|
||||||||||||||
It's the New Style
This same increase in weight training is happening in our high schools and colleges as well. Today athletes from many sports participate in strength training. The list of sports using weight training has been steadily increasing as “old wives tales” are put to rest. One can not argue the benefits for football players. But, to include distance runners? Absolutely! When introduced to well planned strength training programs, their times are definitely improving. So, if this is happening, where are the youth? Simple, they are not competing in the strength sports of power lifting or Olympic lifting in the numbers that once were. Yes, many nationals still have good turn-outs. By taking a poll of the athletes present at competitions, we find that they are competing primarily as strength athletes. Where, then, are all of the other athletes that used to traditionally come to competitions? This question was posed to Mr. Boyd Epply, head of Husker Power at the University of Nebraska. For those that do not know Mr. Epply, a brief background is in order, then the answer. Husker Power is the well known strength training program developed at the University of Nebraska. This program is one of the most successful and most copied strength training programs in the country. His team of expert strength coaches have trained may of the leading strength coaches at high schools, colleges and universities around the country. Mr. Epply was instrumental in the founding of the National Strength Coaches Association. These coaches are in part responsible for many of the best athletes produced by this country. Now, the answer promised. Powerlifting and Olympic lifting no longer produce the test of athleticism that many strength coaches desire. True, separately, they test strength and/or quickness, but do not test endurance. Nor do they test these things in one program. Athleticism requires more that just strength alone. Many strength training programs today do not wish to test athletes with a single maximum lift nor do they want to deal with the use of supportive equipment that has entered the powerlifting world. It became clear that a new competition was required. This would be a competition that tests strength, speed or quickness, and endurance in one program. It would take into account the desire of many strength coaches to not perform maximum lifts if possible. It should not include the use of supportive equipment. So, a team of people was formed between the AAUPC and Husker Power to produce a new test of athleticism. For those of us that do not remember back as far as others, powerlifting got its start as a test of the training lifts. In the beginning, the lifts tested were the squat and the benchpress. The deadlift was added later. At that time, the strength training coaches were interested in the maximum amount of weight that an athlete could lift. Often these competitions were held after or as part of Olympic lifting competitions. Later the tests of the training lifts were held separately. Don Haley wrote the first set of rules for what became known as powerlifting. Today, athleticism is measured not only by strength, but also by quickness and by endurance. Today’s strength training programs include the development of quickness by the inclusion of training lifts such as the power clean. Endurance is also focused on as well. Strength coaches are concerned with how many repetitions that can be done with a weight. The National Strength Training Coaches Association (NSCA) was formed around the ideas of modern strength training for athletes. This includes athletes from a wide variety of sports. The common thread is that all athletes need strength, speed, and endurance. Much research has been taking place around the country about how best to accomplish this. Two key points are made. Today, the NSCA believes that maximum single lifts are not a good idea for athletes. It also believes that training should not be done with the assistance of supportive equipment. Interviews were conducted with some strength coaches around the country, some were powerlifters themselves. The majority agreed with the NSCA. The majority also agreed that a competition demonstrating athleticism was needed. A new competition has now been formed. It is based around the “big three” training lifts today. These are the power clean, the bench press, and the squat. It should be mentioned that many strength coaches will argue about the bench press as a useful test of athleticism. A problem presented itself. The power clean is not a recognized competition lift. At the meeting of the AAUPC in 1997 in Erie, PA, this problem was resolved. The power clean was recognized as a competition lift. So the new competition took form. In keeping with current training principles, an order of competition was developed. First would be the power clean, followed by the bench press, then followed by the squat. This stays in line with the idea of training speed before power. Speed and quickness will be demonstrated by the power clean. The bench press will demonstrate the upper body strength and give the lower body a brief rest. The Squat will then demonstrate the lower body strength. To continue the demonstration of athleticism, endurance must be added. To accomplish this, both the bench press and the squat will include the demonstration of repetitions. It was felt that repetitions for the power clean would not prove realistic due to the need for the bar to come to a rest before the next repetition could be commenced. To enforce the need to demonstrate both strength and endurance at the same time, a maximum of ten repetitions would be permitted. Thus this is not a strength only nor an endurance only competition but an athletic competition. The bar will progress by either the current conventional or the new modified conventional system introduced by the AAU. Either is permitted. This will ensure that the meet will move along rapidly and with a minimum of weight changes. There will be three attempts consisting of one repetition for the power clean. The bench press will consist of one attempt having ten repetitions. The squat will be the same as the bench press. Meet directors may option a second attempt for the bench press and the squat. This is recommended for senior lifters only. It is not recommended for youth. Lets break down the competition. We will now look at each event and the rules for each lift. First we will look at the power clean. We can think of it as the first part of the clean and jerk of the Olympic lift except that the lift does not go over head. The bar begins on the platform. It is then lifted to the body’s clavicle area in one continuous motion and brought to rest there. The bar is then returned to the floor. A squat clean is permitted. The rules are those for the clean portion of the clean and jerk in AAU Olympic lifting competition. For this lift, three attempts with one repetition per attempt are permitted. Allowing multiple repetitions for this event would not seem realistic. The reason for this is the settling time required for the bar after a repetition that would allow a rest period reducing the test of endurance. The bench press is the second lift. Here the rules are the same as a normal competition with some exceptions. The exceptions are: The lift begins and ends at arms length above the chest, and a “touch and go” is permitted at the chest. In this lift, a single attempt is given during which a maximum of ten repetitions is permitted. With this limit as mentioned earlier, an athlete must choose a weight at which a maximum of ten repetitions can be completed. This demonstrates both strength and endurance. A meet director may option a second attempt for senior well trained athletes. A second attempt is not recommended for youth. The squat is the last lift. Here the rules are the same as a normal competition with one exception. The depth to which the athlete must descend is at or below parallel. In this lift, a single attempt is given during which a maximum of ten repetitions is permitted. With this limit, an athlete must choose a weight at which a maximum of ten repetitions can be completed. Again, this demonstrates both strength and endurance. A meet director may also option a second attempt for senior well trained athletes. A second attempt is not recommended for youth. Equipment used for this type of competition may be divided into two groups: personal and platform. For personal equipment, this competition follows the AAU rules for raw lifting. An athlete may use a competition belt only. The suit must be nonsupportive and no raps are permitted. Youth athletes are permitted to wear shorts and tee-shirts. The platform equipment remains the same for this competition. The one exception is that bumper plates are recommended for the power clean competition. For bumper plates, the rules are the same as those for AAU Olympic style lifting. For this competition, scoring will differ to some extent. The basic scoring is still the three lift total as in other powerlifting competition. The bench press and the squat use a one(1) repetition maximum (1RM) prediction. This is done by using 1RM prediction factors from the number of repetitions completed multiplied by the weight lifted. This produces a single value. Then the best attempt from the power clean added to the 1RM lifts from the bench press and the squat form the total. Referees are used as in other powerlifting competitions. They are located around the platform in a normal manner. They score each repetition as pass or fail. Two passing scores are required for each repetition to count. The scoring from each referee is turned into the scorer’s table for computation of the 1RM and the total. A subtotal may be calculated as in other competitions. An athletic subtotal is introduced here which is made up of the power clean and the squat. Why should a strength coach have a competition for their athletes? There are tangible reasons and intangible reasons. First, the one biggest tangible reason. Every strength coach must evaluate their athletes progress during the training program. A competition is a great way to do it. Second are the intangible reasons. Usually training is done during off-season periods. Having a competition is a great time for continuing to build team spirit, camaraderie among the team, and to keep the competition energies going. This type of competition meets and complies with modern strength training methods. It provides the desired testing of athletes strength coaches desire today. It provides training incentives for athletes in the off season. It can be used for all athletes. The most important reason, it is fun for your athletes.
Reproduction of this article, in whole or part, for any purposed other than personal use is prohibited without written consent. Copyright 1998 Deepsquatter.com.  |
