SOCCER INTRODUCING THE POWER PULL:

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Lynn George
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Newton, Owner, Newton Sports, Haiku, HI/Ormond Beach FL Harey has been a professional in weightlifting and sports conditioning since 1981.

He is the author of Explosie Lifting for Sports, which is aailable as a book and on DVD. He sered as a weightlifting researcher for NBC Sports during the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

1 P ERFORMANCE SOCCER CONDITIONING A NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO IMPROVING SOCCER PLAYERS INTRODUCING THE POWER PULL: ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF EXPLOSIVE LIFTING FOR SOCCER PLAYERS WITHOUT THE RISKS AND HASSLES Harey S. Newton Harey S. Newton, Owner, Newton Sports, Haiku, HI/Ormond Beach FL Harey has been a professional in weightlifting and sports conditioning since He sered as Executie Director, National Strength and Conditioning Association for fie years and Executie Director, USA Weightlifting for seen years. In 1984 he coached the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team. He is the author of Explosie Lifting for Sports, which is aailable as a book and on DVD. He sered as a weightlifting researcher for NBC Sports during the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Harey writes and seres on the editorial board for the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching and has been a clinician for seeral International Olympic Committee Solidarity courses. An actie cyclist since 1976, Newton s experience in weightlifting and working with other sports brings that rare combination of understanding the explosie lift and applying it to sports conditioning. [Ed.] T BGN he explosie lifts, more commonly known as Olympic-style weightlifting, INT are important to the deelopment of any power/power-endurance athlete. ADV This includes field players as well as keepers. Why? Because soccer specific moement requires maximum force production of the whole body through the ground. This maximum power generation is best trained in the weightroom through the use of ground-based explosie lifts. Athletes need for ground-based strength training moements is based on the conditioning principle of specificity; they should train for maximum force production in a minimum amount of time. Sprinting and standing starts are explosie actiities and we beliee that explosie lifting proides good transfer of power ia the triple extension. This refers to the rapid, forceful and nearly simultaneous extension of three joints: the ankle, knee, and hip. Traditional weightlifting (Olympic-style) lifts require this same explosie extension, with resistance; so again, the lifts are specific training for these sports. Howeer, these lifts are adanced, not introductory, lifts that may create teaching challenges for the coach. Coaches Hesitation About Explosie Style Lifts Gien the positie results these lifts bring, it s important to explore what coaches need in order to proceed. First is flooring/facility concerns related to dropping barbells, as done in weightlifting halls. This is the #1 reason health clubs usually don t support this type of lifting. But don t worry, there is no need for athletes from other sports to drop weights. For the most part, these athletes are not aspiring to become Olympic weightlifters. They will NOT be lifting maximum weights so there is little need for concern oer flooring issues. That said, athletes must be taught to properly lower weights and some sort of platform area is needed just in case of missed lifts. Proper weightlifting equipment minimizes many concerns. The biggest expense is good bars and this is where one should NOT scrimp. Use of rubber bumper plates is recommended, but not absolutely necessary. Some form of squat rack/power rack is helpful. Most high school or college weightrooms today include the necessary gear. Effectie execution of explosie lifts requires an extremely high rate of force deelopment (RFD). The classic lifts (Snatch, Clean-and-Jerk) or ariations of theses lifts train the whole body and can help increase a rider s power potential. But, a major concern surrounding the use of explosie lifting for non-weightlifting athletes is access to properly qualified weightlifting instructors to teach these exercises. Coaches should be cautious about prescribing use of the actual full Snatch and Clean-and-Jerk lifts without proper instruction. Although abbreiated lifts like the Power Snatch/Clean or High Pulls produce the same explosie benefits, een these

2 deriations demand extensie instruction. A final concern inoles the time needed to master the full competitie lifts with a fair degree of efficiency, which is often well beyond the scope of most strength training programs. There often is just isn t enough time to properly teach this supplemental actiity to athletes focused on their chosen sport. A Dumbbell Solution? Some conditioning coaches adocate the substitution of dumbbells in place of barbells when doing explosie lifting. Use of dumbbells can address muscle imbalances and should not present much of a problem for most athletes. Neertheless I can t think of too many good reasons to use dumbbells for the snatch or clean-and-jerk exercises. One concern is the difficulty in controlling both arms against separate loads. This can be a challenge and will not make for a better athlete. Another problem with dumbbells is the usual failure to produce optimal triple extension benefits. Dumbbells do not gie themseles well to the double knee bend technique needed to maximize the benefits aailable from these lifts, if performed with a barbell. While dumbbells are fairly inexpensie, a soccer club or team would require many dumbbell sets of near-similar weights. There is often little differentiation between athletes strength leels. Depending on the number of athletes being trained at the same time, a coach might need many pairs of dumbbells at the same or close to the same weight. Most dumbbells today are not adjustable and few, if any, hae reoling sleees. This makes dumbbell application for the quick lifts ery limited. Dumbbell use has some application, but perhaps mostly in assistance moements. They can be a fun diersion, but the classic lifts should be taught and primarily performed on a barbell. Dumbbells can create false hopes and expectations. The Sub-Maximal Effort Solution Many sport coaches adocate the use of explosie style lifts but only with sub-maximal resistance. Sub-max is absolutely necessary for learning technique. Technique cannot be learned with heay weights, so for drilling technique, light weights and fairly high (5) reps make sense. Performing higher reps will NOT translate to maximum strength and power results. The most likely athletes to use explosie lifts are shot putters or football players, and they normally use near maximum loads. Moderate weights are the order of the day for athletes of many other sports, but use of light weights only may lessen explosie lifting benefits. Traditional explosie lifts are designed to be performed with moderate to heay loads. This can be a problem for coaches of juniors and women, who often shy away from such intensity. What is a sub-max load? Sub-max load is normally anything under 90% of 1-RM. Let s assume non-weightlifters will neer need to know their true 1-RM, so any lift will most likely be sub-max. Sub-max loads CAN produce more power (and limited pure strength improement) if the object of the sport is relatiely light (baseball/softball). The question becomes, how much is necessary based on the demands of the sport and leel of athletes? This can be tricky. Determining the right load to use is difficult. Getting Started There are six things that need to be addressed to start an explosie lifting program: knowledge, equipment, teaching skills, a program, confidence and support. Knowledge As with any sport or actiity for athletic improement, at least the coach (if not the athlete) needs to totally immerse him or herself in learning the nuances of the sport. Many so-called experts are not that knowledgeable and far too many certified fitness professionals know little, if anything, about this form of lifting. Knowing what is best for your athletes is most important. Coaches must either learn a great deal about this form of training before using it with their team OR they must secure a well-qualified person to teach the lifts. Equipment As discussed aboe, it s best to hae athletes train at a location that has the necessary equipment. This may be a high school or college weightroom or something like a sports performance training center. Technique Teaching Skills Light, whole lift technique can be attempted first, but it s best to focus most training on learning only the key parts of the lifts. Een after breaking down the whole lift into its parts, it may be months before anything other than light technique weight is used. This presents a problem in terms of keeping athletes motiated. It also can present an unbalanced program. It is necessary to include other significant strength-building exercises at the same time one teaches adanced (explosie) lifting techniques. Beginning Training Program The following exercises can be safely introduced to athletes with a solid foundation of strength training behind them. Adanced exercises should NOT be introduced to total noices. Some of these exercises (with heaier intensities) make up a more adanced program as well. Oerhead Squat

3 Press/Push Press/Power Jerk Snatch or Clean Pull (high blocks) Power Snatch or Clean (high blocks) Possibly other ariations Other necessary S&C exercises There is no program that will address all needs and all scenarios at the same time, so a periodized program is ideal. This is ONLY for a beginner learning Olympic-style explosie lifts. Our cyclist is assumed to hae done at least six months of preparation work, with myriad exercises for total deelopment. Special consideration has been gien to upper body pushing and pulling (multiple joint), squats, front squats, lunges, back extensions and abdominal exercises. When learning explosie lifts, reps are max of 5; sets can be multiple up to 7-8. Not all exercises are used in all workouts. Proper technique is usually taught with broomsticks, dowels or empty light bars. When learning the lifts, 3X weekly is appropriate, with additional shadow lifting at home on off days. After technique is mastered heaier loads are systematically introduced. Confidence/Support One must hae a long-term approach to learning and training the explosie lifts. These are complex, highly coordinated sports skills that need to be properly learned. Non-weightlifter athletes motiation may be quite low for this type of training as their training priority is usually their sport. The coach may ask, Can I teach this? This is a necessary question with no easy answer. It is possible, but somewhat unlikely, that an aerage coach can effectiely teach Olympic-style lifts in the proper way. It s more likely that you ll need to enlist solid support. First, become educated about explosie lifting. Second, create a total sports performance program that addresses your needs. Third, create a means for haing the lifts effectiely taught and superised. This probably means finding someone well qualified (no easy task). These lifts are highly complex and it s beyond me how so many noice coaches seem to think they know how to properly teach the lifts. Teaching the lifts improperly greatly reduces their alue and may introduce safety issues. Athletes should NOT get hurt in the weightroom. Similarly, they should not waste time and effort attempting adanced lifting techniques half-heartedly. Don t attempt to teach that which you do not understand. Get outside help! Program Considerations Depending on the age and deelopment of the athletes (this aries tremendously and all scenarios require different training contingencies), one should: Set a base (during which explosie technique MAY be taught). Deelop appropriate strength and power in order to be able to adequately execute adanced moes. Use explosie lifting at the appropriate time of the year (need for a periodized program). For established players, the use of explosie lifting forms their primary, year-round approach to strength and conditioning training. Properly learning these explosie lifts may take months to accomplish. Finding adequate time to both properly prepare and learn complicated technical skills is seldom aailable. The solution to this challenge requires patience and must be nurtured oer time. A Simple Solution The Power Pull Implementing the full snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts for players, although potentially ery beneficial for many, is a huge challenge and a big gamble. If you look at the starter program it can be a ery intimidating proposition one that is best left to a serious strength program with a wealth of teaching resources and equipment. But the benefits of these moements are just too great to ignore. What is the coach to do? Many strength and conditioning coaches adocate the hang power clean as a primary explosie lift for their athletes. Others may use only a high pull type of moement from the floor, hang, or blocks (rack). This high pull lift does not include the final receiing position of the bar on the shoulders. Lifting from the hang (not the ground) has its own problems, namely a lot of stress on the lower back due to fatigue. Well-intentioned coaches quite often teach the hang position improperly. This causes all sorts of technique and efficiency problems that can lead to poor results or injury for non-weightlifter athletes. The solution is to focus on one exercise that gies you the most bang for your buck. Something that is easy to learn, produces great absolute power, is safe for all athletes to do, doesn t require a lot of equipment and can be done with heay loads the power pull. Soccer players don t need to perform the whole Snatch or Clean, which may be too much for many non-soccer specific muscles. The power pull (or high block pull as I call it in Explosie Lifting for Sports) can be done off blocks, pulling stands or from a power rack using a barbell and non-bumper plates. You ll hae riders of arious heights, so hae an adjustable pulling station and/or solid mats to raise the athlete and ensure the same initial posture for all. You ll need to be able to quickly adjust either the pulling station or the athlete up or down a few inches. This requires creatie blocks or solid mats for athletes to stand on. Resting the weights on pulling blocks or a power rack eliminates the concern of haing the weights damage the gym floor. The enironment is controlled and safer. With this exercise it s not necessary to pull the weight into a racked Clean position or oer-

head Snatch position. All that is needed is to simply execute an explosie triple extension with the near simultaneous firing of the muscles that extend the hip, knee and ankle.

1) Jump explosiely with the barbell and 2) don t try to pull with the arms. The starting position is an athletic power position, ready to jump.

The bar starts near the crotch or top of the thighs. After an explosie ertical jump, the bar rises to just below the chest bone (sternum).

The explosie jump will cause the bar to rise this high, so don t hae athletes focus on a big arm pull.this needs to be a big jump.

Again, this is a lower body exercise, so don t emphasize a big arm pull. In either case, if your athletes can pull the weight higher than the stated target zone, the weight is probably too light.

4 head Snatch position. All that is needed is to simply execute an explosie triple extension with the near simultaneous firing of the muscles that extend the hip, knee and ankle. The bar only needs to trael a short distance. Learning the Power Pull The moement is simple with two basic things to remember. 1) Jump explosiely with the barbell and 2) don t try to pull with the arms. The starting position is an athletic power position, ready to jump. The positions to consider are two: from the Clean position and from the Snatch position. In the Snatch position a lighter weight is used and the bar is in a higher starting position. The bar starts near the crotch or top of the thighs. After an explosie ertical jump, the bar rises to just below the chest bone (sternum). The arms are not actiely inoled the athlete is taking adantage of the lighter weight and the momentum generated with the jump. The explosie jump will cause the bar to rise this high, so don t hae athletes focus on a big arm pull.this needs to be a big jump. In the Clean position the bar is at mid-thigh because of the narrower grip, which also allows more weight to be used. After the explosie triple extension, the bar traels only to about nael height. Again, this is a lower body exercise, so don t emphasize a big arm pull. In either case, if your athletes can pull the weight higher than the stated target zone, the weight is probably too light. As far as loading is concerned, a general guideline to use is that if the athletes can Snatch Pull the weight to the sternum or aboe, the load is too light. If they can t Clean Pull it to the nael or slightly aboe, it s too heay. This makes determining how much weight to use a simple task. All lifters will benefit from using pulling straps. These require a little instruction, but they are necessary in order to lift appropriate resistance and gain the proper benefit. Also, the term jump does NOT mean to come off the floor we are NOT interested in losing contact with the floor. Explode iolently (there s no time to create any force production oer time) and then rise on the toes and shrug the trapezius muscles of the upper back. Athletes should be able to hold a balanced, on tip toes, position momentarily before lowering the weight in one smooth motion back to the pulling station. O More Information Please! Contact Harey at this web site, or him direct hareynewton@newton-sports.com for a copy for his book/dvd Explosie Lifting for Sports. Power Pulling Tips Tom Justice V.C.S., C.S.C.S. is Head Volleyball Coach at Lock Haen Uniersity, a USA Volleyball CAP III leel coach, and a United States Weight lifting Federation Senior Coach. In order to pull successfully use the power pulling exercises in training it s important for the coach to be able to measure and teach two important aspects of the pull, the hook grip and measuring the width of the hands in the snatch position. In addition as with any form of lifting safety is a concern. Here are how to get started, safely with you power pulling program Hook Grip Why is the hook grip used? It confers seeral benefits: Since the "link"of the thumb/finger chain is closed, the grip will not slip. About 50 lbs. more weight can be held with a hook grip than with a regular grip. The hook grip will not fatigue as quickly as a regular grip. The more secure hook grip allows the arms to remain relaxed and saes them for later. (With a poor grip the bar begins to slip, and the arm muscles begin to contract and arms bend in order to use more muscle fibers to hold the bar. This detracts from using those muscles more efficiently to lift the bar.) How To: An empty bar in a power rack or weight support, placed about 6" below shoulder height, is approached and the proper grip is secured. Shoulder width or slightly wider hand spacing (so thumbs can touch the shoulders). Hands in pronated position, i.e., palms facing away from the body. The thumbs wrap around the bar first. The first two fingers (index and middle) of each hand grasp the thumbs, not the bar. The ring fingers and pinkies grasp the bar. *Coaching Point: Athletes with small hands may hae difficulty grasping their thumbs. Apply athletic tape to the thumbs which extends beyond them, and this will proide a greater grasping surface.

Measuring the Width of the Hands in the Snatch Position The athlete next learns how to moe the grip out to the wide position used in the snatch moement. The width of the grip may be measured two ways.

A tape measure is then used to measure the distance from the second knuckle along the length of the arm, across the back to the AC joint of the left shoulder.

In the second method both arms are held out to the sides at shoulder height but the elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. The measurement is made from elbow to elbow across the back (Figure 2).

5 Measuring the Width of the Hands in the Snatch Position The athlete next learns how to moe the grip out to the wide position used in the snatch moement. The width of the grip may be measured two ways. In the first the right arm with the wrist closed is extended out to the side until it is leel with the height of the shoulders. A tape measure is then used to measure the distance from the second knuckle along the length of the arm, across the back to the AC joint of the left shoulder. (Figure 1) The tape is then centered on the bar, and the measurement is where the athlete should grip the bar, starting with the index finger. In the second method both arms are held out to the sides at shoulder height but the elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. The measurement is made from elbow to elbow across the back (Figure 2). When the tape is then applied to the bar the grip should be taken with the point between the index and middle fingers positioned at the tape ends. It should be emphasized that the aboe measurements will result in ball park figures. Indiidual adjustments must to be made based on the athlete's degree of shoulder and hip flexibility and relatie length of upper and lower arms. A simple guideline to follow is that the bar, when held oerhead with the arms fully extended, should be four to six inches aboe the head. Figure 1 Safety Issues In order to perform power snatches safely, seeral requirements must be met. The first requirement relates to the facilities and equipment. The athlete must hae a designated area (8 x 8 feet square) for doing power snatches that proides a good surface that is clutter free. The best surface is a smooth wooden one. A highly polished surface is not desirable because the athlete will be likely to slip. Neither is a "sticky" surface, and obiously the lifting surface must be een. Where the plates will be contacting the surface heay rubber matting is desirable. This not only protects the floor but also makes the athlete feel more comfortable about dropping misses. The area must be designed with misses in mind, een if these are rare (as they should be). Also for this purpose, rubber Figure 2 bumper plates are a tremendous asset. They are designed to be dropped. Collars should be used at all times and the area should be kept free of clutter. When not used, plates should be in plate holders and neer left on the floor. Good, straight bars should be used with knurling to proide a good gripping surface. The athlete should be properly dressed in shorts and T-shirt or sweat clothes that proide warmth and freedom of moement. Lifting shoes or cross-trainers should also be worn. Lifting belts, wrist straps, chalk and tape should be aailable for use. The athlete should neer lift alone, and should neer lift without the superision of a coach. The coach should be certified by the U. S. Weightlifting Federation, C. S. C. S. certified, or hae the knowledge and experience consistent with teaching the power snatch correctly and proiding a safe enironment. Finally, along with facilities, equipment and superision, safety is built upon two critical factors: (1) correct technique and (2) proper loading. The coach must be actie and constantly monitoring technique and making corrections when necessary. This is the best insurance against injury. The proper weight should also be selected. Athletes must lift weights that are well within their capacity. When an athlete starts missing lifts, this is a sign that the coach should step in and reduce the weight, insisting on strict execution. When all of these guidelines are followed, the power snatch can become an excellent addition to the tool chest of exercises that are used to train the olleyball player. O

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