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Showing posts from November, 2006

Sweet Home Alabama?

Got the heck out of Dodge (St. Louis) yesterday and drove down to Birmingham, AL for the American Open Weightlifting Championships. I hope the effects of the current ice storm hitting the St. Louis area are gone by the time I have to drive back. It's in the 70s here and overcast. The temperature is supposed to drop tonight and we're supposed to get some rain, but no snow or ice is predicted. This competition is the second largest meet on the USA Weightlifting calender . Since it is an open meet, it is open to all ages, as long as you make the qualifying total. So we'll see some good juniors and some good masters competing this weekend. Many of the 2006 World Team members will not compete here, but because this meet is a qualifier for the 2007 Pan Am Games, there will be a few athletes on the bubble looking to move up in the rankings. I'll be recording all of the lifts and displaying replays for the crowd on a big screen. It should be fun. I hope to have a few of...

Humbling Weakness: Riding into the Headwind

Normally I think of myself as a fairly "strong" woman. But that strength is fairly specific: slow strength, ground based. I'm not necessarily powerful (speed strength) and my muscular endurance is okay, but it is not something that comes naturally. I can power up a short steep hill on the bike fairly well; but if the hill is long or the resistance comes from a strong headwind on the flats, it kills me. The warm temperatures over the last week allowed for some good bike riding. On Monday, I went out with PJ , Joe and Adrienne for about 2 hours. It was a conversational, but steady pace with the temperature around 67 and winds gusting from 17 to 24 mph. The last 30 min I took the lead with Joe and we pulled PJ and Adrienne back to the cars. The steady headwind was humbling. I felt like a pipsqueak. My heart rate crept up into the 150s. I down-shifted to get into a good spinning gear, put my head down, brought my arms into a more aerodynamic position and tried n...

A Real World Example

I've posted individual lifts by Natalie Woolfolk before, but this sequence is especially impressive as it shows a technical consistency found only in elite athletes. Natalie is a wonderful example of a female athlete who possesses all four of the components of physical health for her sport. There are no compensations. She was a gymnast as a youngster. This allowed her to develop keen kinesthetic awareness, upper and lower extremity mobility and a tremendous foundation of strength-to-bodyweight. Her postural alignment is outstanding. Her father is Kirk Woolfolk, a former weightlifter and a strength coach at the Naval Academy. Thus, she learned to lift under proper supervision. Natalie has been training at the OTC for roughly 5 years. She is 23 years old and weighs 63 kg (138 lbs). The final lift is 120 kg (265 lbs). There are very few women in this country who are capable of a double-bodyweight clean and jerk. Natalie is almost there. She will need to lift this much if ...

Four Components of Physical Health

In my experience, there are four essential components for physical health and performance: 1. Awareness 2. Alignment 3. Mobility 4. Strength Each component is necessary; and, in my opinion, they most sucessfully build upon one another in this order.

A Brave New Name

I've changed the name of the blog (but not the URL) after a little reflection. My undergraduate degree is in the history and philosophy of science, and in the same vein, I'd really like this venture to become a compilation of thoughts related to my ever-evolving philosophy of health. And of course, there will certainly be a good number of posts that focus on strength, as I'm a bit of a strength geek and quite interested in the history of strength. It seems to me there are few out the who appreciate physical culture and physical health as distinct, but integrated body of knowledge that incorporates physical education, kinesiology , exercise physiology, physical therapy and athletic development. For many Americans, physical health is simply looking good--looking buff or cut, looking like the fitness rags say we should look. It is a commodity to be bought from supplement companies, sleazy gyms or unethical health care professionals. For many athletes, physical health is ...

Terminology 101: Weightlifting

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I am not a weightlifter. I do lift weights. I weight train. I resistance train. I will occasionally power snatch or split clean or jerk. But I am not an athlete who competes in the sport of weightlifting. Actually, according to USA Weightlifting, there are fewer than 1000 registered female athletes in this country (school-age through masters). And you wonder why the Chinese are kicking our ass?? I have taken courses to learn about coaching weightlifting, and hope to help other coaches and athletes utilize video in their competition and training. The term weightlifting has lost its proper place in our culture, in my opinion, as the name of a specific sport. It now represents a generic activity: weight training (two words). But that is WRONG! It is the name of a specific sport! And it is one word. Not two. Many people in the US use the term Olympic lifting or Olympic weightlifting. Funny how, when you go to the Olympics—and I had the opportunity to...

Ok Go: Here It Goes Again

This little diddy by Ok Go is catchy and the choreography has to be some of the most original of all time--certainly one of the most creative uses of treadmills ever! Stick it in your head and go exercise! This post is dedicated to my friend Sandy, a treadmill gymnastics expert--albeit, unintentionally.

Validity of Isokinetic Hamstring Testing

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I've just been asked to review a paper that compares the "conventional" concentric/concentric hamstring/quad torque ratio test vs. a "dynamic ratio control" test that measures eccentric hamstring torque vs concentric quad torque (not at the same time). This particular study did the testing on college distance runners. Admittedly, I've not been a big fan of this kind of testing for and description of hamstring or quad function. It is non-weightbearing and is capable of testing only at the knee joint, with the hip joint static. Just how functional and practical is this type of information for the ATC, PT and strength coach? Is direct measurment of single joint/muscle torque informative, even if it is a measure of eccentric strength, with regard to sport rehabilitation or performance? Or is this one aspect of sport science that misses the mark on providing useful information when it comes time to hit the court or the field? Comments?

ETSU Coaches & Sports Sciences College Event

I have been invited to speak on the use of video in coaching at the first East Tennessee University's Coaches & Sports Sciences College in December (14-16). The list of speakers includes an interesting mix of US and UK sport scientists and coaches. And for those with the NSCA certification, the event offers a relatively inexpensive opportunity for CEUs. Learn more about it here . Speaking of the NSCA, anybody else notice the blurb in the latest T&C about the new "Fly Solo Program" targeted at certifying high school professionals (p. 38)? Boyd Epley says this "seven or eight hour camp" --to be held at NSCA-approved centers around the country--will allow coaches and physical education teachers to gain certification to run a strength program. Additional details will be announced in 2007. I wonder how the course material will differ from the CSCS? Comments from the weight room, anyone?

To Barbell or Not to Barbell?

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That's a very good question. Vern Gambetta offers his take on using dumbbells here . I agree with what he says. And like Joe P. says, a good teacher uses many tools depending on the needs of the student--and uses them in their appropriate context. I use my Power Block bells for db snatches all the time. They are a bit clunky for clean-related stuff, for my taste, but I don't have any issues with others using them. Many implements can be used with triple extension; the barbell is not a sacred cow. That said... The sport of weightlifting offers partial movements that can help anyone learn to be more powerful. And remember, it is a SPORT in itself; you must respect the complexity of the movements if you are going to use them with non-weightlifting athletes. Using the barbell vs dumbbells allows for maximum resistance, but presents some technical challenges. If the athlete has mobility issues (ankle, hip, shoulder) or is very tall, hitting the appropriate positions...

OT: Chauvinistic Barbs from the Oval Office

Now, I will not use this blog to comment on politics, but I will occasionally comment on things pertaining to being a woman in a male-dominated professional culture. I happened to hear the beginning of President Bush's press conference today and one comment caught my attention. While Mr. Bush was acknowledging Nancy Pelosi's rise to the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives--the first time a woman has EVER been in this position, regardless of party affiliation--he made the following remark (not a quote but he said something to this effect): During my conversation with her, I gave her the name of several interior decorators in Washington so she can pick out some drapes for her new office. That, my friends, is a classic Narcisstic back-handed slam--a tactical, grand gesture meant to put this woman in her place. In short, it says the following to her and the country: She may be the new Speaker of the House and her party might now be in control, but I will, in a futile ...

Final Thoughts on the Whole "Mile" Discussion

1. Physical education and sport preparation are not one and the same. One test, one measure, may not fit all. 2. Our society is currently failing our young people by not providing them with adequate physical education. Instead of emphasizing elements and skills of lifetime health and fitness as an integral part of elementary and high school education, we rely on the "fitness industry" (Curves, Shape magazine, etc) to sell us our physical health as adults. 3. Many high school coaches would benefit from the information and financial resources that elite level and college coaches have available to them. Those of us in the athletic development realm owe it to these people to contribute to their development, mentoring them when possible, not just sell them cookbooks and gadgets.

More On Youth Fitness and the Mile

A friend disagreed with my post on the basketball guys running the mile in 6:30. And I agree with her, the mile run has no predictive value of basketball ability, nor does it prepare one for true basketball fitness. But I don't think asking high school players to pass this traditional field test is asking anything out of the ordinary with regard to an assessment of general fitness or of the disciplined mindset for being successful as a team. Data from the President's Council on Physical Fitness states that a 6:30ish mile time is approximately 70th percentile for high school boys age 16 & 17. High school sports aren't just about the sport specific success--they are also about participation, self-discipline and team work. High school basketball isn't just about shake 'n bake for the dunk on Sports Center. And here are some other interesting things to consider. There are about 1100 guys at this school, which has a very strong basketball tradition. There are 4...

AJ at the State Championships

AJ ran well, but not as well as she wanted. She bettered her time from last year by 1 minute ( 22:53 to 21:53 ), but the overall competitiveness of the race was higher than last year and she finished in 89 / 166. Her goal was top 25 at the beginning of the season, then last week top 40. It was cold (40s) and raining during some of the race. She felt she could’ve and should’ve gone out faster, as she feels she was blocked by several groups of runners during the race. She had a good effort on Firehouse Hill, passing 7 girls, but as she entered the last mile, her hands became increasingly painful, cold and swollen. Ah, but for a pair of gloves! Her team finished 8 th ; they had hoped for a top 4 placing. Their top runner AR, a junior who had finished 28 th as a freshman, finally made All-State (top 25) and finished 15 th . AJ stayed for the medal ceremony and said is has really motivated her to work for the top 25 next year. Racing is much different tha...

Basketball Tryouts: The Dreaded Mile

Talked to the varsity basketball coach Tuesday after hearing they had several guys in tryouts who could not make the required mile time of 6:30. Now, we can debate the value of the mile for basketball, but it is certainly a tradition that most of us faced every November. I hated every second of that stupid mile, but I made damn sure I came in under the required time. There was no way I was going to fail or run that mile more than one time. That meant I worked a little harder on weekends and after volleyball practice, making sure I was prepared for that dreaded afternoon. I was amazed when this coach told me 5 of the 13 guys trying out (some are still in football and soccer), failed this test. How sad! Over one-third of these young men didn't have the general aerobic fitness to run a mile in 6:30? Why? Are they that unmotivated to prepare? Are they just dumb? Do they think playing half-court is the only thing you need to do to prepare for the high school season? The one k...