Weightlifting Versus Powerlifting: Which is Right for You?

by Allen Hedrick – 10/26/2011

In the strength sports, there are two primary forms of competition – weightlifting and powerlifting.

Weightlifting includes the snatch and the clean and jerk (performed as one movement) while powerlifting involves the squat, deadlift, and bench press. While the competitive goal in both sports is to lift as much weight as possible, they're also remarkably different in several key areas.

Whether you're new to lifting or a seasoned strength trainer looking to take up competition, understanding these differences is critical.

Power What?

The name "powerlifting" is really a misnomer. Lifting with power implies an element of speed or explosiveness, but weightlifters generate more power and move at higher velocities than powerlifters at all percentages of 1RM.

Although the start of the powerlifts is explosive, the ensuing movement is performed at a slow velocity due to the heavy loads and the biomechanics of the lifts. Numbers-wise, the big 3 powerlifting movements typically produce approximately 12 watts per kilogram of body weight in male athletes.

However in weightlifting, the second pull in both the snatch and clean average 52 watts per kilogram for male athletes. That's over four times as much power as the supposed "power" lifts!

This is more than merely a labcoat distinction. For most sporting athletes, the ability to generate high levels of power and move explosively is of far greater importance to improving performance than is the ability to generate high levels of force in a single effort.

Furthermore, while power levels decrease in both weightlifting and powerlifting as the weight on the bar approaches 100% of 1RM, the reduction in power is far more significant in powerlifting, again due to the biomechanics of the lifts.

In powerlifting, power output can be twice as high for a 90% of 1RM bench, squat, or deadlift as compared to a 100% of 1RM lift. This significant decrease occurs because of the dramatic increase in time it takes to complete the lifts as the resistance increases.

Finally, what other benefits are there to greater power requirements? Try bigger quads, hams, and pecs. Studies have shown weightlifters have slightly larger fiber areas for all major fiber types as compared to competitive powerlifters. The larger area of the IIA fibers in particular is thought to be a result of the greater power generation required for weightlifting.

Benefits of Slow Speed Strength Training

It's not all doom and gloom for powerlifters. Powerlifting's high force, low velocity movements are believed to be best for developing muscle strength.

Further, another benefit of slower speed training (e.g., 2 seconds up, 3 seconds down) is that it's believed to be very good for developing hypertrophy. Time under tension is an important consideration when training for hypertrophy, and as rep speed slows, the time the muscle is under tension increases.

Weightlifting movements on the other hand, are executed explosively, and aren't the best approach for hypertrophy. As a real-world example to balance out all the science, how many bodybuilders do you know perform cleans, jerks, or snatches as part of their training program?

It should be noted that most periodized strength training programs for athletes do include a hypertrophy phase, typically early in the off-season. This hypertrophy phase generally serves two purposes.

First, an increase in muscle size can lead to superior increases in strength, as bigger muscles are generally stronger. These strength increases can then assist in maximizing power, which, for most athletes, is the primary goal of training.

Second, increased muscle mass leads to increases in bodyweight, and depending on the athlete (e.g., offensive linemen), it can be another performance advantage.

Benefits of Weightlifting

Weightlifting involves movements that emphasize both high force (squats) and high velocity (cleans) exercises, which is believed to be the best approach for developing strength, power, and speed. This allows for performing heavy load and high velocity training simultaneously.

Weightlifting movements and related training exercises (hang pulls, hang cleans, power snatch, power clean, push press, power jerk, etc.) are also valuable for developing explosive power, as the goal is always to move the bar as quickly as possible, regardless of load. This focus on bar speed may result in greater motor unit synchronization and increased rate of force development.

Finally, weightlifting programs are advantageous for increasing speed. This occurs because of the combination of high levels of force development and improved contractile speed required when performing high force, high velocity training.

Benefits of Combining High Speed and Slow Speed Training

Increasing 1RM strength is only valuable in a few athletic activities, such as powerlifting. The majority of sports require strength at fast velocities (i.e., power).

It's a popular belief that as slow velocity strength increases, power output and dynamic performance will also improve. This is true to an extent, because maximal strength, even at slow velocities, aids in the development of explosive power as all explosive activities start from a still position or slow velocities.

However, to maximally improve power, both the force and velocity components must be increased. Research has shown that combining heavy resistance and high-speed training may be more effective than focusing only on high force or high power.

Training programs that emphasize high force seem to primarily improve force at the high end of the force-velocity curve. In contrast, high power or high velocity training seems to focus greater improvements in force development at the high velocity end of the spectrum.

For example, squatting with heavy loads (70-120% of 1RM) improves maximum isometric strength but doesn't enhance maximum rate of force development, and may actually reduce the muscle's ability to develop force rapidly.

However, activities that demand the athlete develop force quickly, such as weightlifting, improve the athlete's ability to develop force rapidly.

While high force resistance training improves maximum strength, it doesn't significantly improve power output, particularly in athletes who've already developed a base level of strength. This is because movement time is typically less than 300 ms during explosive activities and most of the increases in force can't be realized during such a brief time.

In the end, perhaps a combination of weightlifting and powerlifting training is best?

Need for Quality Instruction

Due to the high technical difficulty required in performing the weightlifting movements and their inherent explosiveness, proper technique is critical. Coaches teaching these movements should be experienced in correct technique and, at a minimum, complete a course involving hands-on practice of the weightlifting movements.

Also important is an understanding of the correct progression leading up to performing these movements, minimizing injury potential.

Injury Risk in Weightlifting

What about safety?

A small number of studies have evaluated injury rates of speed-strength training such as those used in weightlifting. One challenge with this type of study, from a practical standpoint, is that training is usually performed in conjunction with other types of exercise including sport-specific work and team practices; hardly an objective look at the injury potential of just weightlifting.

Regrettably, it's been suggested that the weightlifting movements are more dangerous to perform than traditional exercises, and that single-joint movements are as effective as the weightlifting movements for enhancing performance. This is simply wrong.

As long as the weightlifting movements are performed with correct technique and proper equipment, they're as safe or safer than other sports or training activities. Zero evidence exists showing that weightlifting causes excessive injury. The fact is, the rate of injury in weightlifting is lower than many sports, such as football, basketball, and gymnastics.

While injury does occur in both weightlifting and powerlifting, injuries are not common.

Point by Point Summary

Still confused whether weightlifting or powerlifting is the right course of action for you and your fitness goals? Here's a summary:

• Much greater levels of power are produced in weightlifting than powerlifting. Further, weightlifters generate higher power and move at higher velocities than powerlifters at all percentages of 1RM.
• For most athletes, the ability to generate high levels of power and move explosively is far more important than the ability to generate high levels of force in a single effort.
• Training for powerlifting involves movements that demand high force and low velocity movements. This type of training is believed to be best for developing muscle strength.
• An additional benefit of slow speed training is that it increases the time the muscle is under tension during training, and time under tension is an important consideration when training for hypertrophy.
• Training in weightlifting involves movements that emphasize both high force (squats) and high velocity (cleans) exercises, believed to be the best approach for developing strength, power, and speed.
• Training that emphasizes high velocity training, (e.g., weightlifting) is thought to be advantageous for increasing power output and speed.
• To maximally improve power, both the force and velocity components must be increased. Research has shown that combining heavy resistance and high-speed training may be more effective than focusing only on high force or high power.
• Because of the high technical difficulty required in performing the weightlifting movements, it's necessary that highly qualified and experienced instructors teach these exercises.
• As long as the weightlifting movements are performed with correct technique and proper equipment, they're as safe or safer than other sports or training activities.

Final Words

There is considerable confusion among non-lifters and gym rats alike concerning the differences between weightlifting and powerlifting. While both sports involve barbells, plates, weights and a big intangible – commitment – they differ in fundamental ways that deserve attention.

As for the best approach? Well, as always, that depends upon your goals.

Organic Cereal Scorecard

Organic Cereal Scorecard

http://cornucopia.org/cereal-scorecard/

Waterbury Diet for Fat Loss

by CHAD WATERBURY on OCTOBER 20, 2011

In the spring of 2010 I started experimenting with the Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler and it forever changed the way I approach nutrition. Without that diet, and my subsequent experiments with different versions of it, my clients and I wouldn’t be as lean and healthy as we are today. I won’t delve into why I initially tried the Warrior Diet since I covered most of that in this blog.

This installment covers the nutritional strategies I currently recommend for fat loss and gastrointestinal (GI) health. I’ll tell you upfront that I’m not going to explain why the Waterbury Diet ended up the way it did, or else I’d have to write a book. But I don’t want to do that. Why? There are a few reasons.

First, this version of the Waterbury Diet is similar enough to the original Warrior Diet that I don’t feel right charging people money for it. However, my approach is different enough to justify its own version or else I’d tell you to just follow the Warrior Diet. (Although, reading the Warrior Diet is highly recommended.) Second, since there’s not a lot of research on intermittent fasting (IF) – the key component to this diet – it’s unlikely I’ll be able to reference any new studies you haven’t seen from other experts. Third, it was time I outlined what I’ve been doing since I’m late to the game. My buddy Jason Ferruggia has his Renegade Diet and Dr. John Berardi wrote an excellent piece on this style of eating. Yep, there are many others out there that have their own versions so I thought it was time to outline the approach I use for myself and my clients.

Finally, I must mention that it’s essential for you to consult your physician before embarking on this, or any other, nutrition plan. Now let’s get started.

Gut Health and Intermittent Fasting
In the early part of the 20th century, Dr. Eli Metchnikoff coined the phrase “Death begins in the gut.” That’s probably the most accurate and important statement you’ll ever hear. Indeed, in 1908 he won a Nobel Prize for his work studying gut bacterial flora. In order to get leaner, stronger, more muscular or healthier, you must improve gut health. This is where intermittent fasting (IF) becomes essential.

In the Warrior Diet, Ori Hofmekler outlines two distinct phases of eating each day. The first phase is the aptly titled “undereating phase” where you consume very few calories. (He also refers to this stage as “controlled fasting.”) The undereating phase lasts 16-20 hours. That’s followed by the “overeating phase” at night where he recommends a specific sequence of foods to get the most benefit. During this 4-8 hour window you’ll consume most of your daily calories.

The effectiveness of this diet stems from the intermittent fasting (IF) stage. When you get it right you’ll burn fat, boost energy and improve overall health by reducing inflammation. Importantly, the terms controlled fasting, undereating phase, and intermittent fasting all refer to the same thing. I’ll be using the term “fasting” to describe this phase.

Waterbury Diet for Fat Loss – Fasting Phase (20 hours)
From the time you wake up, until four hours before bed, consume 0.5 ounce of liquid per pound of lean body mass. Your lean body mass is your body weight minus your fat weight. So if you weigh 200 pounds and have 20% body fat, you have 40 pounds of fat. That leaves you with 160 pounds of lean body mass. You need at least 80 ounces of liquid during the fasting phase, mostly from water. You can have up to 16 ounces of tea (green and white tea are best) as part of this liquid requirement. Coffee addicts are allowed up to 8 ounces of black coffee, although it’s not recommended.

The fasting phase is the toughest part of this whole diet, especially during the first few days. You’ll be hungry, cranky, and your energy will be lower than ever. I recommend starting this diet on a weekend when you don’t have work demands or when you don’t need to be a social butterfly. It’s never fun to go through detox, and that’s exactly what the fasting phase is. However, after a few days your physiology will shift, the hunger pangs will go away, your skin will start to clear up, and your energy levels will be higher than ever.

What can you eat during the fasting phase? This is where I differ from the original Warrior Diet that says you can have any fruits, fruit juices, an egg or two, or some yogurt. I’ve found the best results are achieved with the least amount of food possible. Look, anyone can go without eating much during the day, especially when you know you can eat until you’re completely satisfied at night.

Fasting Phase Rule #1: Don’t eat unless you’re really hungry.
At first you’ll be hungry within a few hours after you wake up, maybe even as soon as you wake up if you’re like I was. After a week or so you might not be hungry until 2pm. In any case, wait until the hunger pangs are too tough to withstand before eating anything.

Fasting Phase Rule #2: When you do eat, eat as little as possible.
Consume calories during the fasting phase from only five sources:

1. A handful of fresh berries. Any berries will work, but many people favor raspberries since the high fiber content controls hunger.
2. One-half of an organic apple. If it’s a relatively small apple, eat the whole thing.
3. A glass of vegetable juice made from any fresh veggies. V-8 is not recommended since it’s not fresh, but there are worse things to drink.
4. Mix 4 ounces of organic cranberry juice with 8 ounces of water. This adds toward your daily liquid requirement. Thanks to John Meadows for turning me on to cranberry juice – it’s excellent to support liver health and stave off hunger.
5. Drink 8 ounces of fresh coconut water. Because of the carb content in coconut water, don’t drink more than one serving per day. You can add a pinch of salt to the coconut water, thus making it “nature’s Gatorade.”

So whenever hunger takes over during the fasting phase, choose one of the five options above. You can have any of the above choices up to three times during the 20-hour fasting phase, but mix up your choices each day and spread them out as much as possible.

Fasting Phase Rule #3: Take supplements during the 20-hour phase.
Certain supplements will make the fasting phase much easier to deal with. The following supplements support your metabolism, immune system, and reduce inflammation. I always hesitate to mention supplements because there are so many. It’s inevitable that I’ll get hundreds of questions asking if “supplement x” is ok to take, too. What you see below is what I recommend, but you might want to add other things to the mix. Keep in mind that some supplements should be taken with food so they might not fit in the fasting phase.

1. Multi-vitamin/mineral – my two favorites are the “one daily” versions by MegaFood and Biotest’s Superfood. Take either when you wake up.
2. Curcumin/Turmeric – take 500mg of curcumin when you wake up. I use Biotest’s version.
3. Resveratrol – take a 600mg dose when you wake up. Again, I use Biotest’s Rez-v.
4. Probiotics – I recommend one capsule of MegaFlora by Mega Food when you wake up.
5. Iodine/herbs for thyroid support – each afternoon around 2pm, when I’m hours into the fasting phase, I take one Thyroid Complex by MediHerb. This supplement isn’t easy to find, and I’m sure there are many acceptable substitutes but I recommend a supplement like this to support thyroid health. The MediHerb version contains 600mcg of iodine and a mixture of herbs.

Waterbury Diet for Fat Loss – Feeding Phase (4 hours)
The feeding phase is where the real fun begins. Hofmekler recommends that you eat your foods in a certain sequence during his “overeating phase” at night. Even though I like his approach, I don’t think it’s necessary. Your body has been without any sufficient calories for 20 hours so it’s ready to assimilate what you give it. This is where dieting dogma goes out the window: you can eat the majority of your calories at night, even with carbs, and still lose fat. I’ve seen it countless times over the last few years with clients that range from 24 to 70 years old.

What can you eat during the feeding phase? Whatever you want that’s not processed or crap. Honestly, we all know what good foods are, so I don’t want to rehash them here. No, you can’t eat a bag of Doritos, but you can have a baked potato with dinner.

The key point is to get a big, healthy serving of protein with dinner. You haven’t had any protein yet so your body is craving it. That protein can come from chicken, fish, beef, turkey, eggs, shellfish, or any other complete protein source.

How much can you eat? As much as you want until you’re completely satisfied. But don’t gorge yourself with food, try to eat at a normal pace in order to give your gut time to tell your brain that it has had enough. Drink as much liquid as you feel you need.

You can have spaghetti with meatballs and a side of asparagus. You can have fish with rice and a side of broccoli. You can have chicken with a baked potato and a spinach salad. Again, there are countless options, just eat a complete meal with whatever good foods sound best to you. Dessert is fine, too. A square or two of dark chocolate or a bowl of fruit are great choices. Half a carrot cake isn’t smart.

I recommend three supplements with dinner, and two of them again later in the evening:

1. Digestive enzyme and/or HCl – my clients and I take 1 capsule of Digest Gold by Enzymedica at the beginning of dinner. During dinner some of them take 200-600mg of HCl in addition to the Digest Gold. Importantly, don’t take HCl if you’re having any alcohol with dinner. HCl is a tricky supplement, and beyond what I want to cover here, so consult with your doctor before taking it.
2. Fish oil – during dinner take two teaspoons (not tablespoons) of Carlson’s liquid fish oil or two Flameout pills from Biotest or two Krill oil pills from Pro/Grade that can be found at this link.
3. Astaxanthin – this powerful anti-inflammatory supplement is probably going to be the next big thing. Take one 4 or 5mg tablet with dinner.

That covers your first meal during the feeding phase. It’s likely that you’ll have a little hunger by the end of it. What should you do? Eat! Again, you can eat whatever sounds good that wouldn’t be categorized as junk. Maybe you want some leftover dinner, or a handful of mixed nuts, or another piece of fruit.

When you eat again at the end of the feeding phase take another serving of fish oil and astaxanthin like you did during dinner along with another 500mg of curcumin.

Before bed, preferably a few hours after your last food intake, I highly recommend that you take a full spectrum mineral supplement. It’s not easy for your gut to assimilate minerals so they should be chelated. Two versions I like are Biotest’s ElitePro Mineral Support and Mega Multi-Mineral by Solaray.

Training During the Waterbury Diet for Fat Loss
It’s best to train right before your feeding phase. That way, all those calories will shuttle into your muscles for growth and repair. However, some of you might train in the morning or earlier in the afternoon. Regardless of when you train (morning, afternoon, evening) take one scoop of protein powder immediately after your workout. Proventive’s Harmonized Protein is an excellent whey from New Zealand. If your stomach doesn’t like whey, Sun Warrior makes an outstanding vegan protein that can be found at this link.

This diet can be used in conjunction with any training program of mine. However, if muscle growth is your primary goal and if you’re on one of my more demanding HFT programs, my next installment might better fit your needs.

Final Words
This version of the Waterbury Diet is for those who need to lose a lot of fat or improve their overall health. I want to be clear that I’m not against a more traditional style of eating with multiple meals per day. This diet isn’t for everyone, especially those who want to have breakfast with their family or power lunches at noon. But if you can make this plan work for at least 6 weeks, I think you’ll look and feel better than ever.

You might think this plan is heavy on the supplements, but honestly, it needs to be. During the fasting phase your body is getting very few calories so the nutrients need to come from somewhere. And during the feeding phase your gut is ready to assimilate whatever you put in it, so make the most of that opportunity with the recommended supplements.

In my next installment I’ll cover the changes I make to this plan for muscle growth with fat loss.

Stay Focused,
CW

References (thanks to Mike T. Nelson)
Gjedsted J, et al. (2007) Effects of a 3-day fast on regional lipid and glucose metabolism in human skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Acta Physiol 191: 205-216.
Johnstone AM. (2007) Fasting – the ultimate diet? Obesity Reviews 8: 211-222.
Aksungar FB, et al. (2007) Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein and Biochemical Parameters during Prolonged Intermittent Fasting. Ann Nutr Metab 51: 88-95.

Wikio

Olympic Lifts and Dumbbells

A Winning Combination

by Allen Hedrick – 9/13/2011

Weightlifting movements (cleans, jerks, and snatches) have finally been accepted as a valuable training method for both athletes and those training for fitness. This acceptance is based largely on a number of key reasons:

• The high power output that occurs when performing these movements.
• The biomechanical similarity between the weightlifting movements and those that occur frequently in sport.
• The high caloric expenditure that occurs when performing these exercises due to the multiple muscle groups required to perform them.

Typically, when we think of weightlifting movements (commonly referred to as the Olympic lifts), we think of the lifts being performed on a platform with a barbell and bumpers. However, it's also possible to perform all these movements safely and effectively with dumbbells.
Dumbbells are often underused in most weight-rooms, used only to perform biceps curls, flyes, or the occasional dumbbell bench press. Many trainees have the mistaken notion that best increases in strength can only occur through barbell training; however, the key to increasing strength is not the mode of training but the intensity – and you can train with as much intensity with dumbbells as you can with any other method of training, including barbells.
Having worked as a strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate and Olympic Training Center level for 20 years, I can assure you there are some unique benefits to performing these lifts with dumbbells.
Some of the benefits are more practical in nature. For example, performing these movements with dumbbells doesn't require any specialized equipment (e.g., high quality weightlifting bar, bumpers, platform) and for most, the movements tend to be easier learned with dumbbells than with barbells.
On the other hand, some of the benefits of using dumbbells to perform the weightlifting movements are more technical in nature. For example, training with dumbbells demands that the lifter control two independent implements simultaneously, requiring a high degree of motor skill.
Further, dumbbells allow movements to be performed with either alternating arms or one arm at a time, rather than having to always use both arms simultaneously. For some athletes, this single arm action more closely matches what occurs in their sport (e.g., throwing a ball, swinging a racquet, fighting off a blocker while tackling a running back).
For those not involved in athletics, performing alternating or single-arm movements increases training variation, eliminating the need to perform the same exercises with the same technique each workout.

The Weightlifting Movements, Dumbbell Style

As mentioned, the weightlifting movements consist of cleans, jerks (performed as a clean and jerk in competition), and snatches. There are numerous variations and associated training exercises that can be performed based on those three exercises, especially when using dumbbells.
Below is a list of exercises and the technique associated with each exercise.

Dumbbell Jerks and Related Exercises

Dumbbell Push Press

In a shoulder-width stance, hold the dumbbells so the back ends of the dumbbells are on the shoulders.
Reach back at the hips and drop to a normal jump depth while keeping the heels on the floor.
Quickly extend the hips to full extension, transferring the momentum from the lower body through the core to the upper body. This jumping action will cause the dumbbells to rise off the shoulders briefly.
From there, press the dumbbells to full extension. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Power Jerk

Using the same movement pattern as the push press (but with more speed and quickness), drop to a jump position.
Quickly extend the hips and throw the dumbbells from the shoulders to a fully extended position overhead.
There's no pressing action involved; the dumbbells are thrown from the shoulders to a fully extending position in one explosive effort. The movement can also be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Split Jerk

Using the same movement pattern as the push press (but with more speed and quickness) drop to a jump position.
Quickly extend the hips and throw the dumbbells from the shoulders to a fully extended position overhead in one explosive effort.
As the dumbbells are being extended, simultaneously split the feet front to back in what can be thought of as a high lunge position. In the catch position the front knee will be slightly bent, and the knee of the rear leg will be unlocked.
While keeping the arms fully extended, recover the legs from the split position by taking a half step up and a half step back until the feet are squared up in a shoulder-width stance.
Once the feet are squared up, lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Split Alternating Feet Jerk

Identical to the split position described above, however, the lifter will alternate the feet in the split position each repetition, splitting the right foot forward on one repetition and the left foot forward on the following repetition.
For the athlete this is important because it teaches them to be strong, balanced, and in control with either foot forward. For those training for fitness it provides an additional training variation. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Split Alternating Feet Alternating Jerk

As in the previous description, the lifter alternates their feet in the split position each repetition.
The lifter is also performing the movement one arm at a time, first jerking with the right arm and then with the left on the next repetition.
The movement is performed opposite arm opposite leg, so that when the right arm is jerking the dumbbell, the left leg is being split forward and visa versa. This is a complex movement pattern. As a result, strength and power are being enhanced along with coordination and movement skills.

Dumbbell Cleans and Related Exercises

Dumbbell Hang Power Clean

The movement is performed with the handles of the dumbbells centered laterally on the knee joint.
The feet are in a shoulder width stance, back arched, head up, and the shoulders forward of the dumbbell.
From this start position the hips are extended, as in a jumping action.
At the top of the jump the shoulders are shrugged quickly and straight up, and the dumbbells pulled up along the side of the rib cage to a position just under the armpits. The dumbbells continue to be oriented front to back.
At the top of the pull the hips are moved back into a semi-squat position, the heels are down, and the arm/dumbbell unit is brought up around quickly so that the elbows are high and pointed across the room and the rear of the dumbbells are caught high on the shoulders.
The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Power Clean

This is identical to the dumbbell hang power clean described above except the start position is changed from a hang position to a start position that mimics the start position of performing the movement from the floor with a barbell.
This places the dumbbells at about mid-shin position, maintaining the front to back orientation previously discussed.
The dumbbells are caught in the power position rather than a squat position. The movement can also be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Hang Clean

The adjustment here is that rather than performing a power clean (caught in a semi squat position), you perform a full clean from the hang position, dropping into a parallel or lower squat position.
Because the dumbbells are caught in a lower position than in the power clean, generally more weight can be used in this exercise than when performing the power clean. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Clean

The start position moves from the hang position to the mid-shin position previously discussed. You then perform a full clean from that mid-shin start position.
Because of the longer range of motion to develop momentum on the dumbbells, and the low catch position; generally the greatest amount of weight can be used when performing this variation. The movement can also be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Snatches and Related Exercises

Dumbbell Hang Power Snatch

The movement is performed with the handles of the dumbbells centered laterally on the knee joint.
The feet are in a shoulder width stance, back arched, the head up, and the shoulders are forward of the dumbbell.
From this start position the hips are extended, as in a jumping action. At the top of the jump the shoulders are shrugged quickly and straight up.
At the top of the shrug the dumbbells are pulled up along the side of the rib cage to a position just under the arm pits, past the shoulders and straight up past the ears and caught with the arms fully extended directly over the shoulders. The dumbbells continue to be oriented front to back.
At the top of the pull the hips move back into a semi-squat position, the heels are down, and the arms/dumbbell unit is brought up and around quickly so that the dumbbells are caught with the arms fully extended over head in one motion. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Power Snatch

Identical to the dumbbell hang power snatch described above except the start position is changed from a hang position to a start position that mimics performing the movement from the floor with a barbell.
This places the dumbbells at about mid-shin position, maintaining the front to back orientation previously discussed.
The dumbbells are caught in the power position rather than a squat position. The movement can also be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Hang Split Alter Foot Snatch

The adjustment here is that rather than performing a power snatch (caught in a semi-squat position), you perform a full snatch from the hang position, dropping into a split position. In the catch position the front knee will be slightly bent, the knee will be unlocked in the rear leg.
While keeping the arms fully extended, recover the legs from the split position by taking a half step up and a half step back until the feet are squared up in a shoulder width stance.
Alternate the split position each repetition. Once the feet are squared up, lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders.
Because the dumbbells are caught in a lower position than in the power snatch, generally more weight can be used in this exercise than when performing the power snatch. The movement can be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Dumbbell Split Alter Foot Snatch

The start position moves from the hang position to the mid-shin position previously discussed. You then perform a full snatch from that mid-shin start position, dropping into a split position. In the catch position, the front knee will be slightly bent, the knee will be unlocked in the rear leg.
While keeping the arms fully extended recover the legs from the split position by taking a half step up and a half step back until the feet are squared up in a shoulder-width stance.
Because of the longer range of motion to develop momentum on the dumbbells and the split position, this variation generally allows for the greatest amount of weight to be used. The movement can also be performed one arm at a time or with alternating arms.

Conclusion

There are numerous advantages to performing the weightlifting movements with dumbbells. These advantages warrant their inclusion into the training programs of both athletes and those training for fitness.
Just be sure to emphasize great technique when performing them because, much like the barbell lifts, they're a skill and must be respected as such.
Best of luck with your training!

Wikio

Surprising Reasons Why You're Tight and Weak

by Lee Boyce – 10/11/2011
Tissue quality is paramount when it comes to building a strong, healthy body. For example, something as innocuous as weak scapular retractors or tight external rotators can stop a soaring bench press or shoulder press dead in its tracks.
The body seeks structural balance, and the quicker you accept this and adjust your programming, the more successful your lifting career will be. This means making time for some of the stuff we all hate, namely "sissy" pre-hab exercises and of course, stretching.

The Truth

Most lifters won't admit how tight their muscles really are. Each week we make hundreds of loaded contractions; reps upon reps, sets upon sets. Then, when we're at work or at home "relaxing," we continue to make our muscles fire by holding all sorts of unnatural positions.
To help offset this, therapists and trainers advocate flexibility and soft tissue work, but oddly, consider someone who spends 15 minutes a day working at it to be doing a good job. That's not even two hours a week!
It's important to recognize the vital relationship between a muscle's quality and its potential to gain size. Rather than being strictly size-obsessed, as we bodybuilders naturally are, a more "outside-the-box" holistic standpoint is at times necessary.

The Good Stuff

Muscles, bones, tendons, fascia, and ligaments all play a role in your welfare in and out of the weight room. Throw off your skeleton, and you get a lack of structural balance. Throw off your structural balance, and you get muscles being overloaded. Overload muscles, and you're grieved with joint stress and connective tissue issues.
Let's start things with a simple rule of thumb:

When a Muscle Appears Deficient, the Answer is NOT Always to Give That Muscle Your Attention!

Take a pair of tight hamstrings, for example. Lifters often suffer from hamstrings that have the elasticity of ropes. Yet despite the time spent before and during exercise methodically stretching the snot out of them, they see no improvement in their flexibility or in the performance of their given lifts.
Frustrating as this may be, it makes perfect sense – the hamstrings have all the flexibility they need, it's thesurrounding muscles that are causing the not-so-pretty deadlifts and squats.
Here are some things that could infringe on muscles' apparent flexibility or strength:

Reciprocal Inhibition

In the case of tight, inflexible hamstrings, what often hinders ROM are tight hip flexors.
Stand up and try to touch your toes with stiff legs and a flat back. Take note of how close you get. Now, take 30 seconds and static stretch your hips. Now try the toe-touch again.
Notice an improvement? The hip flexors were acting against the hamstrings the first time around. Because they were tight, they inhibited the range of motion the hamstrings could achieve on the opposite site. A simple attention shift like this could be a make-or-break factor whether your muscles function the way you want them to.

Get Your Head Straight!

Your posture is important for more than just looking impressive to the ladies. When you have a head tilt, the corresponding discs of the vertebrae are often being compressed. Not only can this lead to discomfort and chronic muscle imbalance, it can also lower your muscles' involvement in many major upper body lifts.
Let's say you tirelessly hit your biceps in pursuit of Thibaudeau-esque guns. Many lifters will crane their necks forward during heavy curls, or even look down at their purty biceps rather than focusing straight ahead while digging in for their set.
This impinges the nerve and lowers the electrical stimulation the nerves can send the biceps from their point of origin. Straighten up!
If it's a true spinal postural issue and not just a bad gym habit, exercises such as neck bridges can strengthen the neck musculature, along with exercises like the trap-3 raise for the lower traps and thoracic extensions with a foam roller.

Antagonistic "Looseness"

Often with muscles that directly oppose one another (like the trap-3 and pec minor, or calves and tibialis muscle), one side can tighten up due to no contributing balance from its antagonistic.
Loose tibialis anterior muscles (the long muscle on the shin that allows you to raise your toes) are often responsible for extremely tight calves that inhibit proper technique. For lifters who suffer from this, it's as hard for them to drop their heels during squats and lunges as it is for Dennis Rodman to choose an outfit on awards night.

Think Fascia

Your muscle fascia is often like a giant, connected chain. Releasing one link can unlock several others.
Try this: Do a standing calf stretch off the edge of a box or step. Now squeeze the glute on the same leg you're stretching. You'll feel the calf stretch intensify.
The contraction of the glute tugs slightly on the entire fascial chain, so the stretch is felt right along the back of the leg.
Knowing this, we can apply it to crusty chronic pain spots. Try taking a golf ball or lacrosse ball to your plantar fascia if you suffer from things like foot cramps, Achilles aggravations, or calf tightness.

So We Shouldn't Stretch?

It would do us well to first distinguish what we're doing all this stretching stuff for. Stretching work for basic flexibility in everyday life serves a very different purpose than stretching between sets of a 365-pound squat.
Regarding programming, we shouldn't be quick to focus on stretching as it isn't always the cure-all "remedy" for everything. Rather, it should be one of many tools in your toolbox to attack a pesky weak point. This way, when we do decide to prescribe stretching, it'll have the desired effect.
We all sit a lot. We also do tons of work using the muscles on the front of our body and minimal for the stuff we can't see in the mirror. Flexibility training for health and comfort should be a staple! This brings me to my next point.
Smart coaches preach that we should strive to achieve adequate levels of structural balance. That means the same rule applies for stretching, right?
Wrong.
Stretching both sides of the body evenly is not the answer. Think about it. If one side is tighter than the other side, and you proceed to loosen both sides up, you're simply maintaining the same imbalanced flexibility ratio, resulting in the same amount of strain and counter strain on the body.

Putting it All Together

Here's a comprehensive breakdown of muscles to give less or more attention to when stretching.

Traps. Deserve more of your attention. They surround vital nerves that can be compressed, and tightness can lead to them overcompensating for rotator cuff muscles that aren't active.

Chest. Deserve more attention. Tight pecs pull the shoulders way out of position and contribute to joint stress in the shoulder capsule, and general posture problems.

Upper Back. Much less attention. Loosening upper back tissue will contribute to rounding of the upper back, and take away from stability of the shoulder capsule.

Hip Flexors. More attention. From sitting, walking, running, and training, chances are as a lifter you'llalways have tighter than desired hips. They also attach to the low back, a common spot to strain, so you don't want them tight and tugging on your spine.

Lower Back. Much, much less attention. The last thing we want is to put the back into a less than ideal position by going into flexion.

Glutes and Hamstrings. Less attention. The glutes and hams are normally loose enough, and as direct antagonists to the hip flexors, loosening them can encourage shortening the hips.

Groin/Inner Thigh Musculature. More attention. Any bilateral imbalance that exists due to tightness in one side can lead to hip tilting.

Calves. More attention. The calves' flexibility will avoid problems like Achilles tendonitis, bursitis, and other inflammations surrounding the heel.

The Home Stretch

Sometimes we all need a tactful reminder – and a little help – to pinpoint the root cause of a given issue. If working the strength side of things hasn't been panning out, put some effort into the flexibility side of the equation. You'll be glad you did.
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Why You Need More Strength

by Chad Waterbury – 10/10/2011

In order to be powerful, you must be strong.
Developing huge levels of muscle force takes a lot of maximal strength, but it's only after you enhance your ability to quickly reach that peak level of force that you achieve head-turning power.
Power is defined as work divided by time (P=W/T), so in order to become more powerful you must decrease the amount of time it takes you to perform a certain amount of work. Let's say two guys can achieve the same level of peak force. The guy who can reach that peak force faster is more powerful.
The typical way a strength coach will build a power athlete is with a combination of speed and maximal strength training.
Speed training uses submaximal loads with fast tempos. For example, you'll put a load on the bar you could lift 10 times but you'll only perform three super-fast reps.
The goal of speed training isn't to enhance your peak force, but instead to enhance your ability to reach that peak force in less time. Put another way – speed training won't increase your maximal strength and this can be problematic for most power athletes.
For the purposes of this discussion, a power athlete is someone whose sport mandates lightning fast movements. Think of a MMA fighter or a running back.
Ironically, the only sport with the word "power" in the description – powerlifting – doesn't mandate fast movements. Whether it takes you two seconds or eight seconds to lock out the deadlift doesn't matter; either is acceptable in that sport. Nevertheless, speed work is important in powerlifting. There are two reasons.
First, speed work enhances your ability to reach peak levels of force. The inability to reach max force can cause you to miss the lift. The second reason is because, in most cases, powerlifters aren't doing anything outside of the gym that challenges their speed. They need to train for speed in their workouts because they're not getting it anywhere else.
You must be able to tap into your peak force very fast to get bigger and stronger. But this article isn't an overview of how to train for speed. Eric Cressey already did an excellent job covering that in Training Speed to Get Strong.
Powerlifters aside, most power athletes don't need additional speed work. They need to develop more maximal strength. That's the focus of this article.

How to Target Maximal Strength

Maximal strength is your ability to produce the highest level of force possible. Based on motor unit physiology, your ability to maintain maximum continuous force decreases at the 10-second mark. So any set or exercise that lasts longer than 10 seconds of continuous tension isn't directly training maximal strength.
There are two different ways to increase maximal strength. The first is with those big, compound exercises that you love to do in the gym because you can load plenty of plates on the bar. I'm talking about the deadlift and back squat, among others. You lift heavy, you keep the reps low, and you keep the rest periods long.
The other way to build maximal strength is with high-tension exercises. These exercises don't require much external load but they're brutally tough. Heck, in some cases you don't need any external load before you have to stop.
Two examples include the iron cross on the rings or a body weight glute-ham raise. Most strong athletes can't complete a single, full range of motion rep of either. So even though there's no external load, it's still maximal strength training since you can't maintain muscle tension for more than 10 seconds.
There's no new way to build pure strength. You need to lift heavy and use high-tension exercises. Thirty years ago a professional football player would practice to build his game and lift heavy in the gym to build his maximal strength. But then something changed.

The Sport Specific Training Setback

By the 1990's, sport specific training became the rage. The concept was simple – try to mimic in the weight room what you're doing in the sport. That way, what you develop in the gym will directly correlate with an increase in sport-specific performance.
Take a 100-meter sprinter, for example, whose replay video shows a high knee kick throughout the race. His strength coach has him perform a bunch of high knee kicks with a resistance band to build strength in that movement pattern because, well, that's what the sport shows.
Yet, this type of sport specific training didn't help. What proof do I have? Well, the progressive strength coaches who ended up removing those crazy exercises out of their athlete's programs saw no loss in sport performance. In many cases, the athletes actually improved their speed and strength once those fatigue-inducing exercises were put on the shelf.
I was reminded of this fact when I recently met up with sprint strength coach savant, Barry Ross, to talk shop. He's a guy who's known for having his athletes perform an extremely basic strength-building program; I mean, really basic. His strength program focuses on building the deadlift and not much else.
A deadlift-focused program for sprinters seems about as far from sport-specific as training can be. Yet Ross consistently produces some of the fastest sprinters in the world.
He doesn't have his sprinters perform a high knee kick against resistance because he figured out that the high kick was merely a rebound effect from the huge amount of force his sprinters were able to pound into the ground from their monstrous deadlifts.
Another example – back in 1997 I was fortunate to spend time around another legend in the world of strength training, Tim Grover. He's the guy who trained Michael Jordan throughout his career, in addition to many other top NBA players.
One really smart thing Tim did was measure his players' average heart rate on the basketball court. He wanted to see it decrease over time as they got further into the off-season strength and conditioning program he set up for them.
Tim didn't have Jordan or Pippen run up and down the court wearing a weighted vest with ankle weights while shooting a 20-pound basketball. He used basic strength exercises to get them stronger. Grover knew that making his basketball players stronger would allow them to perform jump shots with less effort. This kept their heart rate down and, by default, increased their endurance.
I mention Barry Ross and Tim Grover for a reason. Ross' athletes only need to run in a straight line for a very short amount of time. Grover's athletes had to run in multiple directions for a long period of time. Yet both focused on a basic maximal strength-building program to improve their athlete's performance, and both are hugely successful with their methods. They didn't fall victim to the sport-specific training nonsense.
The problem with the sport specific training craze is that the exercises weren't nearly as effective as training the sport itself. Those exercises just accumulated fatigue that kept athletes from practicing at their peak on the field or in the ring.
The idea of taking any sprint, punch or kick and adding resistance to it in order to build sport specific endurance is akin to prescribing a 4/0/2 tempo for the step-up. Both approaches set the strength and conditioning industry back 20 years.

The Fatigue Factor

Fatigue is the number one enemy of any athlete. Anyone who's a fighter, or trains fighters, has a clear understanding of how detrimental fatigue can be.
Look, if you're a running back, fatigue will decrease your agility so you're more likely to get tackled. That's not good. However, for MMA fighters, the inability to maintain their reflexes at the end of a fight could be a career ender.
It's this respect for my fighter's safety at the end of a fight that made me put such a large emphasis on speed training and sport-specific endurance development when I first started working with them. In those days, half of our training would be speed with endurance work, while the other half was maximal strength training.
But I wasn't satisfied with their maximal strength development. I knew the problem – they were doing too much overall training throughout the week to recover. So I started tapering off the amount of speed work I had them do. Of course, their maximal strength went up.
And their endurance and explosive strength also went up!
I determined an increase in endurance by their ability to maintain a lower average heart rate while they were sparring. The explosive strength enhancement was determined by an increase in their broad jump score.
Of course, training for nothing but maximal strength won't make you an endurance athlete. However, when I cut out the speed/endurance exercises, they were able to put more energy into their kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and boxing.
In other words, they had the extra energy outside of our strength workouts to literally build sport specific endurance by practicing their sport more frequently and with greater intensity. And remember that having higher levels of maximal strength means you can perform the sport with less effort.
The only type of sport specific training worth doing is the sport itself. I like battling ropes for MMA athletes as much as the next guy, but it's still inferior to letting them spend that energy on actual striking.

3 Guidelines for Training Power Athletes

1. If you train a MMA fighter, sprinter, running back, or any other similar athlete you probably don't need speed work in their training sessions because their sport is the speed work. Focus on building nothing but maximal strength with high load and high-tension exercises.

Use the deadlift as the ultimate measure of high-load training strength with being able to pull at least a raw double body weight lift with an unmixed grip as the goal. Focus on building the glute-ham raise, iron cross, muscle-up, and handstand push-up from rings for body weight high-tension exercises.
A key with maximal strength training is to rest at least three minutes before repeating an exercise. This doesn't mean you need to sit around for three minutes, though. Here's a sample sequence I like for developing the core and posterior chain.

	Exercise	Reps	Rest
1A	Pallof press-hold for 10 seconds		60 sec.
1B	Deadlift*	2	60 sec.
1C	Body weight glute-ham raise	**	60 sec.

* with heaviest load possible
** for as many reps as possible

Repeat 1A-1C four more times.

2. Monitor their endurance with a heart rate monitor while sparring. Their average heart rate should decrease over time. If it doesn't decrease, I would encourage them to spend more time practicing their fighting style.

If that doesn't work, add battling ropes, sled work, sprints or something similar into the program, one at a time. Make sure whatever you add in is improving their sparring endurance.

3. Monitor their explosive strength with one of the simplest ways to measure rate of force development (RFD), the broad jump. Here are the details:

The broad jump is a versatile tool in athletic settings. Not only is it an accurate way to test your potential increase in RFD, but it's also a good measure of which young athlete might be genetically predisposed to being a great power athlete.
The kid with the longest broad jump is often the one chosen by an Olympic coach who's looking to build his resume.
In science, all possible variables must be kept consistent through subsequent trials or the data will be skewed. This need for accuracy, of course, is just as important when testing athletes. The biomechanics of the broad jump must be as consistent as possible.
In subsequent trials, if the athlete uses a wider or narrower foot placement, if he's wearing different shoes, or if he's jumping from a different surface, you won't get an accurate measure of his changes in performance.
Testing Surface: Ideally you'll jump from a hard surface and land on a slightly softer one. Think of a basketball court floor for takeoff and a hard rubber surface like you see in gyms for landing. A surface that's too soft, however, isn't helpful either since it's difficult for the athlete to land solid. It's not imperative that you land on a softer surface, but if one is available, use it.
Footwear: I usually have my athletes perform the broad jump with bare feet. Any shoe with minimal cushioning will work, too. Avoid testing athletes who are wearing shoes with thick, cushioned soles.
Foot placement: When the athlete is ready to perform a broad jump, measure the distance between the inside of his heels and place two marks on the floor with tape so his heels are the exact same width with each subsequent attempt. Whichever foot placement feels most powerful is what you want to test. That stance width will be slightly different for everyone.
Attempts, Measuring and Calculations: Perform three broad jumps with three minutes of rest between each attempt. If the athlete loses his balance on the landing, it doesn't count. Wait three minutes and perform another attempt.
Measure from the front of his toes at takeoff to the back of his heel at landing. Measure to the heel that's closest to the takeoff line if the feet aren't perfectly even. The longest jump is the one that counts in your data.
Testing frequency: Test the broad jump every four weeks. Ideally, you'll test it on the same day at the same time with the same warm-up, if you choose to use a warm-up (as little as 10 jumping jacks one minute before the first jump is usually sufficient). The key is to keep whatever warm-up you're doing consistent over time.
Now, in a perfect world the athlete would refrain from any heavy weight training for two days before testing the broad jump. If you test the broad jump two days after a heavy deadlift the first week, and retest it one day after a heavy deadlift the fourth week, you're going to skew your data. Be smart with your timing of the broad jump test and try to keep all variables as consistent as possible.
It would be easy to get into a scholarly discussion over what constitutes an ideal broad jump distance. But that doesn't really matter. What matters is that your broad jump is consistently increasing over time. Once it stops increasing, add speed exercises into your training program if you feel that's what's lacking.

Final Words

This article isn't a slam on speed training. It has its place. If you're an avid lifter who doesn't compete in any sport and wants to get bigger and stronger, traditional speed training should be a part of your program.
However, if you're a power athlete it's important to remember that your sport probably gives you all the speed training you need, if you practice it enough.
What you'll most likely get the greatest benefit from is maximal strength training. This is especially true if your goal is to be the next MMA champion!

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