bending efficient way to perform the exercise. Cable (rubber tubing) Assist – Connect a piece Jim Smith of cable/tubing to an upright about abs to Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting for years and is always ready to experience new techniques sternum height (you may want to experiment and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where with differing heights). A handle may be people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health connected to the tubing for comfort if desired. and strength questions. Holding with both hands (or opposite hand from About two months ago I started to working leg) step back so that the tubing is specialize on some different exercises. The main giving you a forward pull. Using this you can ones were pistols (one-legged squats) and just have the forward pull for balance or if handstand push-ups on one workout. The other needed pull on the tubing to rise up. was back bending on my “off” days Tuesday, Handstand Push-Ups Thursday, & Saturday. I just recently got to the point where I can do reps of full range of motion handstand push-ups. By full range I mean hands shoulder level, not
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002 just to the floor ( not that to the floor is a small (you could use a power rack easily or just get feat). To do these the first thing you need to be creative and use boxes). I also have a able to do is a handstand against the wall. Once shelf/platform that fits across the spotter bars you can do a wall handstand for at least 30 that I use for loading. I set the shelf at a level seconds its time to work on handstand push-ups. where I felt certain I could back bend to. I still I like sets with a five-rep goal anywhere from 1- put a pad on it I would touch my toes to lightly 3 sets seems to work best for me. stretch the low back then precede to breath deep If you find you can’t perform a rep from and bend back catching my hands on the shelf. I the floor, which most people can’t start by using would do 2-4 reps then lower the shelf a hole a short range of motion. A good technique is to (which on mine is two inches) and repeat. I use encyclopedias by stacking them up until you continued this until I felt at my limit. only have a few inches of motion with a pad or I did this on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and towel on top. Once you Saturdays; by the second session I was going to make goal reps on all the lowest level I could set the shelf. In two your set(s), remove a weeks I could do my last set on the floor. book. Before you know it I can honestly say that my low back is feeling you’ll be touching the more flexible and loose than before. I did have a floor. Now is the time to get twinge or two in the beginning, but if I eased off creative because you are now ready to it immediately corrected itself. work towards a true full range So there you have it handstand push-up (when most people talk three different exercises handstand push-ups they are talking from the that you could specialize floor). on that have the My workout partner is a following benefits. carpenter who owns a fencing company, so you Pistols will build leg and can guess who gets assigned all of my odd jobs. hip strength along with Scott my partner made us some stair type blocks balance, handstand push-ups will build shoulder out of 4 x 6s he just put them together so that strength and really help you on your other from the sides they resemble two sets of stairs. overhead pressing exercises, not to mention the Each step is a little less than four inches which is possible benefits of inverted postures, back a big jump, but once I had done 2 x 5 on level 1 bending will greatly increase your spine it wasn’t that hard to get a few reps on level 2. If flexibility. you want you can make smaller steps. Level A further benefit of these three is the three is just right for me being around 10 ½ fact that the Average Joe can’t do them inches which puts me right at shoulder level with (sometimes the average trainer can’t) and will be my hands, I suppose I could have made a level 4 suitably impressed when you perform them. to get another inch or so. But for safety’s sake I decided to not try to do a shoulder destroying Press Up for Back Pain stretch. Back Bending Matt Spiller Matt Spiller has been a registered physical therapist in With back bending its more of a California for eight years. He is credentialed in Mechanical flexibility developer than a strength developer, Diagnosis and Therapy a.k.a. The McKenzie Method for neck but it’s a only a static stretch once you get to the and back pain. Having weight trained on and off for 14 position. Having had a bad back a decade ago I years, he is currently training for the discus throw. He also plans to compete in powerlifting, weightlifting, highland had not done much bridging or arching of my games heavy athletics, strongman, other track & field events back until recently. So I was not sure of my and the Inman mile. He has a webgage available at flexibility nor was I too keen on bending www.TreatYourOwnPain.com/athlete.html. He can be backwards with my head falling toward the floor. reached for questions regarding this arcticle at: Lifter [email protected]. So I made a plan and here’s what I came up with. I have a half cage that has adjustable spotter bars
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It has been shown that this highly innervated ligament is the source of the majority (90%+) of low back pain.
It has also been shown that back pain is NOT coming from the muscles of the lower back. The tensile strength of the ligaments is much less than the muscles. Which means that if any tissue of the lower back region gets injured, the ligaments will first. A true muscle strain, if severe enough, will make itself known by visable bruising. This is fairly common in hamstring Why do so many of us strength athletes pulls. Outside of a severe trauma like a car experience back pain? Our low back muscles accident, you will never see bruising of the invariably are stronger than ‘normal’ people. spinal muscles. And, when in pain, why does it hurt to do simple things like bending over to pick up a pencil or Back pain often feels like it is coming even just sitting? from the muscles. This is because the deep ligaments of the disc and the superficial back These questions can be answered quite muscles share the same nerves when it comes to easily when the source of back pain is identified feeling pain. as the intervertebral disc. The disc is like a jelly donut. The center is a nucleus of a gelatinous Unfortunately, a significant portion of material that has the consistency of thick Jell-O treatment for low back pain is aimed at treating at age 25 and hardens up/dries out as you age the muscles and not the true source of pain. until it’s consistency at age 65 or so is similar to that of frozen steak. Rings of ligaments hold the jelly in the center of the disc. To relieve pain, we need to get the mechanical pressure off those ligaments in the The design of the disc allows multi- disc. As an example, right now, pull your index planar movement of the spine and also shock finger backwards as far as you can using your absorption. other hand. At one point you will start to feel pain. If you pull farther, your pain will increase. The problem comes from the fact that, When you let go, your pain will vanish. as a general rule, we round or flex the lumbar spine much more often that we arch or extend the Pulling your finger backwards puts a lumbar spine. This excess of flexion causes a mechanical force (tension) on the ligaments that slow over-stretching of the ligaments in the back hold your finger onto your hand. The outer part of the disc. Picture a piece of flat taffy that is of the disc is made up of the same type of slowly pulled apart. First, the taffy thins, then ligament. you start to see holes. Same thing happens with the ligaments. Now, the jelly center of the disc To get the pressure off your posterior is not held in place tightly. The loose ligaments annulus ligaments, you need to find a movement allow it to travel posterior. The posterior of your spine that ‘milks’ the jelly nucleus back migration of the jelly puts a pressure against the to its’ original position. Then you will need to ligaments, holding them in an over-stretched maintain this reduction of pressure as the position. ligaments scar down and heal up tight again.
The best movement that works for most people to start with is the press-up. This
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002 movement consists of lying on the floor on your stomach with your hands in the push-up position. If your low back symptoms remain worse after Keeping your hips and low back muscles relaxed completing the press-up exercise, you should and your hips on the floor, push your upper body repeat a set starting pushing up only a little bit on up just to the point of pain or just into it. If pain the first rep and slowly working into more and doesn’t stop you sooner, stop pushing up when more motion. By the tenth rep, you should be at your hips are about two inches off the floor. full range of motion. Lower slowly. Repeat ten times. If you are one of the few that are still It is okay for your symptoms to increase worse after that more gradual progression, with this exercise if they do not remain increased instead lie flat on your stomach, with your arms after you have finished. Also, your symptoms by your sides and your head turned to one side of may change location with this exercise. You the other. Take a few deep breaths and try to want your symptoms to move towards the center relax all the tension in your low back muscles. of your low back. Lie in this position for five to ten minutes. For example, if you start with central and left low back pain and left buttocks pain and Then prop yourself up on your elbows after the exercise you have the same central low so that your elbows are directly under your back pain, less left low back pain and no more shoulders. Again, take a few deep breaths and left buttock pain, that is good. If after the relax all the tension in your low back muscles. exercise, you have new symptoms in your thigh, After another three to five minutes, re-try the that is bad. For about one out of three people, as press-ups. the pain moves towards the center, the central If the press-ups still worsen your pain actually increases. Do not be alarmed. symptoms, just lie prone followed by prone on Continuation down the same road of exercises elbows every two hours. If prone on elbows should result in eventual complete abolition of worsens your symptoms, just lie prone. If lying your symptoms. prone worsens your symptoms, you need more Many people’s symptoms will be help than this little article can give you. I noticeably better after performing the press-up. recommend seeing a health professional. See the If your symptoms are better or even just the end of the article for a referral source. same, you should repeat this exercise for ten reps If your low back symptoms remain every two hours. If your back pain is constant, worse after completing the press-up exercise and you would do better to repeat the exercise every your symptoms are greatly one-sided, you may hour until the symptoms become intermittent; opt to repeat the press-up but with towels folded Then continue every two hours. up underneath the hip on the side of the pain. This exercise is not practical for The towels should compress to about two to everyone. Lying on the ground is often not an three inches. option for many of you. Instead, you can do You may also try towels under one hip standing backbends. Standing with feet shoulder during the gradual progression of prone lying, width apart, put hands on your low back with prone on elbows and press-ups. fingers pointing towards each other. Bend If, on the other hand, you have a backward over your hands. Because this performed press-ups for two to three days, every exercise puts more pressure on your disc via two hours, with good posture and notice very compression, you should ease into this little or no improvement at all, you most likely movement cautiously. need more force into extension. One way is to Some people can do press-ups with no position your hands so that when your elbows problem, but the slightest back bend standing are locked, your hips are two inches off floor. worsens their pain. As long as any pain you Once you rise to the top positon, lock your cause with the back bend does not remain after elbows and exhale through your mouth letting you have completed your set, you are okay. your stomach sag. This sag will increase the
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002 arch of your spine. Hold this position three to sitting up in bed. Sitting with your legs straight ten seconds each rep. will cause you to lose the arch of your low back. If you lean back 45 degrees or more, now you When performing standing backbends, can sit with your legs straight and maintain the you almost always can go farther than you think arch. This position, however, is bad for your you can. If you have no neck problems, lean neck. But, that is another topic for another your head back as you bend backwards to help article. you go a little farther. Don’t fall! You can also Along with sitting correctly, you must try to “relax” your low back muscles or exhale not lose the arch during any other daily activities. once you are all the way back to allow you to go This means no bending or stooping. a hair farther. In addition to avoiding flexing your lumbar spine, you should avoid rotation also. Other methods to increase the extension The ligaments of the disc are weak in this force more include lying down on a folded direction. Flexion and rotation combined are ironing board and belting your hips down. Or, especially bad. you could just have someone else hold your hips I am guessing some of you just want to down as you push up. Just doing this once or know how you can get back to squatting and even once a day can “kick-start” your recovery deadlifting. Well, my guidelines for any exercise as you continue to perform regular press-ups or activity are as follows: with a sag throughout the day. In addition to performing the proper 1. No loss of neutral spine. exercise to reduce the disc derangement, you 2. No lasting increase in pain. must maintain a neutral spine at all times 3. No loss of extension range of motion. between exercising to prevent re-derangement. This would be the natural arch of your spine Keeping neutral spine means do not when standing erect. The main concern is flex, sidebend or rotate the spine. So stone sitting. lifting, dumbbell sidebends, and discus throwing Using muscular control to maintain the are out. arch while sitting in this position is difficult for Mild pain during exercise is okay if it any length of time, especially if you are focused does not remain increased for more than about on another task. To maintain the neutral spine, five minutes after your exercise. Make sure any simply sit back in your chair as far as possible, pain returns to baseline before starting the next roll a towel and place it in the hollow of your one. Thus, if your pain does not return to low back. When compressed, the towel should baseline in about five minutes, you know exactly have a diameter of about one and one half where you went too far. Now, do some press- inches. It should be about an inch above belt- ups to feel better and avoid the exercise you just line. Feel free to make minor adjustments up or did for at least ten more days. down an inch or use a slightly larger or smaller diameter. Before you exercise, asses your extension range of motion. The press-up is If you prefer, you may purchase a preferable to standing backbend if able. While lumbar roll, a foam cushion designed specifically you’re at it, it would be a good idea to go ahead for this purpose. They may be found in medical and do a set of ten extensions before working supply stores or occasionally stores such as out. Then, after every set, reassess your range of Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. The rolls I prefer motion. If at any point you notice a loss of and which have been shown to last the longest motion, do one to two sets of ten press-ups to may be purchased from OPTP.com. regain your motion and avoid the exercise you You should use this lumbar support at just did for at least ten more days. all times sitting. This also means, no sitting on a low chair/couch, no sitting on the floor and no
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002
It’s also a good idea to avoid excess compression or loading of the spine. This means 4) Not performing exercise often enough. using exercises that keep the spine upright, with Stretching five times a day is alright, but a relatively light load for low reps per set. So, stretching ten times a day is at least three times front squats would be better than back squats to better. It takes less than a minute to perform a keep the spine upright (as long as you maintain set. You can’t claim “not enough time” as an the lumbar arch). One-legged exercise would be excuse. Figure out a way to remember to do the better than two-legged to keep the load relatively exercise. Buy a watch that beeps every hour or light. something.
If your pain is not getting better doing 5) Too much or not enough force. this program, you are most likely doing it wrong. Sometimes the press-up (without the hip twist) is Don’t give up too quickly. Most people think the correct direction, but your back can’t handle this plan is too simple to be effective. The most the full movement yet. Lying prone and prone on common errors are: elbows also extend your spine, but with less force. Do not just blast through the pain if full 1) Performing extension actively, not press-ups are making you worse. Conversely, if passively. full range press-ups do nothing for you, you need You need to keep the low back and buttock to try more force in extension. muscles as relaxed as possible. Do the pushing with arms only. Rolling your legs inwards so 6) Too much force too soon. your toes are pointing towards each other can Sometimes your spine can handle the full range help keep the buttock muscles and thus, the low press-up, but you can’t just lie down and blast back muscles from contracting as much when into full range right away. Especially for you pressing up. older guys with hardening Jell-O. Simply lie prone for a bit, then on elbows for a bit, then 2) Wrong direction. ease into press-ups so that by number ten you Not everybody responds to a symmetrical have reached full range. extension movement. Twisting the hips with a towel under one hip is one alternative. There are Once you are seven days with no symptoms, you many others. But the majority will respond to can stop performing press-ups so often. A good extension with or without the hip twist. prophylactic program would be:
3) Poor posture. • Ten press-ups in the morning If you don’t maintain the reduction of pressure • Ten knees to the chest while lying on your between exercising, you are spinning your back in the evening immediately followed wheels. The average person loses the arch of by ten press-ups their low spine 3000-5000 times a day! You are • Standing backbends as needed throughout trying to get this number to 0. Obviously, that the day, especially if you do prolonged would be difficult. But, the less flexing you do, bending or stooping (bend backwards the faster you will get better. before you hurt, do not wait for the pain) • Press-ups/backbends as part of warm- One way to become more aware of your up/cool-down for exercise. Also, in between posture is to have someone tape a big X on your sets as needed. low back with the center being at the apex of the • Good posture always. If you slouch for too arch. A couple strips of athletic tape each way long you risk pain returning. should work okay. The tape is not supposed to The first warning sign of impending stop you from flexing, just pull at your skin back pain is loss of motion of your spine. If you when you do, to give you a tactile reminder not are regularly doing your press-ups, you should to do it.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 11 November 2002 catch the problem before the pain hits you. The Technique was about equal. However, in the 98lb weight second warning sign is stiffness of the low back, throw with both of them dong a 1-turn, Dan John's finish (intentional or not)looked just like the "special lift" Kapt especially in the morning. If this happens to Keihas--Jeff Gorski recently alluded t o in a Ring post(an you, increase your press-ups to every two hours explosive hip snatch from a bent trunk position) ...the and be very strict with your posture until "explosive power" was very evident. symptoms are gone for two days. Third warning "Eclectic" in your training approach is the big word Coach sign…there is no third warning sign. You’re in Mac threw out there. Power lifting for strength has its place pain again, buddy. in your training (I say off-season) but the Olympic This information draws heavily upon lifts/variants develop more explosive power. Robin McKenzie’s work. A good reference for However, remember when Lance Deal has commented in the you wanting more detailed information in the past about his lifting, he noted that if he had to do it all over same vein would be McKenzie’s book, Treat again he would have placed far greater emphasis on Your Own Back. If these techniques give you core/t runk strength with twists, etc. and puds, etc. for partial relief or even no relief at all, you may "functional strength."” benefit from working one on one with a trained McKenzie health practitioner. There is such a directory listed on the McKenzie website at: From our Sponsor Page: http://www.mckenziemdt.org . http://powerathlete.com Matt Spiller is a physical therapist credentialed in the McKenzie Method. His website is Have you checked out Eric’s www.treatyourownpain.com/athlete.html Coaching Page? Great Stuff!
Published by Daniel John An interesting Tidbit from Daniel John, Editor Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 Todd Taylor on “The Ring” All Rights Reserved Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly “The just completed Masters National Outdoor Weight Throws and Ultraweight Pentathlon provided an interesting prohibited. match up.
In the Men's 45-49, you had big Jim Wettenhall, the powerlifter, going against the smaller Oly lifter, Dan John, the Ringer (no pun intended :)
Jim is very nimble and agile for a tall/heavy guy; Dan is quick and explosive. In fairness, Jim would never be as great an Oly lifter as he is powerlifter with his very long levers and height. But...all things being equal...I will take the Oly lifter who was giving up about 6" and 75lb.
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Strength-wise he has posted a 150 kilo clean at a bodyweight of 70 kilos!!
http://sportkilt.com If you like Highland Games…throwing heavy stuff, but you can’t see dropping over $300 for a kilt, see our friends at sportkilt. Deep in the Off-Season …we start looking towards our next in- season! This issue of Get Up! has a great article about Triple Jumper Jon Edwards approach to He has two coaches, one of which is a maintaining strength. Great stuff from a new former powerlifter and consults Jan Zelezny's writer for our emagazine, Scott Weiser. In coach. Jan is a Czech javelin thrower and another addition, I offer a few insights about keeping a world record holder at 323 feet! The javelin and journal. This is the best time of year to sit down the triple jump are very similar. Both require a with the back issues of your life and start lot of forward speed. Both are technical, but not prepping for next year’s success! overly technical like the hammer or pole vault. Both beats you up like you wouldn't believe. Our mission? To teach everyone: Both require strength, but strength in an instant - 1. The Body is One Piece far more than most throwing events. 2. There are three kinds of strength training: This program was used to help maintain • Putting weight overhead his strength levels between his pre-season meets and his major meets and money-making meets. • Picking it off the ground Most high level track athletes have a small pre - • Carrying it for time or distance season to tune up their competitive form and get 3. All training is complementary. ready for the major meets and money-making circuits. Most Americans will compete in the US Jonathan Edwards’ Program and then travel to Europe for the major meets and money-makers. One can liken this to spring By Scott Weiser, CSCS football as compared to the regular season in the Scott is the current throws coach at New Mexico fall months. I am not sure how long this was State University and is the Track & Field team's done, but I will offer two ways of doing this Strength & Conditioning coach. Scott was a depending on how long you plan to use this former Division II national qualifier in the program. hammer thrower with experience in competitive Powerlifting as well as being a Certified THE PROGRAM Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Level I Again, this is a program to maintain strength Olympic Weightlifting Coach. levels between competitive seasons. So technical work will also be done and one has to assume INTRODUCTION that peak strength levels have already been Every so often there is talk about reached before this program is to be Jonathan Edwards and his legendary strength implemented. Since this comes from a triple levels. For those of you scratching your heads jumper sprinting was also integrated. Jonathan Edwards is the current world record Pick one quick lift (clean, snatch, etc.), one big holder in the triple jump at over 60 feet. The year lower body movement (back squat, front squat, he broke 60 feet he said that he focused on sprint deadlift, etc.) and one major upper body speed, a lower take-off angle and getting movement (bench press, push press, etc.). stronger. Technically, he conserves forward speed better than anyone else in the event.
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Jonathan used cleans (from floor), back squats, and bench press. Mining Your Journal I don’t know if assis tance lifts were used, but if you decide to implement them keep About a decade ago, I worked with a young man, it very simple. Do things that balance the major let’s call him “Ed,” who had all the physical lifts: abdominal work to balance the Olympic tools, listened to everything I said, worked hard lifts and squats and pulling movements to in my presence, and went home. But, he couldn’t balance the pressing. Don’t get caught up in get himself to follow my most important hamstrings and such. Take care of those weak commandment: Keep a journal. The second year areas in the preceding months. I worked with him, I also found out that he did DAY ONE: Day one is short, but very intense. absolutely nothing on weekends, virtually nothing all summer, and lumped over any After warm-up sets perform one all-out set to extended break. 10 reps for each lift. Once you reach 10 then move the weight up for next week. After 2-3 Any strength and power athlete who can’t train weeks you will feel the "intensity" of this day. 10 alone is going to fail. Sometime, sooner or later, reps in the olympic lifts is TOUGH. 10 reps you need to stand alone. I took an idea from the alone isn't that bad, but moving the weight up Soviet track coaches and quit going to meets each time you complete 10 is the hard part. with my athletes, when appropriate. Why? Well,
they had to deal with their own problems. Forgot DAY TWO: Three days later you will be ready your throwers shoes? Deal with it. Mean judges? for Day 2. Make sure you are recovered. This is Deal with it. Bad conditions? Deal with it. Tiffini a long day. After warm-up sets perform 6 very still thinks it is funny that I get telephone calls on heavy singles for each lift. When you can get all mornings throughout May that start with: “Dan, I 6 singles at a particular weight then move it up won the State Championship!” and usually have for next week. This helps you to develop the the line: “Have you had coffee yet?” I’m often in ability to maintain a high intensity over six bed when our newest member of the State attempts. Championship club calls. From personal experience six weeks seems like the longest you want to do this. If you Ed never won a state championship. With a are doing it longer or if you aren't proficient with couple of years of hindsight, I am now the heavy weights you can try alternating the six convinced that he gave it away by missing the singles with four sets of triples. So week one most important tool in the athlete’s toolbox…the would have the six singles on Day 2 and then training journal. His journal would have helped week 2, Day 2 do 4x3 and keep alternating those him with the single most important key to weeks. athletic success:
WRAP-UP Try to make the same I have had a lot of personal success with this only program with limited time spent in the mistakes over and over again a weightroom. This is a plus for someone who couple of times. needs to spend more time in the field. I must warn again that you must be ready for this. It What? Simply, we tend to repeat our errors. We isn't the kind of thing to do unless you have spent want to be successful, so we increase our volume a lot of time building up your lifts. Manipulate and intensity to make the big leap, then find the program for your individual needs, but keep ourselves hurt, injured, and sick. Of course, a the basic concept the same. For you plyo hounds week or so after the flu, we hit our season’s best I once did my hurdle hops just before lifting on mark. Next year, we do it again…train too hard, Day 1. On Day 1 you are in and out before you get hurt, then improve. By the third year,…well, even know what hit you. now it is “fool me twice, shame on me.”
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told me that he had quit squatting heavy years before he began to really “bomb ” the discus. He felt that heavy squatting “didn’t feel good,” so why do it?
That made no sense to me at all. I was stronger, so I should throw farther. Then, in 1994, after not squatting heavy for three years, mostly rapid squats up to sets of eight and lots of hill sprints, I dropped a 184 throw. I weighed less, my waist was smaller, I felt better…I threw farther.
So, how do I “mine my journal?” I went back to 1991 and I looked at the videos of my throws. I Without a journal, Ed relied solely on others to compared them to 1994. I looked “healthier,” but discover his path to success. He didn’t it was hard to see any other difference. Then, I understand one of the great keys to athletic thought about the hill sprints. In 1994, my finish success: Mining your Journal. Your was smoother somehow, I held together better. training journal is goldmine of information…if Could all the hill sprints have been the key, or you take the time, daily, to record your the dropping of heavy squats? workouts, your attitudes and your life in general. Years later, you can sift through this material to You know, I don’t really know the answer, but discover what makes YOU tick! my journal entries found no injuries in 1994, lots of energy, lots of inside jokes and fun with the Sometimes, the answers aren’t apparent. For group. 1991’s entries talk about buying ankle example, in 1991, I was coaching at the Upper wraps, knee wraps, wrist wraps, and biweekly Limit Gym here in Utah. So, I had access to visits to the chiropractor. Clearly, increasing the great facilities, lots of training partners and great load with my squatting got me hurt with little enthusiasm about the strength sports. I began to pay off. really push my Back Squat poundage. There were weeks when my squat would go up by Maybe, it was simply what I twenty and thirty pounds as I was shamed into thought about a month ago: lifting more by excellent powerlifters. I topped heavy squatting makes your out at 605 for three reps…I remember realizing hips and legs strong…but the that the weight was bending my ribs…and I also body is one piece. When you noticed something else. throw, you snap off your whole leg and you are only as This increase in strong as…your ankle. If you squatting weight did cave at your ankle, you lose not add one foot to my your finish. Hill sprints seem discus throw. I threw to be an ankle/calf builder with no peer. 190 at Utah State and never went over 405 in the squat, yet 605 got As John Price reminds me often of the only key me to 181. Two years in athletic success: you are only as strong as your later, talking with John weakest link. For me, and probably everyone, the Powell (twice bronze goal should be to strive to bring your weak medalist in the discus points up to a point that they become your strong at the Olympics), he points!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 12 December 2002
So, we have seen the first technique in Mining 6-22 Your Journal: Reviewing one season in Ben canceled the meet at the last minute, but I threw with Jeff, Monette, John et al with a bunch at 184! the light of another. Big deal, everybody I have outrageous inflexibility in my right shoulder. I spoke does it …or do we? How often have you cracked to a National Convention on weight lifting here in SLC open your old journals and looked at them today…snatch, clean and speed. I snatched 225 for a bunch of easy one’s. Working on USOC talk that L. Jay asked me to carefully? I would argue doing this at least twice give in Colorado Springs. a year. The off season is obviously a time to Start considering: harvest the knowledge you earned and forgot in 1. One squat workout a week alternating with push jerks the past. I think the next best time is just before jumps peaking. What gems have you forgotten, what bounds mistakes are you about to repeat? overloads 2. Microperiodize the snatch each week…5-3-2 3. Move up to five minute rests My favorite in-season use of the journal is the 4. Seven sets…45 minute workouts “Countback.” I take the four weeks prior to a 5. Increase protein. “hot” performance…a day where nothing goes 6. Add stiff dl, good mornings. wrong or you just are in the groove…and look at the month. A week later, I tossed 181’7” in a left handers wind, put 50’9” and snatched 314 (clean and In 1991, I posted these workouts, just before my jerked 358, cleaned 402 and missed the jerk) in a breakthrough in Olympic Lifting: three day period. Then, I went into a six month 5-25-91 tailspin of injury upon injury. 25 throws with new Red Obel at the U with John, John, and Kjell. Some excellent throws. “Hang” that disc and right leg What did I learn? Well, I thrived on Power out there. Upper Limit Snatches! But, the heavy jerks and heavy squats Pwr. Snatch (hang) with Kjell all led to injuries. You can see that I was 135 x 5 leaning towards more and more protein, but 195 x 5 x 5 x5 the nutritionists at the USOC told us to eat Squat 225 x 5 High Carb. It would take a couple years to 315 x 5 really mine this season! 405 x 3 455 x 2 Another tool for mining your journal is to Look Bounds x 7 for insights…that you may need to 5-27-91 Upper Limit rekindle. Pwr. Snatch 135 x 3 205 x 3 x3 225 x2 x 2 245 x 2 New Guy: Paul, lives at BFS Pwr Push (Push Jerks) 135 x 3 225 x3 315 x 2 x 2 x2 Frog Jumps 5 jumps x 4 As I trained through this month, I knew I was overdoing it…look at this interesting entry: Jeff Armstrong came over last weekend and I noted that he needed to ease off on his 56 pound weight tosses as he seemed to have a Speed
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 12 December 2002
Barrier. He was aware of the Soviet Drill, from not easy. For me to back off, I have to have something to my book, “The Contrarian Approach to the back off from!!! Too many guys don’t put the heavy training in early, so they can back off later. I wouldn’t consider this Discus Throw.” For those of you who missed it: method of training until you at least snatch bodyweight. “Yes, I know…no more Soviets, but the drill is called “the These fast snappy workouts should still have some nice Soviet Drill.” I learned about this drill years ago as a way to weights on the bar, too. Don’t use vinyl dumbbells from break through the “speed barrier.” After marking the best Sears to do your “heavy” day squats, if you know what I throw, step off about 15 feet for most high school mean. athletes…some 20-25 feet…back towards the ring and put a large marker there. Cones work great, towels and bags are fine. If you have many throwers, you might have a little Use your journal minimize the number of times colony out there. you make the same mistakes. Sure, you won’t nip every mistake in the bud the first few (five, The Soviet Drill is simply a series of twenty full throws trying ten, fifteen) times, but if you take some time to just hit the marker as easily as you can! Many athletes simply can’t do this! Yet, once they get the hang of throwing each year to review your journals, it is like with less, they soon find that that they can easily surpass mining a vein of pure gold. Try comparing one their previous one throw mark, but using good technique and season to another, try the countback when you rhythm. Also, this drill comes in handy when the pressure is peak, and keep looking for those insights that on to qualify for the finals at a meet.” you may have forgotten. It is part of the road to Jeff, like most strength athletes couldn’t grasp success. how easing off could help you throw farther. Then, I asked him: “Do you max squat every day?” As the words came out of my mouth, I “Eat tuna and handle heavy thought to myself, “you know, you should weights.” practice what you preach!” I have a journal entry where this concept whacked me on the head Art deVany on Weight Gain again:
November 7, 2000 From our Sponsor Page: http://powerathlete.com Great trip to Las Vegas and Phoenix. Really enjoyed watched ASU come back from 35-6, only to lose in double overtime. Have you checked out Eric’s My Cardinals defeated the over-inflated Redskins, as well. Coaching Page? Great Stuff! While at the Orleans, I got in a nice workout with two fifty- pound dumbbells. I did about an hour of clean and press, one arm snatches, and one arm presses. Last night, after getting off the plane, I did a nice workout of Power Snatches (six singles with 155), Power Clean and Push Jerk (six singles with 195), then some real snappy Clean Pulls and Romanian Deadlift Clean Pulls (a bunch with 235). This is the kind of workout that seems to give me a lot of long term benefit. When I drop back to “one lift a day” style of training, it really helps to have this volume with snappy, fast workouts in my quiver.
I had a nice talk with John Powell on this trip. We ate three meals together and went bowling for a couple of hours. We both agreed that one of the real secrets to increasing your throwing distance and your lifting maxs is to push your 60- Published by Daniel John 80% lifts/throws up. In throwing, you try to see how easy you Daniel John, Editor can toss 80% of your best. In lifting, you try to dominate those lighter weights. If you have the patience to back off, Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 you can shoot ahead later. All Rights Reserved Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly This doesn’t mean what most people think. We have a saying, “I said it was simple, not easy.” It is simple to do, but prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002
Lots of emails about the last issue I mean, really, who wants to hear that you should We had some readers offer to test drive get: Jon Edwards’ program and get back to us with 1. More Sleep their results. Also, the article on “mining” one’s 2. More water training journal seemed popular, too. 3. Cut “cardboard” carbs For those of you who may have missed 4. lift a little this at some of the forums, J. V. Askem is struggling with a growing brain tumor and he has Don’t we want something a little more dynamic? let us all know that his time on earth is growing shorter… As it is for all of us. This month, take a moment to remember the great volume of work that J. V. has shared with the iron game. Maybe dedicate a workout to him, too.
Our mission? To teach everyone: 1. The Body is One Piece
2. There are three kinds of strength training: • Putting weight overhead Shivering • Picking it off the ground This should be the last topic covered, • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. but since it is so specific to winter, let’s talk about this first. "It is fairly well understood that In this issue, we look at “Fat Loss” during exposure to the cold, shivering can cause Winter Time and Fat Loss up to a 2.5 times increase in metabolic rate in an Recently, on crossfit.com’s forum, Robert Wolfe effort to maintain core temperature," according reminded me of the book, “Lights Out,” that I to Ellen Glickman-Weiss, Ph.D., FACSM. recommended a few years ago. It occurred to me that Ellington Darden, in his series of waist perhaps an issue of “Get Up!” should be dedicated to management and fat loss books, constantly the art and science of losing FAT! So, let’s talk about reminds the reader that large amounts of ice this. By the way, I’m no doctor, so take all this with water (“superhydration” is his term for this) will that in mind. If you choose to follow any of my advice, talk to your physician first. result in fat loss…simply because the body will have to burn more energy warming the water up. Pretty soon, the bodybuilding magazines, as well as the women’s physique mags, will be publishing their annual “Get Hard Now for Summer” issues. They will be packed with workout programs involving daily four hour workouts and 90% carb diets (“Skip the cream cheese and save 40 calories on your 1100 Calorie Bagel!”). The problem is that it is too late. Winter…yes, winter, is the ideal time to lose weight. In this edition, we will talk about the easiest fat loss program available to you today at Skin is the body’s largest organ and up to 85 the one time only cost of FREE. percent of the heat one transmit a day goes out You see, that’s the problem. The stuff through the skin. that really works…get more sleep, shiver a little, I once had a person explain to me that drink more water, cut your cheap carbs, and lift a the value of aerobic dance was to become “as little…have no market! Yet, these work the best. inefficient as possible” so the body will burn fat.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002
(I don’t believe aerobics burns fat very well, but let’s hold onto the point for a moment.) It is easy to stop shivering: sit down, bundle yourself in blankets in a warm house, turn on the television, and start consuming massive amounts of carbs. As you become more efficient, you will stop shivering…and begin to add those wonderful layers of fat that will prevent future outbreaks of shivering. It is the recipe most Americans have followed since about 1950. Have you been to Las Vegas or a Disneyplace recently? Look at the results of the typical American diet! So, how can we “shiver” and not put The downside of ourselves in danger? A couple of ideas: shivering? Well, recently Professor Grant 1. Train outside in the winter. This may sound Gwinup studied the role of swimming in a fat obvious, but I forgot about this simple point for loss program. He found: “"Presumably, decades! I got addicted to the warm confines of swimming in cold water stimulates the appetite the gym. Grab a couple of dumbbells and trudge to increase caloric consumption." (Gwinup, G. down the street doing Farmers Walks or Waiters (1987). Weight loss without dietary restriction: Walks. Scare your neighbors even more! I still Efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise. toss the 56 pound weight, even in snow. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 15, 275- Whatever, get outside and get a little heat 279) burning. Which makes sense…the body gets 2. Act like my kids: go outside without a cold, kicks on the hunger, and we reach for… coat…or hat…or gloves…heck, even shoes. I Carbs in cardboard! still can’t figure out why my daughter (and wife) Cardboard Carbs will wear pumps in a snowstorm. Maybe The pendulum has been swinging consider lightening the clothes load a little, don’t recently in the favor of the low-carb diet folks. follow this advice to the extreme. Whether or not you favor low carb is your own 3. What’s the traditional way to finish a sauna? business, but I found the last quote by Gary A roll in the snow! Dash some cold water into Taubes in his recent article featured by the New your shower routine. I finish most of my hot tubs York Times amazing: with an ice shower. On vacation, we found a spa “This is the state of mind I imagine that with a cold pool and I sat in it for…well, too mainstream nutritionists, researchers and long. (“The water was cold! Doesn’t she know physicians must inevitably take to the fat-versus- about shrinkage?”) But, it is a fat burning carbohydrate controversy. They may come workout! around, but the evidence will have to be exceptionally compelling. Although this kind of “Body-composition studies of arctic conversion may be happening at the moment to explorers and military personnel who John Farquhar, who is a professor of health exercise intensely in cold climates show research and policy at Stanford University and unusually high levels of fat loss and muscle has worked in this field for more than 40 years. preservation. According to a study in the When I interviewed Farquhar in April, he Journal of Applied Physiology, this is the explained why low-fat diets might lead to weight result of calories being lost to the body's gain and low-carbohydrate diets might lead to demand to heat itself.” weight loss, but he made me promise not to say http://www.slimmingsolutions.co.uk/toptips.htm he believed they did. He attributed the cause of the obesity epidemic to the ''force-feeding of a
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002 nation.'' Three weeks later, after reading an have an allergic reaction, or at the least, bother article on Endocrinology 101 by David Ludwig you a bit. If you ask the Lung Association, who in the Journal of the American Medical has a long history with battling allergies, they Association, he sent me an e-mail message will answer you simply: “Peanut, fish, egg, asking the not-entirely-rhetorical milk, wheat and soy cause most food allergies.” question, ''Can we get the low-fat proponents Indeed, in the early 1980’s, a popular muscle to apologize?''” mag published an article that simply stated that Whether you low carb or eat whatever, I 90% of Americans are allergic to wheat or milk. think most people would agree that to lean out, I told this to a “nutritionist” and she told you have to reconsider reaching for boxes of me that this information is “stupid,” because you insta-carbs and glasses of sugar laden carbonated will find wheat products in everything, even drinks. Remember the candy bar commercial a McDonald’s shakes. My first thought was: few years ago with the exhausted skier? He “What kind of nutritionist thinks that wheat found that Brand X Candy gave him that instant products are in steak? Does a steer digest?” energy to get him back on the slopes. The bar In an earlier edition of Get UP!, we had 453 Calories…more than two cans of tuna, published this quote: “Dr. Elson Haas notes in an almost three of some brands! interview with “Mind and Muscle Power” that Call me when you get hungry after two the least allergic foods are: rice, pears, lamb, cans of tuna! kale, salmon (and other deep sea fish, like So, let’s at least agree to avoid the halibut and sole) trout, turkey, rabbit, sweet Evil Axis of Foods: potatoes, and honey. He goes on to recommend 1. Soft drinks (Some argue that even “sugar cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, apricots, beets, squashes, olives, olive oil, free” drinks cause an insulin surge) 2. Candy bars, candies, candy coated, sugar cranberries, herbal teas and tapioca.” coated, sugar filled…by God, grow up and eat There are a number of books that give some ideas about eliminating proble m foods. food! 3. Chips, cookies, and all the cardboard Many of us know from experience that this or carbs. that food causes long term problems. Any one who has had trouble with
Cardboard carbohydrates are the carbs that come allergies understands the need to stay clear of the in boxes. They are processed, packaged and “troublemakers.” This isn’t a judgment on certain foods. purified to go right to your hips and butt. Once you can consistently avoid the Recently, Men’s Journal published a list of foods Evil Axis of Foods, you are well on your way to for muscle building: The Superfoods leaning out this winter. Eggs Almonds Salmon Yogurt Beef Olive oil Water Coffee (The list looks like my diet…save yogurt!) While eggs may be poison to one person, they may be another’s ticket to athletic
Let’s add one area that Brian Oldfield success. Take some time to study your reactions explained as “one of the keys to performance.” to certain foods, consult a doctor who specializes Simply, it is to learn what foods cause you to in allergies, and fine tune your diet.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002
Get Some Sleep! supplements (fish oil, K, Mg, and Vitamin E), Not long ago, I must have come off as slept 9 hours a night (13 one night) and ate meat, the internet frontman for a book, entitled “Lights eggs, chicken and two salads. I played in a Out.” Let’s look at two of my posts: football game, scored only one TD, lifted three Question: I’ve never even heard of times. I felt very good. “Lights Out.” What is it? Try it before you comment negatively about this. Answer: One of the most “insightful” books on Really... Put really dark shades on the making low-carb work! windows, hide the LCD projector on your alarm and go to bed. By the third day of nine hours of A quick review of “Lights Out” by T. S. Wiley sleep, you will toss your creatine, HMB, and all with Bent Formby, Ph.D. that other crap into the garbage and have the best The title promises that nine hours sleep workouts of your life. a night with help you lose weight, curb your carb And, the original post about the test: cravings, eradicate depression, lower blood I decided to test a concept I read in pressure and stress levels, reverse Type II "Lights Out." This week, I ate only meat (eggs, diabetes, minimize risk of heart disease and help chicken, red meat), drank water and coffee BUT, prevent cancer. with my new wooden window shades, slept up to This is how: ten hours a night. On Wednesday, I ate some A. Long hours of artificial light = summer in steamed veggies for lunch and had a salad or two your head throughout the week. My usual supplements: fish B. Winter signifies famine to your internal oil capsules, Mg and K, and Vitamin E. controls C. Famine on the horizon signifies instinctive On Sunday, I weighed 226 with a "not carbohydrate craving to store fat for so good" waist measurement. On Friday, I hibernation and scarcity. weighed 214 and my daughter, Kelly, was able This is accomplished by: to tighten the waist tape to 34 and a half. (I'm age A. Increasing carbohydrate consumption until 43) My training, peaking for a meet, was some your body responds to all the insulin by easy sets of overhead squats, a couple of becoming insulin-resistant in muscle tissue: snatches, and some lock out work on my jerk. B. Ensuring that the carbohydrates taken in end up as a fat pad; C. Prompting the liver to dump the extra sugar into cholestrol production, which will keep cell membranes from freezing at low temperatures. Huh? Basically this: the body stores fat in the summer to deal with the winter. Once winter rolls around, we are made to eat what we can get: meat and some veggies. NOT fruit and sugar!!! Two things then: in the winter, sleep and eat meat and hard veggies. This will make you My point: sleep may really be the burn fat for energy. secret. I have always wondered what would be In essence, if you want to burn fat. the world's cheapest diet. Nobody campaigns for: Make your body think it is winter. 1. More sleep (it is free; no market) If you fight this, you convince your 2. Really, few argue for more water (again, no body that it is still summer, so to speak. market) I thought this was a load until I tried it.
The weight (by the scale) fell off me in one The same holds true for Mg supp's. If week. 226 to 210 this morning. I took my you read the Eades' book, "Protein Power
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002
Lifespan Program," they have a whole chapter on Training for Weight Loss miracle magnesium. Again, this is a very Put weights overhead. Pick them off the floor. inexpensive supplement. Carry them. Squat them. Throw them.
Eggs are pretty cheap, too. At Costco yesterday, I bought five dozen for around three Well, what did you think? Aerobics??? This is dollars (I think). My next book, "The really Get Up! cheap discus throwing Olympic lifter poor guy diet," will be on the shelf soon. Look for it. Or, To Sum: just take it and run out of the store. There goes my money making cash flow empire:
you know all the “secrets.” I was really surprised to see how extra 1. Sleep sleep carried over to more weight (simple scale) 2. Eat low carb and food that agrees with you loss. True, I didn't measure fat save for waist 3. Lift measurement, but I really found this short 4. Shiver a little experiment worth thinking about for athletes. 5. Drink Water
Why does extra sleep work on fat loss? I can’t make a nickel on any of this stuff… 1. It is hard to eat when asleep.
2. (More important) You don’t crave carbs when you get your sleep in. 3. (Maybe more important) You get a better A Review of the “Clubbell Training recovery, so you can train harder. For Circular Strength” Video 4. Maybe the key: Your body stops thinking that Jim Smith it is in a “fright or flight or famine” and quits Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting fighting so hard to hold on to the fat. All of the for years and is always ready to experience new techniques and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where people I talked with in the “100 pound Club,” people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health dieters who have lost at least 100 pounds and strength questions. promise that stress reduction (often through just lifting weights) is one of the keys to fat loss. The 100 Pound Club Rules: Eat meat. n Drink water. n Fat is your friend. n Eat more meat. n Drink more water. n Friends don't make friends eat carbs. First, off let me state that when I asked n A steak is a terrible thing to waste. Dan John about putting this review in his n When in doubt, FLING IT. newsletter he said okay, but to think about the n When you crave carbs, eat MUCH type of people that read Get Up! People that MORE meat. basically eat, throw, lift and do not want to spend n Drink more water. $$ plus I wanted to relate it to “our” mission. n From “The Thinagogue” Well, a few years ago when I was They also push “sipping oil,” whether it is olive linked to some Indian Club sites I saw them and oil, flaxseed oil, or fish oil capsules. It seems to thought “yes, they worked fair back then but work to help stay away from “rabbit starvation,” now we know a lot more and have better that problem of eating a lot of food (rabbits) equipment”. This year when people started to which take more energy to digest than you get talk about them on the Animal Ability forum, back. Also, the oil is great for your skin. RMAX.tv, and Tom Black’s site I decided to do a little research. A member of the Animal Ability
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 13 II December 2002 forum made me some plate loading clubs to play Parry Cast with. Once I started to use them I realized After the exercises Scott shows how to that using Clubs was not for sissies. My combine them into different combinations. So in shoulders and grip got the worst of it, but the rest reality even though there are enough exercises of my body surely got a workout too. I found a and combinations of exercises to keep you busy few sites that showed some exercises and made for a long time you are only limited by your up some for myself. After a few weeks of club imagination. As you can tell from the names work I could feel a big strength difference. I was many of these exercises are going to compliment convinced that clubs were not just a piece of your Olympic lifting. Something you may not history. Then Nikolay from RMAX.tv asked me have noticed is there are a few exercises that lend to review their Clubbell video. I said I would so themselves to throwing. The circular motions are here is the deal. very difficult to duplicate with conventional The video arrived and I immediately put equipment. So these give you a another way to it right into my VCR, I had seen a couple of train throwing type movements and skills inside Scott Sonnon’s videos (he is the coach/instructor during bad weather. As most people who read for RMAX.tv) so I was kind of excited to see this are athletes or train like athletes using the what he would do with the Clubbells. As usual Clubbell movements will build strength, he did a great job of explaining and flexibility and coordination. demonstrating different concepts and techniques. What I plan to do now is replace my Scott starts off with a safety talk, then he goes “old club exercises” with exercises from the into a little history which is interesting. Next Clubbell video. Reader’s of the Animal Ability comes the “meat & potatoes” of the video. Scott forum know that I like to train a variety of demonstrates around a variety of exercises going modalities in my routines. So these are right up into great detail about proper performance. He my alley. does this while making the movements look very Jim, thank you for reviewing this video. Anyone smooth and coordinated. Let me say from who wants to review lifting, throwing, or experience that when you have weight moving whatever books and videos…drop us a line! around your body in complex patterns things get hard pretty quick. Some of the exercises are: Next Issue of Get UP! Basic Swing Lane Cannon reviews the “100 Clean to Order Pre-Swing Clean to Order Rep Challenge;” Injury Snatch Recovery Ideas…who knows? Extended Snatch Pre-Swing Snatch Torch Press Published by Daniel John Forward Leverage Press Daniel John, Editor Lateral Leverage Press Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 Pendulum lots of variations even All Rights Reserved incorporating lunging & side stepping Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly Circles prohibited. Wrist Cast Arm Pit Cast Drumming Shoulder Cast Iron Cross
Head Cast Shield Cast
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 14 I January 2002
Funny Email from Eric Seubert hours, I completed the reps. I completed the …asking if beautiful women will come majority of the reps in “sets” of three, but I’ve flocking to him if he shivers, eats low carbs, found that after a certain number of reps you sleeps more and lifts a little weights. eventually find a number that you hope you can Yes. Yes, it will happen. maintain throughout the experience. The aftereffect of my first 100 rep challenge was much as expected. Sore, blistered, and cut Our mission? To teach everyone: hands, cramps in my calves, fingers, and other 1. The Body is One Piece areas I wasn’t even aware I had used. The 100 2. There are three kinds of strength training: rep challenge certainly goes a long way toward • Putting weight overhead helping someone understand that the “body is • Picking it off the ground one piece.” If you use any compound, whole • Carrying it for time or distance body movement such as the snatch, variation of 3. All training is complementary. the clean and press or jerk, and squat and deadlift variations, you will soon be able to experience More Thoughts On The 100 the fact that your entire body will be severely Rep Challenge tested by the endurance and strength a 100 rep Lane Cannon challenge requires. Lane, a product of Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, is 5’8” and currently weighs #215. Lane received a football scholarship at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Co. after walking on and he played inside linebacker there from 1990-1994. Lane was Mesa State College’s Student Athlete of the year in 1994. He took 1 st place in the #220 class in powerlifting at the 1999 Utah Law Enforcement Games, and he recently won the men’s amateur all around at the 2002 Loch Aidle Highland Games in Utah.
I’ve had the good fortune to complete the 100 rep challenge several times with Dan and Tiffini John at their home in Murray, Utah. My first Challenge was in October of 2001, and the second in June of 2002. The timing of both challenges was meaningful to me. All the lifters involved in the October 2001 challenge were motivated in part by our feelings about the September 11th tragedy, and our lifting was seen as an opportunity to honor the victims and heroes of our country. The challenge in June of 2002 Power Clean and Push Press occurred shortly after the one-year anniversary In my second 100 rep challenge, I chose of my father’s death, and I saw it as a symbol of trap bar deadlifts with 450. Although I was able moving forward in my life and an opportunity to to complete this exerc ise faster than I did the develop mental toughness. clean and presses and ended up finishing in one hour and sixteen minutes, the soreness I later In October of 2001, my lift of choice experienced was beyond description. I generally was the barbell power clean and push press. I do completed the reps at a pace of seven per set, and not have much of an Olympic lifting background after about rep forty, nothing I did between the with the exception of power cleaning while sets seemed to ease the discomfort, including training for football, and the weight I selected drinking water, laying on Dan’s grass, remaining was 187.5. I was able to keep a fairly steady upright, or trying to talk. I also noticed pace throughout the challenge, and after several throughout this challenge that I was unable to
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 14 I January 2002 catch my breath between sets, so I decided that I better try to complete them as soon as possible. My hands bled from a number of torn calluses throughout the challenge and would remain sore to the touch for several weeks. In fact, there was no part of my body that escaped the intense soreness for at least one week after the deadlifts, and I believe it took the better part of one month to fully recover. I had to work for several hours the day after the challenge. It would have been I comical to see a video of me trying to drive my definitely recommend doing the 100 rep truck while lifting my hips in the air periodically, challenge outdoors if at all possible. It was great taking turns moving my legs and feet back and seeing Dan’s dog Lexie outside looking at us like forth while trying to cope with muscle spasms we were the craziest people in the state of Utah and cramping, and occasionally flapping an arm during the challenges. We had our kids running or shoulder one way or another in sheer agony. around playing, music on the radio, and it was For several days, I was unable to sit, stand, or lay great to experience the clean, fresh air of the down for too long before I had to move to deal outdoors. It also helps to not have to worry with the intense discomfort. about getting things like blood or chalk all over the place. Give the 100 rep challenge a try. It can be a great way to snap out of a plateau and a great test of willpower that can help you gain confidence in other areas of your life as well as your training. Thank you, Lane. Welcome aboard our writing staff. The pay doubles with each article!!!
Conversations with Mike
Lane training at Home. Burgener There is a great deal of camaraderie that Over the past few days, I have had a develops among individuals involved in number of conversations with Mike Burgener. I something as difficult as a 100 rep challenge. first “heard” about Mike in Strength and Health There is always mutual respect among the lifters when he was a football player and lifter for a involved, regardless of the weights being used small Catholic school in Indiana called “Notre because the focus is on hard work, improving Dame.” His children are some of the best oneself, and developing the toughness to endure Olympic lifters in the United States and Mike a great deal of pain and discomfort. Another hosts a great website for lifting stuff at great thing about the 100 rep challenge is that it http://www.mikesgym.org/ gives you a sense of mastery and confidence Mike and I have talked on forums, over a particular weight. I now “own” 450 in the emails, and have lots of mutual trap bar deadlift and 187.5 in the clean and push friends…including Lincoln, whom we both press. Your 100 rep weights become “warm up” claimed to know…and we finally started talking weights from that time on and you know you’re when Mike decided to try low carbing. good for a lot more weight for sets of lower reps. Our conversation soon turned to a To me, the best thing about the 100 rep challenge recent article he wrote at Dragondoor is thinking about the small percentage of people http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi- who have the mental and physical toughness to bin/articles.pl?rm=mode2&articleid=110 complete something so demanding. where he recommends kettlebells for Olympic Lifters.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 14 I January 2002
Well, Mike is VERY enthusiastic about “volunteers ” have noted that they are crashed their use for lifters. His article goes into great after each sled workout, but notice that the FAT detail on this, but the basic formula deserves seems to be sliding right off the body. Perhaps careful study: the intensity might be part of the answer here as “Today, I train my Olympic weightlifters during we all seem to be unable to get enough air after their strength cycle with kettlebells two days per each sprint. Holding weights in the hands seems week out of the five days per week that they to work the FAT burning system even harder. normally train. Three of the days are based on Which brings me to an interesting point: the Olympic movements, the snatch, the clean last year, for the Olympics, I was asked to give a and jerk, and either the back squat or the front workshop on women in sports. squat. In addition, we may do some overhead Well, I brought up an issue that nearly squats, very heavy snatch and clean pulls, as got me booed off stage, until people thought well as core movement patterns. Two days per about it: Women of size are NOT going to get week then we use kettlebells to strengthen the the cover of the cereal box. functional as well as the foundational muscle The workshop began by mimicking groups.” some research done by Theresa Rodriquez at Mike knows his stuff. His Arizona State. I broke the group into two and recommendations square with what a lot of us show slides to both and they “grade” the women. have discovered as “older” athletes: specificity Here is the handout and form: works-but at a price. You need to have other n It is simply an introductory test… ways to increase your load and intensity without n “Rank” each person in the picture on a getting those injuries that pop up from scale from 1-10 specificity. n “Tens” are close to the ideal n “Ones” are far from the ideal n Go along with this…it is just an introduction Well, according to some people, they “never” demean people by looking at someone simply for their looks. Right. Bednarski is about to blow his elbow apart. Talk about insightful. Each Mike is also a believer in multiple group responded EXACTLY how Rodriquez singles in the O lifts versus the doubles, triples predicted. and all the rest. That puts him in the same group There was a small trick though: as Joe Mills and MLL, pretty good company. He n The first group had the “10s” first, and also preaches Hard Work …which is lost on a the “7s” second…from an internet lot of American O lifters. “hotornot” site. It ain’t all technique and drugs, my n The second had “7s” first and “10s” friends. next . Women and Training In the last few weeks, a number of us Here is what happens, pay attention! (whom will remain nameless for a while) have n Researchers at ASU found that men gone on the annual FAT Loss program that I shown “Tens First” marked the sevens preach about so much in much of my writings. waaaaaaay down. (Some interpretation You will get a chance to see some interesting from the researchers add that this might “Before” and “After” shots. be the reason that many male coaches of One of things that really seems to help females divorce their wives, and some women with FAT Loss is sled pulling. All of the other observations.)
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 14 I January 2002
n Women tend to mark “sevens” the same as men, but often rank “tens” very, very low. n Beauty and size issues…are not popular subjects to bring up. TRUST ME!!! So, when a guy has been watching supermodels on the tube, then turns to his lovely wife …the research tells us that he sees “someone else.” Women have had a tough go at sports: n Swedish sprinter Maud Sundberg competed in the Womens World Games of 1926 (held in Gothenburg) and the Amsterdam Olympics of 1928: " We had a lot of difficulties introducing
athletics for women in Sweden, people There are other sports! thought it would give us muscles like men. So, what am I saying??? Well, in the Women should be ‘Standing in the kitchen sports that I love, women need to gain a level of and bearing children!’ was a common muscle mass. saying." And, this is counter to what you see in n Vera Palmer, British Olympian the media every day! "I would think it would be safe to say that n “The message is clear. To be desirable, 99% of the medical profession in this attractive, accepted, and sexy they need country were against women taking an to look like Kate Moss or Uma active part in athletics. They said you were Thurman or Gwyneth Paltrow or one of leaving your womanhood on the track, and it a thousand other worshipped images. was quite possible none of us would ever The television reminds us every day of have children. That made me laugh." what the ideal woman should look like. n Signe Johansson (Sweden) Diver 1924 She looks like that Spicy Dorito girl or Olympics the Budweiser women. They are thin, "Diving in the 1920s consisted of a have large chests and luscious lips. standing jump from a diving board, five n The Internet has only increased the and ten metres, standing and with problem with hundred and thousand of advance. A dry dive construction was web sites devoted to worshipping and built in a room at Stockholm Stadium promoting such women.” existing of a springboard, lots of Femsport sawdust and a belt for the person who I would be interested in any opinions on this was training. We often trained with our topic. Email me at [email protected] , if you male friends who were all top gymnasts like. and taught us a lot. There was not much Next issue: Who knows? practice in water." Diving without water? Now, that is tough!!! As the father of two daughters and a Published by Daniel John keen supporter of female athletes, I am amazed Daniel John, Editor that we continue to pump up figure skating and Copyright © Daniel John, 2002 gymnastics as the only sports that seem to get All Rights Reserved real coverage at the Olympics. Let’s be honest: Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly my daughters were doomed at birth to be gymnasts ! prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 15 I February 2003
Talk about fat loss and shivering! The water bottles in my weight room are all frozen solid again. The garage gets about two minutes of sun at dusk, so the typical temperature is about freezing. Rhett and I had a morning snatch workout this week and the bar was so cold that the skin would adhere after each rep. Rhett had an insight about competition: “We are training with an ice cold bar that doesn’t rotate, on a two foot by eight foot platform, bundled in clothes, freezing, and it is 8:00 am. Lifting in a meet should be a breeze!” Yep!
Our mission? To teach everyone: 1. The Body is One Piece 2. There are three kinds of strength training: Gary carrying the Editor…early training regime. • Putting weight overhead • Picking it off the ground The family and I went skiing for the first time • Carrying it for time or distance this winter. I found there is a huge difference in 3. All training is complementary. my strength. I went on the slopes all day without Fan Mail!!! getting tired. By the way, we do the kind of Dan, skiing where you ride up and ski down. Your readers probably prefer to pull a sled up and ride Really enjoyed your article from Elwood down. Suggins of Pismo Beach. Dragging a dead sea lion up and down sand dunes sounds like a Take Care terrific workout. I'm wondering if the temperature always has to be over ninety to get a Gary good pump going? Yes, on the carrying of dead mammals, we find Anyways, I'm finding the waiter walk to be the that the smell of decaying carcasses enhance the best short workout. I have a 30 yard course in training environment. In addition, the entire my warehouse. I do three sets with each arm. editorial staff was shocked to find out that one of Occasionally, or whenever I'm feeling frisky, I our readers usse the “Ski Lifts” when skiing. start off with one set of both dumbbells over Our staff ski day requires thongs only and we head as a warm-up. You have to be careful not carry each other up the mountain then slide face to arch your back or you're going to pay big time down the hill. This does cut into other activities by the third set. for a few days.
The Editorial Staff. Note: Gary is my brother…who patiently taught me my first lessons in the discus.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 15 I February 2003
On Passion! Phase Two from Issue One It is funny how often the parallels John had only one word: Passion. From between life in the real world and sports lead me the Latin, “to suffer,” I can’t think of a better to understand both a lot better. I had been word to describe the Love/Hate/Suffer/Fury that reading some of those hybrid muscle magazines is required to improve as an athlete. Sadly, many that cater to men’s fitness, health, stereo, DVD young athletes have all the physical gifts, yet no player, and clothing needs and I found myself passion. “The Love of the Game” is a perfect realizing something is missing: in most men’s title…for a disappointing movie. search for “whatever,” e.g. youth, riches, Passion. Well, how do we get it? Master success, women, they immediately lose all athletes can teach the youth here: credibility. 1. Travel to a lot of meets. Huh? Trying to look cool…earring, 2. Hang out with your competition for long tattoos, pink hair, puka shells, open black shirt periods afterwards. with matching black suit …makes you 3. Read everything, watch everything you can look…well, it makes you look like you are trying about your sport. to look cool. 4. Travel some more. Hang out some more. Yet, if a man actually take the time to Learn more. talk to women (shocking!), generally one will 5. Spend your money on your sport! find that the way to interest a member of the 6. See number four above! opposite sex has very little to do with the Yet, something is missing. I think earrings, tats, and hair. George Matthews hit it on the head when he The same thing that makes a great discussed hypertrophy. For Phase One, we can athlete great is the key to success in focus on speed and technique (nerve and life …Passion! muscle), but in Phase Two…as we build passion Recently, at the Super Bowl, a roomful in our hearts…we need to build muscles in our of women all swooned for Jon Gruden, coach of body. the Tampa Bay Pirates in Pewter Pants Football As a matter of interest, short spurts of Team. Gruden, who never met a scowl he didn’t intense training increases the natural Growth like, has something…something…that make Hormones of the body…the anti-aging drugs. In women pull the chairs forward and watch a Phase Two, a serious attempt to both raise GH rather pointless game after the first quarter. My and build muscle are a yin-yang relationship! friends, according to my wife, Tiffini, there is The research, although it is tough to nothing more “intriguing” than a man fully discover, seems to point to several things, if you focused, fully centered, doing something he want to increase GH (and hypertrophy). loves. And, you don’t need to go to Hawaii to 1. Eat some protein before lifting…ten to twenty buy puka shells. grams. So, before GET UP! starts reviewing 2. Monitor rest periods between sets (one minute DVD players and British Sportscars, let’s talk rests have shown, in some studies, to spike GH) about Passion…again! 3. Use “full body” lifts, such as my favorites: Power Clean and Front Squat We have covered this before! Power Curl In the first edition of GET UP!, we Clean and Press reviewed an interesting idea from John Powell. Overhead Squat Good Morning or variations John, double bronze medalist at the Olympics Clean grip snatch and former World Record Holder in the discus, Power snatch discovered that the Master athlete needs to break 4. Don’t be afraid to “bodybuild.” Get those arm their thinking into two “phases.” The first phase curls, triceps extensions, lat pulls, whatever. is a time to train muscle and nerve, but the Put your time in during Phase Two second phase may be more important. building your Passion and Body. Let’s review the original post:
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 15 I February 2003
That’s Good Advice! piping, drinking, eating, noise…and up to ten In the last few issues, we have different athletic events with only a few that discussed a few ideas that can help one rekindle share any technical skills. the passion that drives great athletes. Let’s look A couple of ideas for training multiple at a few obvious ideas: focus: listen to music you hate while you train; 1. Keep a journal. If I could recommend only one train for three sports (throw, lift, carry, whatever) thing, it would be to keep this on-going in a single training session; train in conversation with yourself. As you link the days extre mes…cold, heat, fasting, time of day, odd together and watch the ebbs and flows of your locations; learn a new sport! Finally, invent new training and life, you can pick out the clues that ways to train your current sport…seriously, lead to success in your life …athletically and “think outside the box” and restructure your real! whole training…or just one aspect of training. 2. Buy books and videos on your sport. Recently, I watched a video on the snatch and discovered that I know nothing about this lift. I have been snatching since 1975, but I never knew the importance of the jaw and staying on the heels. Yet, one minute after pressing the “stop” button on the VCR, “Passion” fuels the athlete far beyond I was in the gym banging away again …I was the next workout, the next week or the next “rekindled!” season. It also may be the secret cure to aging! Read magazines, books and internet articles that apply to your sports and try new things! Bow and Arrow…for lifting, 3. Practice both single and wide focus in your too? sports. Single focus would be bowling alone on In 1977, Skyline College welcomed one lane trying to just throw strike Wolfgang Linkman as a coach. His knowledge balls …ignoring all spares. In your sport of choice, you should occasionally strive to fix just of English was not the best, but his wealth of information on track and field was amazing! one thing: all your resources should pour into As Eric Seubert and I tried to attacking or improving one aspect of training. Wide focus is what a football coach does: the understand Linkman’s ideas we soon realized that the KEY to throwing was the idea of coach measures and adjusts his 92 man team, “SSSSSHHH KU!” seven assistants, four managers, bus drivers, et al to deal with the opposing team and the whims of the officiating staff. Both, single and wide focus can be exhausting…but for different reasons. Single can be “boring,” yet every athlete needs the “groove” from multiple repetitions. Multiple focus can simply over stimulate the senses. The Highland Game experience is a study in multiple focus: dancing,
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 15 I February 2003
Hmmm? Well, Wolfgang couldn’t Oh, Sure… explain it in English, but with his body and For the Bench Press, this is obvious, but actions, he demonstrated that great distances how about the O lifts? come when you pull on a muscle, then it pops back. It would later be called “prestretch” by some, but I still like the original insight…that the athlete must strive for a “Bow and Arrow” every time they attempt to master a sport.
Recently, in Denis Reno’s weightlifting For the shot putter, this is easy: the Newsletter, he noted that the Bulgarians are throwing wrist to the elbow is the arrow, and the taught to focus the entire pull on the heels. One body is the bow: training session later, the teachings of Linkman and the Bulgarian training ideas made perfect sense! The “arrow” of the Olympic lifts is a straight line pointing up from the heels. Yes, the heels…if you ever get on your toes in the quick lifts, you better have a light weight on the bar because you are not going to make the lift!
For the discus thrower, it is important to get the chest to the “front” then SSSSSSSH KU!
But I never understood the role of the Bow and Arrow in the weight room until recently!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 15 I February 2003
The “Bow ?” rope laying on your back, would you dig in your First, I have to insist you try focusing heels? If you say “yes,” you probably will on the heels only style…it works. A good drill understand why you pull on your heels. for teaching this method is to put your toes on a 2. Try this sequence…snatch or clean piece of wood or two ten pound plates and do Stand tall with the bar in the snatch or clean your regular workout. I can snatch and clean off grip. Lower the bar by pushing your butt of a 2 x 4 now with just a minimal jump back. back …don’t lower the bar, push your butt back To get the Bow, you have to do two as far as you can. When you can’t go any lower, things that have become obvious if you have snatch or clean the bar from this position. With followed O lifting the past few years. the bar snatched or cleaned, lower the bar in stages until you just touch the One: you have to lift with the head up and the floor…barely…and snatch or clean it again. jaw “jutting” forward. I have Rhett make This is one rep! Rest and Repeat! “raptor” noises to teach him to hold that head With this sequence, you will find that forward …this will naturally keep the shoulders you naturally stay on your heels …if you don’t, well over the bar. The jaw is one of the tips of you will fall flat on your face! the bow. Strive to find the “Bow and Arrow” in all your sports. One little hint: in the weightroom, we live on our heels, in athletics, we live on our toes. Keep looking for opportunities to add the Bow to your sport!
Next Issue: We’ve been promised some articles regarding one lift a day training and cycling macronutrients, as well as more “life journey” Two: you have to really stress the Romanian articles. Deadlift Position. Got something to say? Write an article!!!
The “bottom of the tail bone” (or you can use another anatomical hint) is the other end of the Published by Daniel John bow. The farther you can stretch out the two ends of the bow, the faster that arrow is going to Daniel John, Editor shoot up! Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 All Rights Reserved How to Train This? Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly 1. Try lifting with your toes on a board or prohibited. plates…just try it! At first, this is going to seem odd. But, if you had pull a train towards you hand over hand with a
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003
Spring looming as Dan John, and consequently, I was doing Track season, Highland Games, State things like heavy squats, quarter squats, power Weightlifting Meets…all just around the corner! cleans, and other compound movements by the This issue is a mishmash of stuff that people time I was a freshman and sophomore in high send in…or promise to send in…and we just school. I made rapid progress on this type of have to go to press! approach, and ended up winning a state If you have a “mistakes I learned from” powerlifting title while gaining a solid 30-40 article…send it in! pounds of muscle. In hindsight, the major Our mission? To teach everyone: mistakes I made at this time was extreme 1. The Body is One Piece overtraining and spending too much time doing 2. There are three kinds of strength training: less productive isolation exercises that simply • Putting weight overhead cut into my recovery. However, due to my • Picking it off the ground young age, my mom’s great cooking, and a lack of overall stress in my lifestyle at the time, I was • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. able to make great progress in spite of my mistakes. Mistakes I’ve Made And What I’ve Learned From Them
Lane Cannon Lane, a product of Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, is 5’8” and currently weighs #215. Lane received a football scholarship at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Co. after walking on and he played inside linebacker there from 1990-1994. Lane was Mesa State College’s Student Athlete of the year in 1994. He took 1 st place in the #220 class in powerlifting at the 1999 Utah Law Enforcement Games, and he recently won the men’s amateur all around at the 2002 Loch Aidle Highland Games in Utah.
College Experience Introduction Due to having a solid train ing background in high school, I was able to make I the football team at Mesa State College as a began strength walk-on, and I ended up being the strongest training in 1986 freshman on the team. One of the major regrets I at Judge now have is getting away from what got me Memorial there. I went to a team with a number of Catholic High excellent, genetically gifted, chemically assisted School. At the athletes. I saw a number of players bench time, my goals pressing over 400 pounds, several squatting a were to great deal of weight, no one power cleaning, and improve my not a single individual who had heard of a size, strength, snatch, overhead pressing, etc. The physical speed, and attributes of the athletes I was training and endurance to become a better football p layer. competing with were very impressive, and I Sure, I wanted bigger muscles to impress the desperately sought the large bicep, big bench, big girls, but there was a definite focus on the quad, washboard abs, fast 40 time type of athlete functional aspects of getting big, fast, and strong, that seemed to excel at this level. However, the with the hope that someday it could lead to a training that appeared successful for this type of football scholarship. I was fortunate to work with someone as knowledgeable about training
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003 genetically, and often chemically, assisted athlete amounts of beer, had the Domino’s pizza was not applicable to me. numbers memorized, and were developing My training at this time consisted of bodyfat percentages and physiques comparable heavy benches and squats, 4 days per week of to sumo wrestlers. I decided to join the “stay in strength training, lots of bodybuilding exercises, shape” crowd and did some distance running, a huge food intake, and lots of running, eventually bought a home gym with some free sprinting, and conditioning work. The results of weights to tone and bodybuild with, and figured this type of program were mixed. I did gain a bit on trying to keep my weight and bodyfat down as expected on the bench and squat, my speed and generally doing some “toning” type of improved over the years, but I really didn’t get weight training, with lots of bodybuilding and any bigger. Fortunately, I slowly learned more isolation movements to get “sculpted” and about the game of football and my skills “buffed.” The result of this type of routine is improved as a player. I ended up receiving a that I basically maintained an acceptable overall scholarship and, by my redshirt sophomore year, level of condition, but I didn’t get any stronger, I had earned a starting position on the team. I and my “pretty” body parts like chest, abs, and was eventually ranked #2 on the team in a arms didn’t change at all in spite of my attempts strength/speed/power rating system that included to make them “prettier.” Overall, I was various power lifts, power cleans (we finally got generally dissatisfied with my lack of progress a new strength coach who at least knew they and I slowly began to look for something were a lift and not a laundry detergent), agility different that could increase my level of drills, and sprints of different distances. While I motivation. At this time, I was reading some of had made some progress, I know I remained the muscle magazines out there, and still severely overtrained, and again, I was wasting wondering why I couldn’t make any progress way too much time and recovery abilities on the while considering what new, “scientific” routine bodybuilding movements. I also now recognize might make the difference. a number of dietary mistakes that resulted in an excessive body fat gain in the off-season with little functional size and strength that carried over to the season.
Post College Bodybuilding And “Staying In Shape” From the High Intensity Training/Hardgainer experience I had observing friends and Although a lot of the material on the acquaintances that had internet can be criticized by those of us who read completed their high publications such as “Get Up,” I’ve got to admit school and college that I feel very fortunate to have been exposed to careers in sports, I some of the excellent information available out noticed one of two there on a few web sites. Getting on the net and things. Either they finding some of the excellent sites such as Stuart didn’t train at all after their eligibility was up, or McRobert’s “Hargainer,” “Cyberpump,” they trained to “stay in shape.” The “stay in Kubick’s “Dinosaur Training,” “Old School shape” crowd generally started doing more Strength Training,” and Dan’s website to name a cardio to drop bodyfat while focusing on the few, is what got me back on track and motivated isolation and bodyshaping type of movements. to start training hard and heavy again. I started The “no training” crowd generally drank large out in 1998 with a “Hardgainer” or “HIT” type of routine centered around a few compound
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003 moves, with a focus on small poundage “Chrom, fern, spandex, curling, peck deck, progression each workout. Each set was pushed bunny crowd,” I decided to start to incorporate very close to failure, and I was doing stuff like more Dino and Olympic type exercises into my 20 rep squats and trap bar deadlifts, as well as routine, which included more singles and lower lower reps on other basic, compound reps, with a slightly lower overall level of movements. I got rid of the isolation stuff, and intensity. Please don’t confuse this with not focused more on taking care of things on the working hard because I really do still push recovery front, by trying to sleep more, eat myself, but I no longer fall on the ground better, limiting other activities that may reduce gasping and puking after heavy lifts. What I’m my energy for training, etc. currently doing is alternating four workouts and The result of an abbreviated routine training 2-3 times per week with weights. I’ve over several years time was phenomenal. I chosen a variety of exercises spread out over the pushed my bodyweight up about 30 pounds over workouts such as power snatches, overhead what it had ever been without a great deal of squats, bottom position squats, trap bar deadlifts, extra fat, and all my lifts went up beyond what I one arm dumbbell cleans and presses, bench had thought was possible for myself. I lockouts, dumbbell incline presses, bent over eventually managed a 20 rep squat of 357.5 to rows, thick bar curls, and power cleans and push parallel, followed by a trap bar deadlifts with presses with a 2 inch barbell. I try to increase 407.5 for 20 in the same workout. I later worked the weight each workout when possible and I’m up to deadlifting 500 for 19, and as described in doing a lot of singles. On the weekends, I try to my previous article in “Get Up,” completed 450 make it to Dan’s house to do some odd object for the 100 rep challenge in the deadlift. My work and throwing. I also ride a stationary bike bench and overhead strength was way up, and I several times per week, hit a heavy bag and felt good about my overall gains. The problem speedbag occasionally, and pull kids in sleds or that eventually occurred with this type of training do something active with the family. was eventually coming to dread my workouts. I was fearful of the next onslaught and would actually lose sleep the night before my squat and deadlift workouts. My body was also taking a beating. I was having lower back pain nearly all the time, and the stressors in my life were severely cutting into my recovery ability and level of motivation.
Low-Carb Dieting One of the most important concepts I’ve learned is the effectiveness of low carbohydrate dieting. Some call it “paleo,” or describe it as “eating like a caveman,” “Neanderthal,” “Protein Power,” “Atkins,” or Dan and Tiffini’s “meat, leaves, and berries,” but it all basically seems to come down to eating large amounts of non- starchy vegetables, fish, meats, low-carb dairy Dinosaur Training/Olympic Lifting for some, seeds, nuts, tons of water, some oils, After deciding I needed a change, but and some seasonal fruits for others. I have found still being unwilling to regress back to the that the low-carb dairy works for me, but I stay
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003 away from most of the fruit and other high-carb Mike Stulce Training Program foods during the week. My weekends are Rick Reklof, former training partner of Olympic usually more flexible as far as diet is concerned, Champ Mike Stulce, has been carrying on an email and I’ve recently been experimenting with some conversation with me about their training program. brief weekend carb loading followed by a low Simple stuff here…but isn’t that the champion’s carb phase during the week, which is similar to secret? the “Anabolic Diet” material from Mauro G. Di In-Season Pasquale, M.D. Dr. Di Pasquale argues that this Throws Before lifting (off season, lifting and type of diet results in “Changing your strength were the focus). metabolism to a fat burning one, and cycling Two Basic Workouts: from low carbs to a short phase of high carbs, Day One allows you to naturally maximize muscle mass Incline Bench Press (Always done first as Mike and minimize body fat.” (Mauro G. Pasquale, felt it was closer to the throwing motion) B.Sc., M.D., M.R.O., M.F.S., 2002, The Bench Presses Anabolic Solution). Although his explanation This workout usually finished in 45 minutes or for this process is quite complex, my own less. anecdotal experience seems to indicate that there Day Two is some merit to his argument. Snatch or Clean (Power Versions) The result of eating this way the Squats (sometimes add leg presses and curls, majority of the time over the past several years too) and training with slightly lower reps and doing Between sets of squats…repeat Standing Long the Olympic lift/Dino type program is that I have Jumps or Bounding lost about two inches on my waist while gaining approximately seven pounds of bodyweight and The key: repeat this workout as many times as a pretty fair amount of strength. Surprisingly, you can in a row without days off. They would this improvement has been made in spite of sometimes train only two or three days in a row, numerous personal stressors that have greatly once Rick and Mike did eleven. If only one was impacted my training, including, among other tired, they still trained. BOTH had to be tired. things, working two very stressful jobs in the There was no air conditioning or heat in the gym field of corrections, raising two young children, they trained. losing my father to a traumatic accident, having Rick saw Mike clean 500 with straps and 540 on my daughter get attacked by a dog resulting in video (which he thinks Randy Barnes has a copy plastic surgery, as well as dealing with a lawsuit of this video lift). Mike tossed a lot of and several other serious problems. My overweight shots in the off season and once performance in Highland Games competition has raced Andre Carson (a NCAA champ sprinter) steadily improved, and, with some recent work at and kept up with him for the first 40 yards. Dan’s house pulling sleds, doing heavy farmer’s Rick promises us more in the future. walks, overhead squats, snatches, throwing the 56 for distance, throwing tires, etc., I expect even greater progress. My lower back is feeling better as well as the rest of my body, and I have a higher level of enthusiasm than ever before.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003
Men's Shot Put Final. Olympic work in concert. I think that is the key to great Games 1992 athletic performance. They don't work a bodypart like most lifts in a gym...they work the 1. Mike Stulce (USA) 21.70 whole system. 2. James Doehring (USA) 20.96 3. Vyacheslav Lykho Tabata Front Squats. I got this idea from a (CIS) 20.94 speedskater at a party and have used it "a little." 4. Werner Gunther It is a 4 minute Drill. Bar on the floor, clean it, (SUI) 20.91 now do front squats for 20 seconds, drop the bar, 5. Ulf Timmermann rest for ten seconds ONLY, repeat for a total of (GER) 20.49 four minutes. I strive for 8 sets of 8 (right...). I 6. Klaus Bodenmoller had been doing them with 65 pounds, but (AUT) 20.48 Sunday I used 95. It is the single best "meet 7. Dragan Peric ready" training I know...as you get the reps, you (YUG) 20.32 soon find a perfect front squat groove ...at the 8. Aleksandr Klimenko (CIS) 20.23 same time your lungs are screaming. Tiffini did these with 45 pounds (the bar) and wanted to “Weird Stuff That Works” File puke, then ate a huge meal. About an hour and half later, she said: "Now, I am starting to feel normal. I used these every two weeks in 1999 to I wrote this for the Juggernaut Weightlifting get ready for a lifting meet. I hadn't been on the Forum after I mentioned I had learned more in platform in 8 years and hoped for "maybe" the past few years than in my entire athletic "around" 300 clean and jerk. All I had to train career. It is still true…I’m still learning, but I with was 165, but I shot out of my 308 Clean and liked these four ideas…a lot! Jerk like I sat on a nail. I trained with 65 pounds Thick Bar Clean Pulls/Deadlifts. I have missed to clean 308...it is at least worthy of a lot of lifts in my career. Almost always the discussion...especially for busy guys. same basic reasons. Mike Conroy from Team Idaho gave me the hint to "wiggle my toes" so I One arm lifts. I talk about these a lot, but what pull full footed at the start. Thick Bar Clean is great about these is now that my wife, my movements go one better: if you raise your butt neighbors and my kids train with me...we only up at all vis a vis your shoulders, you lose your have one bar. So, I can attack my one arm grip...NOW! It is amazing. I have deadlifted 628 snatches while Tiff and Vance Clean and Press. in a contest, yet I struggle, seriously struggle, For time pressures, these are a gem. They also with anything over 250. Wiggle your toes, stay really help you "feel" the long pull. Finally, as "uncomfortable," be patient and you can whip Basanowski claims, you need awesome obliques the finish of the pull. Cheat a little...no bar in to O lift. The one arm movements build this your hands. system.
Thick Bar Farmer Walks. As I walk down the street, with my head and chest up, struggling to hold on...I am learning that a strong grip is connected straight to the human brain. Brooks notes this in his book, but I learned it the hard way. Oscar Chaplin III has been really emphasizing squeezing the bar in the last few years, I understand why. Besides being great for the grip, the walks fit my belief in "one piece" exercises. Overhead Squats, Snatches, Clean and Jerks, and Farmers Walks make the whole body
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 16 I March 2003
The Plane Flight to My second analysis: When I did a 315 Deadstop Disneyworld Front Squat, I got an easy 314 Clean and Jerk. A couple of issues ago, I wrote about the importance The 248 snatch was easy; I had done 265 for 3 in of keeping a journal. I had a long email discussion the Snatch Pull a few weeks earlier. The question with a young lifter who wanted more information on is this: are my Deadstops 1:1 with Clean and planning a contest…using a journal. On my flight to Disneyworld last year, I spent an hour planning the Jerks or does the smooth clean make it easier? I upcoming National Masters. This is taken from that also found that Snatch Deadlifts and Thick Bar worksheet. Amazingly, I was right about a lot of these Deadlifts helped as much as anything. ideas. 12-27-01 In addition, keep pushing those Tabata Front Goals Sheet for National Masters Squats: the more I do, the easier meets have become this year. First, Review Last Four Meets Goals: Stay fresh and loose. Keep weight around Christmas Invitational (December) 220-231. Get the Snatch Pull up to 285 for three Sn C & J and a Deadstop Front Squat of 365. 226 miss 275 Great Tidbit from Mike Cayton 226 297 This was in Denis Reno’s Newsletter as 248 314 a letter to the Editor: Total: 562 “I am still in Bulgaria, still working out on Saturdays at Slavia Gym, Record Makers (October) where I sometimes see and Sn C & J chat with world champ 226 miss 286 (69K) Gulabin Boevski. 226 308 Besides the lifts themselves, 242 320 miss I only see him doing squats Total: 550 (front only). Works up to 200-210 Kgs which he does SLC Invitational (September) pretty easily. He also seems Goal: 6 for 6 extremely consistent on the Sn C & J lifts, each one virtually a 209 264 carbon copy of the one 220 286 before…” 231 297 There it is folks, the secret to success! Total: 528
State Meet (April) Published by Daniel John Sn C & J 220 286 Daniel John, Editor 248 miss 325 miss Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 248 miss 325 miss All Rights Reserved Total: 506 Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly
prohibited. My first analysis: the Snatch opener is the key! Since my warm-ups had almost no impact on the platform…keep them short and easy. Snatch warm ups should simply be: 60 kilos x a couple; 80 x 1, 90 x 1. Clean and Jerks: 60 and 90 for singles and GO!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 17 II March 2003
Great Time in Springfield Lesson #1: You can’t solve/do anything by just Thanks to all my friends in Illinois for looking at it. In college my method for studying hosting the Shamrock Games and providing for a math exam was to open my book or notes great competition, great camaraderie, and lots of and look at the proble ms. Follow them in my laughs. head while I was looking at them. Then I would I still have yet to meet a “jerk” in take the quiz or test and not do very well on Highland Games competition. them. Then I made a connection. When I lifted weights, I didn’t go into the weight room and Our mission? To teach everyone: look at the weights for an hour, I picked them up 1. The Body is One Piece and lifted them. You don’t get stronger looking 2. There are three kinds of strength training: at the weights, you have to move them. When I • Putting weight overhead decided to start doing the problems in my math • Picking it off the ground book before the test, rather than just when I had homework, I started doing better in math. The • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. best score I got on a test in Calculus I was on the section of applications of derivatives. The Life Lessons I’ve Learned dreaded word problems. The library on campus Throwing the Discus had an answer book with solutions worked out that we could use in the library. The two weeks David Witt before the test on applications I got that book As a high school thrower, and did all the problems in the chapter, then David ended up third in checked my work. I worked through the Kentucky’s State Meet solutions to the ones I didn’t get, and the next under the coaching of night did it again. I did great on the test, so what Marty Mayer and Pep did I do for the next test? I went back to looking Stidham (God rest his soul, at the problems again. I didn’t realize what I was he died young in his 40's of doing and why it worked until I was in graduate heart problems). Going to school 10 years later. college that didn’t have a
track program, David has Lesson #2: To be good at something, you don’t competed as an open and unattached thrower for need to do a lot of different things. Ok, once I years in and around the Kentucky area. Marred knew I needed to work out the problems to study to Pam with two children, David teaches high for math, I thought I needed 500 qazillion school math. This is his first “Get UP!” article. problems to do. Then I started getting tired of trying to find all those problems and started thing In an attempt to give back for all the wonderful about track again. When I threw discus, I and useful information I’ve received from Dan realized that I tried to throw the discus the same and others in his “GET UP!” articles, I decided way each time. This was in order to set a groove to try to write an article myself. But what would that I could fall into to so that I could throw to I write about? As a high school math the best of my potential every time. I wasn’t teacher, I very often use my going out in a 60 throw workout and throwing experiences in track to make class more the discus 60 different ways. I was going out relevant for my students. Here are two and throwing the same throw 60 different times. examples I give them for their math At least that was the plan. It may not have been studies that could be applied to other the same throw 60 times, I may have only hit things. These lessons would certainly that throw a fraction of 60, but I was trying. So I help college students as well since I didn’t realized I didn’t need 50 qazillion problems, I figure these out until I was well into only needed a few problems that would represent college myself. what I would see on the test, maybe 5 or 10. Then I would go back to lesson 1 and do the 5 or
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 17 II March 2003
10 problems until I could do all 5 or 10 right for us he did not lift. By 10:30 if you weren't without looking at the solutions. In golf, I find if lifting you were getting rained on. I can drive straight, chip, and put, I do pretty well. For a guy that only plays once every Josh Everett, Strength and Conditioning couple of years. Coach at U.C. Riverside, was there, fresh from his victory at the Tactical Strength Challenge, So my lessons come down to, take a few run by Pavel Tsatsouline and hosted by Mike. things, and do them. Deck not getting stained? Josh managed 10 chin-ups with a 32-kilo weight, Stop looking at it and grab a brush. Forgot how and 32 one-arm snatches (each arm) with the to throw shot? Pick two drills and do them over 32kg kettlebell, defeating last year's champ in the and over. Both of which are things I need to process. Josh is one of the few lifters at Mike's work on. So tomorrow I’m going to do some who does split snatches, due to some shoulder South Africans on the deck and roller the shot. and arm flexibility problems that refuse to go No, wait, something wrong with that. But away. Coach Burgener was a splitter himself, but maybe if I put the rollers on my shoes I could do he strongly believes in the value of the squat both at once. This could be another lesson. snatch for most of his trainees. Mike had Josh Great advice, David. Welcome to the Editorial doing squat snatches for a long Staff…you have to buy lunch. time, but when he switched to the Saturday at Mike's Gym split snatch a few weeks ago, Mike found Josh could split snatch more Lincoln Brigham from blocks than his best squat Lincoln is a good snatch from the floor. Josh has friend of this blazing speed that's something to Newsletter. Not only see. The other split snatcher at has does Lincoln Mike's Gym is masters’ champion and record Olympic Lift, he is holder Bob Strange who, like Josh, can't fully also a ready source of straighten his elbows at lockout. advice and support to anyone interested in Mike was on his perch today in the the sport. He also introduced Dan to Mike power rack, simultaneously coaching four lifting Burgener…one of America’s best lifting coaches. platforms. I had a good day, setting one personal (Lincoln is between Vasili Zhureleav and the record in the snatch and nearly setting another. Editor in the picture.) Adrienne lifted on the platform closest to Mike There's something special about and got some excellent coaching. One of Mike's Saturday morning at Mike's Gym. Mike tips to Adrienne was to keep her torso vertical, Burgener's gym, a simple two -car garage tucked hips forward, in the landing position of the away in the hills of San Diego County farming jerk, rather than allowing a forward lean. This country, attracts some of the best lifters in makes it easier to keep the bar in the center of Southern California. This Saturday was no gravity and helps prevent the bar from running different despite the impending rainstorm. When forward. my girlfriend Adrienne and I showed up at 9:30 Mike also worked on her footwork in a.m., Mike was busy training a teenage the snatch and the jerk, which will help her to get volleyball player with high step-ups, kettlebell under the bar quicker and deeper. Like many swings, walking lunges with a medicine ball, and lifters, she tends to power snatch with a wide snatches. Eventually more than a dozen athletes landing stance instead of squat snatching with a from several other sports and weightlifters of all narrow stance. This bad habit works with lighter ages showed up to train. Casey Burgener was weights, but prevents the lifter from succeeding home, back home from the Olympic Training with heavier weights. Center for a friend's wedding, but unfortunately
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 17 II March 2003
does this reduce the efficiency of his jerk, but I worked a little with Ron, a 56-kilo today he also lost a couple of cleans out front lifter who was there with his dad. Ron is an ex- when he unracked the bar from his shoulders this wrestler with very good speed and a lot of way. potential as a weightlifter. He's the perfect size Adrienne and I left just as the storm for the 56-kilo class. Both Ron and his dad are front started to whip in. Tina, from Mike's high short, so it's clear Ron's not going to have a school, was finishing up snatches while Yanos, sudden growth spurt. originally from Communist Hungary, was just Guys like him have a better chance of getting started. Mike had already left to drop his success and satisfaction in a sport like son Cody off somewhere; the rest of the lifters weightlifting than in any sport that has a looked they were winding up their workouts, too. premium on size. Anyway, Ron has this bad On the drive back we were very pleased with the habit of starting the jerk with the bar starting way the workout went. Adrienne made good below his clavicle. Most of the weight of the progress on her technique thanks to barbell rests on his hands. As he begins the leg Mike's coaching (she listens to Mike the Ex- drive phase of the jerk, his arms act as shock Marine better than me, for some reason!) and I absorbers and as a result the bar gets very little got a new personal record. The most dangerous elevation. Instead, if Ron can learn to shift the part of the workout was still head of us in the bar up into a proper rack position, with the bar thirty-five mile drive back home. Already traffic resting up and back further on the front of the was backed up for miles behind a couple of shoulders, his leg drive will be transmitted overturned cars in the Number Four lane as directly into the bar. The bar will start higher, it numerous paramedics raced past us on the will be an inch or so closer to his center of highway's shoulder. gravity, and the bar elevation resulting from his Nice report, Lincoln, we look forward to more. leg drive will be higher. Right now Ron racks the A Few Gems from Mike bar correctly in the clean for the briefest instant, A couple of little points from M ike but then he immediately drops his elbows and Burgener that I have stolen from our telephone lets the bar come down to his chest. Not only calls: 1. Go heavy only if you feel you can make the lift…but you HAVE TO GO HEAVY! 2. Stay current…keep your ears and eyes open. 3. Kettlebells are great, so are Farmer Walks and Wheelbarrow work. 4. Go really heavy in Snatch Balance work…if you can get to 105% of your snatch…you can snatch it!
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 17 II March 2003
I have heard at least one woman say: “let’s just Football Time, Baseball Time and get this over with!” Highland Games Time And, there are times when life is like a baseball game. In the education business, we A few years ago, at a workshop on always hope that young man or young woman “Death and Dying,” the speaker told us that to who keeps finding new ways to get into trouble “survive” a doctor’s prognosis of a terminal will finally “turn it around” and succeed disease, one should adopt a “baseball mentality.” in…something. As a parent, we might keep The concept was simple: baseball has no time exposing our children to various careers and life limit. Even with two outs, no matter the score, decisions as we keep hoping our kids will hit that the team at bat always has a chance to win. The home run and find success. But, to be honest, I speaker basically told us, a group of local always struggled with the baseball mentality. ministers and teachers, that the dying need to be The baseball mentality assumes that we told that they can still be in the game. have a chance to “win.” That is just not the way Of course, one of the things that I repeat life works for most of us. I refuse to say that to myself on a daily basis is that we are all death is a “win-lose” proposition, but I also literally dying. As I look back over my teaching know that life often gives us a whole new set of career, I am always a little amazed at the number challenges where it is nearly impossible to call of students, parents, and fellow teachers who something a win or loss. have died too soon, if you will. Unlike the game I realized this the other day during the of baseball, we never know what inning we are Shamrock Highland Games in Springfield, in. Illinois. In the artic conditions of morning (okay, I guess we need to contrast the baseball it was just cold), I couldn’t get “going.” Some mentality with the football mentality. As a people will recognize the term “going.” It’s that former football coach, I can tell you that there is feeling when you get into the flow of things. If nothing like a bad fourth quarter when you stand you have ever tried to get the kids, the car, the on either side of a blow out. Whether ahead or luggage and the refreshments all ready for a behind by a lot of points, the fourth quarter multi-day trip, you know how hard it is to get seems to drag on forever as both coaches empty “going.” That’s how I felt: I was trying to the benches and wait for time to run out. compete with the kids tied down to the roof, the
drinks in the back seat, and the dog and cat in the But, there are times when life is like a trunk. football game. My senior year in college, I missed graduation to compete at the Nationals at the University of Illinois. While my class got their diplomas, I threw the discus. The following week, I arrived back at school to an empty, deserted campus. There were no hugs, no toasts, no “let’s get togethers” when I packed Every event seemed to just go wrong. my suitcase and headed for home. The clock Yet, I would tell myself after each to have to be ticked down to zero for me. For athletes positive because I have another event. Like a bad preparing for the Olympics, life is a football golfer hoping to shine on the next hole, I kept mentality. I would even say that expectant my head up and walked to the next event. A parents also experience this feeling in the last golfer who triple bogies the whole day, yet few days and weeks of a pregnancy. I know that finishes with a hole in one will provide drinks
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 17 II March 2003 for everyone and never remember his final and do your best…but, when the “dealing is score…only that one great hole. done” walk bravely over to the next great This image of the Golfer or the challenge. Try not to judge a competition, a year Highland Gamer began to carry me from event to or even a lifetime on one meet, one series, or one event. Finally, on the last event of the day, I throw. knew I was running low on chances. It was my Keep your head up and walk to the next worst event, the Heavy Hammer. Yet, I just event! reminded myself of the rhythm of the hammer One thing I have noticed for years is head and stayed in there mentally. It was my that I tend to soar and fall in my training. I only win of the day and helped propel Clint think I discovered recently that a lot of Garda to win the overall by changing the point people do the same. The key is to plan for it. scheme. Bishop Dolegowicz is the track coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School here in Salt Lake City. He was a 70 foot shot putter and a big-time discus thrower. He was also one of the first “World Strongest Men” contestants. We talk quite a bit and one gem that he really hits on is that you need to keep a lot in reserve. He claims that his training friends would marvel at the difference between his month to month training lifts and his all out maxs. He really snuck up on big weights. I find the same is true for me. Unlike a Bulgarian, I can’t go max-max-max. I train better in exercises like power snatches, power cleans, push jerks, and front squats in the 60-80 percent range. In college, I used to do lots of sets with 225 in the power clean. When I pulled the trigger on a big lift day, I staggered the football players (back when Utah State had REALLY good football players) by out-cleaning their best by fifty pounds (365 squat clean). The moral of all this: If you have a broad base, you don’t have to keep beating yourself up workout after workout. From my old “Strong As Steel” Journal
Published by Daniel John
Daniel John, Editor Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 After helping Mike Rosenberg drink his All Rights Reserved scotch, I thought about how important a “bad Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly memory” can be for an athlete. As my memory became foggier, I realized that the Highland prohibited. Game mentality might be a better way to approach life. Sure, embrace each new challenge
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003
The Message is Getting Out! than traditional power training or machines are The editor of this fine newsletter was better than freeweights, stretching is no good, quoted in a recent issue of “Muscle Media” stretching is king, med balls are above magazine. Amazing. everything, blah, blah, blah. None of these gurus Will this mean that we get free products offer in their books or videos how to integrate now…or just instructions on how to shave body everything into a cohesive weekly training parts? program or to integrate the weeks into blocks, or the blocks into weeks. Often if they speak of Our mission? To teach everyone: this they spout periodization dogma from the 1. The Body is One Piece 70’s that may seem new to the lay-person, but to 2. There are three kinds of strength training: those well versed in training knowledge it is the • Putting weight overhead same mumbo-jumbo you hear in many books • Picking it off the ground and articles. A lot of words that really don’t tell you anything. Whatever it is its vague enough • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. that they might as well say nothing. It’s no wonder athletes get nowhere with training THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFF- programs that utilize training modalities that SEASON and IN-SEASON TRAINING cancel each other out. Scott Weiser, CSCS New Mexico State University Things must be done in a logical order Too to accomplish the goal of the day or week or many times on month. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE chat-rooms, CONSISTENT. You just can’t take a lifting discussion forums, and program from someone that focuses on high journals the volume training and building muscle tissue and questions asked combine that with a throws program that focuses and the on maximizing speed and further combine that answers given with running mileage for endurance work. All to the topic of your training modalities have to be geared to program working in the same direction and transition to design gives the same direction throughout the year so that such a small everything works together to making you a great “snapshot” of the training thrower. year. Often I get the question So, if you rest on Sunday then Monday from recruits: you are raring to go. How many of you clean on “What is a Mondays? A lot probably. According to a typical practice survey done recently by Roger Freberg like?” I then ask what day, what week, what month? (www.frebergsports.com) a large majority of This is the first of a series of articles on transitioning throwers will do their heaviest lifting on Monday from off-season/pre-competitive training to in-season or Tuesday. This centers around cleans, squats, or competitive training. This article deals with the topic of training management. deadlifts, bench. The BIG lifts. Now if you are a thrower and working on technique at the same SNATCHES BEFORE CLEANS? time you are trying to get strong, how does this CLEANS BEFORE SNATCHES? heavy Monday set you up for the rest of the There is a lot of training schemes out week? As we will see there is a time and place there nowadays that just don’t make sense. Sure for this and that changes as the year progresses. “experts” will be quick to tell you that plyometrics offer more benefits than Olympic lifts or that Functional Training is more efficient
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003
Introduction to the 3-Day Cycle We will then do flat, conditioning oriented If you wish to make major running on Saturdays as the very last thing of the improvements in technique I suggest throwing 5- week. 7 times per week. The frequency will enhance the learning process not the volume. Plus it will After the first two days of hard training be easier to raise the total weekly volume if it is you will be due for an easy day. The third day of spread out through the course of the week. I the cycle for us is a day of upper body lifting and suggest using a 3-day cycle in your training. The simple, “breakdown drills.” These drills are 3-day cycle will help you to continue making done slow and focused on a singular aspect of technical improvements from day to day without the full movement. However, for these drills to fatigue taking over. Now I did not come up with have any carry-over to the full movement a high this on my own, of course. I originally saw this volume of reps must be done. This will be an system in an issue of The Thrower on a lecture active recovery day. You may not be as ready the Hungarian National Hammer Coach gave on for the next 3-day cycle as you had hoped so their system of developing hammer throwers. As plan a little flexibility in the second 3-day cycle. he spoke of their off-season training he showed a Maybe the second speed day isn’t as speedy as six day training program showing either the first. If throwing is important do your ascending or descending volumes: 30-20-10-30- heavier stuff in the second 3-day cycle. 20-10 or 15-25-35-15-25-35. From this I came up with the 3-day cycle. It was my opinion that I am a proponent of ascending volumes, frequency will accelerate the learning process descending speeds, and increasing throwing not throws volume of a single workout. weights as the days progress through the 3-day cycle. Now I suppose one could do the opposite, With your daily training sessions but make sure you have consistency. This will containing a throwing element you will not be put more emphasis on the Olympic lifts and able to have a sole “lifting” day, but rather the faster speeds in throwing. The third day will be lifting will also have to be spread out. very little volume. This might benefit the more CONSISTENCY. This too maximizes the time experienced thrower whose technique is already spent on each major movement – if it is planned set for the most part and now needs to develop out correctly. Plan your lifting routine to speed. For the college athlete they will be their coincide with your throwing regimine. best, neuromuscularly speaking, on Mondays CONSISTENCY. If Mondays are your “speed” after they sleep off the weekend on Sunday. As days in the weightroom using snatches and classes, tests, papers, and whatever else pile up variants there of then your throwing should also throughout the week they will have less reflect that same speed element. The next day coordination, concentration, and focus on you might not be able to produce the same speed technical elements or highly powerful/fast because of neuromuscular fatigue. training. Whether we have practice or not on CONSISTENCY. Plan that day to include Saturdays it is hard to get them to get a quality heavier, slower lifting focusing on strength and workout in on Saturday so it is best to keep it throwing with heavier implements to slow down simple. Easy to accomplish drills done over and the movement and focus on mechanics and over again, some running and then upper body specific positions. lifting. Point is, plan the training around your lifestyle. Add in plyometrics and running (if you choose) on days that are similar in nature to the activities. Plyos and med ball (power oriented) Off-Season Training on the first of the three days. Running comes in When you have reached a point in the many forms. We will do sleds, harnesses, hills off-season when your training is concerned with on the second of the three days (strength day). high volume you have to manage the workouts
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003 with some careful planning. For spring of force production than the clean and timing is competitors the fall is the time of the year when essential especially when you are working at you will be maximizing throwing time. Winter near maximal weights. If there is anything you will present some challenges for most in this learn about snatches is that you can’t do easy country and the time to make technical changes snatches. It’s all or nothing. Don’t worry, if you is in the fall. If you make your major changes to clean on Thursday or Friday you will still be able your throw in the fall than the limited training to clean the same amount you do on Mondays. you will encounter in the winter will almost be a Now when talking about the snatch? Fuhget maintenance phase until the spring season allows about it! Because of these demands the athlete in for more time to throw and improve smaller question must be at their “freshest” when it technical elements and timing. At the same time comes time to snatch heavy. We apply the 3-day you have probably reached a point at the end of cycle at New Mexico State like this: the summer where you feel you have trained MONDAY enough to now make some serious gains in Snatches & Related lifts strength, but with the competitive season still so Fast speeds far away these gains are more overall strength Full Throws gains rather than specific or special strength. Low Volume The winter will bring a plan of more focused intent geared to work on the specific qualities TUESDAY needed. A hammer thrower will enjoy gaining Squat Variations upper body strength in the fall, but then turn Slower speeds more attention to lower body and lower back Heavier Weights strength during the winter. Periodization is often times a natural process of the athlete getting Drills/Throws more focused on the specific needs as the Other Events competitive season draws near. So while the Medium Volume weather is good you will want to throw and since it is the fall, lifting will be more voluminous and WEDNESDAY throwing volume will be high. In fact a lot of Upper Body Lifts and related lifts things will be going on during the week Super slow speeds (throwing, lifting, running, plyometrics, etc.). HEAVY Weights
First, put your lifts that require the most Breakdown Drills speed and coordination in the early part of the HIGH Volume week when you are, hopefully, at your “freshest” or most recovered. Second, put your heaviest THURSDAY and hardest workouts at the end of the week and Cleans & Related lifts then 2 days of total or active rest. Rip up a Fast Speeds whole lot of muscle and then use a couple days Light Weights to recover and reload the cannon so to speak. Full Throws This kills the Monday heavy lift, but raw Low Volume strength work doesn’t have a speed component and therefore you really don’t need to be at your FRIDAY freshest. Heavy Squats/Deadlifts Slower Speeds What about the Olympic lifts? Aren’t Heavier Weights they all “quick” lifts? I would classify the clean Drills/Throws and partial pulls (not racking) as slower lifts and Other Events overhead lifts (snatches, jerks, and their variants) Medium Volume as faster lifts. The snatch requires a higher rate
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003
rotation of the shoulder joint when the athlete SATURDAY tried to catch the bar in the overhead position. Bench Press Ultimately they began hating the lift and related lifts focusing more attention to the clean missing out Super slow speeds on all the advantages to training your snatch. HEAVY Weights Then I was forced to keep the clean as a main lift in the spring instead of shifting to the snatch Breakdown Drills during the competitive season. HIGH Volume This also helps your throwing. Heavy squats on Tuesday made the rest of the week Put your special movements early in the difficult especially with throws technique. When week as well. These are lifts that are difficult in training heavy in the later part of the week your the movement not in the load used (overhead best practices will be Monday and Tuesday. squats, zercher lifts, overhead lunges). Back Wednesday (day after squat variation day) we do Squats and Front Squats left my lower body with break-down drills which focus on just one the same feeling, but I recovered faster from the technical aspect so the thrower can control the front squats because the load wasn’t as high. drill better. If there is any residual soreness from And as we have learned from our Editor the Tuesday leg day it won’t affect what you do Overhead Squats, although not very taxing to the on Wednesday. If you lift after throwing you legs as heavy back squats, build “Dad Strength.” might not have any throwing workouts affected. You get more trunk We lift at 6:30 AM and then throw in the strength and special afternoon so the Friday throwing session isn’t stability strength and always great, but we usually plan a less technical easier to recover from. session and work on things that we know the athlete will be able to control. With heavy lifts the support structures I suggest using 2 3-day cycles. aiding in the stabilization MONDAY-TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY will and coordination of your contain faster, more coordinated movements that body are fatigued just as utilize more trunk strength (or core strength as much as the prime the buzz word is these days). THURSDAY- movers. Heavy deadlifts FRIDAY-SATURDAY would involve the not- will make parts of your so-fast (shouldn’t be referred to as slow) and body sore that you never heavier, simpler movements. Throwing should thought were involved in also move from light/fast/low volume to deadlifting. With this in mind all of our fastest heavy/slow/high volume as the 3-day cycle lifts and “weird” lifts are on Monday and progresses. You can be the judge as to whether Tuesday. Cleans and heavy squats are done later you want to change the workouts from cycle to in the week where the athlete can recover during cycle. Put running, plyos and the like on days the course of the weekend. that are similar in nature. Try no to hammer your legs in speed, power, strength activities for I used to have my throwers do it the more than 2 days in a row. So in my example rd other way, but the snatch technique suffered the 3 day in each cycle is an easier day on the because of the cumulative effect of training daily legs than the 2 previous days so that you can and mainly because of the upper body lift on catch up a little to prepare for the next 3-day Wednesday. A sore chest and shoulders effects cycle. the snatch more than the clean. We started to see shoulder pain associated with the rapid external Mondays we do a weekly jump test for time and compare that with their best to
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003 determine if they have recovered. It involves because half the week is used to prepare for doing 5 consecutive double leg jumps for competition your gains come slower. This is distance. I time the interval between takeoff of where the concept of maintenance comes from. the first jump to landing of the fifth jump. I then Maintenance, I believe, is impossible and what divide the distance by the time (roughly it is people think is maintenance is actually very slow velocity in meters per second). If the test is progress (this will be touched on in a later significantly lower than lifting volume is cut in article). Speed is more important right now. half until the test is back up to normal or better. Lifting will now be in the 1-3 rep range with This is a very low-tech test so I usually use a fewer sets so the damage to the muscles is range of -0.2. So if athlete A jumps 12.48 in actually a lot less. The damage is more 3.65 seconds the coefficient is 3.42. If their neuromuscular than physical tissue damage. Monday test is lower than 3.22 than we drop the You will feel sore, maybe tight then next day, lifting volume in half for the week. In theory, but nothing a good warm-up won’t take care of. the more the athlete does the test the more Proper warm-down after the lifting will also efficient they will get at it so that alone keeps the help. Throwing won’t be so bad either. Now coefficient up plus the fact that they get stronger Wednesday is when you might be a little messed as the weeks progress (we hope). With all of that up in the CNS so use that day as a non-throwing going for them if they still can’t stay within 0.2 day or recovery day to gain some energy back then they definitely are not recovering and for Saturday. Watch your volume. If you are adjustments must be made to the training so the doing 3s and find that it effects throwing the next throwing does not suffer. day then drop off a set or 2 or more. Everyone will be able to handle different volumes.
In-Season Training If you are a coach training several When the competitive season starts your athletes start out with 2 sets of 3. Each week add competitions will be at the end of the week. You a set and closely monitor their throwing the next will now have to “flip -flop” your training plan to day and how they feel on Wednesday and put the heaviest lifting early in the week (some Thursday. You might find that some will stay promote lifting immediately after or the day after with 2 sets and some will be able to do much competition) and the speed related lifts to later in more. Keep the load the same and encourage the week to stimulate the central nervous system them to change directions powerfully and and “groove” fast/powerful movements in accelerate the weight. This can also be done preparation for competition. with singles and doubles.
Why lift heavy early in the week? Now I have also tried the throwing day Won’t this effect the important technical session before the lifting day. The throwing wasn’t that that prepare you for the weekends comp etition? much better and the lifting was significantly One needs different lifting this time of the year. worse. Sure, you’re fresh for throwing, but early In the fall your volume will be higher. Multiple in the week you should be more concerned with sets of 5s or even higher is most likely what you technique and timing not speed. Worry about will be doing in the fall and if you are using speed on Thursday and Friday. If you lift on lower reps you will still be doing more sets Monday you should be recovered by Thursday to because you don’t need to recover for any work on speed. This prepares the athlete much competitions. Remember we aren’t worried better for competition on Saturday. I believe in about it because the competitive season is so far training through meets for long term away. development, but an athlete can learn more from a positive competitive experience than he/she During the competitive season you still can sometimes learn from a whole week of will be developing maximum strength, but practice. An athlete can also get significantly discouraged from a bad meet experience. If the
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003 athlete identifies this bad experience as caused they can focus and prepare for a small meet they by their physical state that can damage the can do it for a bigger meet and so on. If they are coach-athlete relationship because the athlete used to tapering down every week after starts to question if the coach really has the Wednesday then it isn’t such a radical change for athlete’s best interests in mind. Our competitive them later on when you are tapering them for the lifting/training scheme looks like this: conference champs or nationals. Monday and Tuesday are “Development Days” Monday Cleans Squats Heavy Stuff High Volume Throws Tuesday Upper Body Drills Wednesday…a Rest Day I work under the general rule of: when Medicine Ball Circuits the lifting is in the lighter percentages throw a Drills lot, when the lifting is in the higher percentages reduce the throwing volume. So as the Thursday…Prep for Meet competitive season progresses and you scale Snatches down the lifting in volume first and then Single Leg Work intensity increase the volume of technical work. Jumps or Quick Lifts A significant increase in throwing volume will Low Volume generally result in an increase in throwing distance. High school throwers do this all the Friday time. As the weather gets better they throw more Very Light and more and their distances at meets go up Med Ball progressively. This will only last so long before Rehearsal the volume gets so high that recovery doesn’t Saturday occur soon enough. Plan the volume increases carefully with a rapid drop in volume and Compete increase in intensity at your biggest meets of the year (conference champs, nationals, etc.). The single leg work is dropped off halfway through the season and just jumps or quick lifts are done to encourage power and speed. You should see yourself or your athletes Applying the 3-day Cycle to getting more energy and more excited about the Highland Games competing as the week progresses. Be careful. This can also be applied not only to Extra energy can lead to injury producing Track & Field throwers, but to Highland mishaps. Get them out of practice as soon as Throwers as well. Let’s look at a possibility. you are satisfied with what they have done. No Use Mondays and Thursdays to practice the extras. They will also have to work hard on events requiring the most coordination and/or controlling themselves outside of practice and speed. This would be your 28lb Weight Throw focus on the upcoming competition. The weekly or Stone Throw if you are a rotator. Use lighter routine of this prepares them for the bigger meets weights for either speed work or to focus on later in the season when they will be peaking. If
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003 specific technical aspects within the full periods of heavy lifting workouts. How long do movement. Tuesdays and Fridays work on you think you will be able to train if you are caber. Change the length and weight of the practicing with 56 lb weights? While coaching caber if you can. Reserve Wednesdays and and training at Lafayette College I witnessed Saturdays for Scottish hammer, Weight for many workouts and learned a lot from Highland Height, and Sheaf Toss. These events are the great Paul Ferency. He trained a lot with 28 and reasons why Highland Games athletes don’t need 35 lb weights and only used a 56 once every 2 much work on trunk strength. Weights and weeks or even once a month. He felt his best volumes can be manipulated again for Weight for Height workouts were with a college developing either strength, strength-speed, 35 lb weight. Every week he and Harrison consistency, or event-specific endurance. A Bailey would designate a different height and week such as this would look like: target number of throws to be made over that Monday height. 14-28 lb wt. Stone Drills Full O lifts
Tuesday Long/light caber Squats/Lower Back
Wednesday Scottish Hammer Weight for Height Sheaf-like Pud Throws Upper Body Lifts
Thursday Stone Throw Multiple Turn Drills with Weight Now everyone is different and will Partial O lifts respond to different things. Paul and Harrison didn’t work on the caber as much as I suggested. Friday Partly because there wasn’t much room Short/Heavy Caber anywhere in Easton, PA where they could and Squats/Lower Back also the lack of different length and weighted cabers also contributed. If you glide/hop in the Saturday stone you might not feel the need to work on the Weight for Height stone very much. If you use the new rotational Scottish Hammer technique in the sheaf then you might also need Upper Body Lifts to work on that event more.
Using a variable weight technique will allow you to practice perfecting the movement What have we learned? with greater accuracy and volume. As your The 3-day cycle technique of training strength levels rise and efficiency increase you planning is a great way for multiple event will be able to handle heavier weights as the throwers to manage event practice and also for competition draws near. It can also allow you to specialists to work on specific aspects of keep up with your recovery when you are in
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003 technique without sacrificing full movement throwing whether the implement, movement, or practice. I restrict use of this, however, to only weight is changed. Throw for volume, in off-season training in the fall (for track & field technique, or competition (max distance). athletes). The reason for this is that the athletes start to get a little mentally tired of the routine As the competitive season approaches I and with good reason. There isn’t much suggest getting more focused on the needs of the recovery built into the system. There is only one athlete and build in more recovery. Early in the true rest day during the week. I suggest training week your focus should be more on development for 2-4 weeks followed by an unloading week and “fixing problems.” After a mid-week pause where either the training is more limited or or rest the rest of the week should be focused on where the training pattern is the same, but with a preparing for competition. If there is no 50% reduction in volume in everything. competition on the weekend make one up by Looking at the in-season routine you will see 2 yourself (breaking your own PRs) or with your rest days (1 or both active rest). Plus the intent training partners (winner gets free steak dinner or of the in-season workouts is different and a lot the one who PRs the most). more focused on preparing for competition whereas the intent of the the off-season workouts The main concept here is that training are to develop specific parts of the full has to get more focused as the year progresses movement and athletic qualities. and as technique becomes more consistent and able to produce bigger throws one must PLAN What we learn from the Highland more recovery and prepare mentally and Games is that multiple use of different shaped physically for competition. Development is and weighted implements assist in developing more of a concern in the off-season and therefore specific strength. Use of a voluminous and more development work can be done throughout comprehensive strength training routine in the week. Train hard, but more importantly train addition to throwing may not be the best idea. SMART. Use your head and logical thinking Less exercises and more use of multi-jointed backed by what we know in the research. Then exercises that focus on strength (pressing, apply this PRACTICALLY and realistically in pulling, or squatting), power/speed, and trunk your individual situation. strength (static or active) will be a great adjunct Fantastic work, Scott. Excellent to the training effect you will get from the daily information…thank you! use of Highland Game implements. Animal Fitness
Applying this to Track & Field we Jim Smith Jim Smith lives in Yorktown, Virginia. Jim has been lifting realize that the same concept is true for those for years and is always ready to experience new techniques who throw the shot, discus, and hammer. The and ideas. Jim’s forum, “Animal Ability,” is a place where lighter the implements (mostly concerning people meet for polite conversation about all kinds of health women) the more lifting volume one can use, but and strength questions. the same idea is true. Even when focusing on technique one can develop rotational strength throwing a hammer, discus, and/or shot. Taking this further lets combine Track & Field and Highland Games training to supplement each other. Remember multi-joint exercises only with maybe the exception of Back Squat, Good Mornings, and Deadlifts. Use 8-14 lb weights for discus throwers, weight for height, sheaf and hammers for general use, etc. The Russians did and most probably still do use “puds” or kettlebells for this kind of training. Throwing is
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003
I’ve spent my whole life seeking a type call strength cardio. Strength would be things of fitness. I wanted to be strong, fast, agile, like deadlifts, overhead pressing, weighted pull- enduring, and have basically that animal ability. ups, squats, cleans, snatches, etc. Strength Since I base everything on my ideal view of how endurance would be various short distance primal man lived I needed to base a system on carries like overhead, sandbag and farmer’s this. walks plus repeating calisthenics for a set time, My thoughts were that in primitive club work, high rep swings/snatches, etc. Agility times people usually had less food and many would be hurdles, ladders, cone patterns, and times the activity level that modern people tend various skill movements, etc. Strength cardio to have. Most studies show that the men went would be long distance carries, mixing sprints, hunting and the women went gathering. With the cariocas, bear crawls, duck walks, crab walks, in women tending children, the village chores, and all directions ( i.e. forward bear crawl, backward gathering plant foods then carrying said items bear crawl, sideways bear crawl). back home. I figured they could have ended up Now with the different aspects broken lugging 30-50lbs for a few miles, not to mention down I needed to do the hard part and that was watching the kids, avoiding predators, making put all of this together while not separating the clothing, and everything else they had to do once different exercises so far apart I would not home (scraping flesh from animal skin I imagine progress performance-wise. I decided to repeat would work the heck out of your upper body). certain exercises every other time for a few The men had to hike to a suitable hunting area, workouts so that I could develop the skill and stalk game, possibly sprint after it before or after would not have to relearn this each time I wounding it, cutting it into sizes for carrying returned to the exercise. Complex things like (maybe 100lbs?, this from friends who hunt), Olympic lifts and such would be done more then carrying game for many miles over rough often while gross moves like carries could be terrain while avoiding predators. Village life for done seldom. So far I’m in a 5th incarnation of the men would consist of building all items that this system. Each time I learn more, so that I can weren’t already done by the women. Everything refine my system once again. had to be portable so that everyone could pack it One problem I had that was really hard up and move closer to the next hunting ground. to get around was that there are so many fun things to try out there that if I did them all I would never accomplish my goal of animal fitness. I figured I could do a few of different things to get through this. First I would decide on exercises that NEED to be done (this may be different for each person), exercises I WANTED to do (not always the same as NEED), exercises that were so similar to others that they basically covered it, exercises I could switch and do on next cycle or incarnation of my system. Since I’m a trainer I got a chance to try this out on a variety of different types of people and it is working so far as long as I am willing to fine tune and not get stuck in a mind set that doesn’t allow change. With all these ideas which may or may So if you want to go for total fitness try not be totally accurate I had a basis. I figured I out animal fitness. Just be creative and go for it. needed to work many different modes separately & combined, but mainly combined. Breaking Jim is one of Get Up’s favorite authors. His work inspires a things down into the various modalities I had lot of email…another great column! strength, strength endurance, agility, and what I
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 18 III March 2003
The “Gary Column” Tabata is not a place, he is a Japanese My brother, Gary, lives in San Mateo, researcher who came up with (and forgive me for California and is a big fan of the newsletter. He using this word…) a protocol in which the often comments on different writers, then asks athlete pushes for twenty seconds and rests for those “Million Dollar Questions.” ten…for four straight minutes. The same questions many of you may At the Murray Institute for Higher have…but are afraid to ask! Lifting, we are big fans of Tabata Front Squats… What the hell are Tabata Squats…I finally get Tabata: the 20 on/10 off four minute HELL!!! the difference in Overhead Squats, Front Front Squats: Doing them with the bar on the Squats and Back…where is this ‘Tabata?” neck.
Excellent Question. In the lifting game, Equipment needed: we use a lot of shorthand to write in journals or 1. Bar with weights. 65 pounds is awesome for to learn new lifts. This can be confusing. women and first time men…95 is a challenge, No more assumptions!!! First, an 115 brings visions, 135 has been done, 155 …for Overhead Squat is a squat sets of 8 in the last minute…is a goal. with the bar held overhead. 2. A clock with a sweeping second hand. Be sure Although a basic part of an it is in the line of sight of the lifter. My clock Olympic Lifter’s program, hangs just to the right of the right squat rack post we really push this lift for at about 8 feet off the ground. A simple eye shift everybody. gives you your time. Some people think 3. A place to lay down …for a long time. that we/I preach this like some kind of miracle Goal? Strive for 8 sets of 8 reps. Try to pick a supplement, but experience weight that you can still stand up with during the with a lot of athletes seems fourth minute. Do NOT judge this by the first to support adding this lift to minute and just keep going back down…try not your overall training program. to catch your breath…well, you probably can’t Front Squats? Easy, anyway. weight held on the neck…in front, so to speak. Most people Lane Cannon missed two days of work after his tell us that it works the front of first go at Tabata s quats … the thighs better, but lots of athletes just like them because Enjoy!!! you can’t really cheat forward (the bar dumps off you), so you have to fight, fight, fight the bar up. A good front squatter is often an excellent Published by Daniel John jumper, too. Back Squats…weight held on the back Daniel John, Editor of the neck. You can handle a ton of weight Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 (well, half a ton, anyway) and it is a staple for All Rights Reserved mass gaining. For some, back squats are the Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly answer to all prohibited. questions. For some people, of course, they don’t even know the questions…
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 19 I April 2003
Wow… strength. Then in the fall of my senior year I Three weeks? As I type this, statues of found out what had been holding me back from Saddam are being pulled down all over Iraq. gaining weight, a bad appendix. After having Amazing… that removed in September, I got up to 190 by I couldn’t hold back this information track season. I maintained that weight through any more from this edition. Once again, our my freshman year in college and eventually writers are bringing Get Up! readers the averaged 212 pounds of body weight at 6ft 1.5 best…and cheapest…information anywhere. inches, I had one of those late growth spurts, One of the things we are striving for in throughout my college years. Whenever I went Get Up! is timeliness. Unlike magazines in the in for a checkup at the doctor’s office, the nurse drugstore, our authors write with a freshness that would invariably guess my we ight being 50 seems to still have sweat and chalk still on their pounds lighter than I was by putting that top hands. weight on the scale at 150 instead of 200. I Our mission? To teach everyone: never had a body composition test in college, but 1. The Body is One Piece obviously I wasn’t carrying much fat on my 2. There are three kinds of strength training: frame. • Putting weight overhead After college, work started and my throwing • Picking it off the ground career started to wane. By my honeymoon, my • Carrying it for time or distance weight was at a then high of 228. My weight 3. All training is complementary. would bounce up and down depending on how much I was working out at any one time. Fast An Idea for Charting forward to last fall. After our state games, my Weight Loss weight reached an all time high of 234. Yikes! David Witt Gotta do something. As a high school thrower, I decided this time to start charting my weight, David ended up third in much like I chart my workouts. I decided to Kentucky’s State Meet under write down my weight from each morning’s the coaching of Marty Mayer weigh-in. You are at your lightest in the and Pep Stidham (God rest morning, so this gives you extra incentive. It his soul, he died young in his wasn’t until the third week that I discovered 40's of heart problems). something interesting. Going to college that didn’t The first week’s numbers looked like this : 228 226 226 225.5 225 224 have a track program, David I started on a Monday, August 12th. The second has competed as an open and unattached week looked like this, thrower for years in and around the Kentucky 222.5 223.5 222.5 222 222.5 221 area. Marred to Pam with two children, David 220.5 teaches high school math. This is his second Wonderful! My weight was going down, 7.5 “Get UP!” article. pounds in two weeks. The next week: 223.5 225.5 223.5 223 223 222 After the excitement of having my first article 223.5 in “GET UP” published, my next thought turned Huh? I was slipping back! That 225.5 was on toward “what am I going to do now”? Searching Monday of that week, really depressing. Then, my brain for what I could further contribute to being the math major that I am, I started the lifting and throwing commu nity I decided to wondering, how do the averages of the weeks share my experiences last fall with weight loss. look? I compared the first three weeks looking In high school I was a skinny 150 pounder at 6 at the average weight for each week. feet tall. I had a very successful junior year Week 1, average weight 225.75 winning most all meets I entered throwing the Week 2, average weight 222.07 discus. Technique made up for lack of size and Week 3, average weight 223.4
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 19 I April 2003
My week 3 average was almost a pound and a Warning: Reprint Article! half heavier than week 2, but it was almost two Mike Stulce Training Program and a half pounds lighter than week one. Rick Reklof, former training partner of Olympic Suddenly I didn’t feel so bad about my slip in Champ Mike Stulce, has been carrying on an email week three. Now my focus changed, now I conversation with me about their training program. wanted to beat my average for each previous In-Season week. The next week: Throws Before lifting (off season, lifting and 225 224.5 223 221 strength were the focus). 221.5 221.5 221 Two Basic Workouts: Average 222.5, Day One Mission accomplished. Incline Bench Press (Always done first as Mike The next weeks: felt it was closer to the throwing motion) Bench Presses 220.5 221 222 221 This workout usually finished in 45 minutes or 221.5 221.5 221 less. Average 222.5 Day Two
Snatch or Clean (Power Versions) 220.5 221 222 221 Squats (sometimes add leg presses and curls, 221.5 221.5 221 too) Average 221.21 Between sets of squats…repeat Standing Long Jumps or Bounding 222 222.5 220.5 220.5 223 220.5 219.5 The key: repeat this workout as many Average 221.21 times as you can in a row without days off. They 219.5 222 220.5 222 would sometimes train only two or three days in 221.5 221 222 a row, once Rick and Average 221.21 Mike did eleven. If only one was tired, On any given day, weight can fluctuate by 5 they still trained. pounds naturally. What I found with this was BOTH had to be tired. that my focus was no longer on day-to-day There was no air weight, but on the weekly average. This made conditioning or heat in small setbacks, like the 223 in the second to last the gym they trained. week, not so monumental. Rick saw I know, we shouldn’t confuse weight loss with Mike clean 500 with fat loss, and the scale is not the best judge of fat straps and 540 on loss. But during these weeks my strength was video (which he thinks soaring and my muscle mass was increasing. I Randy Barnes has a found this little exercise in data collection very copy of this video lift). helpful in keeping me motivated to keep Mike tossed a dumping the sugar and drinking more water and lot of overweight shots in the off season and getting more sleep. I basically try to follow once raced Andre Carson (a NCAA champ Dan’s Meat Leaves and Berries philosophy, so sprinter) and kept up with him for the first 40 nothing new there. The 10 pounds you lose off yards. your body, especially if it is fat, represents 10 pounds you can add to your lift of choice. Or, more lift at the end of your throw. Excellent point about averages…would this hold true in training?
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 19 I April 2003
Rick’s “Conversations with training. There has to be a special place in heaven saved for Mike's then-girlfriend, now- Mike” wife, Katie , who was a 4 time Montana state “Sorry for the delay. Mike owns his own javelin thrower. She would often cut her business and works 7 days a week and I'm workouts short to go home and cook for us, so working 10-12 hour days, so we've been playing that we would be able to eat immediately after phone tag a lot. Since you already posted our training. basis lifting routine, I'd thought that I'd put 5. Be a competitor. Mike threw 3 pr's in a row at together an article focusing on training the Olympics. You have to be able to come philosophy, best lifts, and throwing info. One through when the pressure is on. Too many thing that I forgot to mention previously is that people leave it in the gym or training. we often did plyometrics in between sets of 6. Rest and nutrition are as important as what squats in the off-season. Typically it consisted of you do in the gym. Not that Mike was on a sets of 5 rapid standing long jumps across a specific diet, but he always tried to eat as clean basketball court. Always trying to get farther as possible. He couldn't talk me out of drinking across it than previous sets. If you need any Cokes and Dr Pepper, but did talk me out of clarification or more info, let me know. Feel drinking sugar laden orange juice with my free to post my email at the end of the article, if breakfast. Sundays after lifting was the big anyone has questions.” break from strict eating. We would hit the all you can eat pizza buffet, which 1. Have a plan and work your plan. Mike would of course would turn into who- plan a year's worth of training. Not down to the can-eat-the-most buffet. exact number of reps and weights, but what the I also learned the focus of that month's training would be (strength, benefits of naps. At speed, throws with over/underweight work I would eat my implements, number of reps in lifts, etc). lunch in 15-20 minutes and 2. Focus on the task at hand. Conversations in take a nap for the rest of the hour. On the gym or at the track were kept to a minimum. weekends when I didn't work, an hour or two nap They were basically limited to "what weight do did wonders for helping my recovery. you want next", "how many more sets or throws" 7. Warmup properly. Regardless of the exercises or perhaps some coaching on a lift or asking for the first set was always done with an empty bar. a spot. One winter day I was riding the exercise bike to 3. Knowing what motivates your training get the blood flowing since the gym had no heat. partner. Mike was an underdog going into the Mike felt that the pedaling motion was not of Olympics. So anytime that I would make a pr, I benefit for athletes training for explosive sports. would say "I just pr'd, so what do you know Best lifts Timmerman, Beyer, Gunther (or any top These numbers are the best recollections of thrower) are doing the same. I had told Mike Mike, Katie and myself. They may be off by 5- and some of the other throwers at Texas A&M 10 lbs. They numbers listed below were ones that a girl I had met at a bar had describe me as that at least 2 of us could remember. For those massive. At 6'1" and 220 lbs. I was far from wondering, squats were done below parallel, but massive, but having been a skinny 163 lbs not rock bottom. weakling when I had graduated from high Squat 760 school., I was after all the size and strength that Front Squat 585 I could get. So any time that I would hit a Bench 585 sticking point, Mike would respond with "Don't Incline 545 you want the girls to think that you are Power clean 540 massive?" The verbal jabs were meant to be a One-handed snatch 245 reminder of what our focus in the gym was. 4. Having a good support place away from
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 19 I April 2003
to swing a 200 and 300 pound weight Throwing between my legs and throw it. But, Mike would vary the amount of throws that he what I didn’t yet understand was that would take in a session depending on time of I was also missing the clue to modern year and focus of the session (technique, Olympic Lifting!!! quickness, etc). Typically he would take You see, recently American between 30-50 throws per session. Mike would football coaches have been teaching throw overweight implements (18 and 20 lbs the Olympic lifts (finally!). So, I shots) in the preseason and early in the season. listened to how they were teaching Mike's best throws with those shots were around the event…it was all about ankle 65' with the 18# and around 61' with the 20 #. extension at the end…and did the (Editor’s Note: !!!!!!) His best training throw exact opposite. with the standard shot was between 71-72' Can you stomach another reprint? Influences I asked Mike who were other throwers that influenced him. He said that he felt that Ulf Timmerman had the best technique. Randy Barnes, who also attended Texas A&M, also influenced Mike. I remember Mike once saying that he felt had Randy been at the '92 Games that Randy, not Mike, would have won the gold. However the one person who Mike credits the most with helping him with his technique was Patrick Hennings. Patrick was also a thrower at Texas A&M and later coached at Blinn Jr. College. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Rick ’s email address is: Recently, in Denis Reno’s weightlifting Newsletter, he noted that the Bulgarians are [email protected] taught to focus the entire pull on the heels. One I warned Rick about the kind of riff-raff that reads this publication, but he was still willing to training session later, the teachings of my old Junior College coach, Wolfgang Linkman, and help!!! the Bulgarian training ideas made perfect sense!
The “arrow” of the Olympic lifts is a The “Gary Column” straight line pointing up from the heels. Yes, the My brother, Gary, lives in San Mateo, heels…if you ever get on your toes in the quick California and is a big fan of the newsletter. He lifts, you better have a light weight on the bar often comments on different writers, then asks because you are not going to make the lift! those “Million Dollar Questions.” The same questions many of you may have…but are afraid to ask ! “How the hell do you throw a 300 pound weight? Actually, a better question would be “why would you throw a 300 pound weight?,” but the answer to this question is the key to The “Bow ?” modern weightlifting. First, I have to insist you try focusing At the Seattle SuperWeight competition, I discovered that I had the strength on the heels only style…it works. A good drill
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 19 I April 2003 for teaching this method is to put your toes on a as far as you can. When you can’t go any lower, piece of wood or two ten pound plates and do snatch or clean the bar from this position. With your regular workout. I can snatch and clean off the bar snatched or cleaned, lower the bar in of a 2 x 4 now with just a minimal jump back. stages until you just touch the To get the Bow, you have to do two floor…barely…and snatch or clean it again. things that have become obvious if you have This is one rep! Rest and Repeat! followed O lifting the past few years. With this sequence, you will find that you naturally stay on your heels…if you don’t, One: you have to lift with the head up and the you will fall flat on your face! jaw “jutting” forward. I teach my athletes to make “raptor” noises to teach him to hold that So, how do you throw a 300 pound head forward…this will naturally keep the w eight??? shoulders well over the bar. The jaw is one of the Live on your heels …you are not going to whip tips of the bow. this over your head, you are tossing this forward. Any “triple extension” is going to pop the bodyweight on the toes and the weight will stay in place and you will end up in the sector. You swing with the weight on your heels, accelerate it and “squat under” the release.
Exactly like modern O lifting!
My new approach to learning the O lifts? Two: you have to really stress the Romanian 1. Get a 2” by 4”. Deadlift Position. 2. Get a really heavy piece of metal with a handle. 3. Live on the heels for a few months in the weight room and toss the 300 pound weight…it is the exact same rotary motion as modern lifting!
The “bottom of the tail bone” (or you can use So, how do you throw a another anatomical hint) is the other end of the 300 pound weight? With bow. The farther you can stretch out the two great difficulty. ends of the bow, the faster that arrow is going to shoot up! Next Issue? Finally, I
will have that article on How to Train This? my approach to long-term training for 1. Try lifting with your toes on a board or throwers…The “Three Phased Approach.” plates…just try it! At first, this is going to seem odd. But, if you had pull a train towards you hand over hand with a Published by Daniel John rope laying on your back, would you dig in your heels? If you say “yes,” you probably will Daniel John, Editor understand why you pull on your heels. Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 2. Try this sequence…snatch or clean All Rights Reserved Stand tall with the bar in the snatch or clean Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly grip. Lower the bar by pushing your butt back…don’t lower the bar, push your butt back prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003
Highland Games and Track Season Mr. Freeman spent little time explaining ...are upon us. The NFL draft has passed the “rep-set” system of 8-6-4 because of us by and summer is starting to stick its head up. everybody, except me, knew what to do. That is This issue will cover a number of part of the brilliance of the program…you different ideas considering long-term approaches learned it once and then you lifted. Not exactly to training. Those of you who have competed for rocket science…but who needs rocket science on years will understand the problems of trying to the football field? focus on one thing for years at a time. The program was very simple. First, I’m trying to focus on getting this issue groups of four boys were given a bar. The bars out before June! were weighted from very light…maybe 25 Our mission? To teach everyone: pounds…up to perhaps close to 100 pounds. 1. The Body is One Piece Each cohort of boys would lift one at a time, put 2. There are three kinds of strength training: the bar down, then the next boy would lift. The • Putting weight overhead four would constantly move from lifter to • Picking it off the ground watcher…the bar never stopped. The three sets • Carrying it for time or distance (explained in just a moment) would not take very 3. All training is complementary. long…in fact, sometimes it was hard to catch your breath in time for your next set. The Southwood Junior High The reps were very simple: Weightlifting Program First set: 8 repetitions Editor in Cheap Second set: 6 repetitions Every so often, I will get an email from Third set: 4 repetitions a high school coach about teaching a group of The goal was simple: when you got all kids to lift weights. The emails often sound like 16 reps (8+6+4), you added weight. If you the task…to get kids to lift…is insurmountable. started with a bar that was too light, the next Some of the coaches sound like they need a workout, you would be bumped up to the next miracle worker to come in and exorcize the weight and a stronger group. (Of course, actual student body before beginning the exercise variations could include making a whole new program. group with more weight, too…or whatever I always argue back to these fine men necessary to make the group work together). and women that it can be done…easily and The program inexpensively. I can’t claim any credit from the involved four lifts: • following paragraphs, but I am indebted to Mr. Power Clean Dave Freeman, my ninth grade P.E. coach for • Military Press making us do this program! • Front Squat After eight years at St. Veronica’s • Bench Press School, I transferred to Southwood Junior High to begin junior high. It was a helluva transition. Each lift was done in the From Irish Nuns to public school is transition 8-6-4 format. The bar was enough, but I was also going to play football. At cleaned (once) for the set of Military Presses and 118 pounds of …ahem…pure muscle, it was the bar was also cleaned (once) for the Front obvious to everyone I needed to lift weights. Squats. For the Bench Presses, the lifter lay on a It was at this time I was introduced to board supported by cement blocks (or, later, Southwood’s lifting program. In a portable actual padded benches …without racks) and the building, the school had outlaid about 15 of other lifters picked the bar up for him to begin those cement filled weightlifting sets that the presses. everyone from my generation remembers as their To “hurry up” the training…as if it was first bar. necessary, there were times when Mr. Freeman recommended combining the Power Clean and
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003
Military Presses …one clean and one press, again.. would this fit into your "Four repeated for a total of eight reps. This was done Seasons" of training?? Let's say winter with a lighter weight. One could also do the months low reps -heavy weight, build up to Front Squats after the clean and presses, too. max strength, then shift to this type of This was an amazing cardiovascular workout. training in the spring??? ( Depending on Each day, to warm up, we had to “run when meets and games are huh?) How would two laps and an obstacle course.” The two laps YOU work into WL meets, discus and HG ? were about 600 meters and the obstacle course You have more "going on" than I (i.e. WL had a wall, various upper body challenges, and meets, Track meets and HG) so it is hard for some balance walking. All in all, this was not a me to visualize how you would integrate. I am bad program. gonna try to make at least 2 HG this year and We trained this program three days a at least one track meet so if I can visualize week during the summer before football how you do it with your busy schedule I can season…when we could. As I have noted in easily work into mine. If you can point me to other places, I started to focus on the bench in an article on your website, feel free to do that high school and erred by ignoring the clean, as I know you have a lot going on with all the press and front squat. I was on the right track jobs you have ( teacher, Husband , father, here, but, as youth often does, I went the wrong Internet strength guru :-) ) way. Wes All in all, a pretty good program! Power Clean 8-6-4 reps Excellent Military Press question…and it is 8-6-4 reps the key (in my Front Squat most humble 8-6-4 reps opinion) to long- Bench Press term success as an 8-6-4 reps athlete. What is Increase weight when you get all the reps! this key?
The Challenge of Year-round
Planning Balancing all the wonderful training Editor in Chafe regimes and ideas and programs and Matt Spiller asked a question in our telephone discussion a few weeks ago. Matt is a protocols and athletic opportunities and frequent contributor to “Get Up!” and was games and sports and recovery and rest troubled by the seemingly myriad of conflicting and vacation and life and lawn information that he had received from the editor mowing…into some kind of coherent and this newsletter. approach to your basic goals!!! When Wesley Kersey asked this question in an email…the need became obvious…we need to talk about planning! Matt asked a great question, too. He “Oh Wise one, noted that I considered Highland Games as the
best discus training an athlete could undertake. I have seen your post on Crossfit and “How do you HG in the middle of track season?” I think I see the benefits of the programs in You don’t!!! terms of strength endurance/CV efficiency Highland Games is the best prep for etc… but then again it runs across the usual discus throwing…after the season. Olympic (10 rep rule) so I am seeking your wisdom
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003 lifting is the ideal way to train for throwing, too, Some kind of ab work. We used side but don’t compete at the Nationals in O lifting bends, but any kind of crunch is fine, too. the week before Discus Regionals! Let me Day Two: (a day or so later, perhaps answer Matt and Wes with a long example: Wednesday) For years, I used a very simple model Power Clean and Front Squat: One for training my high school throwers. It was the power clean and eight front squats. “Triple Pyramid.” Once again, 3 sets of 8 with one minute rest. Stay “tall” in the front squats and keep your elbows high. We usually use this as more of a warm up for the next exercise. Overhead Squats: 3 sets of 8 with one minute rest. Using the wide snatch grip, lock the elbows with the weight overhead and squat down. Athletes who do this exercise well not only develop flexibility, balance and leg strength, but an incredibly strong lower back. Overhead squats make you very strong. Again, finish with some kind of ab work.
In the late fall, after football season for Day Three ( perhaps Friday or Saturday) many of my throwers, we jumped into an Whip Snatches: 3 sets of 8 with one exhausting period of heavy lifting. Other athletes minute rest. With a wide snatch grip, stand up were coming in from volleyball or simple off- and hold the bar at crotch level. Dip and snatch season conditioning. The program that we slowly the bar over head. Continue for 8 reps. You will evolved into for the first month or so was called be surprised how quickly this exercise can get the “Transformation Program.” We had into your blood. If you want big traps and discovered that the athletes needed to “get in explosion, this is the king. shape,” even though they were “in shape.” Clean grip snatches: 3 sets of 8 with Huh? Well, the ability to spend 48 one minute rest. With a clean grip, stand up and minutes of banging into another person is one dip the bar to your knees. Then, explode up kind of conditioning, but to throw and lift was driving the bar, in one basic movement, over another. The “Transformation Program” head. It is like a clean and press, well, without answered this riddle for us…monitored higher the clean. rep training focusing on “throw strength.” Ab work if you wish. Day One: (Perhaps Monday) I also had a “Throws Manager,” often a young Power Clean and Military Press: One boy or girl who wanted to help a thrower power clean and eight presses. boyfriend or girlfriend…or just someone who 3 sets of 8 with one minute rest between sets. If liked the thrower community, keep detailed there is a single key to the program, it is the one charts of the lifts and the reps. By comparing minute rest period. By strictly monitoring the these week to week…and athlete to athlete…I rest period, and obviously keeping track of the began to get a feel for “numbers.” weight, one can track progress. Some “Good” Numbers…for a Teenage Boy Power Curl: 3 sets of 8 with one Press 105 minute rest between sets. Using a curl grip, slide Power Curl 115 the weight to just above the knees and “curl- Front Squat 115 clean” the bar. Let it come down under control. Overhead Squat 95 Again, get all eight reps in, don’t change the Whip Snatch 95 weights, and monitor the rest period. Clean Grip Snatch 95 Now…we expect MUCH more for better athletes and adults. And this is 3 x 8 with a minute rest.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003
This Transformation Program did a lot how fast this workout goes. Constant plate of good. Most of the athletes “felt better,” …a moving seems to speed the lifting up. little leaner, joints felt good, a nice overall feeling of wellbeing. Reps and Sets…for each of the three This would not last long. lifts! Opening Weight x 5 Add five pounds x 5 The “season” would then begin to shape Add five pounds x 5 up with the period known as “Heavy Lifting.” Add five pounds x 1 The best overall program we ever used was the Add five pounds x 1 “Big 21,” but we also used lots of adaptations for Add five pounds x 1 other athletes, like Paul Northway and Taylor Add five pounds x 1 Arrigo-Jones. Add five pounds x 1 The “Big 21” DEMANDS a lot of Add five pounds x 1 conservative weight selections the first week or Total Repetitions 21 so and rewards the athlete with new levels of You see: the Big 21! strength and toughness. The downside? Near exhaustion for someone not “in shape!” The Big “21” Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Three Lifts only! Clean and Press Power Snatch Power Clean and Jerk Now, the confusing part! Each workout, add five pounds to the Opening Weight. After three weeks, Opening Weight will be 45 pounds mo re! Rules: 1. All reps must be successful!
2. Start each rep from the floor with heels together, feet pointing out to 45 degrees. Record end weight Clean & Press Snatch Jerk (You can choose NOT to do this …editor) Session One ______3. Do each rep under control-start with hips Session Two ______down, and fully extend! Session Three ______Note well: each of the three lifts is to be done Session Four ______each of the three days a week. In addition, one is Session Five ______expected to add five pounds to EACH lift all Session Six ______nine workouts…over the three weeks. Session Seven ______Session Eight ______I have laughed many times when people Session Nine ______have “adapted” this program and told me in an One hint: you may wish to only do “threes” on email that it wasn’t very hard. One guy only did the Clean and Jerks. At the end of three weeks, presses on Monday, snatches on Wednesday and take a week off of heavy lifting, then go to the jerks on Friday…and noted the 21 reps were a Transformation Program for a week or two breeze. before repeating. Sure! That was only 1/3 of the workout If you have timed the “Heavy Lifting” each day. What always amazed the athletes is correctly, you may be able to sneak a weightlifting contest just before the Christmas
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003
Vacation. The athletes can max out on the three In season, the Competition phase, was lifts…then enjoy the weeks off. very easy. If you read the book, free at On the “off days,” we did what we http://danjohn.org/book.pdf , you will discover could depending on weather. Often, we took two drills: the Soviet Drill and One Throw Thursdays off and focused on a little throwing on Competitions. This is all you will need plus an Tuesdays. occasional set of overhead squats or snatches or The lifting is important here, not the clean and presses. “The hay is in the barn,” so actual throwing, but, there should some daily you can’t really pound out a great workout or work on throwing drills, discussion, video or two and expect success. whatever. I have some advice for high school football coaches concerning in-season lifting, the same general advice appeals to all athletes:
1. The "heavy" day should be the day after a game...actually, right after a game works well, too, especially for underclassmen who play on the day before the Varsity, having them train on the Friday, for example, helps a lot.
2. The "other" day should be stuff that doesn't take a lot of nerve. Don't Snatch and Clean and Jerk, so to speak. Box Squats, Straight Leg
Notice how “Heavy Lifting” doesn’t Deadlifts, some dumbbell work and a few disappear, but continues well into the season. machines would work well, but don't have the For my throwers, we now enter into the athlete tax his nervous system. time of year for “Heavy Throwing.” This includes, but is not limited to: 3. Don't be surprised if he gets really stronger, • Indoor Weight Throwing (the hammer) maintains, or drops way down. Any reaction to • Powerballs against the walls the training program is normal. We used to find a • Tire Throwing (see my book) lot of kids improved their cleans a lot in the football season. My idea then was that they were • Lots of Farmer Walks for stability finally cleaning once a week with supervision. • Highland Game Weights for Distance • Now, I have another idea: sled work, driving the Overweight implements legs, sprints and the games were all training the system to clean better. Benching and squatting How long does this last? I like to keep tend to drop, but that seems normal vis -à-vis the at this until at least the first few meets of the work load of football. track season, BUT with less volume as we approach the meets. 4. Don't be afraid to cut the volume, but strive to What to do in the weightroom? My keep the intensity up. 5 x 5 just isn't going to favorite choice was the “Transformation work, but 2 x 5 would be fine. Pyramids would Program.” Why? 15 minute workouts!!! be 2-2-1, that kind of thing. One of the goals of this time of year that I set as a coach was to only train my athletes one 5. Watch the acne. If he starts breaking out, hour a day. The Transformation Program should getting colds, that kind of thing...he is really NEVER take longer than 12-15 minutes! This overtraining. HS kids can handle a ton of gives the athletes lots of time, 45 minutes, to volume, then they seem to crash. work on the throws. Re member, throwing into a wall prevents the long hikes in between throws. Seriously, watch the acne and the mood swings. In addition, tires and weights don’t go very far! Very often, that was the first sign something was
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003 going on with the athlete. Usually, it wasn’t the So, I went to a local Sporting Goods training, but late nights, a new girlfriend, dance store and paid $20 for a high school shot. In just classes in the morning (seriously…don’t get me three training sessions, I added back five feet to started) or some other idiocy. my open stone put. When the month of May rolls around, I This little “oh, how wonderful I am start getting telephone calls on Saturday story” has a good moral: I recognized a problem, mornings. “I broke my PR by 16 feet!” “I’m the spent money, trained on it and fixed it. That is a state champ …you were right!” good four step process for the off-season. Now what? What do we do in this long So, how do you do it all? First, toss out off-season…now, we can talk to Matt and Wes’s this mental image that you must have absolute concerns. specificity for everything you do! Olympic “Off” Season lifting competition will help you in the caber as First, address…honestly address…your much as training on the big sticks seven days a weaknesses. I will put my “Confessions” from week. Specificity works …but at a price of the past few years: injuries, boredom and the loss of opportunities to • I’m a fat pig. compete, see the world and have some fun! • I have no hamstring strength/flexibility So, to answer you, Wes and Matt: • I have flat feet “If you had everything where would you put it?” • I have no arms …really, I have no as Steven Wright, the comedian, put it. “If you biceps and triceps had to do everything everyday, when would you • I am all over the place have time to do it?” I ask. technically …what works for me? Use the whole year…or decade…to plot • I have to learn to relax and plan your training. • Where has the fun gone? Thanks for the questions, guys. • I need to get my bench up Two Advanced Hammer Training Ideas By honestly addressing these issues, first in my journal, next with a piece of paper and Todd Taylor some freewriting ideas, finally with a trusted Todd is a senior citizen hammer thrower who does some coaching and helps anybody who is interested in improving. friend (usually John Price…Mike Rosenberg is a As a master’s competitor, he has won USA Track & Field good one, too…Tiffini is very good, but a little Masters National Championships. He states: “By nature I too honest), I can come up with a few focused am an “analytical” type and I have also had the benefit of fixes. some of the best coaching available. My purpose is simply sharing what I have learned, what I think makes sense in One thing that I know is true…the terms of ease of comprehension, and what verbal and mission of this newsletter. Especially, imagery cues work for me” 3. All training is complementary. If I am peaking towards a local weightlifting meet, I know I am in shape to compete in a Highland Games. I know that playing flag football will help my legs for O lifting. So, unless something BIG is coming up, I let my training be 1. Complementary, and 2. Focused on my weaknesses. This year, I discovered that my Stone Put…especially in the Open Stone…was pathetic. I have dropped a few feet a year for the past few years. At the Shamrock Games in Illinois, it was the worst.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 20 I May 2003
Core Blaster/Geseck Swings Turn Machine This device has a 180 degree yoke which you grab crossarm inside. Excellent at generating ground-up forces....foot, ankle, knee, leg, hip, obliques...then turn. Two pulleys on angle iron from the wall pull up weight plates from the floor. I start facing the wall to simulate the "catch" of the hammer when the right foot touches down from single support. You can see the weight stack about waist high on the finish position.
In the sequence, notice the weight on the heels at the start and the hip thrust that generates the power/exp losion to move the weight stack to shoulder height.
More next issue, but Todd also sent in this excellent overview of the hammer…Scottish and Olympic: “Feel the rhythm of the weight of the implement during the winds as it hits the top (behind your head toward 180) and bottom (0 between your legs in front of you) of the orbit. The “Device” You also want to feel that gravity drop of the ball from the top of the orbit to the bottom. In turns with a hammer, that rhythmical drop from the top to the bottom (aided by your right side drive and setting the hips behind the heels in a counter) and then back out to the top....also becomes a timing issue and enables the speed progression through the turns.” Excellent as always, Todd. More next issue!
Published by Daniel John
Daniel John, Editor Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 All Rights Reserved Note from Dan: “This is exactly how I Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly am trying to teach people how to clean and snatch now…weight on heels. Could this be prohibited. used for O lifters?”
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
Summertime and the living is I realize that I never really threw before. I could easy… pop an occasional 100 foot throw while in college. Considering I was a 150 pound middle Fish are jumping and the cotton is high. distance runner, that wasn’t too bad. I threw Utah’s annual spring lasted two days this year. I only when the other team had only a couple of lost my tomatoes in a frost and two days later my throwers. I also snuck in a few thirds in the high lawn burned. We went from snow to 101 degrees jump and triple jump. in a week.
This is the time of year when some of Now, my goal is to throw the 1.5 kilo old man’s our readers start gearing up for football while discus 120 feet. I’m in the high 90’s on most others are in the midst of Highland Games, track days. Technically, I guess I should be happy. I meets and whatever else keeps our readers busy. just started in January. ..
Our mission? To teach everyone: What I’m really training for now, is the old fart 1. The Body is One Piece pentathlon. You do the discus, long jump, and 2. There are three kinds of strength training: javelin for the field events. The 200 meter and • Putting weight overhead 1500 meter are the running events. Other than • Picking it off the ground the javelin, these are my strongest events. • Carrying it for time or distance 3. All training is complementary. However, through all of this, there is this cycle. The “Gary Column” When I throw well, I want to throw further. My brother, Gary, lives in San Mateo, When the throwing sucks, I’m asking myself California and is a big fan of the newsletter. He “what’s it all about, Alfie?” often comments on different writers, then asks those “Million Dollar Questions.” My body is responding to all the lifting. My The same questions many of you may standing long jumps are getting way out there. have…but are afraid to ask! I’m even getting buff. Still, somehow at 54, I Dan, can’t stand the fact that someone, somewhere is going to beat me in a competition. That fire in What was I thinking? Further thoughts on taking the belly still rages. And those highs and lows up the discus at 54. still linger. What was I thinking?
This whole thing started out as a method of Gary training my twelve-year old on throwing the The readers of Get Up! know what you discus. As you vaguely remember, I helped start are thinking. Maybe we/I can’t put it into you on all this craziness back when you were words, but I like what the actor, Edward James thirteen or so. Now, I’ve been in training to Olmos, said: throw the damn thing. “Chase your passion, not your pension.” While some guys dance with middle You and I have now talked for endless hours on age with fast cars and face lifts, some of us the telephone. I’ve watched John Powell’s bang plates, race sleds, and chase records. videos and read numerous articles. But, one Death will have to line up to beat us! thing, it is extremely difficult to coach yourself. “To leave the world a little bit better, I’m helping a local middle school and run whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a through about twenty kids a day. That is easy. I redeemed social condition; can see where they are screwing up. Then, when To know that even one life has I’m all alone and doing drills or in the ring, it breathed easier because you have lived: falls apart. This is to have succeeded.” Thomas Stanley
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
th Highland Games Diary April 26 . Went out to the track with the A nice piece of work here by Dave Witt…I kept it unedited family, threw more shot. Since I will be putting because the raw format seems to better illuminate the the stone on May 8th, and throwing the shot at struggles of an athlete...and I’m lazy. the Columbus Track Classic May 18th, I,m going David Witt to emphasize the shot more for the next two As a high school thrower, weeks in practice. David ended up third in April 28th. Bookmarked http://www.vp- Kentucky’s State Meet prod.com/aanc02.asp on my computer. They under the coaching of have some videos of the weight throw, stone put, Marty Mayer and Pep and super caber. Also, on Coach Mac’s site, I Stidham (God rest his soul, found a link to a video of a sheaf toss using a he died young in his 40's of South African type approach. Uh, yeah. Ok, heart problems). Going to looks, interesting. Threw shot from grass to get college that didn’t have a used to throwing from grass. Had a great track program, David has workout, hang snatched the most I ever have. competed as an open and Good front squat workout too. Talked to Dan on unattached thrower for years in and around the the phone, gosh he’s helpful. I didn’t have Kentucky area. Marred to Pam with two enough questions for him, forgot a couple I children, David teaches high school math. should have asked. He gave me some good sites th On April 25 , 2003, I was invited to compete to download sequence pictures, in my first Highland Games in Carrolton, Ky. I www.highlandgames.net. immediately ordered a kilt and started thinking April 29th. Printed out the sequences off the net. “what the heck have I gotten myself into?” I’m School responsibilities will curtail any training already lifting weights and throwing the shot, today. Good enough, I need a rest after hammer and my favorite event, the discus, so I yesterday’s workouts anyway. already had a good base of strength and April 29th part two. Got home, went out back to knowledge of the principals of throwing heavy practice some overhead tosses with my jury- objects. I quickly reread, for the hundredth time, rigged 35 pound plate on a chain with a piece of anything that Dan had on his site about Highland pipe for a handle. The chain runs through the Games, including Mike Rosenberg’s article pipe. Then took said plate out front on the about turning the caber the first time he driveway, marked off 9 feet, and practiced some competed in a Highland Event. I’m not weight for distance run-throughs. Things to expecting to do that, my friend D.R. has a caber- remember: keep head up, don’t look down at like object at his hammer ring at his home, and I your feet, keep arms out during turn, helps with never could get that thing balanced enough to balance. My first step is way too long, I end up throw it. So, with some trepidation I decided to taking the second turn and ending up too far share the next two weeks of my journey toward forward, foul. I think I need to essentially spin Highland Game mastery, I hope. Probably be in place on the first turn, and then go into a south more like buffoonery. african type movement. This event is going to be tough, maybe I need to just do one south th April 25 . Went to the shot ring and did some african. standing throws and South Africans before April 30th. Deadlifts and overhead squats and heading to the gym. About 20 minutes of throw, presses. Also did some swing snatches with one get shot, throw, get shot. I’m a rotational hand. Take a dumbbell, swing it down between thrower, so the South African is not an issue for your legs like in the weight for height toss, and me. Then the gym, did some light front squats, 3 swing/snatch it overhead. My right side is really sets of 6, then some close grip snatches, 3 sets of much stronger in this lift. 3. Haven’t done those in a while, so it will take some time to get the rhythm back on those. May 1st. Tried Dan’s advice about waiting for the weight after the first turn in the weight for
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003 distance toss. Actually tossed a 25# weight a stop at Wally World in Carrolton, and I had a few times before throwing shot. Felt great! I’m new golf umbrella, in my college colors no less. finally understanding this event. Man, can Dan Overcast skies all the way to Carrolton. Not coach! Shot was going nice too. Did some raining when I arrived, but it was obvious it had sprints on the track. Went home and did some been. winds with my hammer-type object, a 25# Found my way to the arena and met some of weight on the end of a 4 foot bar. Very the people there. Everyone was very nice. strenuous. Found a dry/wet spot to put my bag and cooler and chair down at, and waited. I was to be in the May 2nd. Gym day again. This workout was not B flight, the amateur class I was told. This was a gem. I think I’m exhausted from the previous fine with me, I’m a grunt rookie. 4 days in which I had two days of new max First event, 56 WFD. The conditions were workouts in the gym. This highland game thing awful. I was very low in the rotation, so by the is sort of a lark for me, so I’m going to train time I was to throw, the ring was mostly mud. straight through it, not try to peak or anything. Of course, after the first couple of throwers, the ring was mud. After the first round, they threw May 5th. Did some sprints on the local track, and down some hay. Didn’t help a lot, but it didn’t some 25# weight for height. hurt either. I decided given the conditions to just do a simple one turn south-african throw. I only May 6th. Weight room. Had my best front squat threw a little over 14 feet. I think I’m trying to workout yet, and almost hang snatched the same discus this thing too much. Everyone was glad it weight that 6 months ago I power snatched from was over when we were done. I didn’t fall the floor. It was too close, I wish I had some down. Mission accomplis hed. technique in the snatch. More hammer winds at Second Event, Open Stone. I found out home. something during the weight. You can start with one foot outside the box, but it must be in front May 7th. Went to the track. It’s been raining of the back line. Very unlike a south-african here for the past couple of days, so the only thing drill. This kinda caused me some consternation safe to throw was the discus. Man, I haven’t and I tried to south-african the stone. With the thrown this in a while, Dan’s right, you can’t do sloppy conditions, and a very stunted starting everything at once and be good at it all. Guess I position I threw pitifully. 27, then 26 feet. One should cancel that marathon while I’m at it. my last throw, I decided to just power-position that thing and winded up winning my flight with May 8th. Weight room again. Last time before a 32’9” toss. My first highland games, and I the games. Deadlifted a best-to-date workout. won an event. Ok, not fair, I’ve been throwing Note to self: Don’t ever again do Military shot for 20 years. I have a killer power-position Presses before Over-head squats. My shoulder technique. Now if I could only find my full girdle was shot, and I was too weak to support technique again. Can I go home now? the weight over my head. I thought I was giving Third Event, 22 Hammer. I really expected to my back and legs a chance to rest before the throw farther in this, but I only got 50 feet. I Over-head, but the upper body is more important need lots more practice on this technique. Doing for support work. winds is fine, but I think I need to practice the actual throw to get feed-back on what I’m doing. May 9th. Rest. Fouth Event, 28 WFD. This was better, I started not noticing the mud anymore. I did a May 10th. The Big Day!!! south-african for the first throw, just to be safe It stormed all night. Bad storms. But, I live an and get a mark. Then on my second, I tried my hour to the east of Carrolton, so maybe the rain technique. It felt good and went a little farther. missed them. Up at 6:00am, load up the car, and One my third throw, my first step was too big, promptly forgot to pack the umbrella. A quick and then I didn’t know what to do, so I just kept
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003 turning and let it go. It was my farthest toss, but Overall I was very happy. I completed all my being my first highland games, that isn’t saying attempts in all events. I won one event. I placed much. 36 feet. 4th overall in the B flight out of about 10 or 12 Fifth Event, Caber. After a lovely lunch athletes. I was fun, but I don’t think I want to provided by the lovely people, it was time for the dump track and field as one fellow said I should caber. We were informed that a storm warning do. I just love the discus too much. Maybe I’ll was in effect, and that we may have to evacuate go back next year. I think I’ll throw in some the park if ordered. The cabers looked freshly highland games training throughout the year. cut, nice and sappy. It rained on use, making the caber slimey, it would be a feat just to pick the May 11th, the next day. thing up. I had no expectations, it just became a Sunday found me feeling good. A little worn chore to give it a try three times. I couldn’t pick down, a little tired overall in the body, but not the thing up. I couldn’t get my hands around it, sore or anything. I wasn’t expecting that… they kept slipping on the wood as if it was oiled. The weight of the caber sunk the end into the May 12th, first weight workout after the highland ground and the mud created a suction effect. experience Only about 4 guys in our flight and the master’s …on Monday, the soreness would show up. In flight even picked the caber. Nobody turned it, my right trap. Due mostly to the 56 WFH I though one guy named Chris did get it to 90 think. degrees. Good job dude. I’m just happy I tried all three times. May 21st, two weeks after. Sixth Event, Sheaf. The Sheaf started, this is Two weeks later finds me putting together a the first time I have held a pitchfork for years, homemade 56 weight with hardware store and back then I never tried to flip a bag over a supplies and weights from Walmart. Also, a bar. The bag was supposed to be 16 pounds, but better setup for my 22 pound hammer, actually a soon it was getting closer to 20 with the addition 22.5 pound hammer. I’m going to start of water and mud. I missed my first two practicing some of these events and I want to do attempts at 14 feet, and grunted it over on my better next time. I think it’s getting in my blood. third to stay alive. But the fact that I had to take Maybe it’s time to give some blood to cut down all three to make 14 and then the increasing on it. weight of the bag kept me from making 16 feet. I think I need more work on this event. This was I want to thank some people for their help in the first event that I had never even tried to this journey: Dan John, for his website and simulate at home before. I was happy to make a example and just being a great person. Dan, you height, any height. have a lot of fans of the site here in Kentucky, I Seventh, and last, Event, 56 WFH. Before the found out that day. Mike Rosenburg, for his sheaf, I had run my stuff out to my car, just in leading by example and jumping into this later in case of an evacuation. Then, I had to run back to life. I’m younger than you Mike, so I should be my car to retrieve my baseball glove for the able to do this too, right? But by my caber WFH event. I came back and as I came on the experience, I’m no Mike Rosenburg. Jim scene, they called out “David Witt”. “Huh? Birchfield, for his kind words about my WFH What?” “You’re up” I came back just as it was experience. Chris Snider for his company on my turn to try the WFH. The bar was at 8’7” that wet day and his great competitiveness. Dave and I cleared it on my first attempt. This made Mackenzie for his complimenting me on my me very happy as I expected to do better with stone technique, too bad it wasn’t working. And this event. Then the bar moved up to 9’10” and I all the others whose names I didn’t remember. missed all three times. My back and hamstrings I’m not good with names, I remember faces. But were starting to get tired. you were all very nice and I recommend the Kentucky Scottish Weekend to anyone, especially grunt rookies like myself.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
Addendum Dave also wrote this…which I think is brilliant! 4. Trying to Throw Far and Not Enough Tips for Coaches Technique Practice. Ok, this one is for me. When I start throwing the discus, I want to
see that thing go far. Sometimes to the Lately a post on THE RING got me thinking detriment of technique work I should be about visual/verbal clues I use when I work with working on. So I start throwing my wedge. young throwers and myself. So I thought I A wood splitting wedge. It has no would submit them for your perusal. aerodynamic properties, the one I use 1. Too many swings. We’ve all seen this weighs 5 pounds, and flies like a brick. A before, a young thrower gets in the ring and heavy brick. I have no expectations of it before they start their throw they wind the going very far, so I find it is much easier for discus 25 times before throwing it. I tell me to work on my technique when I throw them to imagine Tiger Woods. Does Tiger it. Plus, when it does start going far, I know swing that golf club back more than once the lighter, aerodynamic discus will go before driving the ball 300 yards? Nope, farther. I’ve had whole workouts where I’ve one swing back, and then he hits it. Learn to thrown nothing but the wedge, and loved it. do this with the discus too. Teach them this I’ve thrown weight plates also, but they are in the discus ring, and it would probably too discus-like to totally make me forget help them in the shot ring with that leg about distance for the majority of the pump before the glide. workout.
2. Swings are faster than the throw. Again, I hope these will give you some ideas for your use Tiger. Tiger draws back that club slow, throwers. Go ahead and steal these clues, they then hits the ball fast. The club accelerates may even help you think of some others. from slow to fast. I see this with girls
especially. They swing the discus back at 3
times the speed that they throw it. I
physically demonstrate the golfer doing that also, how out of control Tiger would be if he Matt Spiller’s “What I learned…” brought the club back too fast. Like a Article golfer, we are setting a grove to accelerate Matt Spiller has been through. a registered physical therapist in California 3. Front foot blocks the throw. Many times for eight years. He is in standing throws youngsters place the front credentialed in foot in front of or to the right of the back Mechanical Diagnosis foot, blocking the hips from coming through and Therapy a.k.a. The properly. I’ve used the image of a pitcher McKenzie Method for neck and back pain. on the mound, where does he place his feet Having weight trained on and off for 14 years, to allow the hips to rotate through his pitch? he is currently training for the discus throw. He Most kids have thrown a baseball and also plans to compete in powerlifting, understand this. Also, for right-handed weightlifting, highland games heavy athletics, people, I have them stand with their feet strongman, other track & field events and the together. Then, slide the left foot back till Inman mile. He has a webpage available at the ball of the left foot is even with the heel www.TreatYourOwnPain.com/athlete.html. He of the right. Now, keeping that orientation, can be reached for questions regarding this move the feet a little wider than shoulder article at: Lifter [email protected]. width apart, and you have your foot placement.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
I didn’t start throwing the discus until after ü At the start of the throw, simply lift your college. Without a coach, I threw only right foot off the back of the circle, don’t sporadically, not wanting to ingrain bad habits. I push off with your foot. Volumes have been planned to work with a coach someday and written about the start of the throw, but that didn’t want to have to “unlearn” years of one sentence sums it all up. incorrect technique. ü To assess any technique modifications, test However, when I found Dan’s discus book, I them with the X-drill. The X-drill is a knew I could learn to throw well on my own, dowel across your hips and one across your even better than under the guidance of most shoulders. You need to see the end of the throwing coaches. bar on your hips when your shoulders are twisted. If you lose the “X”, your technique After trying out the system for a few months, I is no good. called Dan to ask a few questions about some details. Dan revealed to me his three rules of coaching: • Simplicity • Repetition • Oomph (Editor…stolen from John T. Reed) Although my questions were specifically directed at the discus throw, these rules apply to any athletic activity.
SIMPLICITY
Any fool can make learning a new skill more difficult. The true skill comes in stripping off the excess, focusing on the basics. This concept reminds me of an ancient Chinese proverb that escapes my mind right now.
For example, one of my questions for Dan was regarding head placement during the throw. I wanted to know when facing 6 o’clock and turning my body toward 12 o’clock what position should my head be at each phase of the throw and do I look straight ahead or slightly upwards or do I vary at different phases and do I have a focus point like ballet pirouetting and where is it? ü Keep your head over your right foot and His answer? “Tape a piece of duct tape from keep your right foot down as long as your chin to your sternum during your drills. possible. Next question?”
Other such similar “simplistic” gems include: ü Instead of doing drills trying to land feet on a painted line, doing the X-drill backwards would be better.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
your sport does not apply to when you are ü The 2-3 transition is a little circle. Try to learning technique. If you try something new touch your right toe to your left in 2. You too fast, you compromise technique for speed. can’t, but try. If you are confused technically, don’t go fast. ü Transitioning to 3, try to foul out of the ring Slow down and think through the technique. by stretching with your left leg. You can’t, Once you understand your technique first, then but try. you can speed up.
Find a drill where you can maximize the repetitions. If you throw a discus out in the field, then go retrieve it and do this over and over again you get about one throw a minute. If you do this with twenty other guys… well, do the math.
Now, if you throw a medicine ball against a wall, you can use the same technique you did throwing the discus out in the field, BUT you have the benefit of not having to go chase the thing. (And ü Training to music is fantastic. 1812 overture a BIG plus is that you can focus on technique, recommended. (Editor: Ravel’s Bolero, not distance) If you can get twenty throwers to Gershwin, Warsaw Concerto) throw med balls against a long wall (safely), they are, of course, going to get in many, many more ü No light discus throws quality repetitions than the traditional line at the discus cage. ü Train abs outdoor with ab wheel and a pad. Dan has a routine for his throwers where they do These are all simple concepts, but very powerful. throw imitations over and over. They end up Often, you will see coaches hopelessly doing a whopping 1000 turns in a 45 minute complicating the situation with too much or period. I’m sure the kids are glad Dan only does incorrect direction. You need to find the this once a spring. Compare that with the 5 or 6 simplistic cuing or drills for your activity. throws total other kids may do over a two hour “workout”.
REPETITION You need to get in quality repetitions to learn and become proficient at a skill. Find a drill or When I first started Dan’s throwing drills, I exercise that doesn’t comp letely zap your worried about doing them correctly. I was afraid nervous system to repeat over and over. of doing them “wrong” and ingraining bad habits. I found solace in Dan’s written words, OOMPH “fix it with repetitions”. It works. You can’t necessarily do a new skill perfectly the first time. This took me a minute to grasp, but “oomph” But, if the technique is not too complex seems to mean playing to your strengths. (simplicity), repetitions will fix it. If you are in a closely matched competition and Learning a new drill, you should walk through it you know your technique is better than all the slowly first, to make sure your have good other guys, then you focus on that when you technique. Speed will come with repetitions. throw. If you are a great snatcher, then you All the talk about training as fast as the speed of focus on explosion when you throw.
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
high school guys worried about their bench, but Use your own specific “oomph” to maximize they shouldn’t lose too much ground and the your competition performance. improved discus distances will be worth the “sacrifice”.
Another key point Dan brought up is CYCLING Using this cycling logic, it makes sense to maybe of your training not train high school men to throw the shot rotational style like the discus. These kids are A year round training cycle for a thrower would spending less than half the year training Track be: and Field. • Heavy lift • Heavy throw • Competition. Email Conversation about “Flat Footed Pulling” The idea of IF I should include throwing drills I had a nice talk with Mike Rosenberg last night left handed is not as important as WHEN in the about my “expertise” in teaching the Modern yearly cycle to throw left handed. Left handed Snatch and Clean pulling technique that throws should be include when you are training emphasizes keeping your heels down for as long heavy throws. That is January to March for High as possible…to the point of focusing School kids and November to January/February EVERYthing on your heels. I told him that I felt for college guys. 20 minutes a day of left handed like I was just one hour ahead of people on throwing is recommended. Left handed drills are this…a teaching term for an educator who is also good to do using the tire drill. Same with barely ahead of the class. Mike told me: “it’s an eyes closed drill, use the tire. hour people want, though.”
As a side note, there are a few throwing sessions This is an email conversation with Jason Keen, devoted to left handed throwing at John Powell’s an experienced lifter and very bright guy! Discus camp. When kids become proficient at Dan- throwing left handed (and backwards), it makes Just wanted to fire off a message thanking you regular right handed throwing seem all the more again for the help with the ideas on flat-footed simple. An example of making training drills stuff. Now that I have been at it for a little over more complex than the event. a week, I have found that two things really have made a HUGE difference for me: Regarding the heavy lifting phase, it’s interesting to note that shot put Silver Medalist in the 2000 • The way to learn to do the scoop + Olympics, Adam Nelson, trains one-lift -a-day, extension on the WCC videos, and Squat, Push, Pull and abs. Sound familiar? • Your cue about pulling a train.
Regarding the heavy throwing phase, Dan suggests Highland Games/Heavy Athletics training. Appropriate for a thrower, because you are throwing! You build up systems you don’t touch with the discus throw. It’s fantastic for core strength.
Regarding the competition phase, it’s important to back off on lifting too heavy and too much. Training just abs and overhead squat can be adequate. This may be disheartening to young
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 21 I June 2003
I watched some tape and figured out that when I The East German “Throws” was getting the bar forward was during the Strength Standards second pull. I had bought into the old 'the re- 14 year old male bend is natural and can't be taught' thing, and 88 (all in pounds) Snatch realized that like you said on the phone you used 135 Clean to do, I was staying back through the first pull, 135 Bench but in order to scoop to the bar I would just shift 155 Squat all my bodyweight forward and actually be up on 15 year old male my toes *before* I would shoot for that triple 135 Snatch extension. 175 Clean 175 Bench 200 Squat 16 year old male 155 Snatch 220 Clean 220 Bench 265 Squat
17 year old male 198 Snatch I then tried to 'scoop the hips to the bar' like they 265 Clean said on that video, but even that didn't quite do it 265 Bench for me. It was the quote from your 352 Squat GetUp! article about pulling a train or whatever. 18 year old male It cued me to think of doing the hand-over-hand 220 Snatch from strongman stuff, so now instead of thinking 319 Clean about 'jumping up', I am trying to scoop and then 319 Bench extend in the hips and shrug up, all while 418 Squat 'digging my heels in' as I would if I were pulling These, of course, are marks that Elite Throwers anything else. should try to lift…but, the challenge should “wake up the echoes” for a few of us!!!
Published by Daniel John
Daniel John, Editor
It has made a world of difference, so now all I Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 have to do is try to get my knee healthy. It's All Rights Reserved basically too late for me now, but maybe I can Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly put something solid together for next season. prohibited. Thanks a million again, Jason
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 22 I July 2003
The Annual Discus Camp Edition Here we go again: the best camp ever! It was a great two weeks at Denison College in Granville, Ohio with John Powell, Brian Oldfield, Bill Witt, and the whole gang. We had tons of great collegiate athletes helping us along, too. The key to the camp is what we all take away and redevelop over the next year. Our mission? To teach everyone: 1. The Body is One Piece 2. There are three kinds of strength training: • Putting weight overhead • Picking it off the ground • Carrying it for time or distance The Implements 3. All training is complementary. (Left to Right) The First Annual John Powell/Brian Off the Picture…105 Sled and Two “Rosenberg” Bars Oldfield Highland Games 22 Pound Heavy Hammer 28 Pound Light Weight for Distance 35 Pound Weight for Distance 56 Pound Weight for Distance 22 Pound Open Stone 60 Pound Braemer Stone Results Atomic Ball…60 Pound Braemer Stone Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan 18’6 14’3 14’ 14’7 17’6 Mike Greg 13’4 15’4 22lb Open Stone The Cast: Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan (Left to Right) 39’9 28’10 29’5 35’6 35’4 Mike, 222 Hammer Thrower from Boston Mike Greg Dan, the Editor of Get Up! 21’11 35’5 Ben Thuma, University of Delaware Discus 28 WFD Aaron Ross, Penn State Discus and Hammer Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan Greg Henger, West Virginia Throws Coach 57’8 55’5 42’1 48’10 58’8 Dave Witt, writer for Get Up! Mike Greg Mike Rosenberg, writer for Get Up! 39’8 41’10 We gathered on Friday afternoon, after 35 WFD a week of four a day training and serious Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan carousing. The campers had left and we headed 40’2 37’8 33’ 37’5 47’7 down the hill for the event. A handful of campers Mike Greg stayed around to judge the event (without giving 27’4 32’8 any help to me…and I was willing to buy them off) Important notice…by this time, additional We had Scottish music wailing beverages were being provided for the hard throughout in the background from a stereo. working athletes…
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 22 I July 2003
56 WFD THE BOTTOM OF THE SQUAT Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan Keith Wassung 24’7 21’8 17’6 20’ 27’11 Keith Wassung is a former natural Powerlifting and Olympic Mike Greg lifting champion, with an impressive athletic resume in 12’5 18’7 football, track and wrestling.. He is the author of nearly 40 publications relating to health research and lectures 22 Heavy Hammer extensively around the country to both Doctors of Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan Chiropractic and to Medical Doctors. 80’1 67’ 53’ 71’10 81’5 It is my contention that the bottom one Mike Greg third of the full squat represents the primary 40’11 53’10 limiting factor for most people in the increase of Juggernaut…100 yards in Heavy Grass with lower body strength and development. Since the 2 ½ inch Rosenberg Bars (65 pounds each) full squat often acts as a barometer and or Mickey Aaron Dave Ben Dan catalyst for the development of the entire body, 17.09 19.14 29.65 17.60 20.69 then this portion of the squat may very well be a Mike Greg primary limiting factor for the entire body. This 23.23 26.59 is also the area of the squat where the greatest All week long, all we discuss is rotating the feet potential for trauma and injuries can occur. in the direction of the throw, like John does here: By bottom position, I am referring to the fully “Move the feet, hold the descended position to about 30 degrees above stretch…” parallel. This area is the toughest part of the squat and there is often a feeling of discomfort, vulnerability and anxiety as to whether the proper depth has been achieved. This is likely due to lack of flexibility in the hips, knees and ankles and the fact that we spend very little if any time in this position in our everyday lives.
The best way to overcome this apprehension is to squat as deeply as you are able to. This negates the anxiety of wondering if you hit the right So, what do I do in my first event? squat depth each time. Obviously a competitive powerlifter will have to spend some time squatting to break parallel, but many would be wise to squat deeper more often in order to build their confidence and overall lower body strength. From a very early age, I learned to squat much deeper than parallel in the gym and in powerlifting meets and I don't feel that it put me at any competitive disadvantage. I competed in over 60 powerlifting meets and never once received a red light for failure to hit proper depth. You can use up a lot of energy and mental focus trying to just break parallel that could be I tell you…this stuff can drive you to drink!!! better spent on the execution of the overall lift. Excellent day overall, thank you to all my friends! Why do we even mention this The second thing you can do is to develop a competition? Because…we simply invented it! habit of squatting instead of sitting whenever No federations, no dues, (no don’ts either), just you can. Obviously you cannot do this at a guys wanting to compete! “Show UP!”
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GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 22 I July 2003 business meeting or at church, but you can work When you are properly set up for this lift, you it into daily habits such as petting the dog or should feel as though you are in a very powerful picking up something from the ground. Do this a position, rather than a feeling of being cramped dozen times a day for about two months and you and "out of position" A lot of this has to do with should notice a marked increase in your comfort lack of hip, knee and ankle flexibility. I have and confidence in the bottom portion of the found a great way to loosen and warm-up the squat. hips and knees is to pedal a stationary bicycle and alternate normal pedaling, with a pedaling The third thing you can do is to perform some movement in which you place the outer edge of adjunct squat movements in your training which your feet on the pedals with your knees spread will strengthen the bottom one-third of the squat out wide. It looks a bit obscene, but it gets the movement. The following are two of my job done. When you first begin doing bottom favorites. position squats, you may have to initially start at about a half squat, and gradually move the pins down until you find the right starting position. Make sure your entire body is tight and then elevate the weight upwards until you are standing straight up, then, using precision control, lower the bar down the pins. Take a few breaths and then repeat for the target number of reps. You will find that your biomechanical position and technique must be near perfect when handling maximum weights. I like this movement for several reasons. When you start the movement from the bottom position, you are directing all of your initial energy into doing the toughest part first and once you break past this initial phase, the rest is easy by comparison. I also like the fact that there is virtually zero ballistic impact on the knees and I have had many people who claimed they could not squat because of pain in their knees, be able to do deadstop squats without any pain in their joints.
“Don’t worry, as soon as I warm up we can go heavy…”
Deadstop Squats, also known as Bottom Position Squats, are an incredible exercise; in fact I predict it will someday become a contested lift in some type of strength competition. I like to do these after I perform regular full squats. Using either a power rack or a set of adjustable squat racks, place the bar as low as you possibly can “Squats are fun!” and still be able to position yourself underneath the bar in the bottom part of the squat position. Pause Squats are full squats performed exactly like traditional full squats with the addition of a
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 22 I July 2003
3 second pause in the bottom phase of the squat. twisting and accelerating without both feet on the Take the weight off the supports and descend to ground. If I understood John right, in ever phase your lowest squat position, holding that position of the throw, you want to try have two feet on for approximately 3 seconds, then drive the the ground as long as possible. By keeping both weight upwards to completion. You can use feet on the ground it makes it possible to make either a training partner to count off the seconds each successive twist faster than the previous. or you can do it yourself. Either way, I like to Analyzing my South-Africans and step and turns use a cadence and command of 1…..2….3. over the past couple of days, the longer that I followed immediately by a powerful "GO"! delay my left drive out of the back, the more Perform these after your regular squats with a effective it becomes in accelerating my right rep range of anywhere from 3-6 reps per set. foot, and in creating my pendulum. This exercise will teach you to stay tight throughout the entire range of motion in the Another thing that John mentioned was the settle squat and will greatly enhance your ability to in the power position. While it was not the first drive out of the bottom. time that I had heard of settling, I liked the way that he explained it this time. When he was [email protected] working with Steff (a thrower from Stanford, www.riverhorsepubl.com editor), he explained that you wanted to time the settle with left foot touching down and discus reaching the focal point. Again, if I understand it An email from Aaron… correctly, this timing allows the right foot to Aaron Ross is one of my favorite people in the immediately start accelerating once you hit the world. We first met at the John Powell Discus power position Camp when he was in the Eighth Grade. He spent the next year drilling himself over and over Probably the biggest break through came from becoming an outstanding high school and my marathon throwing session with the 20 lbs. college (Penn State) discus and hammer weight. After about two hours I finally started to throwing. For non-throwers, this article gives get the feeling for twisting and clawing my some insights into taking what you learn to across the circle as well as accelerating through applying it to yourself. the "3" position. If I ever really get stuck again, I Dan, will go back to the 20 and 35 lbs. weights to get
the feeling again. I hope this week at camp is going great. Thanks for the help and insight with the hammer. I threw for about 2 hours today basically
working on twisting my feet. I was throwing
fairly easy, just trying to let the twist of my feet I have to say that this propel the discus. My stands were nice and easy, was the best camp about 120 to 125 w/ out a reverse and my step since after my and turns were around 145 with my best at 148. freshman year in high With just working on the twisting and school. The biggest accelerating, I bettered my best step and turn of two concepts that I the season. My south-Africans were only about picked up on at a camp 155 but had a best at 160. I was having a little were the "twist, twist, trouble timing the left leg drive. On my best SA, twist" that John had I delayed the left leg drive until right foot was mentioned and the almost already on the ground. This really helped image of "clawing" your way across the circle the right accelerate and continue to turn. which you had given me. In a sense both of Unfortunately I got a bad blood blister on my these concepts are linked together, in my mind right index finger so I was only able to take a anyways. It is very difficult to keep your feet couple South-African's and a few full turns. On
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page
GET UP! Volume 1, Issue 22 I July 2003 the full turns, I knocked the intensity down even what he learned the first day and he answered further, to the point were I could do a few 360's simply: “You need to learn from the ground up!” into a full turn, accentuating my feet twisting The Big Lesson of 2003 across the circle. At probably about 60 percent Don’t give yourself an “anchor” in the intensity with a less then perfect release, 150 was back…lift your right foot. Huh? easy. This was clearly my most focused and best practice in a long time.
I hope some of these notes from camp and from my practice are useful. If you need me to clarify something or explain it better just let me know. Thanks again for all the help and I hope this week goes great.
Aaron What I learned on my Summer Vacation The Editor in Beef Although Yuri is a hammer thrower, he is Well, I love the written word, so when actually the one who gave John this clue. All too John Powell handed me an article from often, young throwers pick up the foot at the start “American Track and Field Athletes Only” that by first bringing the heel to the butt then lifting he had written, I knew this would be a great two the knee…Brian Oldfield calls this cantilevering. weeks. It causes the thrower to slow, stop, or John compared the discus throw to pause as the athlete gets ready to get into “two.” skating: “It’s similar to a line of ice skaters (See http://danjohn.org/book.pdf for details). It moving in a circle. The person in the middle kills most of our young throwers! Just lift the barely moves, but the skater at the end of line has knee…don’t bring the heel to the butt! to work hard to keep up with the line while it Oh, it looks and sounds so simple but it turns.” has a tremendous effect on getting across with Once again, if the right foot turns for a speed, balance and power. right handed thrower…good things happen. “The Also, John took me aside and told me illusion of arm speed is created by sprinting that this position of Yuri is something to ahead of the discus. Once the thrower winds, the consider…to go from “one” to “two”…simply discus stays in the same relative position, drop the left knee one inch and lift the right knee. “locked” behind the hip. The arm moves as fast Harder to explain than do…I threw as the foot turns. The faster the foot turns, the farther! faster the arm appears to move.”
John also shared with me a few drills The Next Million Dollar Hint that his coach, the legendary “Bud” Winters Sound out your drills. That’s right, say either invented or stole: “1-2-3 and throw” or whatever on thrower drills. • Throws for height…but aiming for a The louder the better. It takes your brain away goal • and gives your feet a chance to work! The badly named “South African” Drill More Next Issue… • The rhythm of the throw is “1-2-3-and Published by Daniel John Throw!” During the and…the right foot Daniel John, Editor turns. Copyright © Daniel John, 2003 Mike Rosenberg also showed up and All Rights Reserved brought the usual set of painful toys. I asked him Any unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.
Get Up! The Official Newsletter of the Lifting and Throwing Page