POWERMAG.ORG
january 14, 2002
_________________________________________________________________
1.....RICKEY DALE says.....
good day to all.........the new year is now a few weeks old...and we have all settled back into the routine of
proper nutrition and regular workouts......the sickness and run down feelings of the holidays will soon be a thing
of the past......for most and for the serious it was training as usual anyway......
it is time to get serious...real serious.....strength gains do not just happen.....they are strived for and earned.........no
excuses...so get to work....get that routine out...get that date set for that next contest and/or max ..........and
get busy......
2.....POWERLIFTING PARAPHERNALIA.....TRIVIA and STUPID QUESTION OF THE WEEK........
and the winning answer to last week's trivia question is mike bridges'.....he started making snakeskin belts in
1983...and the winners are mike bixler of hanover, pennyslvania.......thomas klose of wetter, germany....congrats
on a hard question...............
and this week's trivia question is.....?????......what ipf world champion was famous for his great impression of
the munchkins from "the wizard of oz".....?????.....
below is a reprint from not too long ago by request....................................................
*************************
i would like to talk off the top of my head...............i hope i do not offend anyone (too much)...but...............
lifting/powerlifting/bb terminology in general is getting ridiculous................everyone is trying to impress
everyone else with all the big scientific words they know...(and i am not talking about people who write the articles
or use them in their daily work)....in most cases it only confuses the average lifter.................the beginning
lifter feels like a complete fool......and the person who spouts it usually does so with an aire of how he knows
"all them big fancy words/terminologies of today"........but in most people's minds we/they are not impressed.......
i realize if one has a phd in a subject he has a tendency to talk like that... but pleeeeeeeeeeease........for
someone with a high school education....save the spiel for the higher ups in the area of elite academia......(or
should i say for the smart ones...) seems like everything/everyone/every term has initials now......."i am
going to catch a quick ptw (partial training workout) for my uws (usual weekly session) for this week...are you
doing the rdcfrw (rickey dale crain flab riddance workout) to work your nmb (non-existent muscled brain) or ??????
get real...talk in english....nobody is impressed when you talk about compensatory acceleration and can't even
spell the word bench press right...... so...get back to the basics.......everyone will be more impressed with your
knowledge if you know what you are tallking about than if you are using big scientific terms and have no clue?????
'nuff said ....now onto the meat (or should i have said amino acid enhanced bovine).....?????
3.....FORM.....STYLE.....TECHNIQUE.....and ROUTINES.....
we have two new books that i find very interesting and intriguing.....ROCK IRON STEEL by steve justa and REMEMBERING
MUSCLE BEACH by harold zinkin.........the rock iron steel book has some interesting theories that merit reading
for athletes...
SHANE HAMMAN, powerlifting and weightlifting phenom is the guest/demo lifter on the two weightlifting video tapes
" the world's most powerful lift" (clean & jerk) and "the world's fastest lift" (snatch)
......catch him in spectacular form......WE HAVE THEM IN STOCK AND READY TO ROLL....
**************************
..... ....want to say a few things more about warmup sets.........most people pretty much ignore them or start
too heavy with them or do not do enough of them......... an empty bar is just as important as the sets with max
weights.............in warming up ...start with the bar and and work on form and technique...and speed........loosening
up gradually.........do a few light warmup sets.... this is to get the feel of the bar..........how many times
do you see a high school kid who only benches 185 start right in with 135 lb on his first warmup set...5 years
later he still benches 185.........speed and form is accomplished with little or no weight....so your body gets
into the groove of what to do when it gets to the heavy or heavier stuff...... we are not trying to impress anyone
but ourselves.....do it right and do it once......
**************************
below is an article i find extremely interesting, and in my experiences and knowledge i find to be fairly acccurate.....if
you are louie simmon's fan or a fan of russian ballistic training you will find it disturbing or unsatisfactory......so
read on..............
The Mystique Associated With Russian/Eastern European Training Methodologies
Coach Asanovich gives us his take on the problems with ballistic resistance training.
Given the "Athletic Performance Equation," performance outcomes are dependent upon the sum interplay
of a myriad of controllable, uncontrollable and somewhat controllable variables. Hence, to what extent does coaching,
athletic talent, team 'chemistry,' nutritional status, psychological readiness, weather conditions, officiating,
pharmacological status, luck, or for that matter, one's training protocols effect the sum athletic performance?
Obviously, an attempt to conclusively quantify the effects of a single performance variable on overall performance
outcomes becomes a matter of subjective speculation.
Nevertheless, by virtue of successful athletic performance, successful athletes, coaches, and teams are intuitively
thought to possess successful training protocols. The unspoken assumption being that if one follows the training
protocols of the champions, one will likewise evolve into a champion. Consequently, popular opinion has led many
to believe that as a result of past International and/or Olympic success, it is logical that the Russians must
implement the most effective training protocols. To compound this misguided perception, there are many who would
also have one believe they also harbor numerous "training secrets."
Ironically, many athletes and teams have performed successfully without ever having employed these Eastern European
regimens into their training programs. Truth be told, many athletes and teams have performed successfully without
ever having been involved in a supervised/systematic strength and conditioning program! To this I would also add
that many athletes and teams have performed successfully in spite of, rather than because of their training protocols.
However, most would assume that the end justifies the means, and if the Russians do it, that must be why they are
successful. To blindly accept this position, one must naively support the belief that performance success (or lack
of success) is solely dependent upon one particular training methodology. Unfortunately, this may not be the truth.
Rather, as professionals, the issue is one of unbiased scientific proof, not empirically hyped innuendo.
Relative to muscle contractile velocity, there are four determining factors that determine the rate at which a
muscle fiber can contract (i.e. explosiveness):
1. The degree of myosin ATPase activity.
2. The degree of sacroplasmic reticulum development.
3. The degree of troponin's affinity for calcium.
4. The degree of neural innervation size.
However, the fact is that any anecdotal gains resulting from Russian/Eastern European training are PERCIEVED gains
-- and are therefore no more significant than doing absolutely nothing at all. The problem with "perceived
results" (particularly when a monetary investment is involved), is that the subject's objectivity is biased
as a result of their emotional attachment and vested interest in the attainment of the desired results. Unfortunately,
well-intended (but not well-educated) athletes, coaches, and parents are easy targets for such commercially hyped
hocus-pocus.
The fact of the matter is that ballistic resistance training is unproven and/or unproductive at best, and potentially
dangerous at worst (especially in prepubescent athletes). Ballistic resistance training, like any momentum-assisted
movement, violates the most fundamental principle of strength development, that being, the Overload Principle.
The Overload Principle states that muscular development will only occur as a result of the application of a stressor
that exceeds the muscles voluntary capabilities. As such, it follows that if the application of the stressor (or
resistance) is "momentum-assisted," the amount of stress is lessened and muscular development is compromised.
In other words, performing exercises at maximal speeds will result in minimal muscular effects.
To make matters worse, performing exercises at maximal speeds will also result in maximum muscular risks. Newton's
second law of motion states that, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Relative
to an individual performing an accelerated exercise movement therefore, the magnitude of potential internal forces
produced is directly proportional to the speed at which the exercise is performed. Orthopedic injuries are sustained
when these forces exceed the structural integrity of the involved joint(s). If acute injuries are avoided, repeated
trauma from such biomechanical loading can predispose the muscles, fascia, bones and connective tissue to chronic
injuries that are sustained once an athlete enters competition. For this reason, Dr. Fred Allman, former American
College of Sports Medicine president has warned, "It is even possible that many injuries...may be the result
of weakened connective tissue caused by explosive training in the weight room."
Unfortunately, a joint's structural limits are unknown until the damage has already been done--and then is too
late. Obviously, risk of injury is inherent (and accepted) in sports competition. However, to suggest that there
be an inherent risk of injury in training for sports competition is certainly unacceptable, unprofessional, and
unethical. After all, the primary objective of any training program is to enhance one's physical potential, not
endanger it! Consequently, one should be encouraged to perform strength-training exercises in a controlled manner.
To do otherwise, is to invite musculoskeletal injury.
Certainly many controversies exist relative to training methodologies, ballistic training and Olympic lifting being
a major concern. Yet, regardless of which training protocols may be right or wrong, as health/fitness professionals
our first responsibility is to the safety of those who have entrusted their health to us. By denying, ignoring,
or overlooking the risks involved in training protocols/devices, we do a great disservice to the individuals we
train. For these reasons, I would encourage coaches to be very discriminating in selecting training protocols.
After all, as with anything in life that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ballistic resistance training
and Olympic lifting are no exception to the rule.
http://www.geocities.com/aedziep
4.....NUTRITION and SUPPLEMENTS.....you are what you eat.....
remember.........PLENTY OF VITAMN C THIS TIME OF THE YEAR TO WARD OFF WHAT COULD MESS UP YOUR TRAINING CYCLE......
vitamins and minerals are essential to not only general health and a sense of well being...but to recovery and
usage of other nutrients you put in your body......the harder the stress and strain on your sysem...the more nutrients
you need to cope and sustain that way of life you seek to obtain....
still have a few closeouts left on some drinks and protein bars.......and the old mags are going like hotcakes.....send
me your want list....
.....and check out the incredible supplement specials at
www.crainsmuscleworld.com/supplements.asp
5.....PARTING THOUGHTS.....
well........................parting is such sweet sorrow...........see you guys next week...........train hard
but more important train smart>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
IN HIS NAME
Rickey Dale Crain
5 time world champion
2000 powerlifting hall of fame inductee
CRAIN'S MUSCLE WORLD, LIMITED
www.crainsmuscleworld.com
APPLETREE MINISTRY
www.appletreeministry.com
3803 North Bryan Road
Shawnee, Oklahoma 74804-2314 USA
800-272-0051
405-275-3689
405-275-3739 fax
405-627-0134 cell
crain@ionet.net
celebrating our 23rd year in serving you
to be removed from newsletter reply with REMOVE in subject