This athlete was having some low back pain so we decided to explore some core exercises for a few weeks to see if that would mitigate it. Extension/flexion/lateral/rotational and he is starting to feel less pain in just a handful of sessions! #WPC
Some of our pull up bars are very high. Today, since we had so many people in the weight room, I asked athletes to figure out a way up rather than moving boxes others were using. I realized how valuable this was for them as I watched them find unique solutions to climb. #WPC
We can use an isometric movement for force/strength development as well. Pulling against an immovable object really helps activate muscle as well as build strength. #WPC
Hang clean can be a challenge for a new athlete to learn. At #WPC, we aren’t going to rush to do it day 1. All these are 8th/9th graders at various points, learning to do it in a way that is unique to them but faithful to the movement, all while being done in a safe way.
SO true. To understand intent and how challenging something is, eyes become WIDE open the first time they are on a device and realize they weren’t working as hard as they first thought.
Counterintuitively, Velocity Based Training may be MORE useful for beginners than for advanced lifters. The literature shows that athletes with a greater training age are better at self-assessing their own perceived exertion than beginners.
Even within the same exercise things will be different at times. Here one athlete is more focused on the eccentric portion of the lift while the other is pushing higher weight on the concentric portion. #WPC
With less free play growing up, less time spent on the parks climbing, it’s important to incorporate aspects of dynamic/ever-changing movements in the weight room. Here we replaced our pull up sets for the day with some turn-arounds. #WPC
When we first begun exploring variable reps, I had to guide their search for different solutions, as it was brand new. One cool thing is as the athletes become more comfortable with variability, they get creative and do things you never would’ve thought of. #WPC
Let this one run in its entirety. 2 athletes are “it” in this game of tag around obstacles in a defined space. Watch the movements that emerge that quite simply can’t be replicated with ladders or cones. #WPC
All 2-arm pulling, but done in 3 different vectors. At #WPC these are the things that are researched and applied. This is one of the biggest things missing from your teenagers workout they downloaded off the internet and are doing on their own.
Many sports have contact risk to them. Rather than ignoring them in the practice environment, we can use our movement prep to create slices of physical contact that are safer, but also expose the athlete to some demands so they are more robust and less likely to breakdown. #WPC
Athletic development doesn’t have to look like boring rote like drills. Setup an environment and let the kids explore, have athletic qualities emerge, and see joy on their faces. #WPC
Once an athlete can do a pull up, how do they get over the hump when they hit the same number week after week? We’ve been working to hold at the top, and lower slowly. It’s incredibly hard, but doing these right after a few normal pull ups can help push through that limit. #WPC
Individualizing load based on in-season activity: 1st athlete with golf meet today so moving weight fast to be ready to compete but still get good workout in. 2nd athlete track tomorrow so ability to push a little harder. #WPC