[quote]Danny John wrote:
And really, for most “gym” guys…a big deadlift might be a better option than a big back squat. Hell, if you are lifting in a Smith machine or whatever crap they have, you might as well go with grandma on the Adductor machine…
So, maybe a big deadlift might be a better option…and some hills or sleds…[/quote]
What do you think of sprinting on sand barefooted? When you do your hill sprints, what kind of distances do you do 40 yards?
Why is a big deadlift better than a big squat? Because it works more muscle groups simultaneously and is more similiar to picking up stuff off the ground like everyday living as opposed to squatting with something on your back/shoulders which we as humans virtually never do?
Well, Old Dogg, I am not sure I can teach you any new tricks.
Leakage and Linkage are Pavel T’s words. Here is how you work on it…written version, let’s hope for the best.
Get into the basic key points for your sport. For a discus thrower, it would be that big “Bow and arrow” position when the discus is 180 degrees from the throw in the Power Position. Put your hand against something that won’t give and imitate the position. Slowly add more and more strength/might/power/whatever and sense where you are not locking in power. Off arm? Pecs? Front calf? Do you pull away…do you cheat in any way. Then, shake it out and try it again. Keep looking for where you lose power…LEAKAGE.
Then, see what you can “zip up.” LINKAGE and try it again. And again. Be sure to shake it out every time.
I think this might be part of the reason Isometrics work…and they do, I think…by discovering your leaks…
[quote]Danny John wrote:
And really, for most “gym” guys…a big deadlift might be a better option than a big back squat. Hell, if you are lifting in a Smith machine or whatever crap they have, you might as well go with grandma on the Adductor machine…
So, maybe a big deadlift might be a better option…and some hills or sleds…[/quote]
Do you do your hill sprints for more of a “cardio” or for leg strength or both? How do you set them up as far as distances, rest periods, frequency per week, etc? I read that Spud Webb ran up hills.
I know that you feel that hill sprints/sleds could possibly be BETTER than squats for most athletes so is there anything that you recommend for the upper body that you can do outside-I love training outside- (no free weights or gym membership needed)that would be equivalent to say a overhead pressing movement w/a barbell or dumbbell?
Cardio? First, Chris Shugart says that I use Swiss Balls and now people say I do cardio. I might as well just grow a 'fro and wear spandex and cry on Oprah…
Walter Payton ran hills. Barry Sanders ran hills, Jerry Rice ran/runs hills; all my athletes run hills. They are just good.
The king of outdoor upperbody exercises are pullups in the monkey bars in playgrounds. Also, don’t underestimate the simple pleasures of throwing stuff at stuff, too.
I just reread an old Track and Field book where a discus thrower (1936 Olympic Champ, Ken Carpenter) used pullups as his basic training to improve his throw. I have just come to learn to love these kinds of odd little paradoxes…why would pullups help a discus thrower…don’t know, but they do…
I have been very stalled in doing snatches (power or regular) due to wrist pain. I only have pain in my wrists in the snatch position, and don’t have any other problems.
[quote]Danny John wrote:
Cardio? First, Chris Shugart says that I use Swiss Balls and now people say I do cardio. I might as well just grow a 'fro and wear spandex and cry on Oprah…
Walter Payton ran hills. Barry Sanders ran hills, Jerry Rice ran/runs hills; all my athletes run hills. They are just good.
The king of outdoor upperbody exercises are pullups in the monkey bars in playgrounds. Also, don’t underestimate the simple pleasures of throwing stuff at stuff, too. [/quote]
Cool. I’m going to try to find a good hill to run up. I already do lots of pullups on the monkey bars. Thanks.
[quote]Danny John wrote:
Well, Old Dogg, I am not sure I can teach you any new tricks.
Leakage and Linkage are Pavel T’s words. Here is how you work on it…written version, let’s hope for the best.
Get into the basic key points for your sport. For a discus thrower, it would be that big “Bow and arrow” position when the discus is 180 degrees from the throw in the Power Position. Put your hand against something that won’t give and imitate the position. Slowly add more and more strength/might/power/whatever and sense where you are not locking in power. Off arm? Pecs? Front calf? Do you pull away…do you cheat in any way. Then, shake it out and try it again. Keep looking for where you lose power…LEAKAGE.
Then, see what you can “zip up.” LINKAGE and try it again. And again. Be sure to shake it out every time.
I think this might be part of the reason Isometrics work…and they do, I think…by discovering your leaks…[/quote]
Dan,
That helps alot. So, I’m thinking that it’s a process of identifying and working on a leak (or leaks), building the link, and then seeing where the next one crops up until the entire “system” is tight. Sort of like the weak link in a chain?
Isometric deadlifts, Isometric inclines. I’ll have to re-read your piece on isometrics.
As an aside, maybe the pull-ups give the training effect of the power curl, or vice-versa.
old dogg
Full Contact Twists: I had Pavel patiently explain them to me and I still do them wrong. I just can’t unhinge thirty plus years of twisting and throwing.
So, I do Saxon Side Bends, Evil Ab Wheels, Hanging Leg Raises (Like L-Sits…no motion…an isometric) and a variety of Suitcase carries…
How many pullups can you do? Do you experiment w/variations such as: 1 armed pullups, sternum, chinups, towel chinups, etc?
If I do my hill sprints in the morning on an empty stomach, is that better for fat loss?
If explosion is the key in most sports such as basketball, highland games, etc then why don’t you recommend lifting lighter weights faster as opposed to always “striving to put more weight on the bar?”
Pavel T talks a lot about instantly increasing people’s strength by 30%, etc and teaching people how to tap into their strength better. You often hear of stories of people doing very incredible things while in the fight/flight state. Do you think we are kind of already built in with enough strength for survival (hunters back in the day, etc) and just have to learn to tap into it better w/say Tai chi, meditation, vibration drills, Pavel’s stuff, etc?
Big fan here although I am usually a lurker-enjoy your site and insight. I am a strength athlete- I have done pling for 19 years-my best official lifts are 810 534 750. I have also done a few strongman shows-when I lived in Calif I trained with Charlie Kaptur, Jay Lyttle, and Kevin Kinzy.
Anyways my question to you is…what are some of the best performances you have seen on the overhead squat-because i tried that-at your advice and man it is tough-the bar is tough and I like to think I am strong.
I think it will help me get over 800 lbs at the deadlift nationals this year in August-my weak point is the start of the deadlift-I speak monthly with Terry McCormick about the deadlift and I have other contacts-but no one ever mentioned the overhead squat and I think it will be quite helpful-ever have a lifter improve their dead with it? Paul Leonard-in this pic I am loading our 308 stone while Kaptur watches. Take care and thanks for all the helpful info you share!
I did 21 in January to do my yearly goal and now I just do a few as a “warm up” every so often. They are fine, but I don’t take them very seriously.
I did the “hill sprints on an empty stomach” back in 1987 to 1989…and I found myself starting lose fat…then muscle…then energy. I’m sure it works, but I have no moderation.
The third question is the real question of sports. I don’t think you get explosive lifting light, but lifting light saves your nervous energy (which I believe in) and gives you a nice moving stretch. I believe…and Tom Fahey’s research agrees with this…that after you get to certain levels (Bench 400, Snatch 250, Clean 300, Squat 450 are the numbers I usually see), that pushing a big deadlift and a big press are the only two things (building absolute strength) that help you toss things farther…maybe. Nobody really has a perfect handle on this, but it seems that you need to be damn strong with a comprehensive base. And, technical sound, lithe, low fat, focused, blah blah blah.
[quote]BPC wrote:
Dan,
How many pullups can you do? Do you experiment w/variations such as: 1 armed pullups, sternum, chinups, towel chinups, etc?
If I do my hill sprints in the morning on an empty stomach, is that better for fat loss?
If explosion is the key in most sports such as basketball, highland games, etc then why don’t you recommend lifting lighter weights faster as opposed to always “striving to put more weight on the bar?”
[/quote]
On the built in strength question…maybe. But, “survive” is not the same as “thrive.” You are asking me if I could compete in a Highland Games or Wt. Pent without training for five or six years. Yes. Would I beat some people? Well, yes. Would I beat my bests…or quality throwers? No. I could finish…but not thrive.
Good post. I did a 315 Overhead Squat and I have had my athletes get into the high 200’s with a fair amount of regularity. Pavel has a new DVD on “Strength Stretching” and he has an OvSqt Variation. It might not make sense that it would help your deadlift, but I honestly think it would help you wedge under the bar better at the start and maybe give you a little more “connection” in the hip/thigh/ass that might be the last little bit you need to pull 8. I am not sure you can prove it one way or another, but I found that my lower back got stronger doing Overheads that those weighted Hyperextensions and other stuff I used to do. Odd, but it seems true to me.
[quote]Yorbabarbell wrote:
Hi Dan
Big fan here although I am usually a lurker-enjoy your site and insight. I am a strength athlete- I have done pling for 19 years-my best official lifts are 810 534 750. I have also done a few strongman shows-when I lived in Calif I trained with Charlie Kaptur, Jay Lyttle, and Kevin Kinzy.
Anyways my question to you is…what are some of the best performances you have seen on the overhead squat-because i tried that-at your advice and man it is tough-the bar is tough and I like to think I am strong.
I think it will help me get over 800 lbs at the deadlift nationals this year in August-my weak point is the start of the deadlift-I speak monthly with Terry McCormick about the deadlift and I have other contacts-but no one ever mentioned the overhead squat and I think it will be quite helpful-ever have a lifter improve their dead with it? Paul Leonard-in this pic I am loading our 308 stone while Kaptur watches. Take care and thanks for all the helpful info you share![/quote]
