A Philosophy of Strength and Health

Look Who's Back?

2011-12-19T14:07:00.001-08:00

Dedicated to Tall Ones

2011-12-04T10:55:00.001-08:00

I just finished reading about Derek Boogaard in the New York Times. They have a great 3-part article and multimedia piece on his life. There are many issues in this story, but the one that jumped out at me was the story of the tall kid who reluctantly became a hockey enforcer.

The tall kids. They are pushed early to specialize in certain sports and positions. Assumptions are made about their personality--that they automatically like to and want to physically intimidate people. More often than not, they tend to be more like the stereotype of the gentle giant. Trust me, most of these kids have the same insecurities we all do as young people and the pressure they have upon them to be "large & in charge" in their sport weighs heavily on them.

People gawk. Referees don't give them a break. Coaches are frustrated that their big kids lack confidence and the ability to use their size effectively.

They are referred to as "soft" or "lacking mental toughness" when preventable overuse injuries and pain from unnecessary over-training forces them to sit out. Or they quietly push through the pain to keep up with smaller teammates and put themselves at risk for career-ending injuries because they don't want to appear weak in front of their coaches or parents. The adults in charge don't understand that these tall bodies cannot handle the same volume of pounding that smaller frames easily tolerate in practice.

They are not given the time to become comfortable in their bodies--to become physically competent and develop fundamental movement skills.

They are not given the opportunity and tools to develop all-around fundamental sport-related movements that will allow them to move smoothly & skillfully like their smaller teammates. They are pigeon-holed into standing at the net as the middle blocker or on the low block with their back to the basket.

They are expected and allowed to get by year after year on their height alone.

Who needs to work on the foundations of running, jumping, landing, playing defense? Who needs good body awareness, good postural alignment, good flexibility and appropriate strength? Who needs to be taught how to move with aggressive speed and power? Who needs to be educated about the importance of taking care of your joints now so that you can walk, sit and sleep without spending the majority of your adult years in constant pain and/or addicted to pain medication from the pursuit of elite sport?

These kids do.

Most of all, someone who cares needs to stop and ask these kids if they are having fun and if this is really what they want to be doing with their life and time.

Kind of by accident, I've started to do something about it over the last 4 years with my small stable of giraffes. They have taught me so much. I love working with them and showing their coaches and parents what is possible with patience, time and purposeful work on the basics. I love helping them blossom and find their place in pursuit of elite sport; or figure out that their place is somewhere other than elite sport.

It is my passion and my mission to be the resource for tall athletes, their parents and their coaches in the Midwest and wherever help is needed.

Everybody Squats

2011-11-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

Everybody squats. Well, except in this country. We forget how to squat as we move into adolescence. Then we hurt our knee, hip or back and the therapist teaches us to do wall slides with a Swiss ball against the wall.

Who is responsible for starting and perpetuating this worthless facade of leg and core strengthening? I'd like to have a word with you, whoever you are.

To preserve and maintain back health, we must learn to use our legs; triple flexion then triple extension. We must be aware of our body in space and how our spine is positioned in relation to our hips.

It's not about static core strength for me. It's about awareness, alignment, mobility and dynamic strength of the lower extremities.

This guy is learning how to use his legs to support his bodyweight in space. He is learning to be confident with his legs after herniating two discs over the summer. He can now pick up stuff from the ground without assistance. He now has freedom and mobility. And in his particular situation, the squatting movement helps relieve long-standing radicular pain that once dominated his day.

This is the type of functional strength a physical therapist should teach a patient. This is how we need to use our legs. The ability to squat is a physical competency everyone should master.

No we don't need to squat a house, but we do need to learn how to lower & raise our bodies, within the context of gravity, in an effective manner. Start with a sit to stand from a chair, then progress to a med ball squat. Learn to hold the bottom position and feel it. Feel the floor; learn to push it away. Then if appropriate, use a Hexlite bar, weighted vest or barbell to increase the resistance. Teach the basics and then give the patient movement problems to lift and solve.

Growing Up - Peter Gabriel

2011-11-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

This song is in my head these days. 2011 has been a year of growing up.

RIP Uncle Vasily

2011-11-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

How most American's remember Alexseyev

The man who was weightlifting for so many years has passed away. Vasily Alexseyev died this past Friday in Germany of heart issues. He was 69.

I was fortunate to meet the man in person at the 2003 World Championships in Vancouver. Harvey Newton and I were in the walking through the venue when this famous wall of a man came toward us. (That's the very cool thing about going to an Olympics or World Championship--you will see so many former greats strolling the venue or having a drink in the hotel lobby!)

Harvey was kind enough to introduce me to him. Alexseyev was very much a gentleman. I am not sure what came over me, but I had the irresistible urge to pat him on that enormous belly. As I did, Vasily Alexseyev winked and put his index finger to his lips to say "shhhh, don't tell anyone" and then he smiled.

The world's most famous weightlifter had, arguably, the world's most famous belly to ever tumble out of a tiny red singlet.

He set 80 world records during his career and was the first man to clean & jerk over 500 lbs in competition. For more information about Vasily Alexseyev and his career, check out this 44 min documentary.

What are methods without principles?

2011-11-22T05:29:00.001-08:00

Sorry I've been away for quite awhile. Things have been busy and to be honest, I just haven't felt like writing. The business has been growing and most of my energy has been put toward my athletes and patients. I have certainly had lots of thoughts and I hope to share them and write on a more consistent basis in 2012. For today, I'd like to share a blog I stumbled upon via Twitter. Nick Grantham has some words of wisdom for everyone. Check out his post and blog here. It is based on this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Athlete-Centered Preparation

2011-10-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Don't fall for the ads shouting about sport specific training. It's really about athlete-centered preparation.

It's not about playing more tournaments and more games. It's about the developing the physical abilities and fundamental movement skills essential to a variety of sports and health.

They need foundations, not hype. They need variety, not early specialization. They need to be adaptable, not pigeon-holed into a single position in a single sport.

Young people shouldn't be trained like small adult athletes. They deserve time, patience, structure and mentoring. They need to learn what it means to be an athlete and the importance of taking care of their physical health, whether or not they become professional/elite athletes.

The Power of the Mind via a Placebo

2011-10-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

via BoingBoing

Let There Be Signage

2011-10-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

Open House Next Saturday, September 17!

2011-09-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

I will be hosting an open house at my new facility next Saturday, September 17 from 11 am to 4 pm. Please stop by and say hello!

Iron Maven Physical Health & Performance
10772 Indian Head Industrial Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63132

Raghava KK: Shake up your story | Video on TED.com

2011-09-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Raghava KK: Shake up your story | Video on TED.com

A Personal History of Strength As It Relates to Sport

2011-09-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

Vern Gambetta has a great 3-part blog series on the evolution of his understanding and integration of strength training. I encourage everyone to read it, as he points out some of the pivotal people, ideas and events in the history of strength training in the US and abroad.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Many of you newbies out there do not have a good grasp of the history of strength training in the US, particularly before the evolution of the internet and currently popular web-based resources. Do yourself a favor and look up some of the original resources Vern lists.

As for me, I am lucky enough to have a new gem to peruse this week. Carl Miller sent me a copy of his new book The Sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting: Training for the Connoisseur.

OT: Johnny Quest Awesomeness

2011-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Jonny Quest Opening Titles from Roger D. Evans on Vimeo.

Thanks to BoingBoing for pointing out this sweet stop-motion ode to a classic cartoon. I wasn't around for the original prime time airing of Johnny Quest, but I sure did enjoy the Saturday morning reruns in the 70s.

There are days when I could use Race Bannon's help.

Seeing is Believing

2011-08-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

From a parent of one of my high school boys this morning:

Yeah those eyes are slowly opening. In his gym class he has really noticed the difference between his technique you have taught him and the others. I think that was a major milestone for him. He is seeing the benefits and rationale behind proper body position and technique. You have his ear right now. He is trusting you.

There is a method to my madness. They just have to have the patience and persistence to do what the others often don't have the will to do. But first they have to trust and believe in what we are doing.

Being a Good Role Model & Mentor

2011-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things is when my athletes send me pictures of the dinners they have cooked or their grocery carts.

It usually takes a while--especially with high school boys. They have to first care about eating and then learn to accept responsibility for preparing their own food. The first step for many guys is making scrambled eggs or their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their lunch or after school snack. This is the fist step in their evolution.

Food shopping and real cooking are not usually high on their list of fun things to do, especially when mom and dad are still around. Not even close to being on the radar.

But then something changes--usually is it going away to college--and WHAMMO, whole foods, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts suddenly become part of their vocabulary and shopping list. They send me pictures of giant salads and stirfrys.

They very excitedly tell me they start to feel the benefits of eating better and they embrace the opportunity to make nutrition part of their training program. They brag about the junk food they've left behind.

I cannot tell you how happy this makes me! If I don't do anything else for these kids, I can at least help them discover the joy in shopping for and cooking their own food and life-long value in eating well.

Earning the Right

2011-08-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Kelvin Giles likes to emphasize that athletes must earn the right to progress. I am in full agreement with him.

My kids have to earn the right to progress, especially with the squat. And with very tall, thin athletes, I need to be even more patient to develop the mobility and infrastructure needed to squat with quality movement. I teach my athletes to have respect for the movement, as it is one of the more important things they can do to develop total body strength and power.

We don't chase numbers on the barbell when squatting. We always thoroughly warm up and work up to the work set. Just like 6' 10" Eric Moeller is doing in the picture above.

Every weightlifting coach I have worked with emphasizes the same thing. There is a purpose and a context to the intensity and volume of each set within a training session and within that particular training cycle.

Unfortunately, many others chase numbers on the barbell in the weightroom. You can see their follies all over YouTube. But there are also some very good examples of squat technique and warm up. One of the most impressive is this video of Caleb Williams, former powerlifter-turned-weightlifter, training for the 2006 IPF World Championships in Norway. In weightlifting, Caleb competes in the 69 kg weight class (152 lbs), so I assume in this video he is competing at 67.5. The dude squats 500 lbs x 6 weighing around 150 lbs, with only neoprene knee sleeves, weightlifting shoes and a belt. And he only puts on the belt at 405 lbs.

No macho bullshit necessary. No equipment. No screaming. Just workman-like focus, good form, speed and depth. College and high school football strength coaches, this is what real squatting looks like! You can read more about Caleb on his website.

From the Vault: Melanie Roach 2008 Olympic Prep

2011-08-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Four years ago this week, I recorded Mel's Tuesday morning training session of cleans and clean pulls. From the vaults, August 16, 2007.

This cycle of training is just after her bronze medal performance at the 2007 Pan Am Games.

Beautiful Mobility

2011-08-15T06:09:00.001-07:00

You used to be able to do this when you were 2. If you can do it when you are 20, you are ahead of the game.

This is the kind of mobility a weightlifter works toward. It is the kind of sagittal plane mobility that is part of good joint health and good back health. See how the shin and torso are parallel?

Squatting should be part of your movement vocabulary. Find someone to help you learn how to squat.

Start here and work your way into the frontal and transverse planes. Be patient. Be consistent.

Personal & Professional Satisfaction

2011-08-11T09:21:00.001-07:00

"Thank you so much for all your help. I thought I was going to have to have surgery."

These are the words from a young patient I discharged yesterday. I saw him 6 times over an 8 week period. He came to me with osteolysis of the R AC joint. Pain with sleeping and any R UE activity. An avid bench presser and upper body lifter, I knew we had to change his mindset and exercise habits if he was going to heal.

He paid for every visit out of his own pocket.

I spent 1 hour with him each session. We talked about the importance of muscular balance and flexibility about the shoulder joint. I stressed that tight lats and pecs weren't going to be beneficial for long term shoulder health.

I taught him a variety of overhead and multi-planar moments, starting initially with basic flexion and limited ROM ab/adduction. Each week we progressed a bit, adding UE exercises in weight-bearing and dumbbell pressing movements. I never once used a modality. The first few visits I did a few joint mobs and some PNF work. The final 4 visits were all movement and lifting-based.

Who knew behind the neck pressing with a barbell could be so therapeutic? Not heavy at all; just quality movement about the shoulder girdle.

No surgery; no meds; no modalities. I just assisted the body in healing itself. More importantly, I earned the trust and respect of the patient in the process. The impetus was on him to follow my direction and take responsibility for doing the necessary work outside of the clinic--not too much, not too little; quality was key. I worked with him, not on him.

This is the type of practice I have dreamed of building for the last 10 years. Not high volume; not high tech. Just the thoughtful, progressive application of movement to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.

Gonna Miss These Guys

2011-08-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Lowering the Barbell

2011-07-30T07:28:00.001-07:00

July has been super busy, so posting has taken a back seat. Hope to get back on track in August.

I recently hosted and helped teach a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach course at my new facility with my friend Derrick Crass. The course went well and 24 people learned a boatload of good information.

One of the issues that came up over the weekend was lowering the bar. This is a pet peeve of mine. Lowering the barbell from overhead or from the clean rack position is a skill everyone should know how to do.

You learn to move around and with the bar in a safe manner.
You gain strength and learn eccentric control.
You save wear and tear on the equipment.
You limit unnecessary noise in the facility.
You will look like you actually know what you are doing.

Back in the day before bumpers, everyone HAD to lower the iron weights and they even did it in competition with maximal weights. Showing control of the barbell was part of the deal and in my mind, should still be a part of the deal during training, with sub-maximal weights. This isn't the shot put.

In my mind, only real weightlifters have earned the right to consistently drop weights--even if you have nice bumpers and flooring. If you aren't lifting a weight equal to or greater than your bodyweight, you shouldn't be dropping that weight unless you have a complete brain cramp and need to dump the bar for safety. Derrick's rule is 50 kgs or more. I'm a little more strict. If you are doing power cleans or power snatches for multiple reps, come on, lower the bar for your next rep. These are not maximal weights.

Everyone needs to learn how to miss properly, but that doesn't mean you need to slam the barbell to the ground every rep. At least in my world, with my equipment.

One individual in the course quickly gained my attention by intentionally slamming 35 kg to the ground and exclaiming "I'm a beast" at the same time. Now if you are a strapping young man of 200+ lbs and you think you are a beast by throwing 77 lbs to the ground, you are sorely mistaken. Especially when the barbell is an $800 Eleiko barbell and the plates are $140 Hitechplates. I firmly told the young man that he would NEVER do that again in my facility and that he needed to learn to lower the barbell. Feel free to abuse your own equipment, but do not expect to abuse mine or the privilege of using mine.

If you are a healthy adult human being, male or female, and you slam down a bar with 2.5 kg, 5 kg or 10 kg training plates on it, you are not a "badass." You are a jackass--in my eyes, and in the eyes of many others. So keep that in mind. Especially if you don't own the equipment you are using.

How about showing the world what a good athlete you are by lifting and lowering the weights skillfully? Make yourself better by doing the little things right.

This morning I happened upon a classic video rant from Mark Rippetoe on the issue of lowering the bar. It seems Rip has a similar pet peeve and his discussion of the issue is priceless.

Platform: The Iron Plate Problem from stef bradford on Vimeo.

Old School Hoop Dreams

2011-07-12T11:48:00.001-07:00

Latest acquisition from a VIP and very good friend.

Stand Up Jump Down

2011-07-11T16:42:00.001-07:00

As Fred Lowe says, "Ya gotta move greasy fast." Gravity waits for no one.

Squat, Push & Pull

2011-07-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

Some of the tools I use to work the foundational movements of the sagittal plane. You don't have to get fancy. Use gravity. Keep it simple and find the implements that allow you to build the foundations of physical literacy.

The Dark Side

2011-07-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Eclectic Method - The Dark Side from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

Enjoy this wonderful mashup. But don't let the Dark Side consume you. ;-)

Time + Mother Nature + Patience + Hard Work

2011-06-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

April 29, 2010

June 28, 2011

Do you guys have permits for those guns?

All kidding aside, tall athletes need time to grow into their bodies. Ryan Pierson is going into his sophomore year in college and is three years older than Nolan Berry, who is going into his junior year in high school. These guys need time for their natural maturation to occur. And they often need time to learn to appreciate the value of eating well and eating enough. Both are still teenagers, yet coaches sometimes expect them to be grown men. We cannot forget that these tall guys are still kids--just in really tall bodies.

My job is to support their growth processes by helping them develop good body awareness, good alignment, mobility and strength. I'm not here just to add mass and make them bigger monoliths. I'm here to make them resilient, adaptable athletes that are ready for the demands and the opportunities at the college level and beyond.

New Tool: Epson Movie Mate 62

2011-06-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Lights on.

Lights off.

Tried out this little guy today in the facility. Very nice! I saw an ad for the Epson Movie Mate 62 in a Best Buy Sunday circular and it caught my eye because it has a built in DVD player and speakers, as well as HDMI, VGA and component inputs. This makes it very versatile for presentations and use with athletes. If I just want to play a DVD, I can pop it in without a laptop or a DVD player.

The image from my home-made DVD of weightlifting videos was very nice in 4:3 aspect ratio, with the actual image width of about 10' and width of 8'. When I hooked up my iPad2, it went into widescreen format and videos shot in landscape orientation with the iPad2 were huge--probably right at 8' high and 15' in width. Of course you need a special Apple adapter to use the HDMI connection, but it is worth it.

This will be a great asset for the USAW Level 1 Course I'm teaching later this month and for future seminars and courses. And we just might have to have an Alien / Aliens movie night in the near future. Momma Alien's battle with Ripley will be pretty darn impressive.

Hexlite Bar @ the Collegiate School

2011-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Check out the Hexlite Bar in the comprehensive video demo library put together by Adam Moss and Will O'Brien of the Collegiate School inRichmond, VA.

A Mover and A Shaker

2011-06-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Once again, Oregon strength coach Jimmy Radcliffe and his wife Dr. Janice Radcliffe imparted a bit of their wisdom and experience to the folks at GAIN 2011. I managed to capture Jimmy on my iPad2 video camera and then took this still shot with the iPad VideoPix app (99 cents).

How many DI head strength coaches walk the walk and talk the talk like Jimmy can? Very few if any. This guy is the ultimate blend of common sense, coaching, experience and sport science. Always humbling to watch; absolutely wonderful to listen to.

A New Era: Me 2.0.1

2011-06-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet this year. 2011 has been a quite a journey for me. I've learned so much about myself. Realized it was time to step out of my comfort zone. Time to grow.

It all started with a pair of Frye boots back in January.

It has culminated in my very own, new physical health & performance facility in June. Talk about whirlwind. I've put a few from my phone below. Nothing fancy here. A few select tools and about 1800 sq feet to:

build awareness
build alignment
get mobile
get strong
get fast

Never thought I'd be in this position, but here I am. Time for me to really put my passion, ideas and words into action. Still have so much to do with my website and the facility; one step at a time. But I am up and running. Open house and grand opening coming soon.

Thanks to all of you in the blogosphere for your support over the last 6 years--yes, my first post was August 12, 2005. Over the next 6 years I look forward to talking about my journey as a physical therapist and athletic development coach, as well as sharing ideas about what seems to work with my athletes and clients.

Iron Maven Physical Health & Performance
10772 Indian Head Industrial Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63132

A Philosophy of Strength and Health

2011-04-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

The following exchange occurred this past weekend at a Crossfit Olympic Lifting Trainer Course in Springfield, MO.

"So what elements of Crossfit do you think are best for your athletes?"

"None of them. I don't do Crossfit. I just help teach the weightlifting stuff."

"Then what programming do you think is best?"

"I don't think there is one best way. I guess you could say I follow a 'functional training' mantra and do what I think is best for that athlete, at that time, given her/his needs. My philosophy is based on training movement, not muscles. There are some basic movements: squat, lunge, push, pull, rotate, walk, run, jump, crawl, throw, catch, hit, kick. The goal is to create basic musculoskeletal durability, physical competency and movement literacy in the context of sport and/or life."

I always find exchanges like this very interesting. So many people get caught up in the idea of one true way, or finding the one best certification/course. It's not just about finding the right exercises. It's about having a well-rounded, grounded philosophy and acquiring a great big tool box that you can use to address each situation, individually.

People often ask me how I got to where I am now. Well, here goes, in a nutshell. My current philosophy wasn't built in a day and it is constantly evolving.

1. My undergraduate studies gave me a terrific foundation in critical reading, research, basic biological science and how science works. I was and still am a geek. My major at the University of Chicago was HiPSS (History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science and Medicine). I chose to specialize in the biological sciences and then took courses in the history and philosophy of science and biology. Organic chemistry and biochemistry nearly killed me, but I made it.

During those 4 years, I also played volleyball and competed in track. I had no idea that what I was doing in the classroom would ever help me understand what I was doing on the court or in the discus ring.

2. My graduate studies (MS in Kinesiology) at the University of Illinois-Chicago gave me a great foundation in biomechanics, anatomy, motor control, physical education and exercise science. I enrolled in this master's program after I decided to apply to physical therapy school, as I needed a few more courses. It was my great fortune to have crusty old PhD/PE teachers and coaches like Warren Palmer, who did basic research on lipid metabolism, and Robert C. Hickson who did seminal research on concurrent strength and endurance training. I also took a great course in sport psychology from Gloria Balague. Palmer’s Experimental Exercise Physiology lab course had us replicate famous experiments on glycogen sparing and muscle hypertrophy—in rats. They were not my favorite, but they helped me realize I wanted to focus on applied human movement, and not get a PhD in physiology.

3. My graduate studies in the Washington University Program in Physical Therapy gave me the knowledge and tools to evaluate movement and to progressively apply movement/exercise to promote healing and function. Big skill acquired here: EVALUATE the situation and DOSE the EXERCISE--i.e. the basics of programming. Here I found my passion for movement science.

And during our graduation ceremony, Kathleen Dixon said something I carry with me to this day:

Before I go to that great plinth in the sky, it is my dream that every person visits his/her physical therapist every 6 months, just like they go to the dentist, to get a musculoskeletal health check up.

Those words were seared into my soul. But in Missouri in 1997, a physical therapist could not see an injured or healthy person without a physician's referral. That would all change with the new Missouri Physical Therapy Practice Act of 2000 and drive my vision for what would become Iron Maven Physical Health & Performance.

4. My job with Derrick Crass, PT at MECCAH in 1998 allowed me to work in an environment that had both orthopedic rehab and athletic development. Derrick was seriously ahead of his time with MECCAH. This was a critical time in my development. I learned about the sport of weightlifting from Derrick (a 1984 and 1988 Olympian in weightlifting) and I attended Vern Gambetta's Building and Rebuilding the Complete Athlete seminar.

These two things really opened my eyes. I came to the conclusion that basic rehabilitation and elite performance are actually on the same movement continuum; that they should be approached with the same philosophy, just with different levels of intensity. My tool box grew immensely during this time, as I was challenged to program for all different levels of patients and clients. I also earned my CSCS and USA Weightlifting credentials at this time.

At this point I began to realize most rehab professionals didn't appreciate how resilient the average human body can be when given the appropriate time and stimuli. This is exactly what elite athletes can do after bad injuries; the impossible can be possible. And I came to the conclusion that many PTs have a skewed view of normal human function, given their constant interaction with injured, unhealthy people. This fact, combined with their own lack of fitness, exercise and sport participation, leaves them with a very narrow view of normal human ability. If your own knee never bends past 90 degrees in a squat, why in the world would you think it might be good or necessary for anyone else to do so?

And what was I doing? I was learning to clean, snatch, front squat, push press, lunge, bound, sprint--getting into the best shape of my life, all without a R medial meniscus and the knee pain that plagued me during college volleyball.

5 Seven years of work in various rehab, wellness and sports performance settings gave me experience in working with variety of athletes/clients in all kinds of settings—homes, tiny treatment rooms and luxurious training facilities.

All of these experiences contributed to the foundation of my current philosophy. For sure I have been greatly influenced in sport science, coaching and rehab by Mike and Meg Stone, Shirley Sahrmann, Stuart McGill, Vern Gambetta, Joe Pryztula and Derrick Crass. I have benefited greatly by my time around some of the great American weightlifting coaches--Lou Demarco, Harvey Newton, Mike Burgener, John Thrush, John Garhammer, Ursula Garza--and observing their meticulous detail to technique and preparation. And all of these individuals have been gracious in sharing their successes along with their failures. But none have convinced me there is one true way. There are the needs of the athlete and the demands of the task—and you go from there.

To sum up, here are some things you might think about:

There is no one true way; no magic exercises. But there are exercises that are more valuable than others. Some may have no value at all to certain athletes. You must determine what is necessary to do and have a rationale for it. Don’t just copy blindly from others.
I'm a fan of the sport of weightlifting but I don't think cleans and snatches are the secret to athletic success. They can be an integral part of a program, at the right time.
Strength and power are optimized when they are developed in the context of sport skill; without context, they may be a hindrance.
Mobility and joint health must be included in regular programming, not as a separate injury prevention program. Good training creates mechanical resilience and mobility—that is injury prevention. Think "build up" not "break down." If an athlete is constantly battling injuries, there is something wrong with the programming--too much volume, intensity is too high, exercise selection is inappropriate, or technique is lacking.
Process and patience are paramount.
Programming is part art and part science. If you don't have a foundation of basic exercise science, get some. Then find someone to mentor you and guide you on art of programming. It ain't just reps and sets. And more isn't necessarily better.
Learn how to evaluate and assess. If you don't know where you are starting, how can you get to where you are going?

Good luck on your journey toward your own philosophy of strength and health.

What I Do

2011-04-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

It is my life's passion and vocation to give young people the physical infrastructure & movement literacy to tolerate the forces/demands of their sport. And also mentor them as to what it means to be disciplined, to work with intensity, to carry themselves with dignity, and to make themselves--and those around them--the best they can be.

That's how I roll.

Sorry I have been away from the blog for a while. Significant developments are in the works. I hope to elaborate soon.

The Great Flea Jumping Debate: Case Closed

2011-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

In light of the previous post, I thought I'd share this interesting tidbit from NPR describing research into the jumping mechanics of fleas. Finally, after 40 years, it seems we have some type of answer as to how these things do it.

My favorite part of the NPR story is a quote from Henry Bennet-Clark, the guy behind the recently substantiated mechanism, on being right:

"Let's put it this way: It leaves me unsurprised," he says. "Because I always thought that the trochanter idea of Miriam Rothschild was as silly as the statement I'm about to make, which is, 'I'm about to jump off my chair by squeezing my buttocks.' "

Keep that last sentence in mind as you squat this week.

That P-Chain Thang

2011-02-09T07:57:00.001-08:00

"Muscle strength and flexibility characteristics of people displaying excessive medial knee displacement"- Bell et al ', Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation '07.

http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993%2808%2900272-4/abstract

My colleague Joe P. brought the above study to my attention in his blog this week. Hmmm...maybe it's true that the secret to life is in the ankles and not the posterior chain.

You know me, I totally think a gluteus maximus is a terrible thing to waste. But I'm not about to get caught with my head up my you-know-what when it comes thinking I can tell what muscle is firing where and when by observation alone. It just isn't that simple. We cannot and should not reduce human movement and performance to "activation" of particular muscles.

The term posterior chain is interesting. I have heard that it originated from one particular person about 10 years ago, but who knows if that is accurate. Maybe the concept came out of ACL prevention research? Oh, the girls are quad dominant--whatever that means. If you search Pub Med, the NSCA journal database or Sport Discus, you won't find any research with the key words posterior chain. The term does not denote a true physical system--similar to the term "core." It is simply the idea that certain muscles on your back side work together.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

The posterior chain is a group of muscles, tendons and ligaments on the posterior kinetic chain of the body. Examples of these muscles include the biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, erector spinae muscle group, trapezius, posterior deltoids, and so on.

The primary exercises for developing the posterior chain are the Olympic lifts, squat, good-mornings, deadlifts and hyperextension; the common denominator among these movements is an emphasis on hip extension.

For whatever reason, there's a tendency in this country at this time to think we have a dearth of hip extension strength (glutes and hams) and a wealth of knee extension strength (quads). That wasn't the case in 1998 when I first got into this profession. There was no big emphasis on hip extension. Somehow, somewhere, the emphasis changed from triple extension to emphasis on hip extension and this new thing emerged: the posterior chain. And what great timing it was, because suddenly we had become a nation of quad dominant, dysfunctional people, plagued by gluteal amnesia.

Welcome to 2011, where the key to athletic success and physical health is to strengthen the posterior chain. Training, athleticism and fitness have been reduced to one thing for many: strength or lack of strength at hip. Yes, I know about Vladamir Janda and his "Lower Crossed Syndrome" and his theories that many dysfunctional movement patterns are caused by a lack of hip extension strength. But as the study above points out, that might not always be the case. Causality can be tricky, especially when dealing with complex systems in the human body. Movement is more than meets the eye.

The kinetic chain includes the foot, ankle and knee. Without the musculature about the foot, ankle and knee, the hip is worthless. Strength, power and agility are about coordination and force production / attenuation via interaction with the ground. All ground-based movement is the result of a complex interaction of many systems, not just the hip. Instead of focusing on the hip down, I'd encourage you to think about force production from the ground up. Instead of focusing on strength, focus on skill, stiffness, reflexes, coordination and effective use of ground-reaction forces. Muscles are nothing without the nervous system and gravity.

By all means, squat til' ya drop. Live in The Big House. But keep the big picture in mind.

Hip extension should be a force to be reckoned with, but you are kidding yourself if you reduce athleticism, movement skill and power to 1) strength about 2) the hip. It's easy, tempting and even a little sexy to focus on such a prominent aspect of human physicality, right? And in the current environment you might even sound like you know what you are talking about if you can tell people you train the posterior chain because you do "x" type of squats, activating those glutes, hams and lats. But do you really know that? Got the research data to back it up or are you just parroting something you heard someone else say?

Don't let yourself get caught up in the hype terms like posterior chain or quad dominance. These are terms of convenience, not causality, when it comes to human movement. They are more style than substance. In reality, the most accurate descriptors of movement dysfunction or elite performance are much more complex. The remedy to a movement problem might be a simple manual or verbal cue, but the underlying processes and mechanics you are affecting are likely not so simple.

TEDxSanDiego - Simon Sinek - Restoring the Human in Humanity

2011-02-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Simon Sinek's passionate talk about keeping it real in business and everyday life.

Takano Athletics Interviews

2011-02-01T09:10:00.001-08:00

Bob Takano has a great collection of interviews with weightlifting coaches, athletes and researchers, including John Garhammar, Ph.D, Harvey Newton, Mike Burgener, John Thrush and Jim Schmitz. It has been my great honor to know and learn from each of these individuals.

If you'd like to hear about some of the history of the sport in the US and reflections on weightlifting and strength & conditioning today, take the time to listen. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience here.

Two Great Posts by Vern Gambetta

2011-02-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

Vern Gambetta has two great posts that everyone should read, More Than Exercise and Prehab: A Flawed Concept.

I cannot say it any better than Vern. These two topics are close to my heart. Programming is art and science, trial and error, and wisdom over time. It is not simply a commodity to be sold in the gym or over the internet and dished out to athletes or clients. I am passionate about that. Sometimes to a fault.

Images from DC

2011-01-30T07:33:00.001-08:00

The last 72 hours have been truly wonderful. Yes, it is cold and my feet ache. But I don't care. Every American should have the opportunity to visit DC. Take pride in and ownership of our history.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Washington DC

Test Pic

2011-01-26T19:10:00.001-08:00

C3PO gets his push press on.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tocar y Luchar (To Play and To Fight)

2011-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring things I have ever seen. It gives me hope and cleanses my palate after the drama of my week. We could learn so much from the people and the process of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra Project. We have it all wrong here in the US when it comes to youth and sport. We don't nurture and mentor. We don't teach and inspire discipline, character and hard work. We don't value the precious gifts of play and love of the game. We aren't patient with those who may need a little extra time to develop. We don't value the process of deliberate practice and mastery of fundamentals.

We provide "exposure" and sponsorship. We exploit physical attributes and early maturation of young people for the financial benefit and notoriety of the adult-run organizations that trot them around the country. We value game skill specialization, early competition, pushing young bodies to their limit, rather than build general physical foundations and let the skills grow and flow out of a sturdy musculoskeletal infrastructure.

Market forces dictate value and kids become commodities. Not survival of the fittest, but survival of the lucky.

The inertia of the business of youth sport is great. But I am happy to be a part of the struggle against it. Tocar y Luchar.

My Coach Sucks

2011-01-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

Ah, today's youth. Not all of them. But this type of attitude is common.

The Ultimate Coaching Challenge

2011-01-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Those Aussies. Ahead of just about everyone in the application and integration of sport science into coaching. They seem to get it.

I cannot help but see speech therapist Lionel Logue as one of these progressive Aussie coaches. Mr. Logue was the speech therapist to King George VI. His relationship with George is the subject of the movie The King's Speech. If you haven't seen this movie, go see it. It is a beautiful story of the ultimate clinician/coach in action--the combining of practical experience with a keen insight into human physiology and psychology. It is a story of someone who has the will and perseverance to do what the other "experts" of his time will not and cannot do. Lionel knows there are no short-cuts, no magical cures; just hard work and trust in the process. And that failure really isn't an option.

A Very Delightful History of Weightlifting

2011-01-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mark Canella of Columbus Weightlifting for posting the link to this on GoHeavy! And I really like the Bodytribe appreciation for the history of physical culture and their celebration of strength athletics. Good stuff.

Mentoring

2011-01-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

I relish the opportunity to mentor others, whether they are athletes or coaches. You cannot learn everything in school. And you certainly cannot learn it all in weekend seminars. It takes time.

It takes independent study, along with dialogue and guidance from someone who has experience and a coaching eye. It is not just about parroting verbal cues and putting up random sets and reps up on the board. It is about knowing what at you are doing and why.

Right now I am formally mentoring two individuals. I really enjoy this type of work and interaction. I have to reflect on my processes and methods and this ultimately makes me better at what I do.

Into the New Year with a Blast from the Past

2010-12-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

This is footage from the 2004 Midwest Championships--the first time I ever took video at a competition. JMBrown dukes it out with Danny Herr in a epic battle of 77 kg school-age dudes. It is a sentimental favorite.

Happy New Year to everyone! May your 2011 be filled with PR's on and off the platform.

CAA Freshman of the Week

2010-12-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

Northeastern freshman Ryan Pierson has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week .

RIP Bud Greenspan

2010-12-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Two great moments in time from the work of Bud Greenspan. He was the ultimate story teller and a friend of weightlifting, with his 1953 documentary of and then 1986 SI article remembering two-time US Olympian, John Davis. I would love to purchase his official Olympic documentaries if they are available. Does anyone know if they are for sale?

Until then, I will hunt around YouTube for some more Greenspan gems and try to find more on John Davis. It is so refreshing to read and see these stories of the human spirit and condition. So much of today's media, especially the sports media, focuses on the flashy trappings of professional athletes or the seedy underside of their lives. It's now all about entertainment and the freaks that entertain; not about the purity of a sport, sport skill or the head-to-head competition.

Video for thought: Why aren't more women sitting at the head of the table?

2010-12-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

Never Say Never

2010-12-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

Career-ending injury? Not for Zach Krych.

Easy, Economical Visual Feedback

2010-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

Most of you know have seen my videos and know I'm pretty competent with Dartfish. Great software, but it is expensive and in order to use it in the gym (via In The Action) you have to have your camera streaming to a laptop via Firewire cable or an IP camera set up. This can be a problem if you cannot leave things set up in the gym and there are other things and people flying around the gym. I'm not interested in leaving my laptop or camera around chalk, bouncing barbells or bounding bodies.

What to do? Well, I've used my circa 2000 Sony DSC camera quite successfully to take basic video, but the screen is really too small to see well, and there is no easy way to slow down the video or to quickly get it to people without importing the images to the laptop and emailing them after the session.

I've considered the Flip video cameras, but again, you need to connect the camera to a computer to send the files. The Flip Share / Library is very, very nice, but the screen is still small and you cannot slow down the video or go frame by frame.

Enter the the iPod Touch (gen 4) and VideoPix app! I broke down on Black Friday and went to the Apple Store to get an iPod Touch. I love it. I can take 720p HD video and then open VideoPix to slow the video down to any speed you desire (30 - 1 fps) or scroll through the video frame-by-frame. Now you cannot render and save the video in slow motion--easy to do with Dartfish, Movie Maker or iMovie--but you can capture beautiful sequence stills and easily email the raw video to the athlete if you have Mifi or Wifi in the gym.

I also have iMovie ($4.99) on the iPod, but I think VideoPix ($.99) is much more useful. You simply capture the video with the iPod camera and then VideoPix grabs the video file you want to use and let's you view it with frame grabber and scrolling tools.

So there you have it. Great little tool you can easily carry around the gym. Yes, it doesn't have digital zoom or anything, but it allows you do capture movement and give your athletes quality immediate feedback on the go.

And a giant thanks goes out to my client Mike Roswell (pictured above) from Combat Crossfit in Liberty, MO for alerting me to the VideoPix app!

OT: Revenge of the Electric Car

2010-12-18T05:41:00.000-08:00

The Fobers, owners of a plug-in NEV for 1.5 years now, will be first in line when this film hits the 314. We highly recommend watching Who Killed the Electric Car? to get a bit of the history of the electric car and the issues surrounding its success (or lack thereof) in the US.

Great barbell warm up drills from Greg Everett @ Catalyst Athletics

2010-12-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

This warm up series and video is like an early Christmas present! It is so refreshing to see someone else emphasize purposeful, dynamic mobility work and quality bottom position work with the barbell. I love the long pulls for both lifts. Lately I've been emphasizing the muscle snatch and clean with all of my athletes to help develop mobility, proper receiving position and smooth, close turnover for the snatch and clean. I will definitely be incorporating these barbell sequences into my warm ups.

And I could just hug Greg for asking people to maintain grip on the barbell with the clean long pulls into the receiving position on the shoulders! Solid racking of the bar on the shoulders in the bottom position demands a very specific shoulder flexibility. Yes, you need normal wrist and elbow mobility, but the key here is shoulder mobility; specifically BILATERAL shoulder external rotation in the context of BILATERAL shoulder flexion with normal thoracic spine mobility.

If you fail to stay connected to the bar and let the hand open and wrist extend to receive the bar, you will not only unnecessarily beat up your wrists, you will likely have a tenuous bottom position rack on heavier lifts and struggle to stand. If the wrists extend early, the shoulders and t-spine are not required to do their job. Do not let your wrists compensate for poor shoulder mobility; it will come back to haunt you. Trust me on this one. Be kind to your wrists. Help your shoulders and t-spine develop good mobility to do these lifts and force yourself to use a full grip with drills like this and with front squats.

Fast elbows are simply the result of super-aggressive combination of a shrug against and external rotation of the shoulders around the bar. The shoulder, wrist and elbow work together as one smooth unit in order to meet the bar and place it smoothly and precisely in the receiving position. The beginning lifter must first be smooth and then super-fast with light weight--with full ROM--before s/he can be successful with heavy weights. Gotta link and sync the segments. Gotta learn to stay connected to and move aggressively around the barbell.

Do these drills with purpose and you too can develop the mobility to lift precisely and move smoothly with the barbell. Yes, the Sots presses are tough, but use PVC or a 5 kg bar to work into these positions. Modify your squat height if you need to. Play with some extra ankle mobility in the bottom (1/4" heel lift) and see (feel!) what happens. Be patient and don't rush it. It takes time and work for the ankle, hip, spine and shoulder tissue to adapt to these demands.

Thanks for this video and the entire CA exercise video library, Greg. It is one of the finest online weightlifting resources out there.

Kings Firecrackers!

2010-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Very impressive group of young women in 4th - 8th grade. Read more about the team and the PE teacher/coach who founded the club here. You can see more video on their website.

I wonder if they do any conditioning besides jumping rope?

I Wanna Be Like Olga

2010-11-29T04:04:00.000-08:00

Check out her story.

Happy 90th Birthday Stan Musial

2010-11-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

The Man received the Presidential Medal of Freedom this week. He and wife Lil are fabulous people--treasures of our fair city. This video captures Stan's graciousness, modesty and sense of humor. Happy 90th Birthday to Stan Musial, one of America's finest athletes and citizens.

Ryan Pierson on ESPN 11/16/2010

2010-11-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

PB&J, aka Ryan Pierson, travels with his new team, the Northeastern University Huskies to Carbondale, IL for a game against the SIU-C Salukis tomorrow morning at 9 am CT. The game will be televised on ESPN as a part of their College Basketball Tip-Off Marathon. The game will also appear online on ESPN3 if you want to watch a replay later or need an online diversion during the day.

Ryan was in the starting line up for the Huskies first game and victory over the Boston University Terriers last Friday, 66-64. He's #30 in the white jersey in the picture above. He tells me he is working hard and learning how to wrestle with the 7 ft + big dudes in practice. I'm looking forward to watching him play tomorrow. Guess I'm going to have to start calling him Soul Patch, since he's now sporting the very cool facial hair.

Nothing By the Slice

2010-11-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

“@StLouisSmack: @pistl Can you buy by the slice in the restaurants?” thanks. We sell whole pies only.

I have the same approach as Pi. There are no individual workouts posted here. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every workout has a context, purpose and a goal. Not appropriate to sell by the slice.

The Wookiee League

2010-11-02T05:16:00.001-07:00

Ready to bust out with "I'm a Little Tea Pot" at any moment!

The new kids on the block have been working hard over the summer and fall months. Their genes have blessed them with great height at such a young age--all are only 16 years old--three of them just last month! But gravity, super long femurs, tight hamstrings and school desks conspire against their spines. Muscles and tendons are desperately trying to keep up. So we move and groove, building awareness, alignment, mobility and strength in hopes of creating frames that will be mechanically resilient and resistant to the pounding these guys face on the basketball and volleyball court.

It takes time, patience and calories. And then more patience, more time, more calories, more reps, more sets, more purposeful mobility work to achieve the same movement competencies we ask of their shorter counterparts. For sure, each athlete has a few different tweaks to his programming and understands that he has specific issues to address. And I make sure to relate these issues to their long-term health, as well as their performance goals.

We cannot rush things with these guys. These guys truly put the "long" in long-term athletic development. Who knows when mother nature will be finished with them? It certainly won't be high school and it might not even be college. We must support the physical and emotional maturation process and hope that sport coaches and parents don't let height, hype and the desire to "play up" against older competition overwhelm their bodies.

Kelvin Giles and Mick McDermott put it very well in Developing the Total Player - An Integrated Strategy. I encourage you to check out the entire article.

In addition to these basic principles we must never forget that each individual player will require their own unique pathway to repeatable excellence. No two players are the same physically, mentally, technically or tactically and so the fundamental principles for all coaches to have in their tool-box are adaptability and flexibility. This is particularly important in the developmental stages of a player’s journey. The ‘before, during and after’ puberty periods present an array of ‘change’ unparalleled in a young person’s life. The difference in the rate of growth and development seen in a group of 11-15 year old players (male and female) is so profound that there can often be a 2-4 year biological difference between players of the same chronological age. Adaptability and flexibility become THE major tools for the coach during this time.

A Real Treat

2010-10-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

Repost from Vern Gambetta's Functional Path Training blog this morning. If you have any questions about what this program is like, I'm happy to answer them also. I am proud to be part of the 2011 GAIN faculty.

2011 GAIN Apprentorship June 17 – 22

Be a leader! Apply now and join a select group of professionals at the 2011 GAIN Apprentorship. Our goal is to define the field of Athletic Development by educating professionals in foundational principles and methodology as applied to coaching, physical education and rehabilitation. This program is not for the faint of heart or dilettantes, it is intense, intellectually challenging and demanding.

GAIN Apprentorship = Apprenticeship + Mentorship

We combine both into a blend of theory and practice in a five-day residential coaching school format. This is an opportunity to observe, question, and explore the application of the Gambetta Method - Systematic Sport Development Model of training, teaching and injury rehabilitation.

The coaching school represents just a beginning. To foster continued growth and interaction the graduates of the program can continue to participate via the secure web site, and continue to attend the GAIN coaching school for the duration of their careers if they so choose for no additional cost.

The 2011 school will be June 17 to June 22 at Rice University in Houston, Texas

The program is open to sport coaches, conditioning coaches, physical education teachers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors and doctors. To apply go to www.gambetta.com and go to Apprentorship page to download the application form. Enrollment is limited. Tuition is $3,800 with a $250.00 non-refundable deposit required upon acceptance. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, and room. Please call 941-378-1778 or email mail me at gstscoach@gmail.com for information on the special scholastic rate or if you have any questions.

Hoop Thoughts: BRIAN McCORMICK ON INJURY PREVENTION

2010-10-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hoop Thoughts: BRIAN McCORMICK ON INJURY PREVENTION: "Some great stuff from Brian McCormick's 'Hard 2 Guard Player Development Newsletter' on injuries: World renowned athlete development specia..."

Amen, Brother Kelvin and Brother Brian. Thanks Jill for sending this to me.

The Shoulder

2010-10-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you work with overhead athletes, you know the human shoulder depends on the rest of the body to optimally function. The shoulder needs the cooperation and positioning of the lower extremities and torso to provide the proper base of force production, whether performing a rotational motion (throw, hit) or a vertical thrust (jerk).

An illustration of shoulder position with an upright torso vs a forward torso in the receiving position of the jerk. Who's doing all the work to keep the barbell within the base of support?

If the lower extremities and torso do not do their jobs, the shoulder will ultimately suffer more wear and tear. Good mechanics are imperative for health and sport longevity.

The shoulder is not a smaller version of the hip. It has evolved to give us much more range of motion and requires coordination of the clavicle, scapula, thoracic spine and humerus. The shoulder is not designed to take the same pounding a hip can take. There is no bony socket to provide stability and it really isn't optimized for ballistic weight-bearing. Joint capsule, ligaments, tendons and muscular coordination provide the stability--not bone. So if you are going to bear bodyweight or greater loads in an open or closed-chain movement, you are going to want to use optimal mechanics to support the weight and give the shoulder the best platform possible. In training, you also want to develop balance of strength about the shoulder and reinforce scapulo-humeral rhythm during training with quality repetition and movement.

Chronic shoulder pain, rotator cuff tears, bicep tendinitis, labrum tears and multi-directional instability are not badges of honor for being an overhead athlete. Nor are they the price one pays for being active. They are the result of poor programming or training progression, doing too much too soon, not using good mechanics, or some combination thereof. Good training and proper progression promote good mechanics and build shoulder health, not chronic soreness. It takes time for the shoulder to adapt and build the capacity to tolerate greater volume and loads.

High volume of certain activities in the weight room can interfere with developing and maintaining shoulder mobility and mechanics. If you don't understand how your programming affects your athlete's shoulders, then you need to ask for help and get a clue. It is your obligation to know how what you do affects the short and long–term physical health of your athletes. And it is your obligation to inform them that more weight or more reps isn't necessarily better at any given point in time.

If your clients have to constantly see the massage therapist, PT or chiropractor for chronic shoulder problems, or they spend an inordinate amount of time with a foam roller / lacrosse ball attached to their arm pit or t-spine, that should be a red flag for you. Yes, injuries and accidents happen, but they should be extremely rare during training in the gym. Ultimately, the shoulder health of your clients depends on your ability to teach them proper mechanics and provide them with quality programming.

Badger Homecoming

2010-10-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Spent a beautiful weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. Met Kevin's college swim coach, Jack Pettinger. Took in the homecoming game and saw the fantastic UW Marching Band. These people have to be some of the most fit students on campus. We saw them working--marching and playing--from 9:30 am (11 am game time) until 2:30 with their 15 minute, 5th quarter performance. Groups came up into the stands to serenade us during the game, and they were wisely eating--just like athletes who needed some extra calories. I am sure most of the band members burn more calories than most of the football team on a home game day.

The video below has images from our visit, including the entire UW Band run on to the field and the 5th Quarter. If you squint and put it on 480p (yes, I know my 10 y.o. Sony needs to be replaced), you can see them high-stepping in place as the rest of the band runs on. The 5th Quarter is a long-standing tradition where the band comes back on the field and plays On Wisconsin,The Bud Song, Tequila, the UW Alma Mater and The Chicken Dance. It is pure fun for the band, students and fans alike.

Friday Fun From the Platform

2010-10-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

Don't know who--IWF?--made this, but I thought it was pretty darn fun for a little TGIF. Have a great weekend!

Meet Coach Jimmy Radcliffe

2010-10-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

I first heard Jimmy Radcliffe speak at the 1999 NSCA Coaches College in Colorado Springs. He didn't just talk. The man jumped, hopped, bounded, skipped and ran with grace, precision and an explosiveness I had never seen. He spoke with wisdom and humility. At 5'6" and maybe a buck sixty, this guy was not what I imagined when I found out he was a Division I strength coach.

Since that time, I've had the opportunity to listen to and speak with Coach Radcliffe in depth at the 2009 and 2010 GAIN meetings. His background is in weightlifting and track & field. He is the consummate professional--the real deal when it comes to developing the complete athlete. No false bravado; no quick fixes. If you get the chance to hear him speak, jump, bound, skip and run to it.

Coach Radcliffe will be with me on the faculty at GAIN 2011. If you are interested in attending GAIN 2011, drop me a line.

Build Foundations

2010-10-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

Training is about building physical foundations in the context of fundamental movements. The movements begin with basic ground-based movements and then progress to more complex and sport-specific movements.

Physical foundations. What is that? Strength? Endurance? Work capacity? Mobility? Body awareness? It is all of these things, but in the context of movement skills. And this takes time. It begins with an evaluation of where the individual starts--posture, movement coordination, dynamic vs static abilities. It progresses with the individual. Some progress quickly. Others need time--more strength, more reps to master the movement, more time to adapt.

Training sessions apply constructive stress to the system. Over time, positive adaptations occur. More is not always better. High intensity is not always appropriate. Both are always tempting to do. You cannot groove skilled movement going balls to the wall, in a fatigued state. You go balls to the wall when you have mastered the movement. You progress when the body has earned the right and demonstrates the ability to tolerate the new stress.

For me, it isn't about beating people down. It is about building them from the ground up; one block at time, through deliberate practice and repetition. I help them earn the right to progress and teach them the patience to let the process work.

Images from the Journey to COS

2010-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Exhibit at OTC. Very pertinent to our two month journey that led to the event in COS.

A new friend visited us as we dined on the patio at Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

Kara and Melissa with 2008 Olympian, Kendrick Farris at the venue.

Kara and Melissa right outside the USA Weightlifting gym at the OTC. We observed some current resident athletes training Friday afternoon.

After dinner at Cheyenne Mountain. Great food, fantastic service and a wonderful view. The entire whirlwind weekend--96 hours--was a great finale to our two-month training. I will write more in detail about our experience this week.

Monday Mashup

2010-09-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

A little off topic, but a delightful way to get a great fall week off to a great start.

Sport Expert Website and Weightlifting Exercise Calculator

2010-09-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

For weightlifting groupies...

If you are wondering if your classical lifts are in line with each other, or with your assistance lifts, check out the Sport Expert weightlifting calculator. The site also has some very good technique analysis from international competitions.

http://www.sportexpert.biz

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson

2010-09-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Via BoingBoing. Very interesting!

Teaching the Squat: My Philosophy

2010-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

The squat is fundamental to physical health and athletic development. Load the kinetic chain of the lower extremity in a balanced, efficient manner; then unload. Create a base of support (BoS), control your center of mass (CoM) through a range of motion. In the process, you train awareness, alignment, mobility, strength, power, strength endurance, power endurance—whatever you need.

I probably teach the squat a bit differently than many of my rehab and athletic development colleagues. My squat instruction is based upon a weightlifting squat, not a powerlifting squat or a wall sit. All single leg and other squat variations (speed, pause, partial) and hex or straight bar deadlifts flow from this movement. Remember, we are training a whole body movement pattern, not any one muscle group.

The body moves down and the torso stays tall, parallel with the shin. The knee must go over the toe and there is an emphasis on feeling the full foot pressing against the floor, not just the heel. The foot is balanced and the center of pressure about the foot is dynamic throughout the movement. The athlete learns to feel and control the balance. For me and for weightlifters, the squat is a means to an end, not an end in itself. We only need to squat loads that prepare us for our life and sport task. The focus is on quality of movement and the context the squat has in the current training plan.

Cues:

1. Start tall, bar on upper traps. About shoulder width, toes out slightly.

2. Shoes are a must. Weightlifting shoes are preferred.

3. Head is neutral. Eyes slightly down

4. Grip the bar with thumb around the bar; no wide grip.

5. Initiate lowering the body with ankle and knee flexion, balance then with hip flexion.

6. Push knees out on descent and ascent.

7. Feel the floor with your entire foot as you lower body. Stay balanced.

8. Keep a neutral, stable spine. No need to hyperextend or over-contract back extensors.

9. Feel hips, thighs, ankles and feet work as you push yourself back up.

10. Control down, strong up. Bring hips over knees, don’t pull knees back under hips.

11. Finish tall with hips under shoulders. Avoid excessive hip forward thrust.

12. Depth is individual and varies with mobility, body type and possibly experience. The goal is below parallel.

Below are two videos. The first shows a novice weightlifter--a high school junior--squatting at the end of a weightlifting training session. The second video is of two elite Chinese weightlifters training at The Arnold Weightlifting Championships. Same movement styles. Up and down with focus.

Mastering the Split Snatch

2010-09-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few clips of Kara's progress over the last 5 weeks. After training for a few days, it became clear to me that Kara would benefit from trying the split snatch. If someone has ankle, hip flexor, or shoulder/t-spine mobility limitations, the split snatch can be a great alternative. It is a very beautiful, athletic movement, as Kara demonstrates. Can you see the changes in her posture and overall mobility?

Friday Thoughts

2010-09-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

So glad Friday is here. It has been a long, but good week. Supposed to be beautiful this weekend, in the 70's. I am so ready for fall.

Recently, many of my CF friends have taken a greater interest in working on their mobility. This a good thing. Joint health and movement skill require a flexible, supple musculoskeletal system. One cannot effectively use strength and power without good mobility.

My four building blocks of physical health are awareness, alignment, mobility and strength. A training plan must develop all aspects of your movement system, not just strength and power. Mobility must be integrated and developed within the context of what you need to do. It must be a part of your training, not a random afterthought. If your programming is mindful and purposeful, then your training will not only work to make you stronger. It will also work to address your strength in the context of your mobility needs. Quality strength and power movement grooves mobility.

So I urge my friends to think about why they have the mobility issues they have. What movements in your programming might contribute to your mobility and pain issues? The body adapts to the quality and type of movements it is asked to do. That's how rehab and super-compensation work. The therapist and coach apply training overload to create positive adaptations. If inappropriately applied or poorly constructed, training programs can also lead to negative adaptations and imbalances.

Your body depends on you to think, not just do.

Cool Beyond Words

2010-08-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Tai Chi from John Leo on Vimeo.

Thursday's Learning Curve

2010-08-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

A peek into Thursday afternoon's training. Lots to work on, but these four are learning and incorporating new stuff every day. It takes time and purposeful practice to learn new motor skills.

Positive Shin Angle But Never With Squats?

2010-08-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

What is the angle of the shin when one lands with good mechanics on one foot? On two feet?

What is the angle of the shin when one uses proper acceleration mechanics?

What is the angle of the shin with skipping?

What is the angle of the shin in the "athletic stance" or "ready position" for many sports? Batting stance? Getting low on defense?

Doesn't effective ground-based force production require a coordinated effort using the foot, ankle, knee and hip?

Shouldn't the squat mechanics we teach support teaching a coordinated effort of the entire lower extremity, not just focus on the heel and the hip? The forefoot, midfoot, ankle and knee are also important parts of the equation. Center of pressure on the foot is dynamic, not static. Shouldn't the athlete learn to feel this? Isn't this a part of being balanced? Can we really reduce squat mechanics to the heel and the hip, when so much else of athletic movement calls for a positive shin angle and integration of the ankle, knee and foot in basically the opposite manner?

1 Year with Elmo and Without TV

2010-08-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

He's driven almost3,000 miles over the last year without a single visit to the gas station. We track our monthly electricity usage and cannot discern an increase in our bill. We could be off-setting any increase by the fact that also dropped cable / network TV at the same time, so we do not run the projector very often.

It's very interesting to drive Elmo out among other cars. You realize just how powerful and large the average car is and how fast people drive on neighborhood roads. Few, if any, people drive the speed limit on roads with 30-40 mph limits unless a cop is visible. I even notice a difference in my temperament when I drive Elmo vs Sheila (2004 Subaru Forester XT, 5 speed). I have more patience and calm--I cannot really be in a hurry and I cannot use my car to vent frustration. It makes me wonder how different the roads would be if people could not show aggressiveness through their driving.

Speaking of calm, not having TV in the house for a year has been fantastic. I guess we are in the minority, according to this NYT piece. We can watch online stuff (Hulu, PBS, YouTube) if we want to by connecting the laptop to our projector, but we don't do it very often. Background noise is limited to NPR or music, and I'm finding that I have less tolerance for repeated news and discussion on NPR. If KF wants to watch the Twins, Badgers or Packers, he goes to the JCC (gym) or to the GC (local restaurant & bar).

Many evenings we end the day quietly discussing how things went at school and the gym. We play with the cats and get the kitchen, laundry and other chores done together, rather than fall asleep in front of the tv. Seriously, we've probably slept a year in front of the TV over our 16 years of marriage. No more.

When you are not subjected to a constant stream of talking heads and streaming images, you realize just how much excess noise throughout most of our daily environment. Take the constant stream of information out of your day--most of which doesn't really impact our immediate lives and is stupidly alarmist and argumentative--and eventually you will find yourself with more mental and emotional energy to focus on what is really necessary in life.

The next step is to possibly get a phone that is also a Wi-Fi hotspot and ditch Charter altogether. I'm a little nervous about the quality and speed of service, but you know what, I'm probably better off with less internet time anyway. There's so much more to life than being online.

Trusting in the Process: Our Great Adventure

2010-08-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the end of week three in our training for the hybrid Crossfit / USA Weightlifting competition October 1-3. I'm working with 4 individuals and we train 8+ hours a week, over 4 days. Two athletes only train 2x a week with my, while the others train 4 days. I told my 4x/week people that I would work with them only under the following conditions:

1. No Crossfit class workouts for duration of our training (2 months). If you have withdrawal or a panic attack, text me and I'll talk you down and give you something appropriate.

2. The following exercises are off limits: deadlifts, kipping pull ups, KTE, CF-style KB swings, ring dips, muscle ups, Prowler pushing, thrusters, push presses.

3. The following exercises are ok: double-unders, rowing, sprints, bodyweight squats, lunges, front squats (strict form), snatches, cleans, power and split jerks, incline DB presses, HSPU.

Just 8 weeks. I know you can do it. Let your bodies recover from your training for and participation in the Crossfit Games. Trust me.

At first it was pretty hard for them, but they are starting to get it. They are seeing progress in their technique and feeling changes in posture and mobility. They are able to sense movement errors and make corrections themselves. They are learning the sweet sensation of the legs moving the bar. They are learning patience--that improvement comes in spurts and some days we learn the most from failed attempts.

In my mind, it has been essential for them to develop a completely different mindset--to break away from the constant nervous system overload and physical exhaustion of individual daily workouts. The weightlifting mind, or any technically demanding individual sport for that matter, has to be calm and able to focus intensely on the task at hand. It's not overhead anyhow; it is lift the weight with precise, efficient technique. Maximal effort, executed with precise control. Some parts of the body must stay relaxed, while others work all out. The nervous system cannot go haywire or function under a state of alarm.

It has also been essential to eliminate movement patterns and postural adaptations that are counter-productive to weightlifting. It is my experience and observation that an excessive amount of kipping pullups, high-rep, sloppy push presses and hard style KB swings contribute to chronic tightness in the shoulder rotators and scapulohumeral musculature, along with an athletic-induced thoracic kyphosis. This combination of this type of inflexibility in the upper quarter makes keeping the bar close and developing a smooth turnover very challenging. It makes an optimal receiving position in the clean and snatch almost impossible.

The kyphotic upper body posture is then reinforced and combined with lower-body movement patterns if the athlete is allowed to do thrusters with a barbell, sloppy heavy front squats or deadlifts. Combine this with a little tightness in the hammies and you will struggle to have an effective lift off position or bottom position in either lifts.

From an efficiency and movement pattern standpoint, we have focused on:

Learning to use the hip, knee and ankle to push the weight off the ground, vs use a high-hip, back-dominant deadlift type start.
Keeping the feet on the ground as long as possible in order to connect the leg drive to the barbell. No donkey kicking.
Keeping the bar close and getting the hips back into bar.
Meeting the barbell, not just diving into the bottom position.
Greasy-fast, efficient turnover of the shoulder / elbow / wrist. No extra torso, arm or torso gesticulations.

I'm excited to see what today's training brings. It is very rewarding and refreshing to work with adults who are so enthusiastic and talented. And they have been just tough as nails in this stifling heat and humidity. I too, am learning to trust in the process and not over-correct. Trying to learn how to modify things here and there to let their athleticism figure it out whenever possible. It's been a great adventure thus far!

Fascinating History of Osteopenia

2010-08-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

I say ditch the Fosamax and get a Hexlite bar, a set of Hitechplates and a few iron plates. I'll come teach you to lift correctly and we'll use gravity to build your bone density.

Pure Joy

2010-08-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Unclear on the Concept

2010-08-18T07:46:00.001-07:00

No Kara, the Hexlite bar isn't the Ab Rocker! Talk about ROTFLMAO.

What does it all mean?

2010-08-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Sometimes there are differences between the L and R sides. Do they matter? If so, do you know why they are there? How might they affect performance and training down the road?

Lewis Pugh's mind-shifting Mt. Everest swim | Video on TED.com

2010-07-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Lewis Pugh's mind-shifting Mt. Everest swim | Video on TED.com

Make Those Around You Better

2010-07-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

I'm not an individual sport kinda athlete. Don't like being out there all alone in the discus ring or weightlifting platform; not blessed with raw explosiveness and athleticism. But put me on a team, where strategy, planning, knowledge of the sport, consistency and fundamentals count, and I'll be successful.

In high school volleyball, I was the setter. Too stubborn to get rid of my goofy-footed approach, my high school coach made me set and I thrived. In college, I loved directing a 5-1 offense and keeping the opposing team off-guard.

In high school basketball, I was the 2-guard and a small forward. My job wasn't to score, but to get the ball to Darla Pannier, our junior center who would go on to be a high school All-American. Darla had the school season scoring record; I had the season assist record only because of Darla. Nothing made me happier than drawing a defender off-balance and getting the ball to Darla for the "and-one." My husband is always happy to refer to me as "not normally a scorer"--a phrase used by a local radio announcer during one of my high school playoff games.

I found joy in contributing to the overall success of the group.

Even now, I'm happy to be out of the spotlight and take a low-key role in professional endeavors. And I'm definitely not comfortable with the type of self-promotion that is common on the internet. My goal is to make those around me better and get people the best information I can. My job is to leave the gym a better place than I found it, not prop up my own ego or status in the eyes of others. The health and well-being of my athletes and patients is priority #1.

If there is information that sheds doubt on current practices (including my own philosophy and beliefs) in physical therapy or sport performance, it is my job evaluate it and help others understand it and apply it. If I don't know something, I admit it and work to get accurate information for people. There is no room for bullshit or bravado in my world. There is room to admit I am sometimes wrong and there are better ways to achieve goals. No worries; life is a process and life-long learning is part of that.

Most people have been very gracious and appreciative of my efforts to improve their physical health and athletic performance. Many have acknowledged, publicly or privately, my input on their training philosophy and programming. Others have not been so gracious, but I have no control over this. The only thing I can control is that I give my best, in an honest and professional manner--and make the gym a better place at the end of the day.

Evaluation

2010-07-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'm starting several new athletes over next few weeks. All will go through an initial 2 part evaluation that occurs over 2 days. I take the time to review past medical history with a parent, look at static and dynamic flexibility, upper and lower extremity strength, torso control with various movements and any other factor that might jump out at me, given PMH and their specific sport demands.

So the evaluation gives me a snapshot of where the athlete is now and then gives me insight into variables that may or may not impact training and performance down the road. I understand certain adaptations occur in sport, so I attend to them but keep in mind that I probably shouldn't try to fix it if it really ain't broke. I want to see if the athlete meets basic physical competencies--the physical building blocks that form the foundations for technical and tactical skills in the sport. And I want my tests to be relevant, measurable and meaningful.

Right now my evaluation process is has a very physical therapy feel to it, as the results of the evaluation are summarized in a written report that I send to parents, athletes and sport coaches (if applicable). I try to make it as easy to understand as possible, but it could be better. And it is going to get better by implementing elements of the PCA (Physical Competency Assessment), by Kelvin Giles of Movement Dynamics. Time to get my Excel and Radar Graph love on.

From the Vault

2010-07-14T04:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a blast from the past while I recombobulate after a long June and great vacation in Europe. More soon!

Le Tour Grande Depart: Brussels

2010-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

GAIN 2010

2010-06-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

There aren't many in-depth learning opportunities these days. I recently spent 6 full days immersed in topics that relate to LTAD (long-term athletic development) at the GAIN 2010 Apprentorship in Ft. Lauderdale. This was my second year to attend and my first to speak.

Some highlights of the event for me:

1. Diversity. As always, the diversity of the faculty and delegates makes this event unique. There are international / Olympic level coaches in dialogue with grass-roots physical educators and coaches. MDs, ATCs and PTs get together in group sessions in the evening to discuss barriers to patient care and how to overcome them. We in the US are exposed to the sport cultures of the UK, Europe and Australia. The threads that tie us together are a quest for physical health and performance for all levels of athlete. We still lack diversity as far as race and gender are concerned, but hopefully that will come around.

2. Professionalism and respect. The GAIN environment promotes intellectual curiosity because all speakers and topics are treated with respect. There is discussion and there may even be disagreement, but minds are open here and people are allowed to make their case.

3. The motor learning approach to performance. Frans Bosch just knocked me out with his approach to elite sprinters and running. For whatever reason, the US is so caught up in a mechanistic - strength approach to sport and the training of sport athletes. I know it has application in elite weightlifters. His talks really made me dig deep into my undergraduate study in philosophy of science and graduate work in kinesiology (motor control and learning). We cannot just reduce performance to strength, power output, rate of force development in the weight room. Yeah, it's easy to measure and it's fairly easy to develop. It's not just programming reps and sets; it's skill acquisition.

4. Athletes must earn the right to progress. And we must be held accountable for giving them a progression appropriate for their particular needs. We cannot progress if the fundamentals and infrastructure are lacking. We must educate parents, administrators and sport coaches to respect the process if we are to succeed in the long run.

5. Keep the beef on. Bill Knowles had some words of wisdom for all rehab peeps. Gotta attack LE strength quickly and aggressively upon injury and after surgery. He presented new research that show things shut down quickly--possibly on both sides. Gotta be creative and use all tools at our disposal.

6. Keep fighting the good fight. Yes, the grass appears greener on the other side, but many of us face the same type of challenges--at every level, from the Olympic stage to the public school gym class. Look to your tribe for support and take it one small victory at a time. We'll get there.

7. Give athletes more opportunities that ask them to self-organize, rather than cue them too much or limit them to one method of solving a motor problem. For example, I'm a big fan of the top-down method of teaching the classical lifts. After listening to Frans and talking to Jimmy Radcliffe and his method of teaching the lifts from the ground, I will now be more open to going from the ground if the right physical competencies are in place. There is no OTW.

8. Jimmy Radcliffe is not of this world when it comes to moving. And he is truly a pioneer in the collegiate S & C setting.

9. Joe P. is the bombdiggety in athlete rehabilitation. He researches, absorbs and applies more information--from all kinds of sources--in one month than I can ever hope to in one decade.

10. John Perry gives me hope for the PT profession. He walks the walk and gets people moving Gravity and ground reaction forces are our friends. Great warm up series during the Sunday am session.

11. Greg Thompson is pure energy in physical education. I know he'll find the cure for perspiration aversion syndrome in our lifetime. Our physical health depends on it. He wins the award for best slide of the week.

12. Ed Ryan and Dave Joyner. Should we all be so lucky to have massive experience and organizational skills of these sports medicine professionals. And they're pretty funny too.

13. Finally, a giant thanks to Vern Gambetta and Kelvin Giles for having the drive and ambition to do better. To provide thought-provoking topics and speakers for nearly a week, and to urge us to be defenders of technique and athlete-centered development. I can't wait until next year. The AD is coming with me.

John Wooden Wisdom @ TED

2010-06-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

John Wooden

2010-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

A teacher. A husband. A nice person. A mentor. A coach. We will miss him.

Spam in My Inbox

2010-06-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

How does this get into my inbox?

Good Afternoon—

Being a mom is a full-time job in itself. As a mother of two energetic boys with a full time career in fitness, Kristy DiScipio, Area Group Fitness Manager at Equinox, shares tips that have helped her lose the baby weight, fight off seasonal colds, reduce stress and balance home and work life. There is never a “good” time to exercise and there are limitless excuses to not do something. Below, please find some tips that can help you slim down and calm down.

Thank you for your consideration, please let me know if you need any additional information.

Best,
Bryan Barbieri | account coordinator regan communications group, inc. 106 union wharf, boston, ma, 02109 tel 617.488.2835 fax 617.723.2414

Frogs: They've Got Hops

2010-05-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

Bad Technique

2010-05-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

A love song to my Crossfit friends and family. To "Bad Romance" by Lady Ga Ga. Inspired by those Crossfit peeps who get acquire "workout brain" once they walk through the gym door.

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix your bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix your bad technique

Your lifts are ugly

Got Crossfit disease

I’ll fix your everything

But it won’t be free

I’ll fix your lifts

Lifts lifts lifts

Your ugly lifts

No time for drama

No hero workouts

It’s back to basics

Work it from the top down

I’ll fix your lifts

Lifts lifts lifts

Your ugly lifts

You know that you want to

And you know that you need to

To fix that bad, bad technique

I’ll fix your lifts and I’ll get some revenge

For the bastards teaching bad technique

You want to clean and you want to snatch

But it takes a little more than that

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix that bad technique

It’s such a horror

Oh there’s no design

It’s almost criminal

You need to refine

Your ugly lifts

Lifts lifts lifts

Those ugly lifts

Your movement’s psycho

With PVC stick

Then with a barbell

It gets really sick

Let’s fix your lifts

Lifts lifts lifts

Your ugly lifts

You know that you want to

And you know that you need to

(Cuz those are freak lifts baby)

To fix that bad, bad technique

I’ll fix your lifts and I’ll get some revenge

For the bastards teaching bad technique

You want to clean and you want to snatch

But it takes a little more than that

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Oh oh oh ohhhh oh oh oh

Caught with bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix your bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix your bad technique

High block, low block baby

Work it, work position, baby

Pockets, mid-thigh baby

Work it to below knee, baby

High block, low block baby

Work it

Work position, baby

Pockets, mid-thigh baby

Work it to below knee, baby

I’ll fix your lifts

And I’ll get some revenge

I’ll fix your lifts

Make the barbell your friend

(Just sing the French here)

Make the barbell your friend

(Caught with bad technique)

Make the barbell your friend

(Caught with bad technique)

Fix your bad technique

I’ll fix your technique!

I’ll fix your lifts and I’ll get some revenge

For the bastards teaching bad technique

You want to clean and then you want to snatch

But it takes a little more than that

Fix your bad technique

Caught with bad technique

Fix your bad technique

Caught with bad technique

Rah Rah ah ah ah

Roma Ro ma ma ah

Ga Ga oh la la

Fix your bad technique

Hey Sports Fans

2010-05-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

We checked out Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 from the library. One of the best sports movies EVER. Make sure you also watch every bonus interview.

Deliberate Practice

2010-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

MW works on building quality movement in the snatch. Deep, deliberate practice makes perfect.

Hassle Free Baby!

2010-05-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Greg Everett at Catalyst Athletics for this peek into the Hassle Free Barbell Club training session at Sacramento High.

A Long Journey

2010-05-16T12:01:00.001-07:00

After 15 years, they finally won it. Congratulations to Coach Miguel Figueres, Coach Doug Meitz and the DeSmet water polo team. You still don't have your own pool, but your hard work and determination have created a strong water polo program.

We came to St. Louis 15 years ago when I got into PT school at Wash U. Kevin left his position as assistant professor, physical education instructor and men's & women's swimming coach at the University of Chicago. By some fortuitous connections and luck, Kevin got an interview at DeSmet for a teaching job. During the interview, they asked him if he would coach swimming and re-start the water polo program (it had apparently been disbanded in the 1970s).

So in September of 1995, Kevin coached his first water polo game without ever having seen or played in one. The Spartans lost to the Marquette JV 24-6. Oh boy. But he was graciously mentored by Dan and Don Casey, icons of St. Louis water polo his first two years. Both coaches let him sit in on their high school practices and would even stop practice occasionally to explain to Kevin why they were doing what they were doing.

For 8 long years--felt like 20, he says--he coached both JV and Varsity water polo and swimming. Because DeSmet doesn't have a pool, his teams had to practice after Chaminade was finished. That meant starting practice at 6 pm and getting home around 10 pm every night after teaching all day and sometimes having morning practice for extra swimming conditioning.
I rarely saw him in the fall or winter. It was hard on both of us.

Finally, he found Miguel. Miguel took over varsity water polo in 2004 and Kevin coached JV for one more year, turning it over to Doug Meitz in 2005. Both men are teachers by day and very enthusiastic about St. Louis water polo.

As athletic director, Kevin has continued to be very supportive of water polo, starting and running the DeSmet Invite tournament at the Rec Plex, as well as traveling with the guys to Chicago for spring break tournaments when Miguel could not be there. Last night, he hustled back from running a district track meet (all day in the rain) to get out to St. Peters for the championship game, because he felt it was his duty to help supervise the crowd and be there for the coaches.

As we left the game, we ran into the mother of a former swimmer/water polo player who wouldn't let us leave the pool--even though we were trying to get home as Kevin still had to unload coolers and tents from school van and count the money from the district track gate. She said her son and other former DeSmet athletes at Truman State University felt that Kevin and Miguel had been a wonderful, positive influences on them. She thanked Kevin over and over for being a good role model for her son and making his high school experience a good one.

Congratulations to my husband for building the foundations of the water polo program at DeSmet and contributing to the DeSmet and St. Louis water polo communities in so many ways. It makes me proud to know he is appreciated by students, parents and colleagues--not just for winning, but for being a good teacher and person.

What vs Why: I Have So Much to Learn

2010-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

This talk gave me some insight into so many things--things I'm pondering at the moment. What do you think?

Passing the Torch

2010-05-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

The graduating senior helps mentor the freshman and show him what it takes to reach his potential. Vern Gambetta has a great post this morning on turning Potential into Performance.
The freshman has big journey ahead of him. Already a varsity player, he will be asked to do more and more in the high school and club seasons over the next three years. He and his family are working hard to keep it all in perspective, especially given the fact that this #22 follows in the footsteps of his grandfather's #22.

U17 Pan Am Championships

2010-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Team USA silver medalist Darren Barnes and his coach Derrick Johnson (both from STL) on his record-setting performance at the Pan Am Youth Championships. Very impressive lifting in the 56 kg weight class!

Congratulations also go out to Team USA's Ian Wilson on winning the gold in the +94 kg weight class in the Pan American Youth Championships. Ian is 16 and is coached by Butch Curry. He went 6/6 and set PRs in both the snatch and clean and jerk in Peru.

It's always a little tenuous to predict athletic success later in life simply from success as at early age. These two young men, along with Darren's twin brother Darrell, have been progressing steadily over the last few years and have represented the US with class at home and abroad. Keep up the good work guys!

DB Snatch Series

2010-04-25T16:43:00.001-07:00

This is a DB Snatch Series I learned from Mike Burgener. I use it with my athletes at the beginning of a workout as a transition from warm up into the first major exercise. 6' 10" Ryan Pierson demonstrates it here. He performs 3 DB snatches (both arms), followed by one R arm snatch and a lunge with each leg, then one L arm snatch and lunge with each leg. He finishes with 3 snatches with both arms.