Wonderfoul!!!the greatest experience of my life…In cortina, 3 days as a brakeman, and also a crash!!There is nothing like that…to all the bobsled people…what is your thougth on the “snatch”.( the first push of the brakeman at the start), various positions and so on?
all the bob guys…help me!
I would say the powerclean would be better for the start of the push because you can use more weight. Remember you need to strength-speed, . Your trying to move a heavy weight(400lb bobsled) as fast as possible.
thanks, but with snatch I translated how in italian is called the first push of the sled…I need infos on that, non on the physical training required, but I appreciate!
If you dont have a bobsled or push track to train on, i am not sure how you would train the brakeman push. Really the only thing I can think of are cleans.
I agree. Actually the hang clean is probably the more specific of Olympic exercises. The snatch grip is too wide to be “totally” specific to pushing a sled. A brakemans handles are roughly (depending on the make of sled) about the same grip width as a clean. For power output you can’t beat a snatch, however I’d have to agree that since a sled (2-man) generally weighs around 450 lbs, the weight handled of cleans will better benefit the “hit” on the initial push of start.
Also play around with split cleans. It may help with efficiency off the block with your lead (driving) leg. Other than that… SQUAT, OLYMPIC VARIATIONS, and short SPRINTS. That’s the basics - I promise.
Also, as a side note… the Italians general suck at the push. If your going to analize the push look to Annen (Swiss - spefically Beat Hefti), Zubkov (Russia), Hays (USA), and Lange (Germany).
In my opinion Hefti is the best pusher in the world. A few years back I saw him squat up to 250 kilo’s (yes that’s not a typo) the day before the 2-man European Championships. No kiddin. Pretty frickin impressive.
There you go man. Have at it!!
Slide
I have just 100 kilos less than him…unfortunately I’m not in cortina rigth now, and cannot see directly how strong they are at pushing.as a more technical note, some other pushers suggest to try to “fall” into the sled when pushing against the block, others to stay more uprigth with arms bent…and later switching the grip and pushing with almost stiff arms obviously…thius is the area where I have to work the most next week!!hang cleans are great,and for short sprints, I feel med ball starts are helping me…
If you dont have a bobsled or push track to train on, i am not sure how you would train the brakeman push. Really the only thing I can think of are cleans.
Go to the closest McDonalds or Old Country Buffet, best around meal time, 12:30 or 6:30 or so. Find the heaviest person you can find. Three-hundred pounds or more won’t be hard to locate. You’ll have plenty to choose from. Help them into a shopping cart or one of those flat hand carts they have at Home Depot. Trade them buying their lunch in exchange for pushing them across the parking lot for half and hour. They could even eat lunch while you push them.
Or you could stick with the heavy cleans, front squat and close-grip bench.
Try the cleans from the floor and also from boxes (above the knees, below the knees) as there is little SSC at the very start.
Start technique is very individualized. Find what works best for you.
Just don’t use the fall forward technique when you push those folks around the parking lot. You might get a face full of chocolate pudding.
I think the best training you can do for the bobsled will be in the weightroom and short sprinting. The only other thing I did was jumps into a highjump mat. I would put my feet on to a piece of wood to push off of and then explosivly jump forward extending my hips and landing on my face on the mat, sort of mimicking the starting movement. But this really doesnt do much for you because you are developing speed-strength using an unloaded movement, where a bobsledder needs strength-speed and starting-strength(no SSC or minimal SSC if you use the rock back), moving a heavy weight(the sled) fast and explosivly
As a side note I have used a push cart and used the push track at Placid and it felt differently than it did on a real ice push track in Calgary. I think its best to try and get on the ice as much as possible.
Go to the closest McDonalds or Old Country Buffet, best around meal time, 12:30 or 6:30 or so. Find the heaviest person you can find. Three-hundred pounds or more won’t be hard to locate. You’ll have plenty to choose from. Help them into a shopping cart or one of those flat hand carts they have at Home Depot. Trade them buying their lunch in exchange for pushing them across the parking lot for half and hour. They could even eat lunch while you push them.
dude, thats the funniest thing ive read on this forum since “i just want to look like brad pitt in fight club.”
nm4d
nightmare4d, thanks.
eroszag, where are you located?
really funny:) …Frit17, your jumping landing flat on your face seems interesting, I try to achieve a similar aim with the med ball starts…Thomas, I’m from Italy,north-center…, I’ll be back In cortina d’ampezzo next week I think…ever been there???
In '99 a stayed a month in one week.
Did you like the location?
is a beauty…
Best stop on the tour. Food, accomadations (sp), people, …women.
Still love that German beer though. I gotta get back there somehow.
Yeah, that beer…the red one especially…
Now that’s funny!!
I also pushed the bobsled in cortina this year, that is quite a braking zone. I also had a crash there in the brakes of a 2 man out of the kink. my first and only crash of the season after doing probably 100 runs all over the world (Calgary, Igls, Altenberg, St. Moritz, Torino, Cortina, Konigssee) are you still doing bobsled at all?
Hi Knobbers…are you the one on the other board?( iron- something…??)Welcome…unfortunately this year, due to job and private issues, plus football injuy, I could not train…so I was physically a shit and didn’t compete…in 2006 I had 1 europa cap presence:)
Where did you crash in cortina?
I love that track…
Theres FI (Fortified Iron) which is a powerlifting/strongman forum?