I received this email the other day. I believe this sums many of the issues we face in athletic development today:
"I recently attended a sports specific conference not a personal trainer type of one. Left disappointed. Conference presenters and attendees were primarily college and professional coaches not personal trainers. But, I ended up getting two days of hearing that bilateral squatting is bad for the back and that step ups cause knee pain (presenter), "we have everyone power clean" (presenter and attendees), we use the FMS (presenter and MANY attendees) and one presenter, in particular, was worshipped by many. I left disappointed. I felt like I just attended a personal trainer type conference! One attendee when asked what is the first thing he does with a new athlete said "I take them through the FMS." We also got to go through stations standing on BOSU balls, foam rolling, using the Core X, using some type of TRX band, etc. It was basically a personal trainer/boot camp circuit. Waste of time to me.”
There are so many obvious questions that no one seems willing to ask. Maybe they are not so obvious. It seems we have arrived at a total monkey see, monkey do stage in the athletic development profession. If one guru says something then everyone is like a bunch of bobble head dolls quickly nodding their heads in affirmation without even stopping to think or question.
These are my questions based on what I am seeing and hearing. Here goes:
Why does everyone have to power clean? Aren’t there any viable alternatives?
Why not back squat?
With more emphasis on so-called “corrective exercise” why do we have more injuries than ever before?
Why movement prep what is wrong with warm-up?
What does the functional movement screen really tell you?
Is the body fundamentally symmetric?
I ask these questions not to be provocative or argumentative but to get legitimate answers, not the party line answers and platitudes. Why are you doing what you are doing? Are you doing it because it is what everyone else is doing? Is what you are doing best for your athletes? Does it fit the sport demands and the athlete’s level of development and training age? Folks there are years of experience by many people, not just myself, that lead to this questions. All you young coaches out there take a step back, look in mirror and ask yourself – Why? Ask yourself where is this information coming from? What are they trying to sell? Does it really work or are you doing it because some "expert" told you it would work. Think critically don’t just change the flavor of the Kool-Aid or buy the next DVD.
Bruce Kelly
I beieve that sword cuts both ways. While I believe the TRX, kettlebells, etc. are good tools so are barbells, dumbbells, etc.
People can get stuck in the “old school” as well as going the opposite way and jumping on every new bandwagon.
The key is a good filter that distinquishes between what you think is valid and fits into your philosophy. Nothing is the perfect tool or method for everyone nor does anything(tool or method)create progress indefinitely. Many tools and methods will work and are appropriate if applied well.
I’m not sure “corrective exercise” is the culprit in the so called injury epidemic as much as way too much early specialization and year round play in a given sport. It’s the cumulative toll that takes on an athlete that leads to injury IMO.
Jeff
Everything is sold as “the best solution for X” and marketing works which leads people to believe it is the best solution. The issue becomes that EVERYONE claims that about their product. It’s hard to filter everything through, especially being a young coach.
Paul A. Davis
I have a question for anyone willing to answer. If movement is key to athletic performance – speed and efficiency – and research has demonstrated that performance in many throwing/striking activities is enhanced via overload training of no more than 20% of the normal implement weight e.g. a baseball weighs 5 oz., so train with 6 oz.), then why must we insist on training athletes with progressively loaded resistance significantly beyond 20% of bodyweight? Why would we not want athletes to perform the movements associated with sport (basic human movements) at fast speeds (ballistic training) with up to 20% loads? Would this not stimulate the nervous system adequately and produce desired training effects? There is a large body of research suggesting heavy resistance training does not significantly improve specific athletic performance.
Coach Winsdale
Bruce is a follower and this post is making people feel uncomfortable. Thank you Mr. Gambetta!
Corrective exercise may not be the culprit,but it’s not the solution as it’s not working! Early specialization is the same excuse people have when things don’t work. You can never blame the training so you will use something that nobody can control as an excuse.
Bruce who are the old school coaches ruining athletes? Care to share?
Rich T.
This is a brief, yet concise, summation of the world of athletic preparation in 2011. No more independent thinkers, just pass around the chalice and drink the purple Kool-Aid a la Jim Jones. Not only have many of the basics become less sexy, they’re now contra-indicated if you want to play your best or get to the podium. Does this make sense? It reminds me of the scene from Steve Martin’s movie “The Jerk” when a woman won a prize at a carnival and, although she was looking at many shelves of great toys, Steve basically narrowed it down to a small section on one shelf with cheap toys. Squats are bad? I think it should be rephrased to “squats performed with poor technique by poorly prepared athletes can be bad.” GREAT point that many are trying to illuminate the path with their products they want you to purchase. Bruce raises a point about specialization. I think the wrong kids are not only specializing, but specializing in the wrong way. Last I heard, only 5% of kids in MA playing a sport in high school go on to play that sport on college. This tells me that, for most, the pinnacle of athletic excellence is reached before the age of 18. Does it then make sense that the more talented kids need to devote themselves IN THE RIGHT WAY to max out their talents and abilities?
Rich T.
Oops…last sentence should begin with the word Doesn’t.
Armando
The sports performance crowd blames early specialization and what are their solutions? Not PE style training but methodology similar to rehabilitation of a stroke patient. This attempt on
Armando
wannabe PT is not working, has never work, and will continue to fail.
Tim
I don’t think there is anything wrong with following a coach, more to the point of knowing what and why you are following him or her. Reminds me of my highschool basketball days when I followed Michael Jorden, man did I want to be like Mike. I even wore red UNC underwear shorts under my team shorts for four years. Needless to say I never played college never mind working in the pro’s. till this day when I’m on the courts I still think I’m MJ.
cheap jerseys
This is a brief, yet concise, summation of the world of athletic preparation in 2011. No more independent thinkers, just pass around the chalice and drink the purple Kool-Aid a la Jim Jones. Not only have many of the basics become less sexy, they’re now contra-indicated if you want to play your best or get to the podium. Does this make sense?
Fred Robinson
Tim,
Be like Mike is not what we need now in the world of performance. Following without a compass is a voyage leading to a shipwreck.
Tim
Well yes Fred like the story goes.
“When I was a little boy, my parents told me what to do, and scolded me when I didn’t. When I went to school my teachers told me what to do, and caned me if I didn’t. When I joined the army, the sergeant told me what to do and God help me if I didn’t, so I did! When I got my first job my boss told me what to do too. So when I reached a position of some authority, what did I do? I told people what to do, because that is what all my role models had done….