i have been implementing one leggeg clean for my jumpers and i was wondering what you guys thought about this…you perform the lift on one leg and finish on two…i just think that it is more specific to their event…it is something that i only use during main comp…help me out…
Don’t get too hung up on specificity in the weight room.
Single leg lifts are at best inefficient due to the increased need for stabilisation that inhibits maximum force production.
if i were you i’d concentrate on protecting there knee joints due to the fact that jumping pits huge strains on this area.maybe at the base of the season you could start of with such exercises as one legged squats but other than that keep it basic.practice proper run ups and technique while jumping,this can make jumping more effecient thus jumping farther/higher
‘Single leg lifts are at best inefficient due to the increased need for stabilisation that inhibits maximum force production’
It really all depends on the sport you are working with. Athletes for the sport in question are required to produce, and transfer, force from a unilateral base. It is pointless being able to produce forces that can not be handled in competition.
Single leg cleans (with double leg landing) done correctly can help develop forceful hip extention under conditions of hip stabilisation and as such have a place in the conditioning of jumpers as long as sufficent training foundations have been layed.
madge.eik: Develop single leg proprioception through jump training. The function of weights is to make an athlete stronger and more powerful - this will not optimally occur from an unstable base.
THe greatest ever triple jumper does all his weights work on two legs and I’m confident this is the case for most elite sprinter/jumpers.
For good info on the specificity/stability fads&farce, see discussions at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
I believe that isolating a weaker muscle and exposing it to more work can bring about muscular and strength balance but a lift as complicated as a clean would certainly have a greater risk factor. Weigh the benefit vs. the risk.
One arm lifts (e.g. snatch, clean and jerk, press and pull up) do you think they are useful?
no
Not even to show off!:devil:
‘Additionally certain muscle groups such as the erector spinae would be activated on both sides and hence may become overtrained.’
The erector spinae muscles are active in every lift and jump you perform. Indeed more so during a heavy squat or deadlift set. Would you also use this as a reason not to perform these exercises?
I was not suggesting that single leg, or arm, lifts should take the place of traditional lifting, mearly that with the right athlete, in the right sport, with the right training background and at the right time of their season, they are not without merit.
This is not ‘trying to be clever’ but simply applying the principles of individualisation, variation and specificity.
- unilateral does not necessarly mean unstable.
- The function of weight training is a hell of alot more complex than just increasing strength and power, injury prevention, reducing muscular imbalances, teaching correct activation patterns in a controlled enviorment before transfering those patterns to a more dynamic one etc. But ultimately its about improving performance.
- Why limit yourself by saying single leg or arm lifts have are of no use, given the multi-directional and rotational aspects of most sports.
- The fact JE does not do them is not a valid reason not to give them a try
How about a blind folded one hand, one leg snatch caught in the split position 
Muscle imbalances will not be solved with one hand/leg Olympic lift variations - they will be accentuated! Most track athletes have at best inefficient weightlifting technique for the double leg lifts - why make it even harder?
I totally agree that alot of track and field athletes in the UK have poor weightlifting technique, however that does not mean that the aren’t some athletes in various events or sports who have progressed to such a level were they would gain benefits from (and efficiently perform)single leg or arm lifts. As such I feel it is unfair to say these (and all variations) are without merit.
Also, while I would agree that jump training is the best method to develop specific stabilisation, single leg lifts allow the athlete to train forceful hip extention under conditions of hip stabilisation in a much lower impact enviorment than plyos do - something relevent to jumpers given the amount of impact induced injuries they recieve.
I am also curious how properly administered unilateral exercises accentuate muscle imbalance.
P.S don’t diss the blind folded one hand, one leg snatch caught in the split position :D:D
Injury prevention is an arguement against single leg lifts not for! Also there is the question of time efficiency. With single leg lifts you are doubling the training time. Additionally certain muscle groups such as the erector spinae would be activated on both sides and hence may become overtrained.
Infact, give me enough time, I could write a book on why NOT to do these lifts. Quit trying to be clever and do the ‘simple’ things well.
I prefer single legged depth jumps.