one guys thoughts re: first season weight training

[Alan H]

for your first Games, just make sure you're in reasonably decent condition and have no major issues like blown out lumbar disks, or ripped up knee ligaments. If you hike and bike a lot, that's great. If you're out and active, then just supplement that with a few weeks of 2x a week in the weight room. Do some basic weight training with stuff like push-ups and sit-ups and large motions with free weights (rather than machines). A month of that, twice or three times a week, and you're good to go....go throw.

Fundamental Truth: for the first couple of seasons you will improve more from improving technique, than you will by improving strength. If you want to throw farther, then throw MORE. You will also get stronger.

That said, here's a reasonably sensible set of exercises you can do to get ready and get strong during that first season and the couple of months leading up to it. Whenever possible I try to mention stuff that you can do on a minimal budget. I have access to a big University weight room, but I know lots of guys don't.

Some basic principles to remember.

Highland Games is a whole body event. It take balance and coordination. That means you should do exercises with large ranges of motion, and exercises that involve more than one muscle group. Isolation is for bodybuilders, you are a thrower....It's better to do

THIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TlbD...eature=related

than

THIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaXejNABZp8

Quadriceps:

SQUATS...start with moderate weights and ramp up slowly. Be careful with your knees and lower back, especially you 40+ year old guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbxxs1PErLQ

If regular barbell squats won't work for you because of lower back compression then you can try belt squats, where the weight is supported by a leather strap on your hips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiEDI...om=PL&index=46

or hang the whole idea of squats, and get either 1) a weighted vest or 2.) a sled you can pile weights on, and go run up and down the local football field with it. A weighted vest and big stadium steps are great. Can't afford a weighted vest? Then go down to the hardware store and buy a 50 pound bag of sand for $5. Wrap the hell out of it with duct tape, and carry THAT up and down the stadium steps. You can gt a LOT of mileage out of a 50 pound bag of sand and a 20 pound rock you scrounge out of the riverbed.

Another option....go drag the kids around in the snow on a sled for 45 minutes. If that doesn't burn your quads, you're an animal.

Finally for guys with glass backs and knees...like ME, watch this video. Ball Squats...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOs9OYV9CX8

An exercise ball is about fifteen bucks. You've got a wall in your house. The 50 lb bag of sand cost you five bucks plus duct tape....go to it. Is the sand too heavy? Then use the 20 pound rock.

Abdominal muscles:

Crunches...and later on, if you want to, crunches with weights. Hell, I still do old fashioned sit-ups on an inclined bench.

hanging leg lifts for the lower abdominals....watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_11...om=PL&index=49

Remember that a LOT of the motions you will be doing are core rotations, so work on that. Simple stuff with a basketball or weighted ball on an exercise mat is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfSt0vTFpNc

Upper Body:

Push-ups...that's right, push ups. You did them in JR High School, they haven't changed except that now lots of guys do them with some instability built in, like instead of putting your hands on the floor, use a pair of 5 lb dumbells. You can do your crunches and your push ups on the exercise ball, which adds instability and is a nifty way to make the exercise harder or easier..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Meb...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6e8D...om=PL&index=85

and I suppose if you're strong enough.... I'd smash my face!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUVmx...eature=channel

Look, bosu's are great for adding instability and working all the accessory muscles, but they cost a lot and you just can't beat the lousy $15 you'll spend for an exercise ball.


Inclined dumbell press

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDlQR...eature=related


shoulder shrugs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5u1G0FpBoU

chest flys

This is one exercise that I, personally do on a machine rather than with free weights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyfxRXJxZHE

but you can do them with a simple bench and a couple of dumbells. You can even do them on the exercise ball if you don't have a bench.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D0DqEsohNM

triceps dips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s29kQ...eature=related

want to make them harder? Put that 50 pound bag of sand in your lap!

Dumbell rows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byKE8-kPkgQ

There are a million exercises you could do, but if you start out with this stuff, you're doing *great*

last but not least, remember that EXPLOSIVE strength throws far, and that really goes double for your legs. So what you want to do is add some pylometrics to your workouts for about two months right before the season starts.

This is kickbutt.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7OAjhzjI08

box jumps and standing jumps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK-U3...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opuA4Ej2GDs

I watched Chad Gustin do a few sets of these right before launching off a mess of 75+foot light weight for distance throws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2yH1...eature=related

It doesn't get much simpler than that.


*******************************

Think all of this "instability" stuff and plyometrics is silly? Think the best way to throw far and be strong is to just lift really heavy weights for a few reps, over and over again?

Think again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwzU-VMtp8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69VsqRmN4x4

*****************************


Challenge yourself, and every day, you're a winner whether you throw farther than some other guy, or not..

[Detroitpete]

EXCELLENT post! I've been an athlete all my life and really had to change my training for highland games. Alan's right--we're not body builders. Everything we do involves strength through movement. You could bench press a house, but throwing a 56 pound WFD will tie you in knots and have you using muscles you thought you didn't have.

I took all the exercises I learned in re-hab for my knee and realised that they did the same thing as Alan points out.(Box jumps, ball squats etc) I never knew how important core strength and balance was until I got involved in HGs. All it took was my first games and the soreness afterward to realize I'd been training incorrectly.

Explosive power is something that you have to build. Do the exercises above and see what a difference it will make in your PR's. If you are new at HGs, start off exercising like this and you won't have to learn it the hard way.

Remember--we don't compete in games--we survive them. Nothing worse than being completely spent and sore already and looking up at that WOB with a 56 in your hand ;-) That caber you tested before you started feels like it gained 50 pounds by the time you go to pick it.

Gods I love this stuff ;-)

[BigMikeLV]

Where was this post a month ago when I was trying to figure out how to train. Awesome post. Thanks!