Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

Strength is kind of like pornography; hard to define but you know it when you see it.  Functional strength is very difficult to quantify.  I pretty much stopped trying.  We evaluate strength more by the subjective quality of movement than numbers in the weight room.  The strongest athlete I ever coached threw over 17m in the shot and jumped over 7.70m in the LJ without walking in the weight room for over three years.

are you saying that jumpers are better off not lifting?

I'm saying that the majority of sub-elite performers would be better served by alternative strength training modalities that involve lower intensities and higher volumes.  Examples of these might be single leg iso-hops, uphill running w/ weight vest, in place jumps w/ weght vest, low walks, baby bounds, and various movements with sandbags.

While I agree about that as far as triple jump.  Do others agree that long jump is a different animal?  Wouldn't it, more likely than not, be better to lift weights for the long jump since the elastic demand is much lower? 

ISO hop?
Could you explain?single leg hop with a hold ?

eroszag - 11 December 2007 03:32 AM

ISO hop?
Could you explain?single leg hop with a hold ?

Yes, over 15-20 cm hurdles.  Concentrate on landing full footed with the ankle dorsiflexed.

Winnesota - 10 December 2007 11:46 PM

While I agree about that as far as triple jump.  Do others agree that long jump is a different animal?  Wouldn't it, more likely than not, be better to lift weights for the long jump since the elastic demand is much lower? 

I would say the opposite.  "Traditional" weight training is probably more beneficial in the TJ than the LJ.

Barto - 10 December 2007 07:56 PM

Strength is kind of like pornography; hard to define but you know it when you see it. 

Quote of the day!!! hahahahaha

Barto - 10 December 2007 07:56 PM

Strength is kind of like pornography; hard to define but you know it when you see it.  Functional strength is very difficult to quantify.  I pretty much stopped trying.  We evaluate strength more by the subjective quality of movement than numbers in the weight room.  The strongest athlete I ever coached threw over 17m in the shot and jumped over 7.70m in the LJ without walking in the weight room for over three years.

in another tread you speak about unilateral strenght routine as weighted pistols; can you give us a wider picture of your strenght training routine? I think that it's scientifically proved that heavy weights have an neural and endocrinal adaptation; if I understood correctly your statement you avoid weight training, so I wish know how do you give to your athlets this type of stimuli. I'm very interesting about your ideas, so I hope you could give a wide description of your methods.
English isn't my mother language, so I hope you can understand what I wrote

We should move this thread to the "Great Coaches: Todd Lane" forum. 

We do not avoid lifting weights.  We avoid lifting weights until the athlete is ready to lift weights.  Until then we do a variety of lower intensity, higher volume strength training activities.  General Strength circuits are the main component of the lower intensity / higher volume type training.  Pistol squats are a part of these circuits.  Athletes progress from assisted pistol squats to unassisted to weighted as they develop.

We use to think you were smart Mike, you have now shown otherwise.......

We use to think you were smart Mike, you have now shown otherwise.......

"We do not avoid lifting weights.  We avoid lifting weights until the athlete is ready to lift weights."

Todd, why are you questioning Mike B's intelligence?  Seems reasonable to me. :tumble:

I think Coach Lane was questioning Mike Young’s judgement - not mine.

Barto - 15 January 2008 11:11 AM

I think Coach Lane was questioning Mike Young’s judgement - not mine.

Mike [Mike Bartolini aka Barto...for those who are confused], don’t mind CFKA....he’s far too smart and witty for all of us....perhaps even Todd Lane. CFKA knows exactly what was meant by Todd’s comment he was just being the ‘resident ranter’ that he is.