Strength Training for Highland Games: Strength is a skill
Remember, no matter what you do, the main two goal of strengths training for the Highland Games
are to both generate the maximum amount of force while requiring that your joints are strong enough
to withstand those forces.
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Stabilize the spine under load (Squat, Press, Pull, Carry)
Any version of these lifts that you can do with good form are good. If you want to get stronger,
overload is necessary.
Strengthen the core (Compound and Rotational Movements)
The core ties together the upper and lower body and it necessary for transferring power from
the hips through the shoulders.
Stabilize the joints (Compound and Single Joint movements)
Throwing heavy weights puts much larger forces on the joints than the weight of the implement.
The faster an object accelerates, the more force it exerts on the body.
Power (Jumps, Throws, Olympic Lifts)
Power requires full body coordination. Although the best way to improve your throws is to
practice your throws, you can improve your basic coordination by training with power
movements.
Position Specific Strength (Drills and Practice)
The greatest carryover of strength training to your throws will happen by both strength training
AND practicing your throws. Strong hips will improve your throws if you can express that
strength through good technique.
Example Programs:
From Bill Godina, USA Track and Field:
High School
Throwers
Main Lifts
Main Lift total
working reps
Accessories
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Squat
24 reps
Bench
32 reps
Deadlift
10 reps
PowerClean
25 reps
Front Squats
25 reps
Rest
Flys
Pullups
Rows
Sprints 3-5
Pulldowns
Pullups
Flys
Curls
Sprints
Basic “Get Stronger” Program with Bryce Lane's 50/20
This program is geared towards increasing strength and power in the off season. The
trainee should have good technique on all the lifts used, have a sense of RPE, and should be
able to work with less supervision. The snatches and cleans can be replaced with other power
exercises such as jumps or throws. The goal is to use the power movements as a warm-up for
the strength segment. A “heavy single” is not a one rep max. It is the heaviest lift you can make
that day with good form and speed. For the 50/20 segment, aim to start at a weight that is
about 60% of your 1RM. For most people, the simplest way to do this is to perform doubles or
triples every minute on the minute for 20 minutes. It may feel somewhat easy for the first 10
minutes. If the athlete gets more than 50 reps in 20 minutes, go up 5-10 lbs on the next
workout. Be conservative with weight jumps here. Taking your time and being conservative
will ensure that continued progress for a longer period of time.
Alternate Workouts A and B, three or four times per week.
Workout A
1.
2.
3.
4.
Work up to a heavy single on Snatch. Repeat 3-5 times.
Bench Press, 50 reps in 20 minutes (start with triples on the minute)
Between each set of triples (), do 3 bent over KB rows on each side with 20-25 lbs.
Then alternate the following each bench workout:
a. Work up to three sets of heavy triples on deadlift (these must be fast, about 7080%)
b. 3 sets of 8-10 Romanian Deadlifts. Keep these relatively light.
Workout B
1. Work up to a heavy single on clean or clean and push press, repeat 3-5 times.
2. Back Squat, 50/20 (start with triples on the minute)
3. Optional: Pullups, 5 sets max dead hangs (no more than 1x per week)
An example of how to apply this program three days a week over a two week period:
Day 1
Snatch to a heavy single x 5
Bench press 50/20
Deadlift 3 sets of 3
Clean and Press to a heavy single x 5
Back Squat 50/20
Pullups, max reps x 5 sets
Day 2
Clean and press to a heavy single x 5
Back Squat 50/20
Pullups, max reps x 5 sets
Snatch to a heavy single x 5
Bench Press 50/20
Deadlift 3 sets of 3
Day 3
Box Jumps, 5 sets of 3 (optional)
Bench Press 50/20
Romanian Deadlifts, 3 sets of 10
Box Jumps, 5 sets of 3 (optional)
Back Squat 50/20
This program is simplistic by design to allow for consistency and good quality work which
will lead to consistent gains. It also fits neatly into the background of a busy life that contains
work, family obligations, and other recreational exercise such as running or playing a sport.
As you transition into the throwing season, it would be appropriate to drop the high volume
work and start working up to heavy triples (3-5 sets) on the squat and bench instead of the
50/20 approach. I would also drop deadlifts altogether and utilize a snatch or clean pull
instead, the goal being to enhance explosive hip power. This will give you more recovery ability
as you transition back to throwing more frequently. With a frequent games schedule (ie,
competing every week or two) strength should be a largely background exercise. Take periodic
breaks from throwing and lifting to ensure your ability to make it through the season.
Sara Fleming
[email protected]
http://www.practicalstrengthfortrainers.com
“Play the Ball As It Lies: The Art and Science of Teaching Strength”
Postural Strength and Joint Stability
Evaluating posture is extremely important as it is an indicator of the relative strength of the muscles that
support the spine. Full body strength is not just important for performance; it
is important because your muscles are responsible for supporting the bones
and joints. If these muscles are weak or underdeveloped, simply standing up
straight all day can become a fatiguing activity and the joints suffer a lot more
wear and tear. Individuals lacking the strength and endurance to maintain their
posture throughout the day fatigue more easily and may sustain damage to the
joints and the spine from passive support. Consistent posture helps to
maintains one’s center of gravity and balance. When posture declines due to
fatigue, pain, injury, and age, the individual is at a higher risk for falls and injury.
Postural strength is important for consistency in movement, kinesthetic
awareness, proprioception, balance, and maintaining one’s center of gravity.
The more variability there is in one’s posture, the harder it is to maintain
consistency in movement.
Due to lack of regular activity as well as excessive time spent looking at
computer screens and handheld games, children often not only lack postural
strength, but can develop postural abnormalities such as “forward head
position” where the neck begins to round forward and the head is out of
position relative to the shoulder. Ideally, the ear hole should be directly over
the mid shoulder.
Joint stability is particularly important in children. Running, changing directions, and impacting solid
objects as well as other bodies puts their joints at risk for injury. As their bodies grow in height, limb
length, and weight, these forces will increase as well. Strength training not only strengthens the
muscles around these joints, but helps strengthen the connective tissue as well and protects them as
they stay active through adolescence and beyond.
In the above photo, you see several athletes in motion. The lines indicate center of gravity and as you
can see, it is at an angle indicating the direction they are moving in. You will also notice that generally
speaking, nose is over knees, which is over toes. This is how athletes move and they are typically on the
balls of the feet while in motion. However, when you look at the hips and shoulders relative to the line,
we see erect posture and hips behind the line as they are the primary drivers of the movement.
Therefore, when we strength train in a stationary position, we also want to see mostly erect posture
with most of the movement being driven through the hips. When stationary, this means that the center
of gravity is going to be over the instep rather than the ball of the foot and the heels must stay on the
ground. As you can see in the next picture, correct posture in strength exercises mimics the nose over
knees over toes posture of athletics in motion and also the erect posture and hips behind the center of
gravity.
Strength Exercises
The squat is a three dimensional movement that utilizes large muscle groups supporting the knees, hips,
and spine. There are many variations of the squat which can be appropriate in the right context and we
always begin with a bodyweight-only squat as shown. Common faults in this squat are lifting up the
heels or letting the back round. Simply practicing good form on this squat will help kids progress to
using a goblet squat and eventually a barbell squat. This squat is appropriate for all ages and is an
important tool in teaching postural strength and hip mobility.
Once a bodyweight squat can be performed with good form, the next progression is to load it. The
goblet squat, which is simply squatting while holding a weight in front can add some resistance to the
squat to build more strength. However, it can also be a good tool for young squatters who have a hard
time getting their hips behind them. The weight in front helps them balance so that they can sit back in
their heels more. In the photo to the right, Patrick is using a 5 lb weight to help him stay in his heels.
Ideally, we’d like to see a straighter back, and shins not so far forward, but this is typical for both
children and adults new to squatting. However, his center of gravity is good and he can continue to
practice this squat until his hips and back are strong enough for better posture. As posture improves,
weight can be added.
When children are ready to progress to a loaded bar squat, box squats work very well for helping them
develop good form and confidence under the bar. Box squats can also be used with a goblet squat and
work well for children who lack the confidence to settle back in their heels and keep their hips behind
them. To execute this squat, it is best to have a box or a chair set up behind the individual that will
allow him or her to squat anywhere from slightly below parallel to above parallel. Because the way we
execute this squat is posterior chain dominant, we are not concerned about the quad dominance of the
above parallel squat. The individual places his or her feet roughly shoulder width apart. Wider is better
than narrow. Toes are turned out 20-30 degrees. While squatting, the goal is to keep the shins as
perpendicular to the floor as possible so always think “hips back” rather than pushing the knees
forward.
The box serves as a
confidence booster as this
position may feel extreme to
some folks and they may fear
falling backward. If this is
more likely than not, a higher
box position is appropriate.
The individual should use an
implement while executing
this squat. For movement
pattern grooving especially,
using a kettlebell, dumbbell,
or even a plate for a goblet
style squat will help offset
the bodyweight moving
backward and help keep the
chest upright while executing the movement. Once this pattern is well in place, a bar can be placed on
the back or shoulders for a back or front squat.
When to use front squat vs back squat with a box.
To execute the squat, stand with your feet position as described above. To initiate the squat, push the
hips back while pushing the knees out. Knees out is a very important cue as it externally rotates the hips
and allows for the femoral heads to drop under the pelvis. If the knees stay in, they have no choice but
to push forward to allow the hips to bend and this often causes the chest to drop. Squatting like this is
hard on the knees and low back. As your hips go back and knees go out, imagine trying to sit as far back
on the box as possible. This will help you to keep your knees out and shins perpendicular. Maintain
tension all the way down and just as your bottom comes in contact with the box (do not sit and relax),
reverse the movement in the same way, but with speed. Trying to aggressively push out of the bottom
will engage the muscles more. Make sure you follow the same pattern as your descent, i.e., don’t come
out the squat by pushing your knees forward. Focus on this being a glute driven movement. If you
experience any knee pain, concentrate on hips back and knees out.
Pressing is incredibly important for developing postural strength. Whether you do pushups, press
overhead, or bench press, you are stabilizing the upper back and firing most of the dominant motor
groups on the upper body, ie all the muscles that protect the shoulder from dislocation. The shoulders
are an incredibly hypermobile joint and need protection from the muscles that surround them.
Think of the scapula, or shoulder blades, as the hips of the upper body. The muscles that attach to the
scapula protect the shoulder, move external loads, maintain posture, help save you from falls, and
reinforce the good body mechanics in running and throwing, i.e., high chest and tucked-in shoulders.
With children and beginners, a pushup is a good way to get started because they learn to couple the
pressing movement with stability of the spine. The push-up requires the same core stability as the plank
but includes pressing up and down from the ground using the upper back, shoulders, and arms.
Common faults are the same
postural faults in the plank, i.e. a
soft or hyperextended back. Faults
also include flexing at the waist so
only the chest goes up and down,
not completing the full range of
motion, or relaxing at the bottom
such that the entire body is
touching the ground. Not all
children can do a full push-up, in
fact, most taller and/or heavier
children will not be able to perform
a full push-up at first. Some
alternatives for these children are
allowing them to do their pushups
with their hands on a raised surface
such as a step or a raised bar or if
this is not available, allowing them
to perform them from their knees.
Regardless of modification, their
bodies should be in a rigid, straight
line from their shoulders to their
point of contact with the floor (toes
or knees).
The bench press is a much
maligned movement that has
tremendous benefit for upper body strength. It is a full body movement that invokes the drive of the
posterior chain into the upper back through the scapula. The scapula are essentially the hips of the
upper body. They attach to pretty much every major muscle group of the neck, shoulders and upper
back and from an evolutionary perspective, were designed to provide much of the support and
coordination of quadruped locomotion. We have the added benefit of being able to use our shoulders
to lift, carry, and even move our bodies through space with just our arms whether we are talking about
walking on our hands or traversing monkey bars. From the quadruped perspective, you can see that
although many strength and conditioning specialists will tell you that the bench press is not functional,
you can easily see that exerting force and support with the arms in a position 90 degrees from the chest
is about as functional as our scapula get.
To set up for the bench press, it is important to first create tension in not only the scapula, but the
entire posterior chain. While lying on the bench, the feet must be contact with the floor. While in this
position, if you cannot push strongly off the floor with your feet, you may need to raise your feet up on
blocks or plates. The points of contact on the bench should be the glutes, the scapula, and the head.
The bench should be positioned such that the bar is roughly over your eyes. In this position, push your
shoulders up off the bench by driving your head into the bench. Place your arms straight up from your
chest. In this position, actively retract the scapula by pulling your arms straight back towards the bench.
Then, push your scapula down your back towards your glutes, we use the cue, “slide your scapula into
your back pockets”. This will cause your chest to rotate up. We call this the “muscle beach pose” and
should be part of your setup for most of your barbell lifts including deadlifts, squats, and the Olympic
lifts. Now settle your scapula into the bench. You should now have a good deal of tension in your upper
back that extends down through your lats into your glutes. By pushing through your feet, you should
also be able to create tension in your legs up through your glutes such that they are contracted. You
should now have a continuous line of tension from your feet all the way up into your upper back. You
can now unrack the bar.
Your grip position and depth of lift will be completely dependent on personal choice, but the thumbs
must be wrapped around the bar for safety purposes. Some people prefer a wider grip, some prefer a
very narrow grip. Elbow and shoulder comfort should dictate this. Likewise, some people have a hard
time taking the bar all the way to their chest. For these folks, placing a phone book or board on the
chest will decrease the range of motion they need to complete.
In your start position, your arms should be perpendicular to the floor. Allowing the arms to drift
forward or back will diminish the efficiency and strength of the movement. The bar should travel
straight down and straight up in a 90 degree angle as viewed from the side. This is the most
biomechanically efficient movement and it should not angle forward or back unless limb length ratios
are extreme enough to warrant a change in degree and provide a more optimal lift. This means that the
bar will touch the chest anywhere from below the pecs to slightly above the nipple line depending on
arm and torso length. Maintain tension through the feet, glutes, lats, and scapula throughout the entire
movement.
Deadlifts and Pulls
A deadlift is a full body strength exercise that targets the back,
legs, hips, torso, and forearms. This lift is primarily driven by the
posterior chain but requires a great deal of core stabilization and leg
drive to execute correctly. There are a number of deadlift versions
and ways to pull. We would include the snatch and clean in this
classification of exercises, but for the sake of simplicity we will
address the deadlift only here.
A solid base is a must and feet can be hip to shoulder width, toes
straight or pointed slightly out. With a flat back, hinge at the hip and
bend the knees until you can reach the bar. Grip may be relatively
wide (snatch grip) or narrow (clean grip) and it may be pronated or
mixed. Relative leg and arm length will determine whether your
deadlift position looks more like a Romanian deadlift or a squat. The
hip position you acquire when pulling maximally on the bar is most
likely your ideal hip height for pulling.
Figure 1: Kettlebell Deadlift
With your weight in your heels, keep your back and core tight.
Maintaining your shoulder position, break the bar off the floor with your glutes. Keeping it as
close as possible to your legs and center of gravity, pull the bar in to your hips by extending the
hips and knees. Lock out by pushing the hips forward as the bar comes over the knees.
Common Faults: Center of Gravity is over or in front of the bar instead of behind it. Back
and hips do not stay tight. Drive is initiated in the lower back instead of the hips and lats.
Alternatives to deadlifts:
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Kettlebell deadlifts
Sumo deadlifts
Rack pulls
Clean or snatch pulls
Trap bar deadlift
What do we typically see as the lifter fatigues while deadlifting?
Weighted Carries
The benefits of using weighted carries are many.
Although they are often used as an exercise in conditioning
workouts and medleys, the broadest benefit comes from
using short heavy weighted carries as a strength
exercise. Weighted carries reinforce strong upright and
stable posture. They develop strength to resist twisting forces
common in contra-lateral movement like running cycling or
skiing etc. The other benefit is that it uses the body as a
whole in a combination of static and dynamic
contraction. This type of athleticism is impossible to
replicate with a barbell, even with the Olympic Lifts.
Weighted sandbag carries done bear hug style or a yoke
can be useful but a farmer’s carry is probably the best
for athletes.
The farmers carry or walk is great for building grip
strength and reinforcing strong posture. To hold heavy
Figure 2: Farmer’s Walk
farmers bars requires a strong contraction of the upper
back and lats, a level stable level pelvis, and strong
controlled leg contractions. Because of the eccentric component that happens while walking
with an unstable heavy load, Farmers walk train deceleration (unilateral and bilateral) which
may be important for injury prevention.
Most people who have been taught the squat and press can intuitively perform a farmer’s
walk with a little coaching. Pick up the implements as you would a deadlift, driving the heels
into the ground as you pull up on the handles. Even lighter weight should be treated with
respect. Push your hips through, just like a deadlift lockout. This will level the pelvis and put
the hips in line with the shoulders. The shoulders should be back and the chest should be high.
Contract your abdominals to stabilize the spine and stand tall. Once the weight is under control
take short, choppy steps with the feet dorsiflexed (toes pointing up), especially the first
few. This will keep you from tripping over your toes or any uneven ground. Keep your eyes up
and chest high as you walk and maintain a slight bend in the elbows to keep the arms and
shoulders engaged. Take short shallow breathes as you walk to maintain your spinal support.
Odd Object Loading
Odd object loading is a valuable and often ignored mode of strength training yet the
tradition of stone lifting as a test of manhood likely predates written language. When we talk
about odd objects it could be anything from natural stones, sandbags, bags of grain, kegs or hay
bales to specific strongman implements such as atlas, McGlashan Stones or Hussafell stones.
Odd object loading differs a great deal from barbell training in that because of the
awkwardness of the object being loaded, it can simulate a broad variety of movement patterns
all at once using a relatively lighter weight. Getting control of a keg, sandbag, stone, etc.,
demands a great stimulation of the motor abilities. Odd object loading trains, strength, grip,
core stability, and joint stabilization because the center of mass is awkward. In many ways
picking up an odd object off the ground and raising it above your center of mass is better
indicator of overall strength than many barbell
movements.
With a barbell, you can manipulate the
weight, even very large ones, around your center of
mass. With odd objects, in many cases you need to
move your body around the object. This allows for a
very dynamic strength lift that is, for lack of a better
word, more athletic than the squat bench and
deadlift, yet can be executed slow or fast. In this
way, odd objects have a wide margin of usefulness
for novices to advanced athletes and a great change
of pace.
Everyone should consider them. If you want
to use them to build strength, you can. You can use
Figure 3: Loading a Sandbag
them as a variant in strength training, whereas some
will use them as strength endurance. Good way to transfer barbell strength to odd objects you
are more likely to encounter in real life.
There are essentially three phases to a lift, beginning with the initial set up or “pick.” The pick is
about getting your center of mass over the object so that you can balance against it. This is
related to the set-up of a deadlift or clean but the upper body will round forward around the
object. The second part is using the leverage of your body to pull away while displacing the
combined center of gravity of your body and the object. This involves rocking up and back.
This is related to and yet totally different in feel to a power clean.
A successful second phase of the lift will rely on you staying very tight throughout your trunk, at
the same time the upper body must stay wrapped around the object holding it in tension
against your body.
As you can see from figure 11, strong hip and trunk postures are needed but a slackened or
protracted upper back is needed to hold the object tight. This kind of “round back” lifting is the
sort of thing eschewed by physical therapist and GP doctors, yet the posture and the form of
the lift are as old as manual labor itself.
These lifts are challenging and one should start very slowly and gradually build up. Whether
done for singles and doubles or with lighter weight, they can be a very rewarding and useful
tool for lifters grown stale with gym work.
Other useful variation with lighter weights include shouldering, tossing or side loading.
All of which will strengthen the trunk and challenge the body in a way that barbells rarely do.