Imagine if this was a respone my last post generated (just imagining of course):
"My understanding from studies concerning this issue that I have read, are simply stating that static stretching prior to physical exercise causes a decrease in force output of muscle tissue (poor performance). The studies opt for dynamic stretching prior and static stretching at the end of physical exercise. I do believe we need to read ANY study with a "critical eye", but we shouldn't be to bold as to suggest motive when we simply do not want to let go of dated methods."
Ah, studies, studies, studies. I am glad we have studies to guide us from 'outdated methods'. I am glad I didn't squat until the mid 1990s because studies didn't support it. In fact, they discouraged it. I am glad I didn't start using a multi-vitamin until after the 2002 JAMA study said it may be prudent. I am glad I didn't use protein powders or amino acids unitl the 1990s because only then were there studies supporting it.
And it's unfortunate I just can't let go of out-dated methods. You know, some people even still use the missionary sex position - and as our great-great grandparents and their grand parents before them and so on probably did the same, that's really outdated.....Shame, shame, shame!
YOU JUST CAN'T USE SOMETHNING THAT ANOTHER PERSON/S LABELS AS OUTDATEd!
And while we are being open and confessing, I must admit to using a barbell...And I believe my great uncle Vinny also trained with one, so I know I really should let go of that outdated method....
Isn't it great that most of use don't do outdated stuff! But those who do - don't they know that is not acceptable?!
Now thats ANOTHER logical reason not to static stetch - it's outdated!!!
More than that - it's another FEAR based reason - fear that you may not be 'up-to-date' with the latest 'trends' and 'science'....
After so many decades you would have thought I would have learnt to conform...and if I haven't, a response like this imaginary email may surely guide me to conformity...
..we need to ...
...we shouldn't ...
And Ian, stop being so brave as to sugest motive....how dare you. After all, there is at least one other person (I know, a few more!) that strongly believes you have no right to form an opinion outside the boundaries of the dominant beliefs....
Let's get real clear - I don't give a rat's arse what you belive in or do in training, In fact, the more f-up the methods used, the easier for otheres to succeed in competitive sport etc. My goal is simply to let those who do have some semblance of belief that they were born with a brain and intuition that it still works, and they are allowed to use it if they want...that there may be an altenrative to the dominant beliefs - as threatening as that may be to some......
Quick question if I may - do the studies show that 'out-dated' is sub-optimal? I sure hope so, because I need those words to cling on to....
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Static stretching fear mongering
I recently received a thesis study conducted in the US and shared with me by a coach out of austria, which i appreciated.
Here are some thoughts I shared in return.
Note the aim (or at least my aim) of static stretching is not necessarily to in the acute sense enhance or detract VJ height.
Nor is eating a large meal full of high fibre protein in the acute sense intended to enhance or detract from training ability or work capacity.
Why don't we see studies about how eating large, heavy meals followed immediately by DJ results in a decease in DJ height?
Because it is not the trend of thinking.
The only reason the relationship between stretching and jumping is hypothesized about, discussed, studied etc, is because there is an influencing drive to find rationale sounding reasons not static stretch.
Why? Because we will reduce injuries and negatively impact the pharmaceutical industry
Now there is a hypyoethesis we won't be reading about in our life time - that accurate teaching of SS results in a decrease in pharacuetical industry gross income.....
Here are some thoughts I shared in return.
Note the aim (or at least my aim) of static stretching is not necessarily to in the acute sense enhance or detract VJ height.
Nor is eating a large meal full of high fibre protein in the acute sense intended to enhance or detract from training ability or work capacity.
Why don't we see studies about how eating large, heavy meals followed immediately by DJ results in a decease in DJ height?
Because it is not the trend of thinking.
The only reason the relationship between stretching and jumping is hypothesized about, discussed, studied etc, is because there is an influencing drive to find rationale sounding reasons not static stretch.
Why? Because we will reduce injuries and negatively impact the pharmaceutical industry
Now there is a hypyoethesis we won't be reading about in our life time - that accurate teaching of SS results in a decrease in pharacuetical industry gross income.....
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Performance Coach or Director - Why the term sucks
[The following is an extract from the book 'Barbells & Bullshit' by Ian King, 2010.]
I have noted a trend over the last decade or so for physical preparation coaches involved with athletes and sporting teams to refer to themselves as ‘performance’ coaches or directors. In fact, this title appears to be the pinnacle of employment positions within sporting teams. I don’t support this and here’s why.
In my thirty year involvement in the industry to date I have watched the slow acceptance of physical preparation coaches by other coaches in sport. From my perspective the formal role of the physical preparation coach in western sport began in the 1970’s at the earliest. My point is the industry is relatively young.
As such, it’s been pretty easy for the more established coaching roles to manipulate physical preparation coaches. The most common techniques I have seen include:
1. The athletes are getting injured because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
2. The athletes are performing worse because of what the physical preparation coach is doing.
To achieve point 2, you will often hear coaches blame the team’s ‘fitness’ for poor performance. This technique is so entrenched that you will commonly hear lay people make the same statement – ‘They are not fit enough’.
Teams and athletes don’t lose simply because of their physical preparation. Physical preparation is at most 25% or one of four components of athletic success. When you add culture, equipment, and funding you now have ten components. Physical is one-tenths or 10% of this model. It’s a very long bow to suggest that controlling the physical preparation dictates the performance.
All the use of the term ‘performance coach’ does is play into the hands of those who seek to use the ‘new kid on the block’ (physical preparation) as the fall guy should one be needed in the event of individual or team failure. Controlling one-tenth of the total athlete preparation gives physical preparation coaches no more rights to claim they are ‘performance coaches’ than any of those in the coaching and support team who control / influence the other nine components in the 10-part model.
It reinforces the myth that if an individual or team fail to win, it is because they lack appropriate physical preparation.
And no, the flip side is rarely promoted – that when they win it is because of their physical preparation. The same people in the coaching team who seek to shift the blame to the physical preparation coaches in the event of a loss will step up in the event of a win to take credit. Now they seek to be titled ‘great coaches’.
This pattern of blame / credit is only outperformed in inaccuracy by the physical preparation coach who controls only one of the four sub-components of physical preparation (e.g. strength training only) – and seeks to take credit for the wins. They control 25% of 10%, or an estimated 2.5% of the generalized preparation.
The only situation I believe a physical preparation coach can even consider calling themselves a ‘performance coach’ is when they control over 50% of the total athlete preparation. Which means they would have to control technical, tactical, physical and psychological preparation (totaling 40%) – and more – to control over 50% if the total program.
Rarely achieved. I would not need more than one hand to count the number of physical preparation coaches I have encountered in three decades in this industry who meet this criteria.
This also raises the question of how many years back in each athlete’s career they had this control. Take the athlete’s age minus say 4 years of age, and then divide by 2 – have they been in control for more than half this number? If not it means they haven’t controlled the majority of the training process that led to this point.
Know anyone who would meet these criteria?
Most physical preparation coaches live in so much fear of losing their job they don’t have any intention of seeking to alter or control departments outside of their own. In fact, this scarcity mentality - where is my next job coming from? What will I do if I lose this job?- usually means they allow others in the administration, coaching and support team to interfere with the physical preparation program to the extent that I doubt they could be said to even control that.
[Learn more about this book at http://www.kingsports.net/products-ksi-book-b&bs.htm]
I have noted a trend over the last decade or so for physical preparation coaches involved with athletes and sporting teams to refer to themselves as ‘performance’ coaches or directors. In fact, this title appears to be the pinnacle of employment positions within sporting teams. I don’t support this and here’s why.
In my thirty year involvement in the industry to date I have watched the slow acceptance of physical preparation coaches by other coaches in sport. From my perspective the formal role of the physical preparation coach in western sport began in the 1970’s at the earliest. My point is the industry is relatively young.
As such, it’s been pretty easy for the more established coaching roles to manipulate physical preparation coaches. The most common techniques I have seen include:
1. The athletes are getting injured because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
2. The athletes are performing worse because of what the physical preparation coach is doing.
To achieve point 2, you will often hear coaches blame the team’s ‘fitness’ for poor performance. This technique is so entrenched that you will commonly hear lay people make the same statement – ‘They are not fit enough’.
Teams and athletes don’t lose simply because of their physical preparation. Physical preparation is at most 25% or one of four components of athletic success. When you add culture, equipment, and funding you now have ten components. Physical is one-tenths or 10% of this model. It’s a very long bow to suggest that controlling the physical preparation dictates the performance.
All the use of the term ‘performance coach’ does is play into the hands of those who seek to use the ‘new kid on the block’ (physical preparation) as the fall guy should one be needed in the event of individual or team failure. Controlling one-tenth of the total athlete preparation gives physical preparation coaches no more rights to claim they are ‘performance coaches’ than any of those in the coaching and support team who control / influence the other nine components in the 10-part model.
It reinforces the myth that if an individual or team fail to win, it is because they lack appropriate physical preparation.
And no, the flip side is rarely promoted – that when they win it is because of their physical preparation. The same people in the coaching team who seek to shift the blame to the physical preparation coaches in the event of a loss will step up in the event of a win to take credit. Now they seek to be titled ‘great coaches’.
This pattern of blame / credit is only outperformed in inaccuracy by the physical preparation coach who controls only one of the four sub-components of physical preparation (e.g. strength training only) – and seeks to take credit for the wins. They control 25% of 10%, or an estimated 2.5% of the generalized preparation.
The only situation I believe a physical preparation coach can even consider calling themselves a ‘performance coach’ is when they control over 50% of the total athlete preparation. Which means they would have to control technical, tactical, physical and psychological preparation (totaling 40%) – and more – to control over 50% if the total program.
Rarely achieved. I would not need more than one hand to count the number of physical preparation coaches I have encountered in three decades in this industry who meet this criteria.
This also raises the question of how many years back in each athlete’s career they had this control. Take the athlete’s age minus say 4 years of age, and then divide by 2 – have they been in control for more than half this number? If not it means they haven’t controlled the majority of the training process that led to this point.
Know anyone who would meet these criteria?
Most physical preparation coaches live in so much fear of losing their job they don’t have any intention of seeking to alter or control departments outside of their own. In fact, this scarcity mentality - where is my next job coming from? What will I do if I lose this job?- usually means they allow others in the administration, coaching and support team to interfere with the physical preparation program to the extent that I doubt they could be said to even control that.
[Learn more about this book at http://www.kingsports.net/products-ksi-book-b&bs.htm]
Feedback on my latest book - Barbells & Bullshit
I recently received this feedback about my latest book:
Ian, Great book... ...keeping me up late. Very entertaining, hilarious, gut-wrenching and scary as you unfold the reality of this industry, while pairing it with guidance to a conscious way of thriving in the field of physical preparation and life. Also, you have brilliantly made the book very interactive, which I assume was done purposely, and adds to the suspense and overall enjoyment. Thank you once again!
--Ryan
To which I replied on the KSI forum as follows, content that normally stays on the members only http://www.coachking.net/ forum:
Excellent perception Ryan - there are many subtle and interwoven themes in this text which you have an awareness of, and even for my top coaches, they need all their knowledge and experience to decipher them
I appreciate your feedback, and commend you for digging into the book. many will disregard as a reading option simply because it's theme is not compliant with mainstream conditioning of 'what you need to study - e.g. references to research, or how to get bigger biceps, or apparently ever more pertinent today, how to lower body fat using the 'only' way to train 'that only I know how'
As the fitness industry grows, should it continue along its current path, I will be exposing more 'conspiracies' of the exploitation of the masses for the gain of a few - economically and egotistically.
One only needs to lift the lid on larger and older industries to see the techniques that are and will continue to expand in their use in the 'fitness industry'
Like the US economy, I feel the American-influenced fitness industry may be so 'sick' that it is beyond repair, short of greater social changes. An alternative is to create a universal sub-culture of those whose are passionate about physical preparation at any level of involvement, have the ability to think objectively and independently and reject the conditioned thinking enforced on the masses, and who do not support, endorse or wish to be part of a current, self-serving 'fitness industry'.
--Ian
Ian, Great book... ...keeping me up late. Very entertaining, hilarious, gut-wrenching and scary as you unfold the reality of this industry, while pairing it with guidance to a conscious way of thriving in the field of physical preparation and life. Also, you have brilliantly made the book very interactive, which I assume was done purposely, and adds to the suspense and overall enjoyment. Thank you once again!
--Ryan
To which I replied on the KSI forum as follows, content that normally stays on the members only http://www.coachking.net/ forum:
Excellent perception Ryan - there are many subtle and interwoven themes in this text which you have an awareness of, and even for my top coaches, they need all their knowledge and experience to decipher them
I appreciate your feedback, and commend you for digging into the book. many will disregard as a reading option simply because it's theme is not compliant with mainstream conditioning of 'what you need to study - e.g. references to research, or how to get bigger biceps, or apparently ever more pertinent today, how to lower body fat using the 'only' way to train 'that only I know how'
As the fitness industry grows, should it continue along its current path, I will be exposing more 'conspiracies' of the exploitation of the masses for the gain of a few - economically and egotistically.
One only needs to lift the lid on larger and older industries to see the techniques that are and will continue to expand in their use in the 'fitness industry'
Like the US economy, I feel the American-influenced fitness industry may be so 'sick' that it is beyond repair, short of greater social changes. An alternative is to create a universal sub-culture of those whose are passionate about physical preparation at any level of involvement, have the ability to think objectively and independently and reject the conditioned thinking enforced on the masses, and who do not support, endorse or wish to be part of a current, self-serving 'fitness industry'.
--Ian
Friday, October 8, 2010
The World is Flat!
Popular stories have humans believing the world was flat and that Christopher Columbus, in his late 1400's explorations to the America's, travelled in spite of this belief and the risk of 'falling off the edge' of this flat earth. If this were true, Columbus showed courage and shaped the world as a result.
As a race humans have advanced in many regards, however the limiting beleifs prevail. That is, whatever is the domiantly held belief is what the majority cling to without adequate investigation of the accuracy of the belief.
These holding to domianant beliefs may provide short term feelings of security, but at what price? You would not have squatted until the 1990's when 'science' first endorsed this exercise. You would not have taken a multi-vitamin until post the year 2000, when for the first time a medical journal acknowledged that most people should consider taking a multi-vitamin. The list goes on. At what price to you? You could spend most of your life missing many valuable and beneficial activities simply because of your desire to comply with the dominant beliefs.
Which raises the question - where do the dominant beliefs come from and who controls them? Two key answers - commercial interests and information gatekeepers.
When does an exercise trend become a trend and why? For the most part when an equipment manufacturer concludes their is a market for their proposed product and moves forward.
The second player is the 'information gatekeeper'. The person or organization who upon realizing that a new habit is about to gain momentum, seek to endorse and teach the new habit (now called a trend) simply to be seen as being on the cutting edge of yet another new development.
A summary of many dominant trends over the last decade reveals a list of equipment that in my opinion was not borne out of the need for a new solution. But rather out of the realization that it could be manufactured and sold to the masses.
Most of what you do, as an end user as well as a professional in the fitness or sport industries, is a product of the influences created by equipment manufacturers and distributors, often in combination with the information gate keepers of their chose.
Do you need it? Is it the best solution for you? Is it in your best interests? These are some of the questions you have not likely asked. Rather, you have probably accepted the dominant trend and followed along.
That's your choice. I suggest you can do better. I suggest you can get better results. I suggest you deserve better. Are you ready and willing to learn how?
----------------------
New DVD released Oct 2010 -
In this DVD from a live seminar I dedicate approximately two hours to this and surrounding topics.
YouTube clips from that DVD:
As a race humans have advanced in many regards, however the limiting beleifs prevail. That is, whatever is the domiantly held belief is what the majority cling to without adequate investigation of the accuracy of the belief.
These holding to domianant beliefs may provide short term feelings of security, but at what price? You would not have squatted until the 1990's when 'science' first endorsed this exercise. You would not have taken a multi-vitamin until post the year 2000, when for the first time a medical journal acknowledged that most people should consider taking a multi-vitamin. The list goes on. At what price to you? You could spend most of your life missing many valuable and beneficial activities simply because of your desire to comply with the dominant beliefs.
Which raises the question - where do the dominant beliefs come from and who controls them? Two key answers - commercial interests and information gatekeepers.
When does an exercise trend become a trend and why? For the most part when an equipment manufacturer concludes their is a market for their proposed product and moves forward.
The second player is the 'information gatekeeper'. The person or organization who upon realizing that a new habit is about to gain momentum, seek to endorse and teach the new habit (now called a trend) simply to be seen as being on the cutting edge of yet another new development.
A summary of many dominant trends over the last decade reveals a list of equipment that in my opinion was not borne out of the need for a new solution. But rather out of the realization that it could be manufactured and sold to the masses.
Most of what you do, as an end user as well as a professional in the fitness or sport industries, is a product of the influences created by equipment manufacturers and distributors, often in combination with the information gate keepers of their chose.
Do you need it? Is it the best solution for you? Is it in your best interests? These are some of the questions you have not likely asked. Rather, you have probably accepted the dominant trend and followed along.
That's your choice. I suggest you can do better. I suggest you can get better results. I suggest you deserve better. Are you ready and willing to learn how?
----------------------
New DVD released Oct 2010 -
The World if Flat!
Challenging your point of view!
In this DVD from a live seminar I dedicate approximately two hours to this and surrounding topics.
YouTube clips from that DVD:
Click here to order the DVD - http://bit.ly/9KJVmR
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Enough to make your blood boyle
I looked, and looked again - surely not! I couldn't believe my eyes! There on the 'net on an 'industry leading' site was three stages of a strength progam that KSI had provided a client some years prior. Being given away as a PDF download - free! How is that possible!?
For the duration of our business operations (25 years in 2011 of continual service as a company specializing in the physical preparation of the elite athlete) we have always prided ourselves on the confidentiality of our clients program. They don't get published - fullstop. There is also a little matter of protecting our proprietary information....
The program was verbatim save for a few minor details:
1. The KSI copyright that was on the document when it went to the client had been removed.
2. There was no reference to Ian King on the program.
So the publisher and readers, as there were not the client, would not have known the true origin of the program.
But what about the exercise descriptions...over 65 of them...verbatim.....except for the substitution of one word - the 'King' in the King Deadlift had been changed to 'Single-leg'. Can't figure out why? Ok, I can work that out....
Over 60 exercise descriptions and no-one figured it out...Amazing really. Considering also the web-site owner/publisher claims to have 'read everything there is to read in the field of strength and conditioning....'
If that was the case, what would be the explaination for missing all of the copied text of these 60+ uniquely worded exercises, such as:
Bulgarian squat
Some know this as a Bulgarian squat - with a difference. Face away from a normal height bench, and place your rear leg up on the bench. You can check your distance by having a relatively vertical shin throughout the movement. Place your hands on your head, and keep your chest and trunk vertical throughout.
Lower the body down by bending the knee of the lead leg until the knee of the back leg is almost on the ground.
We are going to use a speed of 515 - 5 sec lower, 1 second pause top and bottom, and 5 second lift. If you can do more than 10 reps, you can hold dumbbells in your hand. I don’t expect this to be necessary initially. Keep the knee aligned over the feet during the lower and the lift. You don’t need to do a warm up set - get straight into the work set.
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Some know this as a Bulgarian squat - with a difference. Face away from a normal height bench, and place your rear leg up on the bench. You can check your distance by having a relatively vertical shin throughout the movement. Place your hands on your head, and keep your chest and trunk vertical throughout.
Lower the body down by bending the knee of the lead leg until the knee of the back leg is almost on the ground.
We are going to use a speed of 311 - 3 sec lower, 1-second pause top and bottom, and 1 second lift. If you can do more than 10 reps, you can hold dumbbells in your hand. Keep the knee aligned over the feet during the lower and the lift. You don’t need to do a warm up set - get straight into the work set.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Single leg squat
...stand on 1 leg beside the squat rack or similar. Place the other leg out so that the heel stays just off the ground at all times. Bend the support knee and go down as far as you can whilst keeping your foot flat on the ground. 3 seconds down, no pause, controlled explosive up.
Initially I suspect your range will be limited but as you get better at it over time, aim to increase range as well (and maybe even more importantly) as reps. Using your bodyweight only, I expect somewhere between 5-10 reps on day one, and look to use DB’s in one hand if you exceed 15 reps. If this is the case, I have to wonder what you were doing during the earlier part of the workout?!
Use the squat rack to hold on to for balance if needed (and you probably will need to) but don’t get sucked into the temptation of using it to pull yourself up. Remember this is a leg day!
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Stand on 1 leg beside the squat rack or similar. Place the other leg out so that the heel stays just off the ground at all times. Bent the support knee and go down as far as you can whilst keeping your foot flat on the ground. 3 seconds down, no pause, controlled explosive up.
Initially I suspect your range will be limited but as you get better at it over time, aim to increase range as well (and maybe even more importantly) as reps. Using your bodyweight only, expect somewhere between 5-10 reps on day one, and look to use DB’s in one hand if you exceed 15 reps.
Use the squat rack to hold on to for balance if needed (and you probably will need to) but don’t get sucked into the temptation of using it to pull yourself up.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Squat
Place the bar as high as is comfortable on the neck, take a narrower than shoulder width stance, and allow only a slight external rotation of the feet. Immediately prior to commencing the descent, bend your knees slightly, suck in the lower abdomen, and squeeze your cheeks. This will ‘set’ your pelvis in a slightly posteriorly rotated position. As you lower, keep the hips in line with the spine - which means maintain this hip position. Don’t misinterpret this - you can flex forward at the hips, just don’t change the hip/spine relationship. Squat as deeply as you can without exceeding forty-five degree trunk flexion relative to vertical. Keep your knees equal distance apart during the lift. Immediately prior to the ascent, focus on squeezing the cheeks tight and hold them tight during the concentric phase. The aim here is to prevent anterior rotation of the pelvis during the initial phase of the ascent....
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Place the bar as high on your neck as comfortable. Grip the bar with your hands as close to the shoulders as comfortable, and ensure that your elbows are pointing directly downwards to the ground. Use a foot stance that is shoulder width, and have your feet either straight or slightly externally rotated. Immediately prior to commencing the descent, bend your knees slightly, suck in the lower abdomen, and squeeze your cheeks. This will ‘set’ your pelvis in a slightly posteriorly rotated position. As you lower, keep the hips in line with the spine - which means maintain this hip position. Don’t misinterpret this - you can flex forward at the hips, just don’t change the hip/spine relationship. Squat as deeply as you can without exceeding forty-five degree trunk flexion relative to vertical. Keep your knees equal distance apart during the lift. Immediately prior to the ascent, focus on squeezing the cheeks tight and hold them tight during the concentric phase. The aim here is to prevent anterior rotation of the pelvis during the initial phase of the ascent. The concentric phase should mirror the eccentric phase exactly.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Deadlift
• Stand in front of the bar, feet under the bar, shins a few inches away from bar.
• Take hand grip just outside shoulder width, palms down.
• Bend the knees and take position : shoulders vertically over bar, shins on bar, arms straight, hips in line with spine, back flat, head in line with spine, looking a few meters head or straight, shoulder blades retracted.
• Prior to commencement of lift contract abdominal and gluteals, extending legs until no slack in arms.
• Use leg and hip extension to take the bar from ground to where bar is just over knees.
• The trunk angle and scapula retraction is not to change during this ‘first pull’.
• From the above knee position, stand up (the second pull).
• Apply more acceleration in the second pull than the first.
• Bar to be in contact with body throughout the whole lift.
• Arms stay straight throughout the lift.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Deadlift : Stand in front of the bar, feet under the bar, shins a few inches away from the bar. Take a grip just outside shoulder width, palms down. Bend the knees and take position : shoulders vertically over bar, shins on bar, arms straight, hips in line with spine, back flat, head in line with spine, shoulder blades retracted.
Prior to commencement of lift contract abdominal and gluteals, extending legs until no slack in arms. Use leg and hip extension to take the bar from ground to where bar is just over knees. The trunk angle and scapula retraction is not to change during this first pull. From eh above knee position stand up ( second pull). Apply more acceleration in the second pull than in the first. Bar to be in contact with body throughout the whole lift. Arms stay straight throughout the lift.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
King Deadlift
This is a single leg bent knee deadlift - one of my very own creations! Stand on one leg (starting with the weak side) and bend the other leg up until the lower leg is parallel to the ground. Hands on hips or by side. The aim is to bend the knee of the supporting leg until the knee of the non-supporting leg is brushing the ground. In reality, you may have to settle for a shorter range (you’ll understand why I say this as soon as you do this workout). If this is the case - and I expect it will be - look to increase the range from workout to workout.
You are allowed to flex (bend) forward at the waist as much as you want, and doing so will increase the gluteal involvement. Keep the working knee aligned neutrally throughout the movement. Take 3 seconds to lower, 1 second pause each end and 2 seconds to lift. No warm up set needed. When you can do more than 15-20 reps FULL RANGE look to hold DB’s in the hands - ...
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
This is a single leg bent knee deadlift. Stand on one leg (starting with the weak side) and bend the other leg up until the lower leg is parallel to the ground. Hands on hips or by side. The aim is to bend the knee of the supporting leg until the knee of the non-supporting leg is brushing the ground. In reality, you may have to settle for a shorter range (you’ll understand why I say this as soon as you do this workout). If this is the case - and I expect it will be - look to increase the range from workout to workout.
You are allowed to flex (bend) forward at the waist as much as you want, and doing so will increase the gluteal involvement. Keep the working knee aligned neutrally throughout the movement. No warm up set needed. When you can do more than 15-20 reps FULL RANGE look to hold DB’s in the hands.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Thin tummy variations:
Description - Lay on your back, knee bent, feet flat, place both hand under your belt line, with your fingers heading down into the pubic area and the thumbs placed higher up on the rectus abdominus (upper abdominal region); throughout all the following levels of difficulty, use the fingers to provide feedback that the ‘lower abdominals’ (obliques and transverse abdominus) are contracted, pulling the lower tummy thinner and creating a high level of tension under the skin; and that the upper abdominal region is hollowed, and non-contracted; and that this relationship is held. Should it at any time change or you feel that it is going to change e.g. upper tummy bulge, pelvis anteriorly rotate, terminate the range or the set. I focus more on how the muscles are ‘set’ than on the pressure of lumbar to ground or position of pelvis, although both are symptomatic of a good ‘set’ position.
Level 1 - Isometric holds (looking for above ‘set’ position) in the lying, knee bent positions.
Level 2 - As above., but lift one leg up, lower it, reset, other leg etc.
Level 3 - As above., but when you lift one leg up, extend it out as far as control (i.e. set position) allows.
Level 4 - As above., but start with both knees up, bent to 90 degrees knees and hips, cycling one leg out towards a parallel to ground position at a time as far as ‘set’ position control allows.
Level 5 - As above., but extending both legs out together.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Description – lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat, place both hands under your belt line with your fingers heading down into the pubic area and the thumbs placed higher up on the upper abdominal region; throughout all the following levels of difficulty, use the fingers to provide feedback that the lower abdominals are contracted, pulling the lower tummy thinner and creating a high level of tension under the skin; and that the upper abdominal region is hollowed, and non-contracted; and that his relationship is held. Should it at any time change or you feel that it is going to change (e.g. upper tummy bulge, pelvis anteriorly rotate, terminate the range or the set. Focus more on how the muscles are ‘set’ than on the pressure of lumbar to ground or position of pelvis, although both are symptomatic of a good ‘set’ position.
Level One – isometric holds – looking for a good set position
Level Two – as Labove, but lift one leg up, lower it, rest, repeat opposite leg
Level Three – as above, but when you lift one leg up, extend it out as far as control (i.e. set position) allows
Level Four – as above, but start with both knees up, bent to 90 degrees knees and hips, cycling one leg out towards a parallel to ground position at a time as far as the ‘set’ position will allow
Level Five – as above, but extending both legs out together.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Toes to sky variations
Description - Lay on your back, arms out on the ground at 90 degrees to the trunk, have your legs together, 90 degrees hip flexion, so that legs are vertical.
Level 1 - Lift the pelvis as far off the ground whilst maintaining totally vertical leg position (initially this may not be very far at all, at even at best the movement is limited in its range) and hold for 5-10 seconds.
Level 2 - As above., but bend one knee to 90 degrees at knee; alternate each rep which leg is bent, which is straight.
Level 3 - As above., but bent both knees so that the knees are bent to 90 degrees.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Description – lay on your back, arms out on the ground at 90 degrees to the trunk, have your legs together, 90 degrees hip flexion so that legs are vertical.
Level One – lift the pelvis as far off the ground whilst maintaining totally vertical leg position (initially this may not be very far at all, at even at best the movement is limited in its range) and hold for 5-10 seconds.
Level Two – as above, but bend one knee to 90 degrees at knee, alternate each rep which leg is bent, which is straight
Level Three – as above, but bend both knees so that the knees are bent to 90 degrees
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
These are samples of the 60+ exercise descriptions. I'm not talking about a three line generic descrition about how to do a DB press. These have a unique signature over many of them - a number of the exercises were original innovations, some were original exercise names, some were unique in their execution.
Difficult to see how a 'well-read' person could not have seen the finger print of the original source. What would be a motive if they had been recognzied and ignored? On the flip side, a poorly read person may have not picked up on the origin.
Either way, seeing this kind of behaviour, it's enought to make your blood boyle. Then I realized that for some to have empathy, they would probably need to have had an original ideas worth protecting....
For the duration of our business operations (25 years in 2011 of continual service as a company specializing in the physical preparation of the elite athlete) we have always prided ourselves on the confidentiality of our clients program. They don't get published - fullstop. There is also a little matter of protecting our proprietary information....
The program was verbatim save for a few minor details:
1. The KSI copyright that was on the document when it went to the client had been removed.
2. There was no reference to Ian King on the program.
So the publisher and readers, as there were not the client, would not have known the true origin of the program.
But what about the exercise descriptions...over 65 of them...verbatim.....except for the substitution of one word - the 'King' in the King Deadlift had been changed to 'Single-leg'. Can't figure out why? Ok, I can work that out....
Over 60 exercise descriptions and no-one figured it out...Amazing really. Considering also the web-site owner/publisher claims to have 'read everything there is to read in the field of strength and conditioning....'
If that was the case, what would be the explaination for missing all of the copied text of these 60+ uniquely worded exercises, such as:
Bulgarian squat
Some know this as a Bulgarian squat - with a difference. Face away from a normal height bench, and place your rear leg up on the bench. You can check your distance by having a relatively vertical shin throughout the movement. Place your hands on your head, and keep your chest and trunk vertical throughout.
Lower the body down by bending the knee of the lead leg until the knee of the back leg is almost on the ground.
We are going to use a speed of 515 - 5 sec lower, 1 second pause top and bottom, and 5 second lift. If you can do more than 10 reps, you can hold dumbbells in your hand. I don’t expect this to be necessary initially. Keep the knee aligned over the feet during the lower and the lift. You don’t need to do a warm up set - get straight into the work set.
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Some know this as a Bulgarian squat - with a difference. Face away from a normal height bench, and place your rear leg up on the bench. You can check your distance by having a relatively vertical shin throughout the movement. Place your hands on your head, and keep your chest and trunk vertical throughout.
Lower the body down by bending the knee of the lead leg until the knee of the back leg is almost on the ground.
We are going to use a speed of 311 - 3 sec lower, 1-second pause top and bottom, and 1 second lift. If you can do more than 10 reps, you can hold dumbbells in your hand. Keep the knee aligned over the feet during the lower and the lift. You don’t need to do a warm up set - get straight into the work set.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Single leg squat
...stand on 1 leg beside the squat rack or similar. Place the other leg out so that the heel stays just off the ground at all times. Bend the support knee and go down as far as you can whilst keeping your foot flat on the ground. 3 seconds down, no pause, controlled explosive up.
Initially I suspect your range will be limited but as you get better at it over time, aim to increase range as well (and maybe even more importantly) as reps. Using your bodyweight only, I expect somewhere between 5-10 reps on day one, and look to use DB’s in one hand if you exceed 15 reps. If this is the case, I have to wonder what you were doing during the earlier part of the workout?!
Use the squat rack to hold on to for balance if needed (and you probably will need to) but don’t get sucked into the temptation of using it to pull yourself up. Remember this is a leg day!
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Stand on 1 leg beside the squat rack or similar. Place the other leg out so that the heel stays just off the ground at all times. Bent the support knee and go down as far as you can whilst keeping your foot flat on the ground. 3 seconds down, no pause, controlled explosive up.
Initially I suspect your range will be limited but as you get better at it over time, aim to increase range as well (and maybe even more importantly) as reps. Using your bodyweight only, expect somewhere between 5-10 reps on day one, and look to use DB’s in one hand if you exceed 15 reps.
Use the squat rack to hold on to for balance if needed (and you probably will need to) but don’t get sucked into the temptation of using it to pull yourself up.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Squat
Place the bar as high as is comfortable on the neck, take a narrower than shoulder width stance, and allow only a slight external rotation of the feet. Immediately prior to commencing the descent, bend your knees slightly, suck in the lower abdomen, and squeeze your cheeks. This will ‘set’ your pelvis in a slightly posteriorly rotated position. As you lower, keep the hips in line with the spine - which means maintain this hip position. Don’t misinterpret this - you can flex forward at the hips, just don’t change the hip/spine relationship. Squat as deeply as you can without exceeding forty-five degree trunk flexion relative to vertical. Keep your knees equal distance apart during the lift. Immediately prior to the ascent, focus on squeezing the cheeks tight and hold them tight during the concentric phase. The aim here is to prevent anterior rotation of the pelvis during the initial phase of the ascent....
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
Place the bar as high on your neck as comfortable. Grip the bar with your hands as close to the shoulders as comfortable, and ensure that your elbows are pointing directly downwards to the ground. Use a foot stance that is shoulder width, and have your feet either straight or slightly externally rotated. Immediately prior to commencing the descent, bend your knees slightly, suck in the lower abdomen, and squeeze your cheeks. This will ‘set’ your pelvis in a slightly posteriorly rotated position. As you lower, keep the hips in line with the spine - which means maintain this hip position. Don’t misinterpret this - you can flex forward at the hips, just don’t change the hip/spine relationship. Squat as deeply as you can without exceeding forty-five degree trunk flexion relative to vertical. Keep your knees equal distance apart during the lift. Immediately prior to the ascent, focus on squeezing the cheeks tight and hold them tight during the concentric phase. The aim here is to prevent anterior rotation of the pelvis during the initial phase of the ascent. The concentric phase should mirror the eccentric phase exactly.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Deadlift
• Stand in front of the bar, feet under the bar, shins a few inches away from bar.
• Take hand grip just outside shoulder width, palms down.
• Bend the knees and take position : shoulders vertically over bar, shins on bar, arms straight, hips in line with spine, back flat, head in line with spine, looking a few meters head or straight, shoulder blades retracted.
• Prior to commencement of lift contract abdominal and gluteals, extending legs until no slack in arms.
• Use leg and hip extension to take the bar from ground to where bar is just over knees.
• The trunk angle and scapula retraction is not to change during this ‘first pull’.
• From the above knee position, stand up (the second pull).
• Apply more acceleration in the second pull than the first.
• Bar to be in contact with body throughout the whole lift.
• Arms stay straight throughout the lift.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Deadlift : Stand in front of the bar, feet under the bar, shins a few inches away from the bar. Take a grip just outside shoulder width, palms down. Bend the knees and take position : shoulders vertically over bar, shins on bar, arms straight, hips in line with spine, back flat, head in line with spine, shoulder blades retracted.
Prior to commencement of lift contract abdominal and gluteals, extending legs until no slack in arms. Use leg and hip extension to take the bar from ground to where bar is just over knees. The trunk angle and scapula retraction is not to change during this first pull. From eh above knee position stand up ( second pull). Apply more acceleration in the second pull than in the first. Bar to be in contact with body throughout the whole lift. Arms stay straight throughout the lift.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
King Deadlift
This is a single leg bent knee deadlift - one of my very own creations! Stand on one leg (starting with the weak side) and bend the other leg up until the lower leg is parallel to the ground. Hands on hips or by side. The aim is to bend the knee of the supporting leg until the knee of the non-supporting leg is brushing the ground. In reality, you may have to settle for a shorter range (you’ll understand why I say this as soon as you do this workout). If this is the case - and I expect it will be - look to increase the range from workout to workout.
You are allowed to flex (bend) forward at the waist as much as you want, and doing so will increase the gluteal involvement. Keep the working knee aligned neutrally throughout the movement. Take 3 seconds to lower, 1 second pause each end and 2 seconds to lift. No warm up set needed. When you can do more than 15-20 reps FULL RANGE look to hold DB’s in the hands - ...
--King, I., 1999, Get Buffed book
This is a single leg bent knee deadlift. Stand on one leg (starting with the weak side) and bend the other leg up until the lower leg is parallel to the ground. Hands on hips or by side. The aim is to bend the knee of the supporting leg until the knee of the non-supporting leg is brushing the ground. In reality, you may have to settle for a shorter range (you’ll understand why I say this as soon as you do this workout). If this is the case - and I expect it will be - look to increase the range from workout to workout.
You are allowed to flex (bend) forward at the waist as much as you want, and doing so will increase the gluteal involvement. Keep the working knee aligned neutrally throughout the movement. No warm up set needed. When you can do more than 15-20 reps FULL RANGE look to hold DB’s in the hands.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Thin tummy variations:
Description - Lay on your back, knee bent, feet flat, place both hand under your belt line, with your fingers heading down into the pubic area and the thumbs placed higher up on the rectus abdominus (upper abdominal region); throughout all the following levels of difficulty, use the fingers to provide feedback that the ‘lower abdominals’ (obliques and transverse abdominus) are contracted, pulling the lower tummy thinner and creating a high level of tension under the skin; and that the upper abdominal region is hollowed, and non-contracted; and that this relationship is held. Should it at any time change or you feel that it is going to change e.g. upper tummy bulge, pelvis anteriorly rotate, terminate the range or the set. I focus more on how the muscles are ‘set’ than on the pressure of lumbar to ground or position of pelvis, although both are symptomatic of a good ‘set’ position.
Level 1 - Isometric holds (looking for above ‘set’ position) in the lying, knee bent positions.
Level 2 - As above., but lift one leg up, lower it, reset, other leg etc.
Level 3 - As above., but when you lift one leg up, extend it out as far as control (i.e. set position) allows.
Level 4 - As above., but start with both knees up, bent to 90 degrees knees and hips, cycling one leg out towards a parallel to ground position at a time as far as ‘set’ position control allows.
Level 5 - As above., but extending both legs out together.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Description – lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat, place both hands under your belt line with your fingers heading down into the pubic area and the thumbs placed higher up on the upper abdominal region; throughout all the following levels of difficulty, use the fingers to provide feedback that the lower abdominals are contracted, pulling the lower tummy thinner and creating a high level of tension under the skin; and that the upper abdominal region is hollowed, and non-contracted; and that his relationship is held. Should it at any time change or you feel that it is going to change (e.g. upper tummy bulge, pelvis anteriorly rotate, terminate the range or the set. Focus more on how the muscles are ‘set’ than on the pressure of lumbar to ground or position of pelvis, although both are symptomatic of a good ‘set’ position.
Level One – isometric holds – looking for a good set position
Level Two – as Labove, but lift one leg up, lower it, rest, repeat opposite leg
Level Three – as above, but when you lift one leg up, extend it out as far as control (i.e. set position) allows
Level Four – as above, but start with both knees up, bent to 90 degrees knees and hips, cycling one leg out towards a parallel to ground position at a time as far as the ‘set’ position will allow
Level Five – as above, but extending both legs out together.
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
Toes to sky variations
Description - Lay on your back, arms out on the ground at 90 degrees to the trunk, have your legs together, 90 degrees hip flexion, so that legs are vertical.
Level 1 - Lift the pelvis as far off the ground whilst maintaining totally vertical leg position (initially this may not be very far at all, at even at best the movement is limited in its range) and hold for 5-10 seconds.
Level 2 - As above., but bend one knee to 90 degrees at knee; alternate each rep which leg is bent, which is straight.
Level 3 - As above., but bent both knees so that the knees are bent to 90 degrees.
--King., I., 2000, How to Teach
Description – lay on your back, arms out on the ground at 90 degrees to the trunk, have your legs together, 90 degrees hip flexion so that legs are vertical.
Level One – lift the pelvis as far off the ground whilst maintaining totally vertical leg position (initially this may not be very far at all, at even at best the movement is limited in its range) and hold for 5-10 seconds.
Level Two – as above, but bend one knee to 90 degrees at knee, alternate each rep which leg is bent, which is straight
Level Three – as above, but bend both knees so that the knees are bent to 90 degrees
--from rugby programs posted on this web site
These are samples of the 60+ exercise descriptions. I'm not talking about a three line generic descrition about how to do a DB press. These have a unique signature over many of them - a number of the exercises were original innovations, some were original exercise names, some were unique in their execution.
Difficult to see how a 'well-read' person could not have seen the finger print of the original source. What would be a motive if they had been recognzied and ignored? On the flip side, a poorly read person may have not picked up on the origin.
Either way, seeing this kind of behaviour, it's enought to make your blood boyle. Then I realized that for some to have empathy, they would probably need to have had an original ideas worth protecting....
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Performance coach. Really?
The following is an extract from Ian King's latest book 'Barbells & Bullshit' - due to be released later this month.
I have noted a trend over the last decade or so for physical preparation coaches involved with athletes and sporting teams to refer to themselves as ‘performance’ coaches or directors. In fact, this title appears to be the pinnacle of employment positions within sporting teams. I don’t support this and here’s why.
In my thirty year involvement in the industry to date I have watched the slow acceptance of physical preparation coaches by other coaches in sport. From my perspective the formal role of the physical preparation coach in western sport began in the 1970’s at the earliest. My point is the industry is relatively young.
As such, it’s been pretty easy for the more established coaching roles to manipulate physical preparation coaches. The most common techniques I have seen include:
1. The athletes are getting injured because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
2. The athletes are performing worse because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
To achieve point 2, you will often hear coaches blame the team’s ‘fitness’ for poor performance. This technique is so entrenched that you will commonly hear lay people make the same statement – ‘They are not fit enough’.
Teams and athletes don’t lose simply because of their physical preparation. Physical preparation is at most 25% or one of four components of athletic success. When you add culture, equipment, and funding you now have ten components. Physical is one-tenths or 10% of this model. It’s a very long bow to suggest that controlling the physical preparation dictates the performance.
All the use of the term ‘performance coach’ does is play into the hands of those who seek to use the ‘new kid on the block’ (physical preparation) as the fall guy should one be needed in the event of individual or team failure. Controlling one-tenth of the total athlete preparation gives physical preparation coaches no more rights to claim they are ‘performance coaches’ than any of those in the coaching and support team who control / influence the other nine components in the 10-part model.
It reinforces the myth that if an individual or team fail to win, it is because they lack appropriate physical preparation.
And no, the flip side is rarely promoted – that when they win it is because of their physical preparation. The same people in the coaching team who seek to shift the blame to the physical preparation coaches in the event of a loss will step up in the event of a win to take credit. Now they seek to be titled ‘great coaches’.
This pattern of blame / credit is only outperformed in inaccuracy by the physical preparation coach who controls only one of the four sub-components of physical preparation (e.g. strength training only) – and seeks to take credit for the wins. They control 25% of 10%, or an estimated 2.5% of the generalized preparation.
The only situation I believe a physical preparation coach can even consider calling themselves a ‘performance coach’ is when they control over 50% of the total athlete preparation. Which means they would have to control technical, tactical, physical and psychological preparation (totaling 40%) – and more – to control over 50% if the total program.
Rarely achieved. I would not need more than one hand to count the number of physical preparation coaches I have encountered in three decades in this industry who meet this criteria.
This also raises the question of how many years back in each athlete’s career they had this control. Take the athlete’s age minus say 4 years of age, and then divide by 2 – have they been in control for more than half this number? If not it means they haven’t controlled the majority of the training process that led to this point.
Know anyone who would meet these criteria?
Most physical preparation are in so much fear of losing their job they don’t have any intention of seeking to alter or control departments outside of their own. In fact, this scarcity mentality - where is my next job coming from? What will I do if I lose this job?- usually means they allow others in the administration, coaching and support team to interfere with the physical preparation program to the extent that I doubt they could be said to even control that.
I have noted a trend over the last decade or so for physical preparation coaches involved with athletes and sporting teams to refer to themselves as ‘performance’ coaches or directors. In fact, this title appears to be the pinnacle of employment positions within sporting teams. I don’t support this and here’s why.
In my thirty year involvement in the industry to date I have watched the slow acceptance of physical preparation coaches by other coaches in sport. From my perspective the formal role of the physical preparation coach in western sport began in the 1970’s at the earliest. My point is the industry is relatively young.
As such, it’s been pretty easy for the more established coaching roles to manipulate physical preparation coaches. The most common techniques I have seen include:
1. The athletes are getting injured because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
2. The athletes are performing worse because of what the physical preparation coach is doing
To achieve point 2, you will often hear coaches blame the team’s ‘fitness’ for poor performance. This technique is so entrenched that you will commonly hear lay people make the same statement – ‘They are not fit enough’.
Teams and athletes don’t lose simply because of their physical preparation. Physical preparation is at most 25% or one of four components of athletic success. When you add culture, equipment, and funding you now have ten components. Physical is one-tenths or 10% of this model. It’s a very long bow to suggest that controlling the physical preparation dictates the performance.
All the use of the term ‘performance coach’ does is play into the hands of those who seek to use the ‘new kid on the block’ (physical preparation) as the fall guy should one be needed in the event of individual or team failure. Controlling one-tenth of the total athlete preparation gives physical preparation coaches no more rights to claim they are ‘performance coaches’ than any of those in the coaching and support team who control / influence the other nine components in the 10-part model.
It reinforces the myth that if an individual or team fail to win, it is because they lack appropriate physical preparation.
And no, the flip side is rarely promoted – that when they win it is because of their physical preparation. The same people in the coaching team who seek to shift the blame to the physical preparation coaches in the event of a loss will step up in the event of a win to take credit. Now they seek to be titled ‘great coaches’.
This pattern of blame / credit is only outperformed in inaccuracy by the physical preparation coach who controls only one of the four sub-components of physical preparation (e.g. strength training only) – and seeks to take credit for the wins. They control 25% of 10%, or an estimated 2.5% of the generalized preparation.
The only situation I believe a physical preparation coach can even consider calling themselves a ‘performance coach’ is when they control over 50% of the total athlete preparation. Which means they would have to control technical, tactical, physical and psychological preparation (totaling 40%) – and more – to control over 50% if the total program.
Rarely achieved. I would not need more than one hand to count the number of physical preparation coaches I have encountered in three decades in this industry who meet this criteria.
This also raises the question of how many years back in each athlete’s career they had this control. Take the athlete’s age minus say 4 years of age, and then divide by 2 – have they been in control for more than half this number? If not it means they haven’t controlled the majority of the training process that led to this point.
Know anyone who would meet these criteria?
Most physical preparation are in so much fear of losing their job they don’t have any intention of seeking to alter or control departments outside of their own. In fact, this scarcity mentality - where is my next job coming from? What will I do if I lose this job?- usually means they allow others in the administration, coaching and support team to interfere with the physical preparation program to the extent that I doubt they could be said to even control that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
