Bobsled

I’ll be more interested in seeing how the training progressed throughout the training year gpp etc. No problem with the bb work but I feel the need for low volume tempo work, our big guys are doing 1080yds of tempo twice a week - skill 2000yds.

I know it was simple, progressive training and the coach of the best USA guys is not a big pusher of low intensity work. I imagine most of them do extra bb stuff and warmup and that’s it. They don’t need much conditioning or work capacity for their sport since they only run 30m three times or so each comp, at least that’s my understanding.

In my personal training I have dropped all tempo running, though will do one day of skips and buildups (ala Pfaff) and some circuits one day per week, coupled with one accel day, one speed dev day, and one speed end day. I have pr’d on power clean two cycles in a row and it looks like I have pr’d in accel but I don’t have exact times from the same timing methods.

I hear what your saying. I don’t have a issue with ext tempo for any sport but how much is needed? I still believe bobsledders could benefit from 1000-1500yds once a week and another day of circuits etc. Are you still training under Mike?

Yeah. I do rollover style so 4 days per week whenever I can get them in with the goal being get all 4 days in over 7-9 days. May do 2 days in a row or every other day depends on schedule or how I’m feeling I just make sure the order is kept.

Kool, goodluck with your training.

You may want to check Ian Danney, I think he does two speed days with his guys.

Mon/Thur: hills/sled+lower wts
Tue/Fri: upper wts
Wed: mb throws and work
Sat: games

I would as SE requirements are minimal if any,and can be considered only if a supportive mean to develop overall speed is needed,I would also use tempo only in a strict CFTS plan,and never as a training mean per se,or avulse from such a plan.

This is supposed to be compensated by switching the nature of the sessions within the week, but I see what you mean. I am sure there is a place for either version in an athlete’s plan.

Don’t matter still a major difference, my workout quality was much better with the circuits.

LR400 has given a good overview of what was done at the OTC in Lake Placid. Jason Hartman did a great job and his athletes produced some of, if not the best, pushes on the World Cup tour.

Jon Carlock is the head of the OTC in Colorado Springs and from my perspective the training looks very much like programs from Mike Stone with regard to the lifting portion.

The training I’ve seen from foreign countries is similar to what we do here, everyone lifts heavy (OL’s and squats) and does quality acceleration work along with shot throws and plyos. It’s typical for a World Cup brakeman to squat over 250k, clean above 160k and run sub 3.6 in the 30m w/1m fly–all at a bodyweight of 215-260 (Kevin Kuske and Alexey Voevoda).

Hello-

I am currently interning at the USOTC in Lake Placid. What we’re doing right now is utilizing vertical integration block periodization incorporating basic jumps (no landings currently as we are in our first training block), Olympic weightlifting and the derivatives thereof (squats, pressing variations, pulls to the knee, mid-thigh pulls, etc.), sprints (currently hill sprints; again, first block), extensive core-tempo sessions, and med. ball throws. The new Head of Sport Physiology for Winter Sport studied under both Charlie Francis and Dr. Mike Stone and is currently in the process of incorporating what could be a called a hybrid of both systems; that is, an athlete development system that incorporates extensive long-term monitoring of the athletes, a holistic approach to speed and strength training, and a strong emphasis on full recovery. What we have seen thus far is that the athletes are buying into the system after they have been informed of the science behind the approach. Currently, my responsibility as an intern has been to do static jump testing (at varying loads; 0, 10, 20, 40, and 60kg) of all the athletes, write up a data return paper template that is to be returned to that athletes after the testing data has been analyzed and interpreted, and to do an extensive literature review on all three gliding sports (bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge) so that we may modify our testing procedure in the future so as to better reflect sport specificity. Obviously, the goal of this science-centric approach to athlete development is to better understand what makes a good bobsleigher (luger, skeleton athlete) and take that knowledge and use it to create high-level Olympians.

What is the physiologist’s name?

Thanks for the details, I assume you are referring to Brad DeWeese?

What does the current microcycle look like? I’ve heard that there is the occasional 3-a-day!

Brad DeWeese hosted a conference that Charlie and I put on at UNC Asheville while he was the track coach at UNCA. It was a two-day seminar back in 2002. Brad may have employed Charlie’s approach, but it would be a stretch to say that he “studied under” Charlie. Don’t get me wrong – Brad’s a good guy and a dedicated coach. It was a hell of a seminar attended by great coaches such as “Pioneer” and “Flash” on this site. Are you sure Brad is the guy now at USOTC Lake Placid?

Yes, he’s at Lake Placid. Jason Hartman left to train special forces for the Army, DeWeese is his replacement.

It seems as though they made a good hire and I’m excited to see what the results are like.

EHart7, what male athletes are you working with? I know a few World Cup guys are in Colorado with Carlock but are Langton, Olsen and Laszlo still training in Lake Placid?

Good for Brad. I know he’s a quality coach and dedicated to his athletes. Pass on our best wishes to him.

EHart7 - try to get Brad to post on the forum once again. I believe his name on the forum was “Dlive11” or something like that.

Yes, I’m sure Brad DeWeese is at Lake Placid. I studied under him at UNC Asheville so I know what the guy looks like.

The male bobsleigh athlete training here at the moment is Jarred Clugston and John Napier; Tomasevicz is in Colorado but Brad is writing his program. Most of the bobsleighers up here right now are the women and Brad is doing all of their programming as well.

Good luck to you and Brad, sounds like you are doing some interesting research.

I know Clugston from Push Championships but Napier was in Afghanstan at that time. After football season is over, I’m looking to make it back up to New York and get on the ice, perhaps I’ll run into you then.

Ehart7,

Who is training Langton and Olsen now?

Still Hartman?