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Latest posts from the Performance Training Institute Team

Kettlebells and Elite Sport

May 24, 2011

If your like me, you have heard many trainers talk about how they use Kettlebells with all their athletes, if you believe what you hear Kettlebells are the silver bullet and cure all for their athletes.  I can only speak from my own experience with the sports I have been involved with at the professional level (AFL, Boxing, Cricket, Rugby League, Soccer, Tennis and Athletics) and tell you that what you read in relation to the use Kettlebells is often over stated.

Don’t get me wrong, I love using Kettlebells and our company conducts Kettlebell training and education courses both here in Australia and Internationally, and has done so for over 5 years.

As with many training tools in our industry we see new trends emerge (some good, some bad). The key to being a successful trainer and not one that jumps from one trend to the next is to have a thorough understanding of how and why you apply these tools.  I have seen a number of trainers attend a seminar in bosu training (or insert whatever the latest trend is i.e. TRX, Vipr, Swissball, Ropes, Clubs, Body Blades, Vibration Training, Barefoot Training, Kettlebells, Olympic Lifting, Crossfit, etc. etc. etc.) and overnight all their clients suddenly develop a need to be trained on a bosu! (or whatever training modality they have just been exposed too)

Now all these tools have a time and place but knowing when and where is the sign of a good trainer.

As a successful trainer you should have as many tools in your toolbox as possible, an analogy often used is if you’re a builder and you want to build a house and have only one or two tools in your toolbox you may be a little limited. However if you go to work and have a variety of tools you will be able to be more successful (& effective)

A Personal Training example would be if you’re good at Olympic lifting or strength training but have limited knowledge about flexibility or mobility your outcome with your clients results maybe limited by the tools (skills) you have to offer.

Kettlebells have some unique benefits you cannot get from your traditional barbell exercises (and visa versa) know when to use each and ensure they match up with your clients goals or requirements (resist the temptation to train all your clients with your new training tool unless it assist them in achieving their goals).

In a very simplistic comparison:

Kettlebells are great for; strength endurance, develop explosive hip extension, developing total body strength endurance, metabolic conditioning.

Barbells are great for: Maximal strength development, power development, rate of force development and hypertrophy.

The key is to know when to use different training tools and ensure they match up with your client’s goals. Definitely seek new information in relation to as many training methods as possible; however make sure what you decide to do with this information is a product of your own conclusion (don’t follow the latest trend or guru blindly).

Pictures are from a recent strength endurance session I conducted for the GWS Giants AFL team.

GWS KB 1

Biomechanics of Boxing!

April 20, 2011

Biomechanics of Boxing

There is a classic photo of Muhammad Ali you see in nearly every boxing gym around the world.

Not only it is a great photo, it gives us mere mortals an insight into how he was able to generate enormous amounts of power.

If you notice the position of the great mans right foot, and take note of how it is rotated. The power come from the ground up and understanding the sweet science of boxing will enable you to generate more power in your punches.

The System –Power is generated from the ground up!

For those who have attended our Performance Boxing courses you will be no stranger to the fact that power is generated from the ground up, and the system of punching we teach

If you analyse movement patterns there is actually a system that enables the body to move efficiently and effectively. Once this system is learnt it will enable you to punch with greater muscle activation, power and be in more balanced and mechanically efficient position.

Believe it or not studies in elite boxers have shown that the first muscle to contract when throwing a straight right punch is the right big toe. 27% of the power of the punch is generated by the arm the other 73% is generated by the body.

In another study the Soviets looked at 120 boxers ranging from amateurs to experienced professionals. This study found that among the highest level boxers, the highest percent of their power (38.46%) came from the push-off of their back leg, whereas the arm extension and trunk rotation accounted for 24.12% and 37.42% respectively. Even more interesting was that the high level boxers were more ‘well rounded’ with their power development compared to the less experienced boxers (arm extension 37.99%, trunk rotation 45.50% and leg extension 16.51%). This shows that with an increase in boxing skill and experience, boxers improve coordination between arm, leg and trunk movements. If you can take advantage of the Biomechanical principle of summation, which is the sum of all the force developed from each joint transferred out through the body to the arm and hand. It is similar to a golf swing, when you swing and have the correct timing it feels effortless to hit the ball and often hit it further then when you try to step up and muscle your swing. The same applies to punching get the timing of all the joint segments right and you will generate more power.

The order of movement should be;

Foot –> Hips –>  Shoulders –> Arm (fist)

Straight Right (Power) Hand for Orthodox stance

The sequence of movement should be

Foot: Back heel is turned into punch

Hips: Hip is rotated forwarded and opposite side is rotated back

Shoulders: Back shoulder is rotated forward while opposite side is pulled back

Hands (arm): Power hand arm is extended toward the target and hand turns over in the last 1/3 of the punch, whilst opposite hand is pulled back to sit on the chin

Boxing involves the body working through the planes of movement.

A big part of correct technique is summation which we have spoken about and counter rotation.

Counter Rotation

Counter rotation is using the opposite side of the body to assist in force production and movement. When this is done correctly not only does it direct the movement but allows you to flow from one punch to the next. For example; as we throw a straight right hand punch, as the right had travels forward the left side comes back to the chin aiding in the movement and putting us in a much stronger position.

All punches use the same system with the angle of attack being the only thing that changes. If you know the process you will be able to perform every punch in the book with efficiency and effectiveness. Counter rotation is a technique often over looked by trainers. When you can put this principle in practice it will give your training a whole new dimension

Knowing all the above in formation regarding the correct biomechanics of a punch revisit the photo of Ali and notice the counter rotation of his lefts side of his body, the turning of his foot and the rotation of the hips. All these factor put together enabled Ali to become the greatest heavy weight champ the world had ever seen even though he was often fighting bigger opponents his application of the sweet science of boxing put him ahead of the game.

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What’s all the fuss about Fascia??

April 5, 2011

At the recent WAFIC Fitness convention there were three different presenters (Ian O’Dwyer, Max Martin & Adam Floyd) lecturing on the topic of fascia.

Self-Myofascial Release, the myofascial system and programming along fascial lines have become buzzwords of the industry. The past 10 years has seen numerous studies and research papers investigating the Fascial System and the importance of this connective tissue as a major contributor to movement and performance.

The new discoveries and research has led to a revision of long accepted principles in the field of movement and science.

In the past it was assumed that in muscular joint movement, the skeletal muscles were involved and energy passes through passive tendons, which result in the movement of the joint. This classical transfer is still true.

In movements, which involve dynamic eccentric/concentric load such as walking and running, the muscle and fascia contribute to the movement. The interplay between the muscular and fascial systems is constant with both being contributors to the movement. We know that the muscles lengthen and contract but often over look that the fascia stores tension and energy that contributes to the movement.

Two interesting studies support the concept that fascia plays a major role in force production.

  • An AIS study of predicted physical characteristic of a sprinter
  • Catapult mechanism

AIS Study

I recently had a conversation with an ex-sprint coach from the AIS and he mentioned that one of the physical characteristics of potential elite level sprinters is calf bulk or lack there of.  The calf bulk of champion sprinter Usain Bolt may further support the role fascia plays in force production and utilizing stored energy. Physical characteristics of explosive athletes is high calf bulk and elongated tendonous attachment which will contribute to the elastic potential of the athlete.

Catapult Mechanism

Some animals such as Kangaroos can hop further and faster than can be explained by the force contraction of their leg muscles. Scientist discovered a spring like action behind this unique ability known as “the catapult mechanism”. The tendons and fascia are tensioned like elastic bands and the release of this stored energy makes these explosive hops possible.

Knowing how the fascial system effects force production and movement in the body will help you be more effective as a trainer.

Fascial lines have been documented by author Thomas Myers as the following;

  • Superficial back line
  • Superficial front line
  • Lateral line
  • Spiral line
  • Arm lines
  • Functional lines
  • Deep front line

These lines build upon the kinetic chain concept, that there is a line of pull, which transmit strain and movement through the body.  If a muscle or structure up (or down) the chain is tight, inhibited or dysfunctional this will affect the whole line. An example of this is if there is dysfunction at the ankle this could develop as pain in the knee, hip or back.

The take home message; In the body, nothing happens in isolation!

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