Before we get into the good stuff, I want to go over what will make your program a success. There are many ways to train your body and there are many ways that work. The consistencies in the success stories deal with habit and structure. Without habitual behavior, it is going to be hard to reach your goals. Just like brushing your teeth has been ingrained in your daily routine. You want to create that same kind of habit with your lifting routine. In order to do that, create structure in your day and in your training schedule. You should always have a plan and have a purpose each time you enter the weight room. Execute your daily routine without deviation and the accountability for your actions will be improved. Now on to the training stuff!
There is a natural evolution of training. The first level is what I will call training freestyle. These people just show up to the gym, do whatever they want, and leave. Some training is always better than no training but when you aren't maximizing your time when you have no plan, no progression, and no record keeping. The second level of training is chop-shop programming. These individuals mix and match a bunch of different ideas they've read or got from their "mentors" and call that a program. The issue with this is that by doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, you aren't really following a program. Programs are created for a reason. If you are going to follow one then do just that. Don't substitute this for that and think you are still doing the program. You're not! The third level is what I'll call exact recipe programming. This is the individual who religiously monitors their tempo, makes sure everything is working right, following someone's plan to a T, but put so much effort and energy into everything being perfect that they forget to train hard. The fourth level is template programming. This is the individual who has a plan and a rough idea on periodization. They are experienced enough to have a little flexibility and understand that some days you just might not have it. This individual is in it for the long haul.
For somebody that is looking to get to level four, I will give you some basic guidelines for how to start building your very own template. These workouts should be full body workouts done three days a week. A basic template is listed is as follows: upper body push, upper body pull, any type of squat, something that involves a hip hinge (Deadlift, KB Swing, Romanian Deadlift, etc), an exercise that is core/trunk related, and a loaded carry. The carry is often neglected but if you have an opportunity to push a sled or carry some heavy weights around, DO IT! They are a game changer and extremely taxing on your body. Every day you lift, you can change the exercises up a little so you aren't constantly doing the same stuff. So for the upper body push, bench one day, military press another, use dumbbells, press only one arm at a time, etc. Use the same variations with the other exercises as well. A simple rep scheme to follow in the beginning is a 10/8/6 program. There are many ways to do it but the 10/8/6 program is a good place to start. Each week you try to beat your previous weeks best lift. Lastly, never miss a rep (if it calls for 6 reps make sure you get 6) and never sacrifice quality for quantity. Take some time this weekend to put some ideas on paper and create your plan for the upcoming week. Keep me posted on how you're progressing!
Chris Fluck
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Whatever happened to that kid?
This past weekend I had an opportunity to be around some coaching peers in Easton's wrestling room as we were there for a scrimmage. The topic of conversation quickly turned to long term athletic development with our wrestlers. We talked about those kids who dominated youth sports and then never heard of them again as they moved up in class or just stopped competing (70% of young athletes quit before the age of 13. The top three reasons: adults, coaches and parents). This isn't just a wrestling issue, it is a youth sports issue.
This is caused by the win-at-all costs youth sports environment (the same can be said for the AAU culture in basketball). The coaches at the lower levels are not talent identifiers, they are talent selectors. They choose the most physically developed kids for their team and cut the smaller, less athletic players because they can not help them win now. The cut players get put on lesser teams with lesser coaches and in weaker leagues. Some of these kids persevere, the others wither away. The "elite" kids train, get good coaching, but often rely on what has worked for them in the past when they had a physical advantage over their competition and are not as open to learn. This I have seen on many levels with wrestling. There are moves that work in the youth league that do not work in Junior High. There are moves that work in Junior High but not work well at the High School level. Same for High School to College to International competition. The kids who are able to adapt, display a work ethic, and are excited to learn will continue to improve. But the "elite" kids who aren't open to change and learning are the ones who fall off the map. As their physical advantages mitigate, they are supplanted by the kids who develop a little late, are more technical, coachable and have the grit to persevere because they had to do it the hard way.
How do we fix it? I believe there are two ways to develop our youth. The first is participation. The number one determinant when choosing a team to play for is actually getting on the field. Getting mat time, field time, track time, etc is a great learning tool. Sitting on the bench, not so much. Choose a team that will allow you to learn through competition. The second, shift the focus from wins and losses and put a focus on improving the root of your game. Continual, daily progress is the only way to sustain long term athletic development. Late bloomers are common in athletics and it important to not rush development. Stop cutting players at such a young age and focus on developing these players (and not just the elite ones). We need to focus on the root of sport. There is too much of a focus on competition without attention to individual detail.
Chris Fluck, CSCS
This is caused by the win-at-all costs youth sports environment (the same can be said for the AAU culture in basketball). The coaches at the lower levels are not talent identifiers, they are talent selectors. They choose the most physically developed kids for their team and cut the smaller, less athletic players because they can not help them win now. The cut players get put on lesser teams with lesser coaches and in weaker leagues. Some of these kids persevere, the others wither away. The "elite" kids train, get good coaching, but often rely on what has worked for them in the past when they had a physical advantage over their competition and are not as open to learn. This I have seen on many levels with wrestling. There are moves that work in the youth league that do not work in Junior High. There are moves that work in Junior High but not work well at the High School level. Same for High School to College to International competition. The kids who are able to adapt, display a work ethic, and are excited to learn will continue to improve. But the "elite" kids who aren't open to change and learning are the ones who fall off the map. As their physical advantages mitigate, they are supplanted by the kids who develop a little late, are more technical, coachable and have the grit to persevere because they had to do it the hard way.
How do we fix it? I believe there are two ways to develop our youth. The first is participation. The number one determinant when choosing a team to play for is actually getting on the field. Getting mat time, field time, track time, etc is a great learning tool. Sitting on the bench, not so much. Choose a team that will allow you to learn through competition. The second, shift the focus from wins and losses and put a focus on improving the root of your game. Continual, daily progress is the only way to sustain long term athletic development. Late bloomers are common in athletics and it important to not rush development. Stop cutting players at such a young age and focus on developing these players (and not just the elite ones). We need to focus on the root of sport. There is too much of a focus on competition without attention to individual detail.
Chris Fluck, CSCS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)