goergen1
08-30-2007, 03:51 PM
"Unbalanced" Training
by Bert Sorin
We all know how important stabilization is to the athlete. In many cases this means supporting uneven loads on the body, counter balancing the force, and effectively redirecting force in an efficient manner. This is common to many different speed and strength sports: football, basketball, baseball, track and field are prime examples.
It is very rare, although we try very hard, to be completely centered and in the most efficient power position (the "ready position") throughout an entire game or play. Open-skilled sports simply do not lend them selves to well thought-out, controlled movements. Most of the time force is being applied to an appendage or one side of the body (as being hit from the side in football). This is mechanically a very unstable position to be in, and many athletes either are knocked helplessly down, or rendered ineffective due to lack of stabilizing strength and coordination.
This is where ""unbalanced"" weight training comes in.
I have been doing Russian twists, side bends, dead lifts, cleans and snatches (light) with uneven loads on the bar. For instance I will do twists with a 25-45 lb. plate on one side of the bar only. This requires an enormous amount of stabilization and not only works the primary muscle group that is conventionally targeted, but incorporates the antagonist muscles to balance to weight so the the movement is fluid. I started out lifting this way light, working my way up slowly.
I DO NOT DO ALL OF MY LIFTS THIS WAY. But I do think it is a great way to supplement an elite athlete's workout to get him to the next level. I have already gained a lot of core strength doing this, and I see it as excellent way for those looking to have a "core of steel."
Stay Strong, Bert
by Bert Sorin
We all know how important stabilization is to the athlete. In many cases this means supporting uneven loads on the body, counter balancing the force, and effectively redirecting force in an efficient manner. This is common to many different speed and strength sports: football, basketball, baseball, track and field are prime examples.
It is very rare, although we try very hard, to be completely centered and in the most efficient power position (the "ready position") throughout an entire game or play. Open-skilled sports simply do not lend them selves to well thought-out, controlled movements. Most of the time force is being applied to an appendage or one side of the body (as being hit from the side in football). This is mechanically a very unstable position to be in, and many athletes either are knocked helplessly down, or rendered ineffective due to lack of stabilizing strength and coordination.
This is where ""unbalanced"" weight training comes in.
I have been doing Russian twists, side bends, dead lifts, cleans and snatches (light) with uneven loads on the bar. For instance I will do twists with a 25-45 lb. plate on one side of the bar only. This requires an enormous amount of stabilization and not only works the primary muscle group that is conventionally targeted, but incorporates the antagonist muscles to balance to weight so the the movement is fluid. I started out lifting this way light, working my way up slowly.
I DO NOT DO ALL OF MY LIFTS THIS WAY. But I do think it is a great way to supplement an elite athlete's workout to get him to the next level. I have already gained a lot of core strength doing this, and I see it as excellent way for those looking to have a "core of steel."
Stay Strong, Bert