2009 Goals and Training

[Alan H]

Totally understand and completely agree...However, I don't have any technigue to guage as a baseline, having never been to the games and only watching videos...I've always heard that perfect practice makes perfect...How do I know if I'm doing anything right or wrong?

Personally, I feel like I'm ok, because there is no pain and I haven't injured myself practicing, but then, who's to say, I'm not pushing myself hard enough? Im not sure if you remember me Alan, but I'm the guy who competed in the logging games for several years and we have the same credo that you mentioned above particularly when it comes to buying the beer.

Chase

OK, honesty? I'm gonna man up and be totally honest with you.

Quit worrying about it, and go throw. If you want to throw, then throw.

You'll meet some locals at your first Games and you can probably arrange to practice with them. Until then, watch videos, read here and read NASGA and go throw.

Quit stressing over it. Nobody is getting rich, here. Nobody is getting famous here. We all fall on our butts sometimes, I just did a face plant in the 28 WFD at Ventura in October in front of a crowd. I lost my grip on a hammer at Ben Lomond and put it into the cage netting. I've watched Ryan Viera mess up his footing and take a roll in the grass in the HWFD. It happens to everyone. Don't let these things stop you from participating if you want to participate. We all start out "not so good" and we get better. You will, too.

[jgorley]

Chase,

I have been to games where many of the competitors are touching the weights for the first time. They try this crazy sport with no practice at all. I have seen all kinds of crazy form. Whatever works. The important part is the fun of it all. Once you get that first game out of the way it will all change. It will introduce you to people in your area who throw. Some of them may even have the proper weights. At many of the games I have been to the Athletics Directors or volunteers have tried to give demonstrations to the novice throwers. You can always ask for help, and no body will laugh. Even the judges have have given me pointers. In fact I still get pointers from the judges and other competitors. I know that I have given many a tip on the field. Not only to help someone improve, but also to be sure they don't hurt themselves. I have even watched some guys muscle the weights their first games, like a standing weight for distance. It was funky, but it worked for him. Now he has been to 4 different games and has got a pretty decent spin down. Just like the rest of us, I just love to throw and enjoy the competition and friendship!

James

[Alan H]

Chase,

Stick with it and enjoy the competition and friendship. In time and practice techique improves and so does height/distance.

I'm 43, 5'7", 185-190 lbs. I compete as a Master Lightweight when I can, or just mosh in there with the rest of the Ams. When we have a Masters class, then I throw the Masters weights. If we don't have a class, then I man-up and throw the 56#. Sometimes I compete against 25-30 year olds, over 6" and 240-250 lbs. No WAY I'm ever 'winning' at a games like that, BUT I can compete against my own personal records and enjoy a day outside throwing heavy stuff.

For me it's not about winning--when I do--I'm actually suprised. Its about doing something fun--just well enough to not embarrass myself too badly, enjoying the friendships keeping in shape and still being able to 'howl at the moon' a bit. For an old guy like me---nothing better.

There ya go....We think alike. I might be 50+ years old, but I ain't done in, yet!!!

[Detroitpete]

Well, that was a bit of a put-off...

I think I'm more worried about the embarrassment...I don't expect to win, but I definitely don't want to lose.

Chase,

After my knee injury (non games related) I sat on the sidelines and watched for a year. I'm being totally honest when I say, the ONLY time you lose, is when you don't get in there.

[Alan H]

What Pete said.

You can say to yourself..."I'm not good enough, yet"... and sit on the sidelines and watch.

or

You can say to yourself "I'm going to give it a go!"....and be one of the lads out on the field DOING IT (and sure, maybe sometimes not doing it terribly well, eh? Been there.).

There's nothing wrong with watching, eh? I mean, if you have a truly bum knee, then you have to be careful. And it must be said that some folks don't have any interest, they'd RATHER watch. And there's a few of us who literally CAN"T do it for reasons of getting hurt or whatever. All that said...uh....you CAN be one of the lads out there DOING IT. You just have to decide that it's gonna be *you*.

There's always going to be someone better than you are. What they heck, who cares? Read the Nike commercial again!

[Chase]

Thanks for the advice guys...I just don't recall being this nervous when I started out in the lumberjack competitions in BC, back in the mid-eighties...Maybe it was because I was only 25 years old and full of it...Back then, I don't think I cared as much.

Time to get back in the saddle...Again, thanks for the words of wisdom.

[Drillagent]

But if you enjoy challenging yourself, and competing against yourself, primarily...and the other guys secondarily....

If you can clap a buddy on the back when he beats you, and buy him a beer and be genuinely happy when he hits a PR that puts you in second place....

if you truly understand the rewards of challenging yourself and getting better, and see those rewards as greater than the reward of "beating the other guys".... if a PR is a better reward for you than winning your class....

....then the Highland Athletics might be for you.

I mean this post absolutely seriously and I offer it in all good faith and totally NOT as a put-down.

Ok, now I am INSPIRED!! Here we go. My buddy and I have been trying to gather equipment and learn technique in order to compete next season. I personally have been hitting the iron pretty heavy and I'm doing pretty well if I do say so myself. Just yesterday I squated 300lbs for five reps. A personal best. And I bench more than my bodyweight three sets of 10. I'm in better shape now than when I was in my 20s. I'm 42 years old and 5'9" 240lbs (I'd like to get leaner).

With it being the off season and with the weather, I'm looking for exercises I can do to help with my explosiveness. Can you all recommend some weightlifting exercises that I can do in a gym that will help in this area? I guess I need to sign up for the forum on NASGA as well.

Thanks for the inspiration and advice. This is the kind of stuff that makes me even more proud of my Scottish heritage!! ARDCHOILLE!!

[Alan H]

I'm 42 years old and 5'9" 240lbs (I'd like to get leaner).

With it being the off season and with the weather, I'm looking for exercises I can do to help with my explosiveness. Can you all recommend some weightlifting exercises that I can do in a gym that will help in this area? I guess I need to sign up for the forum on NASGA as well.

Lord, do I need to get leaner!!! In terms of throwing though, mass moves mass, so losing 20-30 pounds will be good for your health, but if that weight isn't slowing down your footwork, it won't help your throwing. Then again, your health and how you feel is a lot more important than how far you throw a big stick, eh? So do what's wise for your body.

Excercise for explosiveness....google the term "plyometrics" and read about them.

A really good simple exercise is to get a sturdy box (plywood) that's about 2- 2.5 feet tall, and jump up on it....then hop down and jump up again. Do this over and over until your heart is pumping hard, or you're worried you won't make it up on the box, will catch a toe and smack your knee. You can try jumping up on the box sideways, as well...that's a lot harder! i'm always embarrassed in the gym here at Stanford. The track guys..distance runners and sprinters, and the volleyball players leap up to a 3 foot box, over and over and over again. It's amazing. I can do about a dozen or twenty hops up on what I think is a two foot box and the last couple are dicey!


If your knees are in really good shape, then pick up 20 pounds in each hand, and jump up from a semi-crouch until your feet clear the floor. Do it until your heart rate says S*TOP* or you can't clear the floor any more. Do this on a soft floor, for gods sake don't do this on a concrete garage floor. Do NOT do this exercise at all if you have a bum knees, and don't do it every time you hit the gym even if you have 20-year old knees. When you land, take up the shock of impact by keeping your knees bent.

I've been doing squats with a ball, against the wall...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIBYqM9xHA0
http://www.criticalbench.com/exercis...wall-squat.htm

Actual squats, or leg presses just kill my lower back, I simply can not do them or I'm miserable after 2-3 workouts. Even squats with the weight on a hip belt messes me up, but squats done like in that video seem ok. I can pick up 20-30 lbs in each hand and do squats that way and it works for me. Sure, it's not monster weight, but it's a lot better than not doing them at all.

Team the ball-wall squats up with box-jumping and you're on your way.

Some of the guys at NASGA really advocate tethering yourself to a sled with weight, and dragging it around the field to build quadriceps strength. I have to say I think that sounds pretty good. It's a lot of motion, it builds strength and it also builds lower body acceleration. I haven't done it yet, but I gotta say, the principle sounds pretty good to me. On e good thing about it is that it's not the exact same move, over and over again. As throwers we have to remember that we're not actually in the gym to GET STRONG. We're in the gym to THROW FAR, and those two things are not exactly the same, although they're related.

http://www.everythingtrackandfield.c...leweightedsled

You can drop $150 on a steel sled, or you can make one out of half-inch or three-eighths inch plywood and 2 x 4 scraps. I've read so much about this that I think I'm going to do it in February if my back will let me get back into it.....build a sled, drop a 50 lb bag of sand on it, strap it to a belt around my waist and haul it around a grass field. if that's not enough, I'll put my 21 lb braemar stone on too, instead, or if it's too much I'll just use the braemar by itself.

It's cheap workout.

All of these things are good for explosive lower body strength.

[Detroitpete]

Drillagent,

If we ever throw together, I'm gonna look like your Mini-Me!!! At one event a couple of gianormous pros reckoned as to who could toss ME farther. Gave me inspiration--if I'm busy competing, it decreases the liklihood that someone will Braemar me!

That's the spirit man, stay in shape, let the weather clear and when the warm breeze blows, cinch up with the rest of us over 40's and give it a go!

[Chase]

If you're a firefighter paid or volunteer, pulling charged hose line (150') is great on the legs...Thanks for the links Alan...I started doing bax jumps a week ago and can already feel a difference.