Weightlifting Ireland

Benefits of introducing
Olympic Lifts
Presenter: Colin Buckley
Foundation 1
st
At senior level or elite performance the
occurrence of inquiry or the failure of a skill
under pressure can often be traced back to a
mismanaged development stage.
When a sound functional programme is followed
it not only improves performances but also helps
to prevent injuries
(Herman and Smith 2008, Bishop 2003, McMillan et al
2006)
Functional Training
The purest form of functional
training for activity is the
actual activity itself.
Therefore the exercises must
involve movements that
complement the sport .
Progression
Simple increasing to complex.
Start with simple movements
Start with easy exercises and
increase the complexity as
mastery is achieved
Goals
Do not allow the athlete to learn the
movement incorrectly.
There must be functional goals rather than
predetermined number of reps and sets.
We must be aware of functional failure with
compensations occurring, negative motor
habits can occur. Movement should be of the
greatest controlled range possible .
Limited movement narrows the athletes
performance spectrum. The rate of speed is
relative to the control of movement.
When sufficient technique and speed are
achieved the exercise should have a high
degree of proprioceptive demand.
How do I set up a Strength / Power
training programme?
Practical can it be done given the development
of the person, the facilities and the time
of year
Personal does it meet the needs of person in
the terms of level of proficiency and
physical development
Proactive is there a plan? Does it anticipate
possible roadblocks , and provide a
solution
Olympic Lifts
The legs are the primary source of power in
many sports. In many situations they function
as part of a closed chain movement .
Without functional leg strength there cannot
be true speed, strength and power.
The legs work together to reduce and produce
forces in the most effective manner for the
required activity.
Olympic Weightlifting exercises work the hip,
knee and ankle as a functional unit , both in
split or squat movements. These movements
can incorporate forward backward as well as
side to side movement while allowing for
rotational stability.
Hypertrophy
Muscle bulk and size
At times or most athletes too
much bulk can a be hindrance.
Remember that a larger muscle is
not necessarily a stronger muscle
or a faster muscle
Is there full range movement
Squat How Deep?
Squat How Deep?
Glute activation during full squats to be greater
than twice that of partial squats (35.4% compared
to 16.9%), hamstring activation to be similar, while
quadriceps activation dominated during the partial
squats only. Caterisano et al 2002
Understanding that the glutes
and hamstrings are the primary
hip extensors during sprinting and
accelerating is the message from
this and other studies (Robertson et al 2008),
Posterior Chain Weak Glutes
Quadriceps and training methods
Because of their association with knee pain
and injuries we must train the quads,
training with partial-depth squats that rely
largely on the quads
Is there balance here
We must balance the training of anterior and
posterior chains appropriately
Pelvis Stabilisation - Posture
Reduction of Injury risk
The strength status of the athlete can play an
important role in reducing the risk of injury.
Burkett (1970) and Poulmedis (1989) have
shown that where there is a strength
imbalance in particular between the
quadriceps and the hamstrings then there is
an increased risk of hamstring strain in team
sport players
Pollard et al 2010 revealed women
who have limited knee flexion on
landing increase the knee
valgus angles.
They showed that changing
motion in one plane, going
forward (sagittal) affects the
motion going side to side (coronal or frontal).
Weakness and control of the hip musculature
places the knee in a position where the joint
stresses can cause injury. Earl et al 2010
Women with patellofemoral pain had less hip
abduction, hip external rotation and trunk
lateral flexion force than women who did not
have patellofemoral pain. Wilson et al 2009
With regard to hamstring injuries
Sherry and Best(2004) concluded that a rehab
programme consisting of progressive agility
and trunk stabilization was more effective
than a programme concentrating on isolated
hamstring stretching and strengthening in
promoting return to sports and preventing
injury recurrence in athletes suffering an acute
hamstring strain.
Closed v Open Chain
The force involved in closed chain exercises
like lunges and squats is compressive, meaning
it actually stabilizes the joint and helps
strengthen it.
In contrast, open chain exercises, like knee
extensions or hamstring curls produce shear
force, which stresses the knee joint (and the
ACL) and is more likely to result in injury
One instance of epiphyseal fracture attributed to
weightlifting has been reported in
preadolescents (Gumbs, 1982).
In pubescent athletes, five publications have
reported instances of fractures related to weight
training (Benton, 1983; Brady, 1982; Gumbs,
1982; Rowe, 1979; Ryan, 1976).
The overwhelming majority of these injuries
were attributed to improper technique in the
execution of the exercises and excessive loading
Benefits of Olympic Weightlifting
Lets list some of these
Develop greater power and speed
Involves multiple muscle groups at once
High Degree of co-ordination required
Activate high-intra abdominal pressure-core
conditioning
Challenge CNS
Pre-hab / Re-hab
Demand stable scapulae
Develop triple extension
Starting Strength Explosive Strength
Starting Strength Explosive Strength
Safety in the Gym
Safety in the Gym
Weight training is safe when properly
supervised and controlled
Is there an experienced coach and a set of
rules pertaining to safety
Is the equipment suitable to your needs
Is a Funtional Movement Assesment available
Is there Follow Up Assessments
To Introduce Olympic Lifts
Find a good technical coach.
Weightlifting flexibility assessed
Work on any areas of deficiency immediately.
Continue to train on the exercises that made
him strong and adapt them to the classic lifts.
5 Golden Rules
1. Functional Screen
2. Train using Free Weights
3. Train using Multiple Joint Movements
( Like Sport Itself)
4. Train on your Feet as much as possible
5. Train Explosively whenever possible
(Provided there is a solid Base)
Functional Assessment
and
Olympic Weightlifting
Overhead Deep Squat
Objective
To assess bilateral, symmetrical and functional
mobility of the hips , knees
and ankles
The Bar overhead assesses
the shoulders as well as the thoracic spine
Front Squat
Objective
Ankle Flexibility
Wrist flexibility
Shoulder Flexibility
Lower Back Flexibility
Pelvis Stabilisation
Leg Stabilisation
Overhead Lunge
Objective
Display adequate balance
in each leg
Torso stability
Pelvic alignment
Shoulder stability
Olympic Weightlifting.
What has she demonstrated?
Posture
Balance
Core Strength
In the Movement Leading up to
Posture
Balance
Core Strength
To Get there
Dynamic Flexibility
Agility
Coordination
To Perform this Exercise
Strength
Power
Speed
Finally
Working with other sports,
coaches must learn to resist the
temptation to teach lifts and
increase loads until they are
familiar with movement analysis
and correct technique.
21/02/2012 39
Weightlifting for sport
Not the amount of weight you can
lift, but the amount of strength or
power you can use in the context of
your sport
Adapted from Jiles 2005
Thank you!
Colin Buckley
National Coaching Development Officer
Weightlifting Ireland .
buckleyc@indigo.ie