Kettlebell Training with Mike Mahler

[Mike_Mahler]

@ccardill

i think speed endurance is better built through actual sprint work.

Yes, of course that is correct. However, supplementary work is useful. An anaology is like saying that football players should just play football and forget about lifting weights. Of course football players neeed to practice playing football, but supplemental training is useful

[Mike_Mahler]

@SpeedKills

I think that using bodyweight as a guide for load is not nearly accurate enough (especially if you were to have them do sprint work with a vest). If you’re dealing with a larger athlete (300-pound) you’re adding more weight to a heavy athlete. You have to consider relative-strength/power when considering adding additional weight to athletes. You have to consider, Mike, that there are some very easily influenced readers of the threads here at cf.com, so often the more specific the guidelines the better.

true and there are many factors that should be examined to see if using a training vest is even useful for a particular athlete. Thanks for the advice and i will be more cautious with advice in the future.

[Mike_Mahler]

@ccardill

you would wear this during sprint work?

Not on all sprint workouts. One way I would bring it in is as a three week cycle 1-2 times a week fro 40 yard sprints.

[Charlie_Francis]

@Mike_Mahler

true and there are many factors that should be examined to see if using a training vest is even useful for a particular athlete. Thanks for the advice and i will be more cautious with advice in the future.

Mike
I would avoid using a vest for sprints as the additional weight forces the hip height down which can change mechanics and increase injury risk. Vest can be used very effectively for power speed drills. (running As, hops, bounds etc over shorter distances and time frames) This can be done on the flat or on a slight incline. The great advantage of using a vest in this way is it frees up the arms to contribute to forces. The downside is weightvests can start to stink in short order and are hard to clean.
There is a thread on weighted sprints in the archives somewhere.

[Mike_Mahler]

@Charlie_Francis

Mike
I would avoid using a vest for sprints as the additional weight forces the hip height down which can change mechanics and increase injury risk. Vest can be used very effectively for power speed drills. (running As, hops, bounds etc over shorter distances and time frames) This can be done on the flat or on a slight incline. The great advantage of using a vest in this way is it frees up the arms to contribute to forces. The downside is weightvests can start to stink in short order and are hard to clean.
There is a thread on weighted sprints in the archives somewhere.

Thank you Coach and your advice makes sense. Do you feel that weighted vest squats, vertical jumps would be useful with a weighted vest? Thanks and I agree that weighted vests can stink realy fast, ha ha

[Charlie_Francis]

@Mike_Mahler

Thank you Coach and your advice makes sense. Do you feel that weighted vest squats, vertical jumps would be useful with a weighted vest? Thanks and I agree that weighted vests can stink realy fast, ha ha

Yes, we had some vests for power speed drills at one time and they got unuseable in a short time! Perhaps, if they were some sort of mesh, they could be washed more effectively.
The ones we had were a good design with weight pockets and a pattern to add weights to keep the load balanced at all times, BUT, when you washed them, the pockets shrank, making it a nightmare to get the weights back in!
For drills etc they work very well. For drop jumps or down plyos, there’s no need, since all you need to add more load is more height.

[Mike_Mahler]

@Charlie_Francis

Yes, we had some vests for power speed drills at one time and they got unuseable in a short time! Perhaps, if they were some sort of mesh, they could be washed more effectively.
The ones we had were a good design with weight pockets and a pattern to add weights to keep the load balanced at all times, BUT, when you washed them, the pockets shrank, making it a nightmare to get the weights back in!
For drills etc they work very well. For drop jumps or down plyos, there’s no need, since all you need to add more load is more height.

Great, thanks for your response!

[Daniel_Martinez]

Charlie,

What do you think of this weighted belt:

http://www.speedcity.com/Catalog/Football/Equipment/Linear-Speed/Item/149/Buckshot-Belt.php

I like it because I don’t feel like I’m messing with any COG issues and it helps my athletes feel more centered (that’s a redundant statement). Could this work better than a vest? And please ignore their training videos!!

[Charlie_Francis]

@SpeedKills

Charlie,

What do you think of this weighted belt:

http://www.speedcity.com/Catalog/Football/Equipment/Linear-Speed/Item/149/Buckshot-Belt.php

I like it because I don’t feel like I’m messing with any COG issues and it helps my athletes feel more centered (that’s a redundant statement). Could this work better than a vest? And please ignore their training videos!!

Looks pretty good but is it adjustable or set weight? BTW, was that you on the World’s Strongest Man contest? I didn’t get to see it cause I was reading to James when it came on here.

[Daniel_Martinez]

It’s set weight. I believe 10 pounds. The size is adjustable though. And no, that wasn’t me.

[mustang]

Charlie,
Any guidelines for how much weight might be used w/ vests? Also, where might this type of work show up in a double periodized plan?

Mike,
First off, do you have any resources available on kettlebell training? Any chance you could compare/contrast kettlebell training with strongman training for a sprinter?

Thanks

[Charlie_Francis]

@mustang

Charlie,
Any guidelines for how much weight might be used w/ vests? Also, where might this type of work show up in a double periodized plan?

Mike,
First off, do you have any resources available on kettlebell training? Any chance you could compare/contrast kettlebell training with strongman training for a sprinter?

Thanks

For sprinters, we usually used 10 to 20 lbs, depending on size a power levels. This is plenty to create an overload situation for power speed drills.

[Mike_Mahler]

@mustang

Charlie,
Any guidelines for how much weight might be used w/ vests? Also, where might this type of work show up in a double periodized plan?

Mike,
First off, do you have any resources available on kettlebell training? Any chance you could compare/contrast kettlebell training with strongman training for a sprinter?

Thanks

Yes, check out my website at http://www.mikemahler.com

I am not familiar personally with strongman training so cannot really comment on that. Thanks

[Charlie_Francis]

@mustang

Charlie,
Any guidelines for how much weight might be used w/ vests? Also, where might this type of work show up in a double periodized plan?

Mike,
First off, do you have any resources available on kettlebell training? Any chance you could compare/contrast kettlebell training with strongman training for a sprinter?

Thanks

If you think of the power speed drills, you’d start without weight and move to a vest (or other weighted means) and then to alternating drills - first weights then unweighted through you series (if you use 6xeach you do 3 and 3). finally, you’d progress to all drills again unweighted for a brief period before comp. All this depends on the interplay between all the other high intensity componants, so there isd a great deal of flexibility.

[nycjay01]

@Mike_Mahler

presses, then sots presses (sots press is a mil press from the bottom position of a squat)

Mike Mahler

Not for freshmen Stricly varsity!!!

This one is very very tough. I did it at the usa wieghtlifting club coach class for the first time. You have to be flexible in the hips have a strong trunk/core and a very strong shoulder girdle…

[Mike_Mahler]

@nycjay01

Not for freshmen Stricly varsity!!!

This one is very very tough. I did it at the usa wieghtlifting club coach class for the first time. You have to be flexible in the hips have a strong trunk/core and a very strong shoulder girdle…

Ha ha, I agree and if you cannot do a full squat and feel comfortable in that position, the forget the sots press. You also have to have flexible shoulders as you have the press the weight behind your head and not in front to stay centered. the sots press is a great ego killer

Mike Mahler

[nycjay01]

@Mike_Mahler

the sots press is a great ego killer

Mike Mahler

Yup. I found that out the hard way :rolleyes: