I’m looking for links to any shot put training programs or training diaries. More specifically I’m looking to understand how they balance their weight work with med ball throws, plyometrics and competition throws…
There are a number of programs of elite putters (Timmerman, Gunthor and Andrei) at http://macthrowvideo.com/articles.htm
Timmerman is notable for following very specialised weight training with huge volumes of throwing.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts - there appears to be a lot of high intensity work in these programs.
thx - will have a look
Looks like Gunthor did a pretty basic program:
Mon Weights (squat and bench)
Tue Throw
Wed Explosive weights (cleans and med ball throws)
Thu Throw
Fri Weights
Interesting that his pb lifts weren’t too far off being world class and he was only doing a fraction of the volume of top OLs. Maybe the throws DO benefit the lifts…?
Lots of Gunthor’s training is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4e5cuyqjqw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJImRx3rpW0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqFP9gySw34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFVhwIy_PU
There’s also a brief clip of Timmerman’s Bench with pad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXNICkYjgTQ
Looking at Gunthors video and program, he uses a lot of different lifting methods in the early stages - eccentrics, weight-releasers, isometrics and static-dynamic lifts, plus a lot of bodybuilding work. Then later in the year, he moves to the more conventional squat-clean-bench work. Squats are ATG and the OLs are caught very high!
I have used the bounce press (with foam airex pads and foam rollers) extensively with my American footballers with excellent results.
Or you don’t need much volume to get very strong/stronger…
Pro Oly Lifters do not lift 2-3 sessions just for the fun of it. At some point they need it.
Perhaps were lifters to include throws they could reduce the volume…?
Ah yes, the Gunthor videos. That is the greatest training video I have ever seen and I am taking into account that I can’t understand a word of it.
Timmerman…bah. Olfield maybe have owned him at 43 if it weren’t for his career in purgatory.
My thoughts exactly
Is he doing power clean reps with 190??!!
I think 200…pretty sure
James, can you explain why you think it is so useful and worth the risks? In the video he has one foot on the bench, one foot off. Looks very sloppy…
With both my rotator cuffs repaired, I can hardly watch.
Mike Stone has written about training for shot putters. The final section of his book “Principles and Practice of Resistance Training” contains an outline for ~20 weeks of training. As I recall, the information is quite detailed, but focuses mainly on the strength training portion.
I’ve got some footage from a seminar Klaus Bartonietz (German Throws Biomechanist/Coach) gave a few years ago where he explained this. It seems that this way of Bench Pressing very closely replicates the force production curve during the putting action, as well as requiring a much larger absolute force to handle the much heavier weights. The rebound off the chest pad doesn’t contribute greatly to the upward path of the bar, and you really have to hit it very hard in order to complete the lift - notice that Timmerman slows at the very top of the movement.
It’s been a staple of a lot of throws programs for a long time now - Oldfield’s training tape shows him using a variant of it (both feet on the floor, pipe insulation on the bar). He also demonstrates what happens when you don’t hit it hard enough - you can almost hear the ribs crack! The Germans were smart enough to only have their most experienced athletes use it, introducing it only when they couldn’t improve by 10% per year in a regular press.
I agree - my earlier comment about the high volumes of high intensity work was meant to refer to the throws volume as well. I don’t think you can explain Gunthor’s 210kg power clean (the single shown in pt 4 of the video) on the basis of his lifting program. Of course, he also did a fair number of plyos, which will also help (as will being a complete genetic freak!).
I think that there would be something to be said for lifters using something like the overhead shot throw, which requires a relatively low level of skill. My only concern might be that the movement is too similar to the lifts and might have an adverse impact on lifting technique.
I should note that I, and my athletes, perform the lift differently than he does.
I originally saw the lift performed by Manny Martinez the shot thrower in a video in which he pressed 300kg explosively!
We use either 1 or 2 foam airex pads or a foam roller as the pad and the lift is performed (mechanically) exactly the same as a bench press.
From a dynamic standpoint, we descend under control but very fast (not quite a free fall) and then accelerate as fast as possible while using the rebound to our advantage.
I recently made a 188kg press in this fashion and it was very smooth- nothing jarring about it at all and two of my athletes made 200kg.
I program the lift in as a means of developing explosive strength about the arm extensors.
We perform rest pause sets of single repetitions with relaxation movements in between repetitions.
when performed correctly, per my definition, it is a very sound exercise and poses very little structural stress/risk as the foam absorbs the majority of the impact force.
From personal experience I can tell you that it is comparable or even less structurally taxing then the coventional bench press.
OK that makes some sense. I guess the key is that the pad is absorbing a lot, and you aren’t relying on the tendons and rotator cuffs just to get the stretch reflex.
Absolutely, the reactive component is largely accounted for by the foam rendering the training effect primarily a process of explosion and acceleration.
I don’t think Gunthor is cleaning that much. I think all of those plates are basically the same size so you can’t tell whether he’s using 10s, 15s, 20s, or 25s.