[COACHING]


ANDY TYSZ COACHING EDUCATION DIRECTOR


In continuity with our last issue, we would like to draw attention to the following which further develop the idea of matching Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) with that of superior athletic performance in Weightlifting. This webpage provides a basic blueprint of the stages of a weightlifter’s career and where the focus of training philosophy should be; http://www.bcweightlifting.ca/ltad/


While the above website provides for a general plan for the stages of an athlete’s career, it important to introduce how an athlete learns skills and emphasize that fact that if these concepts are omitted from a training plan the development of the athlete will be delayed and potentially stunted. Here are some key principles to keep in mind while training athletes, especially, but not limited to beginners:


❱ Athlete must be actively involved in process. As a coach, speaking too much on a skill can be a distraction for the athlete and he/she can potentially lose interest. Also, one has to make sure the athlete’s focus is actively engaged on the planned activity.


❱ Volume of reps is high and the in- tensity is low. Light weights w/ many reps allow the athlete to practice the movement many times w/ high success rates (70% or more) which leads to more efficient motor learning.


❱ Athlete sees many successful demon- strations. A positive mental image to develop one’s own understanding is a key ingredient for proper learning.


❱ Athlete focused on one element of technique while executing entire movement. The learning process is ac- celerated if the athlete can focus on one part of the overall movement at a time. (i.e. “For the next three sets, concentrate on keeping the CoP under the ankles in the mid-foot as you break the bar from the floor.”)


❱ Limit number of learning elements/ training session. Keep number of components to focus on to 4 or 5 per training session.


❱ Revisit various elements often. Once a skill or element of the movement has been acquired the coach should return the focus of the training session to said element from time to time to ensure cur- rency and refinement of skill.


We will continue to highlight these important pieces of advancement for weightlifters from the onset of training through the course of one’s career. We will also be implementing these sections into our Coaching Education program. During the course of the year, we will be revamping the program and its educa- tional materials to update its content and bringing our materials into currency with the development trends of professional weightlifting. By including the proper athletic development, assessment, nutri- tion, technical and programming prin- ciples into the Level 1, we believe it will be the foundation course for all coaches in the United States. These subjects will also be updated and refined in our upper level courses. To complement the coaching levels, we will begin providing online coaching information and tips with the eventual goal offering video clips of pertinent material for coaches.


COACHING TIP


When initiating the dip phase of the Jerk, make sure the knees start in an unlocked position. Locked knees in prelude to a dip can easily allow the Center of Pressure (CoP) and, subse- quently, the balance to shift from the heels to the mid-foot or even further forward to the ball of the foot. This is a recipe for Jerks to be driven out in front of the body instead of back behind the ears. To be clear, this is not a bent knee position, but an unlocked position. We do not want to begin the jerk dip from a quarter squat position.


FIG. 1 UNLOCKED KNEES


FIG. 2 LOCKED KNEES


FIG. 3 BENT KNEES


As one can see from the photos, the differences are subtle, but very im- portant in order to maintain pressure on the heels during the dip and drive phase of the Jerk. Another point, push the knees out during the dip, in lieu of moving them forward, the balance will stay on the heels instead of shifting to the ball of the foot. Albeit, some people are highly successful with initiat- ing the Jerk from a locked knee starting position, it is a good idea to start a beginner off with an unlocked position in order to minimize potential drift of the CoP during the learning stages.


4 >> WEIGHTLIFTING.TEAMUSA.ORG


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