I will be assisting Mike Burgener at the CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Certification on November 10-11th at Mikes Gym in Vista California.I am really looking forward to this. I have been a huge fan of Crossfit for some time now and this will be my first opportunity to be part of a Crossfit event. I think they are the most exciting thing to happen to conditioning since blood doping. Just kidding. I have used Crossfit style training with many of my MMA, Military, and Law Enforcement clients for years. They all have said Crossfit training prepares them for “Battle” better than any other conditioning method. I guess I will take the word of people that actually do go into battle.

–

Sean
www.PureStrength.com

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I just found out that I will be speaking at the NSCA National Conference on Saturday, July 12, 2008 in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel. My presentation is called “A Simplified Progression for Teaching the Olympic Lifts” I know this topic is a bit of a stretch for me, but I think I will manage.

–

Sean
www.PureStrength.com

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Since joining the NSCA, I’ve noticed the increased emphasis that has been placed on multi-joint, athletic movements (i.e., Olympic lifts) in the training programs of developing athletes.  The growing interest in the snatch and clean and jerk is reflected in the large turnouts at the national conference for presentations that deal with instruction and inclusion of these movements in training programs. While an excellent job has been done in convincing strength and conditioning personnel of the value of the quick lifts, there is bound to be considerable variation in the levels of success attained by the many enthusiastic workers who have tried to implement this type of training in their programs.

For some, low success levels may cause them to discard the lifts. Many factors may have led to this point, including the inability of the coach to progress the athletes beyond the power clean and power snatch to the squat snatch, squat clean and split jerk.  While this may be attributed to a lack of coaching experience in this area, a coach also should realize that not all athletes have the physical assets to perform the full lifts successfully.  Yet it must be realized that a training program that includes the power clean is usually more productive than one based solely on single-joint movements.  In terms of statistical density, gray may not be as potent as black, but it is better than white.

In the last two clinics I’ve presented, I’ve begun with a rationale for the inclusion of Olympic lifts in the training program.  This rationale also applies to the power clean, and I present it here for those who need to justify its inclusion in a training program to the participants and the athletic administrator.

The power clean, when performed properly, elicits the following conditions:

• The movement involves all of the major muscle groups and many of the minor supportive muscles during each repetition.  Because each repetition requires a greater caloric output than that required by single-joint movements, the power clean has greater value as a developer of anaerobic endurance.
•  The performance of the power clean requires instantaneous, sequential contraction and relaxation of many muscles.  This conditions the nervous system to perform in a manner that is most conducive to the development of speed.
• Because the major muscles are required to work synergistically, they are strengthened in a harmonious manner, rather than in an imbalanced manner as is often produced by working the muscles individually.
• The constant isometric tension required of the torso musculature throughout the movement allows these muscles to be developed in a manner that is not possible through conventional, isolative approaches.
• Because so much of the skeletal-muscular system is stimulated by the power clean, the amount of time available for weight training can be used more efficiently, and can be minimized for many athletes.
• Gripping strength is stimulated by the power clean.  The increased hand development is beneficial for all activities involving the hands, and will minimize minor injuries.

Implementing the Power Clean

Because the specifics of teaching the power clean have been covered extensively in a number of publications, I will refrain from covering this well-trod ground.

The teaching of technique.  Technique must be the highest priority in deriving optimal benefits from the exercise.  A successful coach should expend great effort in teaching proper technique to a new athlete, because this technique probably will remain with the athlete for the rest of his or her career.  Proper technique ensures that physical development will be harmonious and that the nervous system will develop the greatest functional ability.  The movement should be taught from the hang, before progression from the floor is attempted.  Coaching during this introductory phase should be one-on-one if possible.

Placement of the power clean in the training sequence.  In the event that no other explosive movements are performed during the weight-training session, the power clean should be placed first in the list of exercises.  This will ensure that the speed of movement is highest due to the freshness of the nervous system.  If the weight-training workout is held after a specific sport practice session, a short rest period should be inserted between the two sessions to allow the nervous system some restoration.

Frequency of Implementation.  This topic is a variation on the question of how often to weight train.  The accepted practice of weight training three times per week is probably the product of facility management practices as much as an earnest effort to obtain optimal results.  The three-days-a-week program was born out of a need to accommodate two different groups of people (Monday-Wednesday- Friday and Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday) in a commercial gym.  Many university and high school strength-training operations may also use this system to adapt their athletic population to limited facilities.

 A competitive athlete can be conditioned to perform activities as strenuous as sprinting six days per week.  The same is also possible for the power clean.  In both cases, training loads and intensities must be varied in order to maximize the training efforts.  Weight training can be performed on a daily basis, and power cleans may be included as frequently.  Load and intensity must be varied, however, and coordinated with other sports training activities.  Primary reasons to eliminate the power clean from a given session are to accommodate injuries and to avoid boredom.

Remedial Exercises

It is the norm for aspiring weightlifters in my program to have imbalances in their physical development due to genetic or environmental factors.  For these reasons, they cannot perform the type of training that ultimately will be demanded of them.  I am therefore required to provide an arsenal of exercises to remedy these weaknesses.  Much of the early training in the lifting career is devoted to harmonious physical development for performing the snatch and the clean and jerk: in short, weight training for weightlifting.  This early training features a much wider variety of exercises than is used after proficiency is achieved.  At the elite level, the athlete is training primarily with weightlifting-related lifts, and only periodically with remedial exercises.

The situation is the same for performance of the power clean.  At the high school level, many novice athletes may be of insufficient strength in various parts of the body to properly power clean.  These athletes must undergo a period of remedial training before attempting the power clean.  Others may begin learning the movement with light weights while conditioning the weak areas with the appropriate weight-training exercises.  The conscientious professional must individualize training at this point if maximal benefits are to be attained over the athlete’s career.

Flexibility.  The exercise may call for static stretching for the wrists and ankles.  The wrists must be able to bend backward sufficiently to allow the bar to rest on the shoulders, and not be supported by the arms.  Athletes who progress to power cleaning heavy weights while supporting the bar only with the arms are susceptible to wrist injuries.  A contributing factor to this condition may be excessive hypertrophy of the biceps, in which case the athlete may have to refrain from performing the standard bar bell curl.

A limited capacity for ankle dorsiflexion will inhibit the athlete’s ability to use the quadriceps during the explosive portion of the movement.  Football players who have experienced shortening or tightness of the Achilles tendon due to ankle taping often are limited in this range.  Workouts for these athletes should always begin with static wrist and ankle stretches.

Front squats.  The front squat performed with a clean-width grip often is viewed as merely a quadriceps developer, but it has greater benefits for those interested in developing proficiency in the power clean.  It is an excellent way to develop the torso musculature for the support weight at the shoulder, and for flexibility of the wrists.  The athlete should be encouraged to perform the movement with the chest expanded and raised, and the back kept tight and straight.  The elbows should be held high, and the head should not be allowed to drop.  If the proper foot spacing is used, ankle flexibility is also developed.

The bent-over row and posture.  Proper posture is always an important factor in the performance of athletic movements that take place while standing erect.  The most frequent postural deficiency in the performance of the power clean is a kyphosis caused by a relative weakness of the rhomboid muscles, which allows the scapulae to move laterally.  The bent-over row, performed with strict technique while the back is arched, will help to overcome the deficiency.

Hyperextensions and good mornings.  The spinal erectors are subjected to great stress during performance of the power clean, and these two movements, performed properly, will remedy weakness in these muscles.  The hyperextensions should be performed with the head curled under toward the abdominals at the bottom of the movement, and then uncurling to the point where the line of sight is horizontal at the completion.  Good mornings will work the spinal erectors in an isometric manner if the torso is held rigidly erect while the knees are slightly unlocked.

Upright rows.  The deltoids and trapezius need to be worked harmoniously, and upright rows will assist in this development.  A clean-width grip should be used, and concentration should be placed on the height to which the elbows can be raised to the side of the shoulders.  The elbows should not be allowed to drop or move backward.

Deadlift to the knees.  The most common error in performing the power clean from the floor is the tendency to rip the weight from the floor by shooting the hips up rapidly at the beginning of the movement.  The deadlift to the knees should emphasize the maintenance of the rigid torso, performing the movement by coordinating the quadriceps with the hamstrings so that the hips rise at the same rate as the shoulders.  The latissimus dorsi must be used to keep the shoulders in front of the extended path of the bar.

Back squats.  When performed properly, this exercise will strengthen the thigh, hip and back muscles involved in the initial portion of the power clean.

Conclusion

The power clean is an effective, multi-joint movement that can significantly enhance athletic performance in events that require explosive performance from a standing position.  If used properly, it can improve anaerobic endurance, minimize training time, enhance coordination of major muscle groups, stimulate muscular development and hormone secretion, develop the body’s ability to withstand physical contact, increase hand strength, improve balance, increase metabolic rate and provide an enjoyable alternative to more conventional progressive resistance exercises.

Although it may be considered an intermediate step on the path to performance of the snatch and the clean and jerk, the power clean is a valuable training tool in itself.  With all factors being equal, athletes who train with the power clean will experience greater success than those who fail to use it in their training regimens.

Contact Bob Takano At

www.takanoathletics.com

info@takanoathletics.com

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“Functional training” has been the hot buzzword in the world of Strength and Conditioning for quite some time now. It seems every-where you turn you can find some coaches fawning over the latest and greatest functional exercises they picked up at a clinic. If I ask them to describe this exercise to me, and they start their reply with “First you get a bosu ball” or “Lay down on your back”, I abruptly stop them. They have been misinformed.

What most people call “functional training” are really physical therapy or rehabilitation protocols. These protocols have been used for years to take people from an injured state to normal function. In contrast, the strength coach takes the athlete from normal function to a level of high performance. These are two very distinctly different phases of development. They are different because each phase seeks dramatically different results. Physical therapy according to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy is “the provision of services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by the process of ageing or that of injury or disease.” Whereas the main objective of training for sport according to Dr. Zatsiorsky is “to induce specific adaptations in order to improve sport performance results”. As you can see by definition they are nothing alike.

How did we come to this point in time where in so many cases strength and conditioning has melded together with rehabilitation? In order to provide some answers to this question we must explore the roots of the strength coach profession.

When the National Strength and Conditioning Coaches (NSCA) was founded in 1978 they had a membership of 76 strength coaches. As of today it has grown to over 30,000 members all vying for a piece of the estimated 4.1 billion dollar sports performance training pie. In 1985 the NSCA adopted the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) program. The purpose for this according to the NSCA Certification Commission was to “identify individuals who possess the knowledge and skills to design and implement safe and effective strength and conditioning programs for athletes in a team setting”. When the NSCA surveyed its over 21,000 CSCS members they found that the overwhelming majority of the growth in CSCS certifications, 45%, have come from the world of rehabilitation and fitness. Strength and Conditioning Coaches made up only 7% of the CSCS membership.

NSCA has taken the strength coach from the bowels of the dingy weight room to near celebrity status. The NSCA became the driving force for having certified strength coaches at every institution that had anything to do with training of any sort. Nearly every school, University, and health club required some kind of certification for their coaches. The strength coach had become an integral part of the training lexicon, and everybody needed one.

The NSCA was the driving force behind standardizing the requirements for being a strength coach. The NSCA made the schools understand the importance of having a “certified” coach who specialized in strength and conditioning. This created many job opportunities that previously did not exist. On the surface, this seemed like a good situation for everybody involved. The schools got a professional coach to implement a strength program and the sport coaches had one less thing to worry about. The strength coaches could finally get paid for what they had been doing for free in many cases and the NSCA made money certifying people as coaches. There was one problem; the NSCA did such a good job promoting the importance of being certified that there were not enough strength coaches to go around.

There were a small amount of progressive thinking schools that already had programs with coaches in place. Other schools did not. In fact, there weren’t many places to go to learn how to develop athletes. The first coaches had come from the world of Weightlifting or Heavy Athletics. These were men who truly understood how to develop strength and power. They spent the better part of their lives in weight rooms as both athletes and coaches. They immersed themselves in the “iron subculture”. They understood what it meant to be strong and powerful because they spent their lives in pursuit and realization of this goal. Where were schools going to get strength coaches?

The Athletic Trainer
Schools already had people who “trained” their athletes; they were called athletic trainers (AT’s). These were the people who worked under the team physician and specialized in the evaluation, treatment, management, and rehabilitation of injuries. They played a key role in helping athletes recover from injuries. There was not much job turnover for AT’s, making athletic training jobs at the college level scarce. Unfortunately, if you were not the head or assistant AT on the staff you did not make very good money. In fact, schools used students studying to be AT’s on their staff. This allowed the students to get experience (a little scary for the athlete if you ask me) and it allowed the schools to save money by not having to pay for their services.

Things started to look up for the AT’s. They realized that they could go from severely underpaid and underappreciated AT’s to slightly better paid and slightly more appreciated strength coaches. All they had to do was pass a test and they could transform themselves over the course of a few hours. Across the country, AT’s rushed out and got their strength coaching certification and over night they became certified strength coaches.

When it was time to hire strength coaches the schools looked to the NSCA for guidance because they had set the standard for what strength coaching should be. That standard was to be certified as a CSCS. Unfortunately, most institutions had no idea what strength coaches were supposed to do except to “train” their athletes and to possess a certification.

The hiring process was generally handled by a combination of the medical staff, administrators, and sport coaches. None of these groups truly understood what a strength coaches should and shouldn’t be. They could not differentiate between athletic training and training for sport. Therefore, they could not differentiate between true strength coaches who understood how to elicit a peak performance from an athlete, and AT’s who only understood how to return people to “normal function”. Because the pool of applicants was heavily weighted with AT’s turned strength coaches, there was a huge influx of strength coaching jobs being filled by unqualified applicants.

The Physical Therapist
Around the same time that the AT’s were gobbling up strength coaching positions at the collegiate level, physical therapists saw opportunities to capitalize on the overwhelming demand for strength coaches, as well.
PT’s generally operated out of privately owned facilities that were equipped for the purpose of rehabilitation. They saw patients who were referred by physicians. The physicians would write therapy prescriptions for as many weeks as the insurance companies would allow. If anybody has ever tried to get reimbursed by an insurance company, you know how difficult it can be. Insurance reimbursement is how PT clinics get paid. It becomes a harrowing experience when you’re waiting for dozens of reimbursement checks so you can make payroll.

In the 1990’s, PT’s began to realize the revenue potential of providing strength and conditioning services for their clients. It was a perfect fit for the PT business; a 100% cash revenue stream. No longer would they have to rely solely on the insurance companies for their livelihood. PT’s ran out and got certified. Overnight you had so-called certified “strength coaches” in every neighborhood. The consumers didn’t know the difference, they had never heard of strength coaches before. All they saw were the CSCS. According to the second S in the acronym, that made them a “specialist” and that was enough for them.

To be continued……
“Dys”functional Training (Part 2)
The Death of the True Strength Coach
How we went from the Back Squat to the Bosu ball

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