valstrengthtraining

I work with athletes as a strength and conditioning coach. My job is to help them reach their peak performance mainly by helping them improve their performance related fitness components and by helping reduce the risk and severity of injuries (if they happen). Doing the first two helps them tolerate higher skills training intensity and quality.

The athletes I work with are not university athletes. They are members of their National team and are competing in Asian Games, World Championships, and the Olympics. I have worked with most of them when they were still developing and am happy to see them get to the level where they compete with the world’s best of the best.

Each sport, event, position, and individual athlete have their own particular demands. But most, if not all of it will go back into the fundamental qualities like a good strength foundation, good mobility, and so on.

So there are fundamental exercises that I use in the training program of athletes like squats and presses. Then there are exercises that are general but when used properly, can address specific needs.

One of this is the Kettlebell Snatch. More specifically the One Arm Kettlebell Snatch. The main qualities of the One Arm Kettlebell Snatch which I think make it useful for athletes are the following:

1. Ballistic

The One Arm Kettlebell Snatch is a lift that moves a load with one arm from below the knees to the overhead position in one smooth and quick motion, and is usually repeated. Lots of times. The heavier the load, the more energy is required. If you lift slowly, it is very, very, very hard. So the lift has to be fast, just like any good athletic move. I measured the speed using a linear position transducer and the peak velocity is around 2-3m/s. That is quite fast, very fast. Train fast to be fast.

2. Unilateral

This is obvious. This makes it useful for those athletes who may want to emphasize development of either side. We can never make the both sides equal in strength, but we can emphasize development of each side where it is needed. A lot of sports actually are unilateral and superior development of either side contributes to success. This is where unilateral exercises help. It is also helpful during the rehabilitation phase if one side is injured.

3. Ground based

It basically means you do the exercises with your feet on solid ground. A lot of people like to use the word functional training. Probably because a lot of functions/ activities are done on solid ground. Which means this exercise can have a lot of carry – over to ground based activities as well. Racquet sports, martial arts, athletics, and fencing are some of the more common ones.

4. Useful for explosive moves

In order to snatch a weight to overhead level in one smooth motion, some degree of power is required. The nature of this lift is that it has to be done fast, otherwise you won’t be able to snatch the load overhead. So explosive power, to a certain degree, is trained. The load has to be heavy enough because if it is too light and you snatch it too fast, it usually results in the kettlebell slamming down hard. Another outcome could be a very wobbly overhead position. Light load also means low power output. So there has to be the right combination of speed and load. Both of which are “ingredients” of power. The application of the burst of power from the lifter is when the kettlebell is still low. Once the kettlebell reaches around chest level, it slows down.

5. Useful for endurance

Due to the distribution of work to different muscle groups working in a rhythmic and synchronized manner, fatigue can be delayed. The weight of the kettlebell plays a big factor but if athletes want to train for endurance, this exercise is really great, as long as appropriate load is used- which is not very heavy if you want to train for endurance. Power (explosive power) is on the opposite end of the spectrum as compared to endurance. So how can the kettlebell snatch improve both? Well, no. But it may improve noticeably one and to a lesser extent, the other. Not both to similar degrees. Well maybe not unless the trainee has very low level of fitness to start with.

6. Promotes synchronized movements of the body’s major joints and muscle groups

In contrast to “isolation exercises”, the one arm kettlebell snatch uses almost the entire body from the foot intrinsic muscles; gastrocnemius-soleus tandem; hamstring group; quadriceps group; a bit of the gluteal muscles; erector spinae; lower, middle, and upper trapezius; para-scapular muscles; deltoids; biceps; triceps; forearm pronators and supinators; and finger flexors. I’m sure that list is incomplete. But you do get the picture. These different parts have to move in synchronously with the right timing when to apply a burst of effort and when to stabilize and when to relax.

7. Promotes shoulder stability

When the one arm kettlebell snatch used properly in training, the shoulder girdle develops robustness. This is because it has to continuously work to move the kettlebell and finally support it overhead in a stable manner. If the shoulder can do this, it will be better in tolerating repetitive motions required by the sport.

The Kettlebell snatch takes time to practice and learn. I observed that the average number of sessions for an athlete to be good enough to do a kettlebell snatch safely is around 2-4 sessions. That does not mean that they are already very good, it just means that they are able to snatch safe enough but still needs some refinement. From there it takes a lot longer time to refine the lifting skills. And there are technique variations that may be good for some but not for another person’s purpose.

I consider myself very lucky to be at my mid-40’s already. For some countries even to this day, that is just their life expectancy. And I am slowly coming to realize that I am living in another stage in human history- we are leaving the industrial revolution and we are now in the era of information, of computers, of technology making life so convenient. I should plan to be as healthy and as strong as I can be for as long as I can one day marvel at how far the world has come, and still be amazed by the beauty of this world.

I am now accepting that I am growing old. So I better plan how to grow old in a better way. Realizing that there is so much information available almost for free at this era, I am trying to learn concepts and ideas. That way, I will not be left too far behind. It also gives me some goals- to make myself better by learning.

And now, via the internet, you can access books: ebooks, and audiobooks. I used to read pages of a book while commuting on the train to and from home to work. Then lately, I started biking instead of commuting. It makes me healthier too. But then how can I read? Easy, I don’t have to read, I can just listen. Instead of ebooks, there are audiobooks. I tested it first though. Since it is important to focus on the environment while cycling. I tested listening while cycling back home yesterday. And it works! I don’t need a loud volume, and I can still hear the environment and understand the audiobook at the same time.

This morning I had a longer ride going to work. There is another loop that goes up a hill and goes around a mountain range so it is twice longer than the usual route. I was able to listen to an audiobook and it was great! I also enjoyed the scenery.

 

These simple things, which are not available during my parent’s times, gives me and their grandchildren a lot more chance to learn and discover. But not unless we appreciate and value it, we may not really use it to our advantage.

So as I grow old, I discover new ways of doing things. And I also am very much blessed to live in an environment where I can do what I love.

 

44, that will be your age in three days. You are doing good by making a tradition of lifting your age for reps on your birthday- or this time, near your birthday. You started three years ago with two 20kgs. Had a video clip of it… Look for it. Then last year you challenged yourself with two 24 kgs. That was hard. It is good you documented with video and a blog. It is nice to think about it.

This year you plan to spend quality time with your family on your birthday so you won’t be in your office- the gym. The 16kg pair you have at home won’t be a challenge anymore, for your age as reps anyway, so you decided to do the annual tradition earlier.

You may be the only person who will patiently count all the reps in your video. The heart rate seems not accurate. Well, your chest strap is around 9 years old already. Time to buy a new one!

 

 

 

 

Your wife lovingly bought you your Garmin Fenix 3. Then when you went for a training camp in Jakarta with the Laser kid you and Ben were training, you must have left it in the airport on your way back. You didn’t want to disappoint your wife so you looked for a way to replace it. That is when Facebook Marketplace helped you.

 

 

And you were able to “upgrade” it to the HR version. Although the infrared sensor needs improvement.  From what you learned in that situation, you are now able to buy yourself a nice bike as a gift.

 

 

Back to your birthday tradition, 44 reps will not really impress a KB Athlete. So you should not stop there. And 1 year to add another rep is too long. I noticed you became better at pacing yourself. You lifted with more confidence this year than last year. Not as nervous, but it still felt hard. Well, if it is easy it is not worth it. It was hard enough that your plan to do 44 snatches with 20kg per hand after the Jerk did not push through. And this morning you still felt a bit tired. So have a better preparation compared to your 4 weeks this year so you can do a more impressive lift next year. That way, it would be a bit more impressive.

 

Your technique – your mobility did not improve though. Work on that if you want to  have an impressive lift next year and if you want to compete this year. It is exciting to compete but will you be able to afford it financially and given time constraints? It is challenging. Smile, you just read in social media that growth happens outside of your comfort zone. You have been comfortable enough. Grow up more- don’t just grow old!

 

So next year, why not try the 28’s? That is another level. Last week, you felt good training with the 20’s that you were too confident for the 24’s. Then you were reminded in the middle of your lift that the 24’s are another type of animal. Another thing to learn- how to challenge yourself and be motivated without stressing yourself too much and how to be confident but know how to manage it.

Stepping up to 28’s would take time. You have to improve on the 20’s first- maybe 2-3 months of consistent practice will do. That would be July this year. Then move on to 24’s for 2-3 months. Plan forward after that if you are able to move forward for the next 6 months.

Work on your mobility too- the overhead squats seems a great tool for that. So be consistent in training 2-3 times a week. You also just bought a nice 2nd hand bike so you can work on endurance more. And also save on time and money when going to work and going back home. So when you lift it is more focused on KB lifts. The 2km minimum warm-up can be shortened to dynamic warm-up.

 

 

Keep working on improving your habit of writing your thoughts. You surprised yourself more than once when you read old notes. You initially thought they were written by someone smarter than you then you realized you were the author. This blog is something you will be thankful later on, since you will know that you planned to grow older into a younger, better you. Your body may be older but you should be stronger than when you were in your youth.

View from the top of the hill covering our village. Taken 6 April 2019.

 

Remember you are doing all these because you love yourself and your family. And also everything around you. You are scarred by the ugly side of this world but that is a part of why you are here- to experience and be better amidst all these. To pass through this world without scars is not passing through this world at all. Be better, not bitter.

Remember that you want to be a better person as you age. And also have a more abundant life, both in quality and quantity. You want this so you can share to others and so that someday when you leave this world, it will be a little bit better because of you.

 

 

This is for my future self to read. And also with anyone who cares to read. I hope it would inspire and re-inspire myself (or anyone). This year I turned 43. Not old, but not young. Last year I did two x 20kg x 42 reps KB jerks to mark my birthday. Then planned to have it this year. Time went fast & did not train as much as I think I shouldbut then my birthday came. I decided to use two x 24kg kb’s since the 20 kgs already felt quite manageable with proper pacing. It would not be so meaningful if it is not hard enough. So to give myself a challenge, I decided to use 24 kg instead.

I was not really sure if I could do it. I tried at lunchtime and failed at around 23 reps. I noted my mistakes: very tight belt which did not allow me to breath well and the other one may be a combination of pacing and resting in the racked position.

I tried again in the evening just before I went home. This time I used the belt correctly and paced better. I was doubting myself at around mid twenty reps. But let myself get to thirty. Then it felt like just a little bit more patience and perseverance and aim for mid 30. Got myself to 35 then it felt very well within reach now. Told myself to be patient and not rush. I paced myself not by looking at the time but by how I feel. I rest until I feel recovered for the next rep.

 

I plan to finish fast in the last 2-3 reps but I do not want to repeat an old mistake of going too fast in the last few reps that I failed on the last rep.

My previous mistakes should not go to waste especially it was this hard. So I breathed. Tried to breath well. Then adrenaline must have kicked in that I was confident I could go fast for the last three reps! And I did! I was ecstatic after the set that I was even able to fist pump. This I would not be able to do normally. I have to catch my breath for 30 seconds  or so but this time I was just so happy and relieved that I had the energy to clench and pump my fists.

This year went well. So now I plan to give myself a gift each year. It is not just attempting reps for my age. It is deeper than that. I plan to give myself a gift each year: a healthy mind and body. For as long as I can. It requires consistent and daily effort. Each year my body ages but I want it to age strongly.

I remember my grandfather. He had to use crutches in his 80’s since his spinal nerve roots have been compressed and he lost lower leg strength. But he still managed to keep himself busy and useful. He repairs the stone steps in my aunt’s farm. And that is not a flat terrain and the stones weigh around 15 kg and probably up to 30 kg. And when my grandfather was my age, he was so gentle and yet so strong. He can work the whole day doing what he does best. He makes rip raps. He can carry heavy loads up uneven steps high up to the top of his rip rap and this for the whole day for days at a time.

So I plan to be like him- a gentle man who is at peace with himself and who keeps his body healthy and strong. That would be a great git to myself; and to my family.

 

 

Slowly, the world seems to be telling me I am older. Or that I should be older. In a few months time I will be a grandfather to my niece’s child. More like a great uncle. And I will be turning forty two years old this year. Forty went by but I did not notice it. And I still think I am thirty. Maybe I am in denial.

Around 3 years ago, I visited an eye doctor since I felt my eyes are having a hard time adjusting after I use my office computer. After checking, he told me my eyes were fine and still 20/20 vision. That’s great to hear! But he said I may need glasses when I will be 40 or 41. I wasn’t looking forward to it. Back in the office I found out that the extra protective screen over the monitor was slightly off. This caused the slight distortion. I taped it firmly in place and my eyes were fine since then. And I know they will be for a longer time, so I haven’t visited the eye doctor since then.

It seems the world is getting older. This year I went back home for a short visit to the city where I grew up. Some friends commented that I still look fit, while they look at their round belly. I thought my belly is not that flat anymore so I hope their comments are sincere. The city also changed. It is not the same city anymore. It grew older. It now overflows with people and their houses and cars. It still has lots of pine trees, but not as much as before. Like a man who is slowly losing his hair.

Lately on facebook, I learned that a classmate when I was in elementary school had died due to cancer. And that one of my best friends has just recently had surgery for a benign growth in his head. Another one has a benign one on his spine. Are men designed to deteriorate by age 40?

I used to be the newest guy in the department where I work. But now am one of the “oldest” both in age and years of service. Last week, I had to be a guinea pig in the physiology lab for a dry run for the series of tests for the athletes I train. I thought it would be easy. But I ended up almost fainting. On the actual test, the athletes fared better than me since they did not feel dizzy. I almost accepted that I was getting older. But when I looked at the results, I felt a lot younger since I still beat them in peak power! Now I plan to beat them still on the post test. If I can still beat guys half my age maybe I am not growing older. Maybe the world is growing older but I choose not to.

Forty is just a number. It is a good reference point. It doesn’t make us older. It is we ourselves who will decide if we become old. I hope to grow but not to grow old. I choose to grow young. How? I try not to “work”, I want to “play”. That way, I feel less stressed. Join a competition once in awhile- just make sure your fitness level is able to support you. If not, then aim to make yourself fitter. I also do not buy much clothes. In fact, I still have clothes I wore a decade ago. Which means I have to maintain my waistline. Although I have to admit I noticed a round belly while looking at my photos 4 years ago. I trimmed it down a bit. Maybe by age 43 I will have my 6 packs again. Hmmn… yes, that will be a great idea.

There are many factors that will make a strength and conditioning training program successful. Some of it are controllable while some are not.

One factor is the willingness of the athletes to carry out the program. It now seems that this is hugely influenced by social media. And guess who controls the social media? It is the big businesses who have money to pay public relations firms, advertising companies, and similar entities who can make people believe in something just by constantly feeding them the information about products they are selling. They present it in a very entertaining way. Ideas can be presented as scientific facts even if it is only partially true. Or worst, not true at all. Observe the advertisements and ads on TV and social media.

The Split jerk is a very quick lift but it takes a few sessions to get it right. Sometimes you have to be good in 2 or more exercises  in order to do the split jerk well. It takes time to learn this.

 

I feel that as a Strength coach, I am fighting an uphill battle. Athletes sometimes come to the gym with a lot of preconceived notion of what is strength training. Some of them are grossly misinformed. It takes time to explain to them the process that they are undergoing. The worst situation is when their coach and even other support staff are also misinformed about strength training. It takes even longer to notice lasting effects. But not everyone is patient enough.

Sometimes I hear remarks that the strength training program is boring. Isn’t there a more fun way of doing it? I guess this is where science has to be blended with art. Sometimes the strength coach would make things entertaining. But only to a certain point. A very fundamental principle is that if we are to excel in anything, there should be consistency of effort. That needs consistent stimulus which is progressive in nature. Translated simply in strength training as: lifting consistently with gradually increasing intensity or volume. You have to train with the same exercises for a considerable amount of time, like months to years, in order to elicit a significant change. If we keep changing the exercises every session without having established a good lifting habit, skill, and strength, we end up doing an inefficient training program. This is because positive adaptations, if any,  would be minimal.

A strength training program would lead an athlete from their current zone into uncomfortable levels so as to make them adapt and perform better. It is mostly not fun. It is usually boring. Even intimidating at times.  Egos get hurt.

These training programs usually make use of the same free weight exercises. The may take many weeks before there seems to be some change. But they also change the athlete into someone who is stronger, and more resilient. Sometimes the athletes themselves may not notice the change. But if they have been writing down their training loads, they would realize it.

So if your strength training program uses almost the same barbell, or dumbell, or kettlebell exercises for weeks to months at a time; and is hard and boring, stick with it. It will make you stronger. You are in the gym to train. You are not there to be entertained.

When we were young, we tend to be impatient. We wanted quick results. Some are able to espouse the “train hard or go home attitude”. Take advantage of this to establish a good foundation in health and fitness.

After training hard for a few years or so, we naturally would want some rest. Which is fine. Our circumstances in life may have changed and we have to adjust our priorities. Our health and fitness may be great and we would not worry about it.

Then complacency sits in. Days turn to weeks, then months. Bulging muscles slowly deflate. Belly begins to inflate. And it is so insidious that even if we notice it, we tell ourselves we can easily take care of it. Then we let another week or more pass by. We gradually became used to a comfortable life. Then we find it hard to get back into shape.

This is the strength of our “weak”enemy. It is so slow that we rarely take notice. By the time it gets our attention, it is already so far ahead of us.

So we decide to fight back. But as we age, our ability to recover is not as good when we were young. Yes, we can easily run as fast, or lift as heavy in a short period of time. But since we are not able to recover quick enough, we may get injured. Another trap by our enemy!

We should be smarter. Let us refocus. What is our goal? Do we need to rush? Are we ale to put in enough time for it? If not, can we have shorter training sessions but more frequent ones instead? Can we do a combination of low intensity-longer sessions on some days and high intensity-short sessions? What have we learned from our younger days?

A wise warrior is the one who knows when to attack hard and when to retreat. They last longer in battle. They learn from mistakes and adjust strategies to defeat a cunning enemy. Men usually have to fight against ego. Our ego is hurt when we have to lift lighter than before. But sometimes, we have to take a step back in order to move forward. It is not “Train hard” mentality that makes you survive. It is training smarter. Train Better! Live Better!

Small things that we do actually add up to make us better or worst. These manifests as strange phenomenons in gyms. I am a Strength and Conditioning coach, not a sports scientist so my observations in the gym where I work all day  would not survive the rigid scrutiny of the people who come from the planet of the lab, or from the guys whose last names are hard to pronounce. I can’t spell it either but it’s something MS in PhD or something.

 

1. You see, a lot of guys, not necessarily men, are attracted by the gravitational pull of the bench press. They exert a lot of effort in this exercise. Observe a subject male specimen perform what seems like maximum effort. Then watch as an attractive female walks by. The male subject would add more plates to his bench press. The size and weight of the plates are directly proportional to the curvaceousness of the girl’s hips multiplied by the the revealing factor of the tightness of the female’s yoga pants. Then the male subject would perform the bench press but the range of motion is reduced by a big factor. This factor can be determined by subtracting the male subject’s actual ability to his ego. The bigger the ego, the more plates but the shallower the movement. In short, don’t train like a fool. Train don’t just exercise. And train so you get better at something useful.
2. Adonis is alive. Due to the undulations of the Earth’s rotation caused by increasing rate of the unnecessary bashing of the 25 lb dumbell on gym floors, a wormhole has opened in our world and a vortex opens up once in awhile. Guess where it opens: right in front of the full length wall mirror in the gym just in front of the dumbell rack. You can usually observe Adonis doing dumbell biceps curls or ez-bar biceps curls. Once in awhile, he is mistakenly teleported to another planet- that of the Squat Cage. Chaos ensures when the tribe of the Squat see Adonis biceps curling their sacred Olympic bar in front of the Squat Cage.
3. Have you ever heard of eccentric contraction on the last rep? No? well, it is because it is now an endangered specie. Lifting a load requires your muscle fibers to shorten as myosin pulls the actin filaments closer. Lifting is not complete since what comes up must come down. So the myosin releases the actin filaments, supposedly still under control. This type of contraction, called eccentric contraction, can actually resist a higher load than concentric contraction. Yet, it has become a fad in gyms, for people to simply drop the barbell, dumbell, or whatever they are lifting, to the floor after the last concentric contraction. Their reason behind is mostly ego related- to make a loud smashing sound so as to attract attention. But as per my unscientific observation, the last, and probably the most important bit of the set, has been wasted. It could have been a chance to be still under control even when you are the most tired in that set. Keep repeating- being in control of yourself even when you are at your worst, and it manifests in your life. You would learn how to persist when things are at their hardest until you achieve your goal. Do the opposite- letting go of your discipline and self control when you feel a slight discomfort- and it also manifests in your life: you will lack any discipline to push yourself when you are out of your comfort zone.
   
4. A noisy can is an empty can. It is also true in the gym. Some trainers seem to know it all and would comments on clients of other trainers or athletes being trained by other Strength coaches. Yet they themselves do not know how to lift. Their clients, or athletes for Strength coaches, also do not know how to lift properly and have not made substantial improvement but they keep on talking and talking as if they know everything. What is interesting is that they can fool a lot of people. That is because people tend to believe somebody who is talkative and assertive while knowledgeable individuals tend to hesitate to mouth around quickly since they analyze and put things to perspective first before giving comments. The lesson here is, if you are going to choose your Strength coach or trainer, observe him or her first, and observe his or her athletes or clients. Be careful when asking for comments since those making comments may have been fooled too. And talk less, do more.

 

People go to the gym to train and/or to make up for some insecurities. The gym is a place where a person can make his or her mind and body better. But it can also be a place where the body may start to look better but the mind degenerates into self-centeredness. So instead of training primarily to feed the ego, train to discipline your mind and your body. Simple good manners and gestures count a lot. Train Better! Live Better!