Running & Wrestling: Like Oil and Water?
I have this very special file on my computer that is titled "Master Programs" and inside are all the important tidbits of information that have helped define SAPT's training approach and the template variations we have created. Looking through it is like taking a trip through time, as I remember where I was and who I was working with when each variation was put through its paces. There are a number of sub-folders with names like: 400m Training, Agility, Assessment, Healthy Knees, Intensity Tools, Nutrition, PL/WL (that's powerlifting and weightlifting), and Sport Specific. Within the Sport Specific folder I found an old document I put together in 2007 where I polled a number of other active D1 strength coaches regarding their approach to conditioning (specifically running) and wrestling.
To give this a bit of context, SAPT was in its infancy... I think the company was like 2 months old, and I had somehow convinced a high school wrestling coach to let me take his team through a 6-week pre-season training (thanks, Jack).
At one point we touched on the idea of running and wrestling. My stance was (and still is) that long distance running would actually do more harm than good for a wrestler. WELL, let me tell you this was not well received by the guys. So, in case I was crazy, I polled these other coaches. Here were their responses:
What’s the deal with running?
Responses from a variety of collegiate coaches…
“The majority of the AU wrestling conditioning is done on mat. The running is predominantly sprint work on the track at distances of approximately 30m, 60m and 100m. The long distance runs are primarily for recovery or for dropping weight. You need to explain that to those parents as best you can. Maybe you can use this to help you: "Due to the previously discussed increased risk of injury during periods of fatigue (30), designing the injury prevention program to incorporate metabolic system training proves essential. Specific to wrestling are activities that require high levels of anaerobic power and muscular endurance (8, 22, 54). Over the course of a 2-minute period, an explosive attack occurs approximately every 6 to 10 seconds (35). Simulating the metabolic needs of practice and competition is best accomplished through interval training (33). Intervals involving periods of intense resistance exercise, running, or biking interspersed with periods of relative rest should be considered the ideal training method to achieve physiological responses similar to wrestling. If possible, injured athletes should continue conditioning programs that also mimic the physiological needs of practice and competition (Table 3) to prepare for return to competition after adequate healing occurs."
From:
Terry L. Grindstaff PT, ATC, CSCS, *D and David H. Potach PT, MS, CSCS, *D;, NSCA-CPT, *D. 2006: Prevention of Common Wrestling Injuries. Strength and Conditioning Journal: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 20–28.
Or check this article out:
Zsolt Murlasits MS, CSCS. 2004: Special Considerations for Designing Wrestling-Specific Resistance-Training Programs. Strength and Conditioning Journal: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 46–50.”
Email response from Jason Riddell, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at American University
“LSD for wrestlers depends on why they're doing it. For performance gains it's worthless, it's like having your sprinters do it for greater speed improvement. But, for improved aerobic capacity to aid in match recovery it has a small place, and I think there are much better ways to improve this capacity rather than going on long slow runs or staying on a bike for a long time, so I would say on occasion it may be okay but not as a regular activity. Last, and probably the one most wrestlers use as their excuse for wanting to do LSD is for weight loss, cutting weight.
There are a lot of variables to this debate, LSD or no LSD?
LSD has been proven to cause:
Decrease in strength and power
Decrease in anaerobic power
Decrease in muscle mass
Last time I checked wrestling relies pretty heavily on all three of those, and a decrease in them will ultimately cause a decrease in match performance.
I prefer the Tabata method of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and this is what we had our wrestlers doing. But, there were always those guys that went on the LSD runs to cut weight.
I hope this answers your question.
Give my best to Handy.
I look forward to meeting you some day. Feel free to come down and visit when you have time.
GW”
Email response from Greg Warner, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at JMU
“First of all, thanks for being an avid reader of Elite. Funny you asked this question, b/c we just had this conversation with our wrestling coaches. They were all about these long distance runs and once we finally explained it to them in a way they could understand, it clicked!
Here’s how we explained it. You know how wrestlers get “heavy leg” syndrome? Well, that’s due to lactic acid build-up. The more that they are trained at lactate threshold, the better their bodies will get at getting rid of and recycling the lactic acid. Running long distance is aerobic. It won’t help them at all when they are in the third period and their muscles are “heavy” or filled with lactic acid. Some longer recovery runs are beneficial on days in between hard workouts or hard practices. We typically do a “2 minute/ 3 minute routine”. Two minutes of running (either done on a football field where they have to make a certain number of yards or on a treadmill at a certain speed…. Heavy weights and light weights are different, of course), then 3 minutes of recovery (walking). This is the longest running we will do with almost any of our athletes. They do need to have some aerobic training, but not 5 miles straight, know what I mean? Most of our training is done in shorter intervals (30-60 seconds).
I hope that helps to explain it. Once we explained it in terms that the coaches could understand (they understood “heavy leg syndrome” not lactic acid build-up), then it made sense to them and they were more open to changes.
Let me know if you have any more questions.”
Email response from Julia Ledewski, Assistant Director of Sports Performance at New York University at Buffalo
“Ok, here is my advice......GOOD LUCK!!! Seriously, this is a tough battle to fight, and one that I think very few can win. Why, because they have been doing it for so long that they are convinced it works.....yet too close-minded to acknowledge that there might be a better way. Also, as I have learned since coming to UTEP, people in athletics really don't like change.....even though if you don't change you will never get better. If you have Jason Feruggia's book, "Tap Out!!!", he gives an excellent description that may help you fairly early on in the book.
#1. I remember when I was wrestling in high school that we did distance runs for the first couple weeks of training, but after that never ran anything that lasted more than 2 minutes. And, these were sprints. How long is a period in wrestling?.....2 minutes. We also had one of the best wrestling teams in Missouri. In fact, after I left they won the state championship 3 years in row. They also place in the top 6 nearly every year. Several of the guys I wrestled with went on to wrestle at the D1 level. In fact, one guy competed at the international level and was expected to go to the Olympics, but had a few distractions. In high school, you don't get to recruit your athletes, instead you have to train the ones you have. For me, that's enough evidence to say that wrestlers don't need to run long distances to be good.
But, to play devil's advocate, what did nearly all of us do on our own after practice? We went for a long distance run. But, that was more to keep our weight down than to stay in shape.
#2. If you walked into a wrestling meet, and had to bet on one of two wrestlers, which one would you bet on? One wrestler looks like a marathon runner....thin, frail, no muscular development, and slow. The other looks like a sprinter.....lean, hard, muscular, fast, explosive. Knowing nothing else, except what you see, which one would you bet on?.........Here's a hint, most high caliber wrestlers have more similar characteristics of sprinters than marathon runners.
#3. Running long distances requires you to be slow. Why would a wrestler want to be slow? Sprinting requires you to be fast. Don't wrestlers need to be fast and explosive?
#4. They might like this arguement. Have the athlete run six 400 m sprints at a challenging pace (1 min 35 sec or less) with only 5 minutes rest, then on a separate day have them do a 1.5 mile run at their normal distance pace. Then, ask them which is harder and requires more mental toughness? If they are being honest with you, and running hard on the 400s, the answer should be obvious. By the way, which one is more similar in energy demands to a wrestling meet? In high school a period lasts 2 minutes, and there are 3 periods per match. Furthermore, I would be willing to bet that you could increase the distance run to 3 miles and it would still not be as hard as the 400s. *(The time I listed is what one of my soccer girls ran her 480 yd sprints in, so it may need adjusted for a male athlete who is only running 400 meters).
#5. You can try explaining the energy systems to them, but I don't think you will get very far doing this. They will not understand, nor do they want to understand science. Even if they say or they think they believe in science, their "honest" opinion is that there is no science in athletics. The only thing they will see is results. And, some are sold on hard work, but carry it WAY TOO FAR in that they will actually tear their athletes to pieces before backing off. These are the people that blame losing on not working hard enough, so that after a loss they kill their athletes in workouts so they are too tired to perform in the next match, and lose again.......from here it is a downward spiral. Again, it all comes down to results that they see (W-L). If you do your running, and they win, you are a genius and they will be sold on your ideas. If they lose, it will be your fault and they will never buy into your ideas, regardless of whether you are right or wrong.
I saw the Thinker's response. That arguement will go nowhere with the people you are dealing with.
All the weights on our racks are in kilos, so I don't bother to do the math on anything I don't think is close to a PR. Also, if I do want to do the math, seeing it in kilos first distracts me from the depressing number of pounds I am lifting, in that doing the math is so fun that it takes the focus off what I actually did. By the way, how can you say "stay" strong when you know how much I am lifting? Shouldn't you be saying "get" strong, instead?
yes, it is depressing,
David”
Email response from David Adamson, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at University Texas at El Paso
“Thinker: How much value (or lack of) do long slow distance runs bring to the table of conditioning for wrestlers? I'm trying to dispell myths among parents and athletes... running seems to be a VERY hot button for them! Thanks so much for your help!
Hello Sarah, Let's consider this from a physiological perspective:?? Long slow runs are certainly a viable means of developing oxidative capacity; and running in general provides a great deal of latitude in terms of how it may be manipulated (intensity, duration) in order to develop a multitude of capacities (developing cardiac power, pushing the anaerobic threshold, developing speed strength, sprint speed, speed endurance, etc).??The question, however, is: is long slow running the optimal means of developing oxidative power for the wrestler???Sarah, the answer is no.?? The oxidative power may much more effectively be developed via the performance of exercises that also develop the local strength endurance of the muscles of the legs, trunk, arms, and shoulder girdle.??These exercises may be performed with the most rudimentary of apparatus (bodyweight calisthenic/gymnastic, barbells, dumbbells, med balls, kettlebells, etc)??The key, however, is that the exercises are performed via the appropriate method (such as circuit or serial), the appropriate resistance, for the appropriate durations, and at the appropriate speed of movement to yield the targeted adaptations (in this case oxidative power). A heart rate monitor is an exceptional tool for regulating such a form of exercise.??In regards to developing oxidative power, most of the literature suggests that heart rate zones 60-70% of the maximum are ideal for recovery purposes and at the higher end (70-80%) you will begin to develop the power of the oxidative system. At you progress into the 70th percentile you are still beneath the anaerobic threshold and continuing to develop the power of the oxidative system. ??So, essentially, any form of exercise beneath the anaerobic threshold (which must ultimately be quantified in the laboratory or with technology like the Omega Wave) is stimulating the oxidative process (the lower the intensity the more the restorative the stimulus- the higher the intensity the more developmental the stimulus to the power of the oxidative system)??Specificity to sport is then imparted via the exercises performed and the work/rest intervals.”
Response from Pitt Performance Department
I have to say, it was pretty cool getting such thoughtful responses from so many of my mentors at the time. The take-away here is whether you are a wrestler or not, you should always examine the reason(s) why you are doing the conditioning you are doing. Is it actually helping you gain a performance improvement? Or is it actually hindering your peak? SAPT's tremendous coaches can, of course, help you reach that peak.
Back to School, Back to Awful Mobility
It’s back to school time which means it’s time to sit at a desk for long periods of time shortening your hip flexors and putting yourself into a kyphotic posture; ever so slightly changing you into Quasimodo. This is mainly for my high school kids who think that this unnatural posture is an inevitability rather than something they can fix. I’m reminded of the weirdness of Steve Reed when I think about sitting for long periods of time. For those of you who don’t know, and sorry Stevo for putting you on blast, but Steve does the majority of office work at a local coffee shop. Steve has set a reminder on his computer that lets him know when he has been sitting for too long. Once this reminder goes off he proceeds to do a series of exercises to counteract his kyphotic upper back position and his shortened hip flexor position, think band pullaparts and spider-mans with overhead reaches. I remember when Stevo first told me he did this and I thought what a weirdo. But is it really that weird? Or is it weirder that we are forced to be in this unnatural position all day long? Is the sky really blue or do we just perceive it to be that way? What if reality is a dream and our dreams are reality? Whoa, sorry about that; my inner Mike Boyle came out of me on that one. Anyways back to my point, I think Stevo is on to something here and I think it’s something our high school kids should consider, embrace the weirdness in between periods. Do these same type of exercises in between your periods throughout the day in order to stay long and strong. In fact because I’m so generous I’ll give you a workout you can do twice a day. Do the following workout after your first period of the day and then one more time after another period of your choice.
A1) No Money’s against Locker
1-2x6, hold 2 seconds
A2) Half-kneeling Hip Flexor Mob
1-2x5/side, hold 3 seconds
A3) Standing Y’s (thumbs face away)
1-2x8
A4) Spiderman with OH Reach
1-2x3/side
There you go something quick and easy to counteract the horrible posture of the day. As a side note to this don’t be “that guy/girl” and cause a big scene when you do this. The last thing I want or need is for an administrator to call me and tell me you all made a big spectacle out of yourself between 5th and 6th period. And let this be a lesson to all of us, just when you think Stevo is being weird for the sake of being weird he’s actually just being smart!
Stuff You Should Read 8/31/12: Things I've Learned, The Difference Between Coaching Men vs. Women, and Sport Training for Jumpers and Sprinters
Before I get to the list, I have to show you the greatest thing I stumbled across this past month, thanks to Ryan:
If Bane says you should understand good squatting mechanics, then you should probably understand sound squatting mechanics. Case closed.
Alright, moving on to the list:
10 Things I've Learned: Ramblings From a Mathematically Challenged Fitness Coach - Alwyn Cosgrove
This article holds a special place in my heart as it was the FIRST article I ever read that helped bring me away from the stupid with regards to training people.
At the time of stumbling across the article, I was working as a personal trainer down at Virginia Tech. While yes, I was at least preaching the importance of squatting, progressive overload, and good technique, I was still following a very "Muscle & Fitness" approach to training: You know, attacking all the angles of each muscle group, omitting warm-ups, performing at least 40 total work sets during a session, tons of machine and leg press work, along with other equally useful things such as placing screen doors on submarines.
And no, I had no clue what a foam roller was, and yes, #26 and #28 on the list gave me a particularly well-deserved kick to the pants.
Upon reading this article, I immediately thought to myself, "What the....!!! Where have I been for the past couple years; hiding under a rock? What have I been wasting my time with reading?"
For those of you who haven't read it, I highly encourage you to click the link above.
Coaching Women and Coaching Men: Two Different Planets - Kelsey Reed
If you work in the coaching or training sector, in the weightroom or out on the field, it (hopefully) undoubtedly didn't take long for you to realize that teaching a male a skill versus teaching a female a skill can require particularly different approaches.
I thought Kelsey did an excellent job elucidating a few of the not-so-obvious differences between coaching men vs. women, with a few tips to boot.
Progression and Periodization for Elite Sprinters and Jumpers - Sarah Walls
This is an old(er) post from Sarah that I thought provided some awesome insight into training jumpers and sprinters. Considering that she is the strength & conditioning coach for the George Mason team (a consistently top team in America), this is written from someone who actually "walks the walk" of working with high level track athletes.
For those of you who enjoy a bit more of the "geeky" side of training, this will be right up your alley, as well.
Read This! Training Tips from a Toddler
A huge portion of my job boils down to this: teaching adolescents and adults alike how to move with the same precision and excitement that comes inborn for all of us, but that most of us lose over time. Forget about performance or a one-repetition squat maximum… I’m talking about re-teaching the basics of pushing and pulling. It sounds totally cliché, but watching my 2-year old daughter’s development across all platforms is truly a joy for me. I could, of course, talk endlessly about her cognitive development, but I’ll try to exhibit some self-control and keep this limited to the lessons we would all be well served to apply to ourselves in our physical training:
1. Focus: Last week Ryan and I picked up the kids from daycare and were walking home. As we crossed our neighborhood pool’s parking lot, Arabella suddenly shouted “FAST!” and took off running! I laughed to myself and thought how wonderful and meaningful that short exclamation was.
She wanted to run fast, got into the proper mindset, and sprinted. How simple this is! And yet, so often I have to coach athletes in the “how” of getting themselves into this same focused mindset.
2. Go through a full range of motion: Toddlers are notorious for having impeccable squatting form. Part of this is because they’re all built like power lifters (short legs, long torso, and the classic belly), but even after we lose that physique, full-ROM should be the RULE, not the EXCEPTION. You’ll be strong, stable, and have some pretty excellent mobility all around.
3. Pick-up heavy stuff: Arabella walked up to SAPT’s line of kettlebells on Sunday, grabbed a 10-pounder and carried it a few steps. It was definitely heavy for her, but she moved it a few feet and was satisfied.
4. Be athletic: Run, jump, kick, throw. Doing these things every once in a while is fun and inherently human.
5. Show enthusiasm for what you’re doing: Adults who pine all day about going to the gym at night are setting themselves up for failure. Accept that humans are meant to be active and strong. Once you do, maybe you’ll start looking forward to doing something other than being witness to your body wasting away.
The next time I squat, I’m considering yelling out “STRONG!” before the set – I may get a few looks, but I guarantee it would do me some good.
Are Your Getting the Most Out of Your Squat?
I recently bought the 3rd edition of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. As I read through it I had a light bulb go on when reading the squat section more specifically when he refers to body positioning based on your chosen bar placement, high bar or low bar. Rip is a huge proponent of the low bar squat (I am as well) however a lot of people find this position extremely uncomfortable so they utilize a high bar, which is perfectly fine. In order to make your squat efficient as possible however, you need to make sure you are utilizing the proper leverages. Rip does a great job explaining just how to do this and what your body position should look like based on your bar placement. I decided to take a very little snippet from the book about this subject and talk about it a little more in hopes of helping your squat out. Please keep in mind this is all referring to a normal free squat with a straight bar, not variations there of (cambered bar, safety squat bar, etc.).
To kind of reiterate the point you can observe the pictures below to get a better feel for body position based on bar placement. For more in depth information I strongly recommend purchasing Starting Strength.
Deadlifts: Is It One Size Fits All?
The other day I found myself in discussion with a buddy of mine (he trains at a gym/training chain that shall remain unnamed), and the topic naturally steered toward moving heavy objects around. His tone of voice became quickly disgruntled as he told me:
"Yeah, I hate deadlifting. I love squatting though! But I utterly DESPISE deadlifts."
This obviously perked my interest, so I asked him to elaborate.
Friend: "Well, I just can't get down there and grab in a good position. It doesn't feel comfortable and my back always hurts when I do the lift. The instructors are yelling at me 'Hey, do this, do that, get your back flat' and I'm thinking to myself 'I know, I know!' but I physically can't do it since I'm so tall." (he's well over six feet tall)
Me: Ah, yeah, I know what you mean. I'm guessing you're pulling conventional style, with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart?"
Friend: "Yep."
Me: "Well, did the instructor ever have you try using a SUMO stance for your deadlifts?"
Friend: "......What's that?"
Me: "Where you put your feet out pretty wide, and then grip the bar with your hands inside your legs, as opposed to outside your legs. I find it's a bit easier for people with your type of build to get into a good deadlift position that way"
Friend: "Oh, no, they won't allow us to use any stance other than conventional. We're all forced to use the same stance."
Me: "Excuse me? I thought I just heard you say that they force you to pull conventional, and then they murder innocent little kittens."
Friend: "Yeah, that's 'cuz that is what I said."
Me: "So you have no other option? What about elevating the bar a bit to help you get into a more neutral spine position?"
Friend: "No. They don't let me do that. I have to pull from the floor. Conventional. And it hurts my back like crazy, especially when I have to perform 10 freaking reps for multiple rounds in a row."
I think it goes without saying that hearing this made me completely incensed. What's next, are we going to take young, beginner lifters and throw them under a 400lb barbell, telling them to 'just squat it'? Or do something else as equally useful as handing out free tickets to an all-you-can-eat poop buffet?
And this is why you continue to hear people spouting off that deadlifts are bad for your back. Of course deadlifts are bad for your back. If you're an idiot with them.
The very beauty of deadlifts is you can fit them to the individual, no matter the person!
Here's just the tip of the iceberg with options we have at our disposal, starting with the variation that initiated this entire discussion:
Conventional Deadlift
While conventional pulling arguably looksthe coolest, these require the most ankle mobility, thoracic (upper back) mobility, and hip flexion range of motion (ability to bend at the hips without compensating at the low back)in order to get into position safely. Conventional pulling should typically be reserved for those who've had fairly extensive practice with how to achieve and maintain a neutral spine under load, as this variation places the most sheer stress on the spine (bar is positioned furthest away from the body's center of gravity, compared to other deadlift variations).
SUMO Deadlift
Taller individuals (such as our friend from the conversation above), and those with longer torsos are going to find this variation easier to utilize, as less mobility is required to execute the pull with a neutral spine. In addition, the total range of motion of the lift is decreased, meaning the distance the bar has to travel from start to finish is shortened.
SUMO pulling is the most common variation we will progress our athletes to after they have learned to deadlift with the trap bar.
(Note: The only caveat I'll note with SUMO pulling is that it can really beat up your hips if you use a super wide stance, and if you fail to intermittently cycle them in and out of your training.)
Trap Bar Deadlift
This variation is usually the easiest to for all people to "sit into" while keeping a safe and sound position. The high handle setting makes it so you don't have to dip down so low to grab the bar (thus less mobility is required), and the fact that you're positioned INSIDE the bar typically makes the lift easier to execute, given that the weights are lined up with your center of gravity.
This is usually the first barbell deadlift variation we use to teach our athletes and clientele at SAPT. After they have developed proficiency with the trap bar, we'll move on to the appropriate straight bar variation, depending on their body type and other morphological concerns.
Conventional Deadlift with Barbell Elevated
The beauty of this set-up is that you can adjust the height the barbell is elevated - using mats, bumper plates, or whatever - so that the lifter can utilize the straight bar but at a height that is appropriate for them as an individual.
Oftentimes, I find that someone may know what they're supposed to be doing (such as our friend above), and kinesthetically aware of where their body is in space, but they just can't physically get into a solid position when the barbell is on the ground. No worries! Elevate the bar just as high as necessary to get them into a neutral spine position (and no compensations elsewhere), and, as their mobility and stability improves, they can lower the height of the bar over time.
Kettlebell Deadlift: Conventional and SUMO
With our younger athletes, and sometimes with our adult clientele, we'll have them initiate the process of learning the deadlift by using kettlebells, as they may not ready to use a 45lb barbell, even with the luxury of 10lb bumper plates in order to get the bar at a proper height yet keeping the weight down.
These can be done either conventional or SUMO style, and the weight of the kettlebell will obviously be chosen depending on the person.
Stop Trying to Force Square Pegs Into Round Holes
As you can see, we virtually have an endless supply of deadlift variations to fit the lift to the individual, not the other way around. If someone can't pull conventional from the floor, why force it??? They can simply use another variation (or elevate the bar a bit) until their necessary qualities improve in order for them to pull from the ground safely.
Conventional deadlifting from the ground looks awesome and is "hard core," I get that. But I also don't see what's hard core about forcing someone into a position that perhaps they're just not ready for yet.
All deadlift variations are going to hammer the glutes, hamstrings, upper back; "pull" people into better posture, improve the structural integrity of their bone and soft tissue (Wolff's Law and Davis' Law), all the while teaching them to resist sheer forces and elevating their superhero status. Try not to get so caught up in what "all the cool kids do" and instead focus on the larger, and more important, picture at hand.
