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<Any thoughts on this [squat jumps]? I would like some advice as I have a
friend who insists on doing this potentially harmful movement with heavy
weights to increase his “explosiveness”.>
*** You do not necessarily have to jump off the floor when doing “jump
squats”. You can try to produce as much vertical force as possible so that
you may rise high onto your toes without leaving the platform. Explosiveness
is not a quality which is best developed by producing large forces under very
heavy loading, but with less heavy weights which allow one to produce high
RFD (Rate of Force Development) and peak power. This means executing
stretch-shortening or prestretching exercises which have a short coupling Read more…
.
The following article discusses use in weightlifting of the mental
preparation technique known as “autogenic training”.
Autogenic Training in the Heavy Training of Elite Weightlifters
Semuk A, Arkhangorodsky Z & Zaitsev Y
Weightlifting Yearbook 1982 (translated by Bud Charniga and available at
www.dynamic-eleiko.com)
It has been shown (AV Alexseyev, 1968, 1969, 1978; Zakharov, 1971; Filatova,
1975, 1979) that autogenic training (AT) is an important means of
restoration, a psychoprophylactic and a psychohygenic to the athlete’s body.
However, up to now few studies have investigated the effect of prophylactic Read more…
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The following extracts from a Russian text on metabolism and nutrition for
weightlifters will provide some useful information for those who recently
have been asking about the Russian approach to these topics.
Metabolic Changes in Weightlifting
K Korovnikov, N Yalovaya, G Azizbekyan, V Belyaev, R Bolkhovsky
[Tables excluded - for the full text, see 1984 Russian Yearbook translated by
Bud Charniga, www.dynamic-eleiko.com]
Essential reconstruction of the metabolic exchange processes designed for
economising the functions of physiological systems and raising of the body’s
stability to extreme influences takes place during adaptation to large
physical loads. Sharp metabolic changes in response to training loads of
large volume and intensity and insufficient recovery of the important
functions of the body’s systems can be factors which limit an athlete’s work
capacity and the effectiveness of his training. In connection with this it is
extremely important to reveal the metabolic peculiarities and the possibility
of affecting certain metabolic processes which are important for increasing Read more…
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This ACSM article which summarises some of the history of sports science and
exercise physiology in the USA may be of interest to list members. If anyone
has come across a comparable resource on sports science in Europe and other
parts of the world, please share them with us. I have provided some of the
history of strength science and training in Ch 1 of my “Supertraining” book
and David Webster has given extensive information in his “Iron Game”. Dr Read more…
.
In response to Dr Mel Siff’s Subluxation Paradox http://www.melsiff.com/12359/subluxation-puzzle-and-paradoxes-by-mel-siff/
Here is some further discussion from another list on my subluxation paradox:
Mel Siff:
< Can you cite any scientific references which definitely relate these small
“disturbances” to any significant pathology? What you are iimplying is that
the spine is critically tuned, displays a very sharply defined range of
efficient functioning and has a negligible “safety factor”, so that even
minor perturbations will cause genuine pathology or pain. This is not a very
efficient way for the body to have developed and evolved, so I have to wonder
about the validity of such an hypothesis.>
Comment:
Your point about the evolution of the system is well taken. As you point out Read more…