Supertraining

I don't think the idea of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" applies to  
athletics. Rather, whether following either a neo-Bernstein approach  
of 'releasing degrees of freedom' or a schema theory of motor learning  
(I don't have access to my literature database on this computer, but  
see McClements and Sanderson "What does an athlete learn..." for a  
relevant background) the idea is continued improvement by mastery of  
movement.

So with this athlete - would I have her try to fix the 'flaws'? No.  
Would I have her working on clean from the high hang in an attempt to  
get her pulling with straighter arms? Yes. This is a neo-Bernstein  
approach of freezing degrees of freedom and then, as she improves her  
form, releasing degrees of freedom. Would I have her attention focused  
on shrugging more with the shoulders and keeping her arms long? Yes -  
or some relevant cue that would help her improve on this area using  
the ideas of schema theory (eg. what feels right is wrong and what is  
right feels wrong. So focus on a relevant cue to get her going the  
right way).

I would also be working on strengthening her catch and resistive  
strength so that her knee doesn't track in when catching her jerk.

Case in point. The training of Naim Suleymanoglu still included cleans  
or snatches from the hang after he had set world records, in spite of  
coach Abadjiev eliminating these exercise from most lifters training.  
Why? The pocket Hercules still had technical flaws which called for  
remedial training - flaws very similar to this young lady.

So - don't try and make wholesale changes, but continue on a path to  
mastery of movement. See also the ideas of Tommy Kono in this area.  
The great lifter also advocates trying to perfect movement, while  
acknowledging perfect movement will never be attained.


Keith Hobman
Saskatoon, Canada



On 22-Jun-09, at 1:15 PM, carruthersjam wrote:

>
>
> Please view the below video clip. Zoe Smith is a 14-year-old  
> weightlifter, has broken almost 100 records to become Britain's  
> strongest girl. Note the "flaws" in execution:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIBVZJBDVys&feature=channel_page
>
> Zoe is able to perform this movement "efficiently" and painlessly.  
> The snatch performance has similar "flaws". The body's attempts to  
> enhance stability and mobility to suit that given individual at any  
> given moment.
>
> Ken Jakalski noted:
> Of course, we want to offer skills corrections when we believe kids  
> have deviated from a prescribed model, but are these deviations  
> necessarily 'flaws in execution,' or, as Mel often remarked, "simply  
> the means by which those athletes need to translate the skill of the  
> activity" based upon unique asymmetries, attachment points, and  
> neurological hard-wiring" that we haven't even identified"?"
>
> I'm intrigued to find out how members would tackle such a case? If  
> assessments were to be carried out what would they involve - please  
> cite relevant references to support your statements.
>
> Jamie Carruthers
> Wakefield, UK
>
>
> 



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