11/8/06

Context - Context - Context

Robert Brown sent me the following email: “I do have a question regarding your thoughts on some on the Vertimax for training the female athletes ages 14 - 18 yrs old? Next, it appears most of your Olympic lifting is performed with dumbbells. Is there any particular reason for the method? Are you against Barbell exercises for those lifts?” I really try to stay away from evaluating products or equipment on the blog so I will keep my comments very general. The Vertimax is a good tool, but for the money, especially with that age of athlete there is so much more that needs to and must be done to improve jumping. In short look at the context of the people you are training, first teach them good jumping and landing mechanics. Then take them through a systematic plyometric progression when the emphasis is on quality and intensity, not volume. Then if you think you still need it then go to technology.

I am not against Olympic lifting with a bar, but my basic reason is quite simple in many situations I work there is not enough time to spend four to six weeks teaching technique with the bar. I must get them training. The dumbbell will accommodate to the person, the bar will not. I can achieve real good pulling technique within one or two sessions and then be on my way training and producing results. Once again context – if I were working with heavy throwers or American Football then in order to achieve sufficient overload relative to their mass I would use a bar. In other sports, especially sports like basketball where body proportions mitigate against using a bar I can achieve the desired results with dumbbells. You can go heavy with dumbbells! Also remember the purpose you are using Olympic Lifts is to develop explosive power. Olympic lifts with dumbbells, kettlebells and sandbags allow me to achieve maximum power production by releasing the implement.

2 Comments:

At 11/8/06, 8:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about with soccer players or baseball players?

 
At 11/8/06, 9:05 AM, Blogger Joe Przytula said...

Just a few thoughts: I prefer dumbbells over an olympic bar for pulling movements for the same reasons. However, when you work up to the heavier weights, racking the dumbbells at the shoulders becomes awkward because of the size. It also changes the path of the pull because you need to hold them further away from your body. Your lateral elbow complex (brachioradialis, supinator et al start to take a beating after a while. I have some OA in my left shoulder from an old wrestling injury that prohibits me from doing dumbbell overhead squats. Strangely enough, I can do them with an olympic bar. My shoulder feels better when I do them. Again, use the modality- don't let the modality use you. Iron Maven, comments please.

 

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