Barbell Exercises and Variations

Hi all,

This video demonstrates how little equipment is needed in developing sound exercise programming and performing specific movements pertaining to your sport. A lack of equipment also encourages creativity and excitability throughout exercise selection.

These barbell exercises are seen within numerous sporting activities requiring explosively powerful movements as seen in cycling and BMX (pushing and pulling, rotation and stability), rugby league and rugby union (tackling and defending) and tennis (backhand where a large pulling and rotational force is required).

Alternatives include: Standing rotational pulls, high or low rotational movements, dragging loaded bar, dead lifts, squats, lunges, rows, presses, throws, dynamic loading patterns, unilateral and bilateral exercises.

In terms of alternative movements the options are endless, think about the movements required in your sporting environment and let us know of further variations.

Mitch

Dynamical, Free Flowing Movement

Hi everyone,

I found this video containing a few interesting exercises and thought I'd share. What I enjoy about the exercise selection is the creativity shown, breaking the 'norm' or mundane activities you may see in a typical gym program. The exercise selection is holistic in approach, focusing on free flowing dynamical movement with an emphasis placed on power development (e.g. hip drive and rotation to maintain momentum), stability and range of motion (more specifically within the hips and shoulders).

The video, when observed, seems to take inspiration from mixed martial arts, with a lot of ground work, throwing, punching and explosive pushing. This leads to another great aspect of the exercise selection, the applicability to other sporting disciplines due to similarities in movements. I encourage you to see this video for yourself, and try to determine the specific benefits these exercises may elicit in your sporting environment i.e. what are these exercises designed to do? As always any questions regarding specifics, please let me know.

Mitch

Eccentric Contractions and Performance Development

The eccentric contraction is termed as the lengthening of a muscle under tension from a force greater than the muscle can promote - the opposite of a concentric contraction (muscle shortening whilst generating a force exceeding load). An example can be seen in a squatting movement, the 'down phase' representing an eccentric and the 'up phase' a concentric contraction of the muscles comprising the legs (gluteals, quads, hamstrings, calves).

The muscles are stronger throughout an eccentric contraction (approximately 30-40%). As a result exercises focused on enhancing eccentric contractions of a muscle or group of muscles will result in improved stability and strength of joints and tissues, ameliorate amortisation (loading/landing ability) and quickening of contraction speed and contraction change over. Furthermore, eccentric exercises are often utilised as an overload technique throughout programming to create new benchmarks. Let's think of the eccentric contraction as an effort to reduce injury risk, or a braking force throughout activity and an essential component in enhancing sporting performance.

Below are a few videos that focus on eccentric training and may be evident throughout your own programs. In the first video Anthony's focus is primarily on athlete development whilst the later video is on hamstring rehabilitation, note the emphasis on slower eccentric movements.

-Mitch

Muscle Activation and Performance

Muscular recruitment/activation is a requirement of everyday activity and exercise, in short, the muscles of the body are 'ordered' by the nerves to contract in turn creating locomotion. 'Ideal' muscle activation via the nerves during sporting activity aids in enhancing contractile strength and speed as well as creation of momentum, efficiently producing the desired movement (e.g. squatting, running and jumping). This 'ideal' activation of the muscles is essentially sequential activation of specific muscles groups, which streamlines performance of an exercise, optimising performance. If the recruitment order is out of sequence, the quality of muscle contraction and momentum transferal may be diminished, limiting performance.

Activation exercises benefit all athletes basically 'waking up' the muscles, making them work when they should. Below I have compiled a few videos that would benefit some specific movements in regards to improving performance throughout activity.

Activation Exercises

Gluteal Activation

VMO Activation

-Mitch

Alpinism: Ueli Steck

Alpinism is essentially climbing to the highest point of a mountain in the shortest possible time frame. It is definitely what I would deem an extreme sport, due not only to the physiological aspects and risk involved traversing a surface, but also the emotional and mental strength required to succeed. Rock, snow and ice surfaces impede fast, fluid movement, as a result extensive training involving body weight exercise and plyometrics are essential with additional attention to climbing, skiing and distance running (hills, uneven and unstable surfaces) attains the most beneficial results for the Alpinist. The work exhibited by an Alpinist echoes the efforts of a rock climber discussed in the last blog, with a few exceptions, speed and cardiovascular endurance required is of higher demand (due to higher summits and time minimalism), extreme weather conditions and limited oxygen available lessen the efforts of the climber and increase the associated risks.

The Swiss Machine

Training and Preparation

Training for Everest

Ueli Steck is one of the more pronounced athletes within this field, some recent achievements include: Mount Everest (8848 meter summit, no oxygen, 18.05.12), Cho Oyu (8201 meter summit, 05.05.11), Shisha Pangma/south face (8027 meter summit, solo, 10 hours 30 minutes, 17.04.11) and Sol/Droite north face (2 hours 8 minutes, previous record held by Christophe Profit in 2 hours 30 minutes). The videos above detail Alpinism and Steck's preparation and training, for a detailed description of his routine click here (note the extended stretching/recovery, large focus on cardiovascular endurance and time spent with mental rehearsal). If you missed last weeks blog on climbing, click here, for more information on Ueli Steck click here.

Thanks for reading,
Mitch

Rock Climbing: Physiological Demands and Training

Hi Everyone,

Rock climbing requires a tremendous amount of body weight strength in order to climb uneven often near impossible rock faces. The ability to hold a position close to the rock surfaces is essential to maintain an even balance and ultimately traverse a rock face. This is a result of extensive strength and endurance training of the fingers and forearms, upper body pulling, core and legs. Flexibility also plays a major role in order to contort the body into positions to navigate the rock surface.


I have come across a few interesting videos about rock climbing and training which you may find interesting involving training and some interesting information regarding the physiological demands placed on rock climbers.


For more information on rock climbing why not check out Anthony's previous blog on rock climbing or alternatively send us a message on:
www.innovatessc.com.au

-Mitch

Pelvic Mobility and Sporting Performance

Hi All,

Pelvic mobility is of major importance for all sporting activities, however movements requiring increased hip rotation, extension and maintenance of power produced via the legs demand a larger range of motion (ROM) of the hips (e.g. hitting and throwing movements).



An increase in ROM of the hips allows an enhancement of power production. Take a tennis player for example, as discussed in previous blogs, the power generated in a movement generally originates from the legs via a ground reaction force, this force radiates up the legs and body towards the racket head. The hips are a medium of sorts which aid in delivery the momentum created by the legs, if the hips cannot rotate/extend efficiently, the power created is minimalised or lost throughout the racket swing and the overall performance is diminished. The leg power generated is also exacerbated via the stretch shortening cycle of the muscles in the hips, a larger ROM may equate to an improved muscular elastic response.

Each picture contains a differing stretch video specific for pelvic mobility which can aid in performance enhancement. Have a look and let us know what you think.

Thanks,

Mitch