Should we train movements or muscles?
providing useful and insightful science based training material
This week, we explored arguably one of the most significant areas of the body when it comes to contributing to pathology.
The thoracic spine is 12 segments (vertebrae) that are the bridge between the cervical spine and lumbar spine. On top of that, the ribs/ribcage articulate with the thoracic spine, and that scapula articulates with the ribcage…this creates a pivotal relationship with the thoracic spine and the shoulders.
Continue reading “KINETIC HYGIENE: THORACIC MOBILITY SUMMARY”
Being “elastic” or “reactive” refers to being able to have a good ability to quickly develop force and transfer one movement’s energy into another. The reactive strength index (RSI) is one of the most commonly used field tests for assessing these qualities. The RSI is the jump height of the movement divided by ground contact time. In other words, the higher you jump and faster you get off the ground the better your RSI will be.
Assessing athletic development can be done in an assortment of ways. Typically, such assessment is done by testing maximal strength in a movement, dynamic strength in a movement, and possibly some other type of “sport specific” movement. There is nothing wrong with this type of testing, but it can leave the coach asking some questions.
One of the issues with this style of testing is that it may not give enough “insight” to the development of the athlete. Every movement has many variables that influence its performance and it is hard to discern whether or not those variables are influencing the outcomes of the tests. Typically, such variables arise most often in a “dynamic” style of testing.
It is important to understand why testing is done. Testing is done to help guide a training program, which means the more accurate the testing is, the better of an idea the coach will have at pinpointing areas of improvement. Granted, any form of barbell/weight room testing is relatively non-specific, it can still provide insights into possible “general” physiological and neurological qualities that influence performance.
Contrast training is widely used by many coaches to help with power development. It involves the usage of several exercises in series to facilitate the potentiation of the nervous system and muscular system.
In the book Special Strength Training: Manual For Coaches, written by Yuri and Natalia Verkhoshansky, it is noted that contrast training is used to help with developing more efficient motor-engrams (movement patterns). This is why the desired movement is performed last. Theoretically, the previous movements that were performed in the series were different variations of the primary desired movement. This puts the body in a “problem solving” state and teaches it to perform the primary movement (when done last) in a more efficient way. This is what I would call a “specific” contrast.
Continue reading “Contrast Training (Power)”
Continue reading “Kinetic Hygiene: Lumbar Stability Summary”
This is the start of a multi-post series discussing the development of explosive power. The origin of this topic stems from a paper written by William J. Kraemer and Robert U. Newton (Link here).
Continue reading “Developing Explosive Power Introduction (Five Pillars)”
Periodization: The process of breaking down a training program into distinct periods of emphasis or time.
Periodization can come in two forms, Linear or Undulating. These forms have subdivisions within them. For example, westside conjugate periodization and waved periodization are both different subdivisions of undulating.
Type of joint: Synovial
Degrees of freedom: Three (Tri-Planar)
Joint ROM norms:
Flexion- 120
Extension- 20
Abduction- 40
Adduction- 30
External Rotation- 50
Internal Rotation- 35
The drop-catch method was detailed in one of my previous posts (click here). It is a method that utilizes higher velocity loading schemes and less weight on the barbell to provide an overload stimulus to the athlete. It is centered around the idea of having to rapidly absorb a high(er) eccentric velocity loads over a shorter period of time and over a smaller range of motion.
The banded squat drop can be used in the squat drop progression. Obviously, the banded version would come after the body weight and barbell versions, but the methods of application are the same.
Continue reading “Banded Squat Drop Catch Progression (Why)”
“One which uses strength training to raise force production of the muscles as far as possible in hope that the submaximal (‘good enough’) level, as well as the robustness of the movement, will increase together with the maximal level. The maximal level raises the submaximal level along with it, as it were.”
“One which primarily seeks to increase the robustness of the movement, so that the ‘good enough’ level then shifts towards maximal level without the maximal level needing to rise”
Quotes from- Frans Bosch (2010) Strength Training and Coordination: An Integrative Approach
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