I’ve received a bunch of personal emails regarding the article just posted and thought it would be easier to just open up a general Q&A today.
If you have any questions just ask and I’ll try to answer asap…
In faith,
Coach Davies
Hi Coach Davies,
I would like some advice on gpp training for basketball. Right now I’m in season, and I have noticed that my game goes down as the game continues (fatigue).
I would like to increase my gpp for the next season and put on some pounds of muscle. Currently I’m 6’3" and 180 pounds (body fat should be around 10%) and 19 years old. I’m getting back to the weight room when the season finishes. I would do a defranco’s westside for skinny b.or CW’s bib boy basics program, haven’t decided yet. Would be great if you advice my on how to incorporate gpp along with pick up basketball and weight training.
Regards,
manuel190
ive been doing hang cleans for awhile now and feel fairly proficient in doing them I do have a couple of questions pertaining to technique and the effect on the body though. Ive noticed that great olympic lifters include a drop into a front squat into the catch portion of the hang clean, what techniques can one use to apply this to the movement. Secondly I was wondering about the affect of hang cleans , rack pulls etc on the posture.I noticed that after a month of doing hang cleans my shoulders started to round, it could be in part to the sudden growth in my traps is this a natural occurence?
Well first of all Coach, let me say it’s good to hear from you. I’m glad you are still contributing to T-Nation site.
I’ve been too busy to regularly visit your RenegadeTraining site and only manage an occassional visit here.
I’ve been promoted up to Director of Coaching for the soccer league, so in addition to coaching my players, I’m coaching the coaches. You can be sure that the Wheel of Conditioning makes up a central part of what they have to learn. It’s amazing how even talanted young soccer players lack so much of the fundamentals. They’re not getting basic “P.E.” in school so I make sure it becomes part of our cirriculum. Even the coaches are out of shape, so this year we created an adult league and held conditioning sessions.
Getting the coaches and parents active and playing difused a lot of the sideline tension found in much of youth sports.
But this was supposed to be a Q&A session, so I’ll ask one about baseball training for high-school athletes. To strengthen the shoulders and elbows (and avoid the common baseball problems): direct rotator cuff work via bands, or integrated work such as modified O-lifts (snatches, cleans, push-press, The Bear, etc. - with both dumbbell and barbell).
Keeping in mind these are 15-18 year olds, so I’m looking for re-hab and pre-hab effects in growing bodies.
Thanks for all your work. You continue to inspire.
- Coach Clarke -
Manuel
A pleasure to hear from you and hopefully this will be of help. I will try to outline some things slowly and I would ask you to please review and respond. This is a tremendously broad topic and I want to make sure I answer your particular question.
First of all, lets consider the goals of GPP within my training and it is a bit broader then some use;
-increase work threshold, levels of fitness
- assist in muscular recovery
- provide a unique variation to training
- enhance motor skills, general grafting of movement
- provide a conduit to sport-specific movement patterns
- development of sub-maximal explosive work - prepare the psychological process of concentration within the ?fog of war?
- from a coaching perspective this will help in the development of espri-de-corp
From there you might have a better idea of the goals/intentions of GPP within your training.
I utilize both non-weighted and weighted variations of GPP and each will satisfy to some extent the above points, the “renegade concepts of training” and “wheel of conditioning” (both mentioned in the Power Clean article").
We can go into many of these different mechanism but if you can first fill me in a bit on your existing training it would be easier. I’m happy to help where possible.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Coach C! - oh, I’m always around but thanks for the welcome.
Nice to see your work in Soccer and hopefully people in our country will realize what a great sport it is. I know the kids (and coaches) are in good hands. Of course let me know about any games…I’m always available for the pitch.
Regarding fitness for soccer it is a
peculiar issue. First, young athletes need more generalized broad-based athletic work at a young age mixed in with a growing intensity of specialized sport skills.
Well I better not get to far off-base about Soccer as I can go on and on about it. BTW, I’m also planning on releasing a book on soccer training in various languages within the year so we can talk about that anytime.
Re baseball training - another favorite topic although based upon my swing of late, I need a lot more skill work - lol. Seriously though I think most of the movements can be discussed
but the bigger issue is observance of the “training concepts” / “wheel”. Specifically the biggest issue we need to deal with isnt simply the exercise but HOW TO perform it. Form and technique are not nearly stressed enough and yet this is the key to the broad topic postural alignment, force generation and ultimately performance enhancement.
Let me know how I can help with this question and certain with your soccer program.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Hey Coach,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I own your first two books and I am looking forward to the release of Renegade Training for Golf. Will this new book have lots of new goodies in it not found in the previous two books?
On another note, I just read your powerclean article and I am curious how I can incorporate the “Kettle Bell Pull and Catch” into my own training program? I assume this can be done with a Dumbbell as well? Could you touch on loading parameters and how to fit it into the overall plan?
I’ll start with this method and work my way up to the Renegade “flambe” version!
Thanks Coach.
Coach-
Under advice from Eric Cressey and others I think that I am going to try and incorporate some strongman-type GPP into the rugby practices that I’ll be running in the fall. (Farmers walks, firemans drills [carrying each other] in various ways, etc.)
Do you have any advice/input with those or other exercises to incorporate?
Also do you have any connections or ideas of where to find CHEAP or free “heavy things” to run around with.
I liked the article. All the concrete and construction added a nice touch.
RIT JARED
Kyle
Good to hear from you…I’m still waiting to get out Snowboarding, so maybe this year. Besides you know a few good runs in VT opened Oct 31 last year!!!
Re the Golf book, honestly it is significantly better then either of those books and with a LOT harder edge then anyone expects. It’s very broad based - but wait to you see it, you’ll understand, especially if you know my sense of humor.
With regards to the Clean and Catch, start light, the key isnt the pull but the transition to dropping fast. I personally would start light with say a 25 lb dumbell. And yes you can use use virtually dumbell or kb. Make sure of technique and posture - you have to be really ready to drop fast. I would position these right after your preliminary swings prior to PC’s.
Finally with flambe, I am hesitant to give out all of our (“R”) secrets but who can resist the dramatic flair of…ok, a bit off topic.
: )
In faith,
Coach Davies
Coach
Would you say the clean is more effective than the Snatch?
Also what do you think of CW’s variation of burpees?
Scott
RIT Jared
I would have always recommended weighted GPP work - it’s extremely important. In performing it, make sure you maintain “the concepts” at all times and never re-inforce negative patterns.
There really is a broad selection of what you can do - it just depends what you have access to. Plenty of great things at most salvage yards to be honest or basic implements that you can use. I would also recommend you get into some tumbling / low-based work. Let me know if you can help.
Geez, glad you liked my work demo’ing things. The next day was a bit more fun…BTW, hope you like my new pullup bar - lol
In faith,
Coach Davies
teekz - I apologize, I didnt see your post amongst the others but hopefully this will be of help.
Regarding technique, I think that was covered in another post as I feel that you should become comfortable with both the Power Clean and the “classic” Clean.
As it pertains to the impact on your body, I want to point out that yours (and every) program needs “balance” in design. Are you referring to more trap development or an actual imbalance developing? I’m happy to discuss if you wish.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Haney -
In response to your question of Cleans and Snatch lifts in what way do you mean “more effective”?
Each has there level of importance within a properly balanced program and are integrated within my training.
Hope that helps - let me know how I can help.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Hey Coach,
Thanks for the tips on the Clean and Catch. I trust a couple sets witha 25-lb. DB and they were a blast! I can see what you are saying about controlling posture. Great reactive exercise. Any other ideas on incorporating more reactive exercises like this into my training?
I would love to hook up and go snowboarding you’ll have to give this Skier a few lessons on how to handle the board though (I’ll probably take a few lessons this winter and give it my best).
Did some killer snowshoeing last year in the NH woods and in Colorado so any time you want to give that a go let me know.
Thanks for the tips and I look forward to the new book.
Kyle Battis
I?m helping a female friend get started in a weight training program. I?m steering her away from machines, she can do dead lifts, but she can?t even do a squat to parallel. By the time she gets below ? she gets some serious pelvic tilt going. How can I improve her squatting with her current limitations? Should I tell her to do more one legged stuff like step-ups and lunges (range of motion is also a problem for her on the lunges). She isn?t in terrible shape, but she also says she has knee pain when she goes to deep. How would you strengthen her lower body while addressing her range of motion issues? Thanks.
Coach,
Well in my own personal experience I seem to gain more explosiveness from a snatch over a clean. I have done programs that have included both, and some that included just one of them. I always seem to get more from the snatch. I was just curious if you had come across that same thing.
Also I am sure you missed the other question but what do you think of CW’s variation of the burpee? He includes a pushup and a pullup in the movement.
Scott
Strange… whenever I talk to T-mag contributors, I feel like I’m talking to celebrities.
Anyways, how would you suggest I train for martial arts? My style is very similar to Tae Kwon Do, so there is light contact. Basically, my strengths are flexibility and strength, and weaknesses are speed, and endurance. Doing fancy footwork is more difficult than kicking, so after about 90 seconds, I’m starting to feel the burn in my quads and glutes (rounds are 2 minutes or first to 5 points).
The equipment I have available to me is a wavemaster punching bag, a bunch of cardio equipment, a chinup bar, and a home gym.
Given what I have, what would be some of your suggestions?
By the way, when I said talking to T-mag contributors is like talking to celebrities, I wasn’t doing it to suck up… just so you know.
Kyle…glad you liked them. Keep ripping on it.
Glad you’re coming Snowboarding and don’t stress you’ll learn fast and have a blast. And now that I know you snowshoe…this sounds great I got out a bunch of times last year. What is really great is actually backcountry snowboarding and hiking into the spots.
Regarding additional reactive work, I know you’ve already read the last 2 “M&R” and the final installment will be shortly. Have you been doing the dive work so far?
In faith,
Coach Davies
gar18
First of all please fill me in more of her pain, injury history and so-forth.
Most important thing we can do is help her on the right track. If you want to drop me a personal email feel free and I’ll take care of it.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Haney - I understand what you are getting at with regards to the Snatch / Clean comment. Certainly the Power Snatch and Push Jerk are 2 of the most influential lifts within the development of explosive strength as measured per the VJ.
But of course this may have to do with your personal technical skills of the Clean as well. If you have any mpegs of your lift - I am happy to take a look, maybe there is something to work on.
Personally I would also add the Drop Snatch to the equation but for most non-competitive lifters thats a bit beyond the scope of there experience.
In faith,
Coach Davies