Methods of Strength Training for Specific Sports - Case Study Example

Evaluate the Dynamic Correspondence of Olympic Weightlifting for a selected sports skill. Dynamic correspondence refers to the means and methods ofstrength training that provide an adequate conditioning regime for the motor system in the special exercises. Indeed, dynamic correspondence as a means of strength training does not refer to strength in general, but only to the context of the given task. According to Siff (2000) the principle of dynamic correspondence emphasizes that the means and methods of strength training for specific sports should be chosen to enhance the required motor qualities in terms of the amplitude and direction of the movement, the accentuated region of force production, the dynamics of the effort, the rate and time of maximum force production, and the regime of muscular work. An example of dynamic correspondence is the relationship between an Olympic style lift and the vertical jump (Canavan et. al., 1996; Ebben and Blackard, 2001; Garhammer, 1993; Hori, et. al., 2008). Olympic style lifting has been used in the conditioning programs of many athletes, especially when their sport involves fast and powerful muscular actions (Garhammer and Gregor, 1992). It is important that both athletes and coaches fully understand how the Olympic lifts share similarities to specific movement patterns being trained. Some still contend that there is no need to have movement specific exercises when weightlifting because the exercises cannot replicate sports motion, empirical observations suggest there is a strong relationship between Olympic style lifting and athletic performance. (Garhammer and Gregor, 1992; Brown 1985). However researches like Baker (1986) prove that vertical jump performance can be improved through general and specific exercises and these exercises thus are an essential part of dynamic correspondence. These techniques of Olympic weightlifting are also effective as training exercises for athletes in other sports.This is particularly true for sports that require high load speed strength.According to Hori (2005), in order to an athlete to improve high load speed, it will be suitable for the athlete exercises rapid acceleration movements without deceleration. Rapid acceleration will help the athlete better. Plyometrics have been listed as another type of training program that is thought to increase high load strength speed in athletes. The study by Fry (1991), included plyometric exercises, and they were found to be one of the most useful exercise types for increasing jump height. This indicates that this type of training exercise may be as effective as Olympic weightlifting. However, more studies would need to be conducted to prove if one exercise is more effective than the other or if they generate the same results. Other training includes simple jumping and conditioning training (Fry, 1991). For this research paper, chosen sport is Volley ball. The paper will analyze dynamic correspondence of Olympic weightlifting for Volley ball playing. When looking at the five principles of dynamic correspondence in regard to Olympic weightlifting, it is important to determine if Olympic weightlifting exercises will be adequate for a volleyball training program, particularly in vertical jump training. The first element that must be considered is the amplitude and direction of the movement. The pull phase of the clean and snatch movement and the drive phase of the jerk movement cause the athlete to extend the hips, knees, and ankle joints to push against the ground as hard and as fast as possible at the given weight producing an acceleration profile for the barbell and the body. This is the same motion that the body makes when jumping (Hori et. al., 2005). Baker (1996) has provided evidence that various neuromechanical factors affect jumping ability. Vertical jumping ability enhances overall sports performance and according to the jump and reach scores recorded by Baker, strength training improves that. The second element of the dynamic correspondence is the accentuated region of force development. This is the amount of force the athlete employs when pushing against the ground and is determined by ankle and leg strength, and hip movement. Weightlifting is beneficial because it trains to athlete to emit more force in order to accelerate upward with a significant auxiliary weight load. Canavan et. al. (1996) have provided evidence for Kinetic and Kinematic relationships between an Olympic style lift and the Vertical jump and this they have achieved through analysis of data by Peak 3-D system and AMTI Force plate system. For this research, scores of 7 varsity students were studied by Canavan and colleagues. By the analysis of power and angular displacement they proved that Vertical Jump performance can be improved through Olympic style weight lifting due to similar kinetic features. The third element of dynamic correspondence includes the dynamics of the effort. The effort it takes to propel the body upward by pushing off the ground when using a barbell is the same type of effort it takes to propel the body upward while supporting the body weight when jumping. The amount of effort it takes to lift the weights using the techniques described earlier is similar to the amount of effort it takes to jump in a high intensity volleyball spike technique. The amount of effort it takes to lift additional weight in the weightlifting portion accommodates for the amount of effort it takes to jump with no weight and additional speed during a volleyball match. Garhammer (1993) has proved that athletes participating in weightlifting show power outputs in vertical jump tests that are almost like the scores they generate in some competitive lifts. Garhammer (1993) has proved the impact of weight lifting over vertical jumping ability through the use of Lewis formula and video analysis. Fourth in the elements is the rate and time of maximum force production. Usually to measure the weight and time and speed, the jump squat is used (McBride et. al., 2009). If the athlete is equipped with weight over 30% of the athlete’s maximum body weight and performs the squat jump once, it is considered a measurement of the athlete’s high load speed strength. In order to gain a strength profile, the athlete would need to perform the squat jump with varying weights over 30% of the athlete’s maximum body weight. A helpful indicator of speed strength is also the athlete’s power clean level. If the power clean level is low even though the athlete performs well on the vertical jump test, then the athlete should still train high load speed strength (Hori, et. al., 2008). The final element in dynamic correspondence is the regime of muscular work. The muscle groups targeted during a volleyball jump spike technique are the same muscles that are conditioned during these weightlifting training techniques. The hips, ankles, and legs work together to generate enough force to propel the athlete upward off the ground during a jump. Similarly, the legs, ankles, and hips work together to lift the additional weight in the clean and jerk and snatch techniques. In order to improve these muscles for jumping, athletes must train these muscles through exercises that simulate jumping without the risk of injury. Tom Cross (1993) a famous strength and conditioning coach, has provided rationale of how Olympic style weight lifting improves muscle strength and thus helps improve vertical jumping performance which is very important for volley ball players. Hori et. al. (2005) have also provided similar evidences. Many research studies have been conducted to determine the difference in volleyball players and how those differences determine success for some of those athletes (Cross, 1993; Hori et. al., 2005; Hori et. al., 2008). The consensus from the studies has determined that the most successful players are usually older, stronger, taller, and able to jump higher than those who are less successful. Fry (1991) took this research a step further by conducting a study on the differences between players on the same team, focusing on the main differences between starters and non-starters. The participants in the study were women’s college volleyball players and the study took place over a 12 week training period. The main purpose was to test the physical and performances changes that occurred for all the players over the training period. The results of the study showed that all participants in the study improved in all test areas after the 12 week program. The researchers accounted for the fact that some improvement would be made simply from learning how to perform the exercises and techniques in the training regime, and accommodated for that in the results (Fry, 1991). Regardless of this, all athletes still made significant improvement from the beginning of the training program to the end of the training program. The results of this study prove that if volley ball players undertake weight lifting and muscle strengthening exercises, not only their vertical jumping capability but also their over all game performance improves. Tricoli (2005) has conducted research to discover how weightlifting affects power development in athletes compared to vertical jump training programs. This information will help understand how weightlifting can actually improve an athlete’s jump performance. In the past, evidence has shown that vertical jump training increases athlete power, even with the presence of no weight (Tricoli, 2005). Research in this article has shown that a combination between resistance training, such as weightlifting, and plyometrics produces the most lower body strength for athletes (Tricoli, 2005). One of the strongest arguments for the use of Olympic weightlifting is that it promotes neural learning through the use of techniques that mimic the motions that the athlete performs during competition. This generates muscle memory as well as an awareness of muscle control, use, and maximization which can help the athlete be more aware of his or her movements and improve performance (Tricoli, 2005). In addition, coordination, flexibility, and balance are named as side effects that occur from weightlifting, which also serve to improve the athlete’s demonstration of specific skills. All these methods of improving muscle strength improve dynamic correspondence. These methods of trainings have direct impact over performance of volley ball players, as mentioned in this research paper. Another important discovery from the research on Olympic weightlifting is that the speed the weights are lifted seems to be a more important factor than the amount of weight used when it comes to training to achieve the high load strength speed involved in jumping (Hori, 2008). Thus while training for improved vertical jumping ability through weight lifting and muscle training, this is an important aspect for dynamic correspondence. The results of testing of weightlifting training versus vertical jump training in this research project showed that the weightlifting training improved the 10-m sprint speed (3.66%) and the squat jump (9.56). Both weightlifting and vertical jump training increased the countermovement jump, but the weightlifting group (6.6) improved more than the vertical jump test group (5.72) (Hori, 2008). Both groups also showed an increase in the half jump, but the vertical jump training outperformed the weightlifting training 47.8% to 43.7% (Hori, 2008). A second study from Hori (2005), found that the relationship between athletes with a high hang power clean weightlifting technique and their jumping and sprinting results paralleled each other. A recent study in football coaches revealed that 88% of coaches use weightlifting in their training programs, while 94% use plyometrics in their training programs (Ebben, 2001). In addition, it was shown that in the football sector, the exercises used in weightlifting training vary greatly between different teams and coaches (Ebben, 2001). Another study proved that the duration of force was more important than the magnitude of the maximum force it took to execute the technique. Also important to this measurement was the time relationship with force (Garhammer, 1992). The study of all these aspects in detail led towards formulation of specific training programs inspired from Olympic weight lifting which are meant for improvement in vertical jumping skills. Based on the evidence provided about the effect of Olympic weightlifting on vertical jump training, it is apparent that Olympic weightlifting should be a major component of the volleyball jump spike technique training program. Through a lot of studies (Hori et al., 2008; Hori et al, 2005; Baker, 1996) it is proved that Olympic style weight lifting improves muscle strength and that in turn improves vertical jumping ability which is very important for Volley ball players. However, evidence also shows that plyometric training is a also an important element of developing the vertical jump. Other resistance training exercises such as plyometrics have been shown to be effective at increasing jump height in athletes and therefore should also be considered as a major component of strength training programs in volleyball teams. The best scenario includes a combination of plyometric and Olympic weightlifting training, along with other training exercises already in place in volleyball training programs. Olympic weightlifting has been proven to be an effective training program for athletes of highly active sports. Studies have shown that athletes who engage in Olympic weightlifting exercises show a major improvement in their strength, which results in improved skills, such as jumping, takeoff, and maximum strength. The amount of improvement is enough to justify the addition of an Olympic weightlifting segment in the overall training program of an athlete. For training specifically geared at improving athlete vertical jump performance, Olympic weightlifting can be really helpful in training for volley ball and not including it in a training program would be detrimental to the athlete. Volleyball coaches can use Olympic weightlifting to develop a complete training program for volleyball athletes. The best strength program will include Olympic weightlifting along with other strength training exercises such as plyometrics and jump skill training. With a strong training program, an athlete’s jump ability can advance to a new level of performance. References Baker, D. (1996) Improving Vertical Jump Performance through General, Special and Specific Strength Training: A brief Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, (10) 2, 131-136 Canavan, P., Garrett, G., & Armstrong, L. (1996). Kinematic and kinetic relationships between an Olympic-style lift and the vertical jump.Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 10(2) pp. 127-130 Cross, T. (1993) Rationale and Coaching Points for Olympic Style lifting to enhance Volley Ball performance, National Strength and Conditioning association Journal, Vol. 15, Number, 6. Ebben, W., &Blackard, D. (2001).Strength and conditioning practices of National Football League strength and conditioning coaches.Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 15(1) pp. 48-58. Fry, A., Kraemer, W., Weseman, C., Conroy, B., Gordon, S., Hoffman, J., &Maresh, C. (1991). The effects of an off-season strength and conditioning program on starters and non- starters in women’s intercollegiate volleyball. Journal of Applied Sort Science Research. 5(4) pp. 174-181. Retrieved on October 12, 2011 from Garhammer, J. (1993). A review of power output studies of Olympic and powerlifting: Methodology, performance, prediction, and evaluation tests. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 7(2) pp. 76-89. Garhammer, J., &Gregor, R. (1992). Propulsion forces as a function of intensity for weightlifting and vertical jumping. Journal of Applied Sport Science. 6(3) pp. 129-134. Hori, N., Newton, R., Andrews, W., Kawamori, N., McGuigan, M., &Nosaka, K. (2008). Does performance of hang power clean differentiate performance of jumping, sprinting, and changing of direction? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 22(2) pp. 412-418. Hori, N., Newton, R., Nosaka, K., & Stone, M. (2005). Weightlifting exercises enhance athletic performance that requires high-load speed strength. National Strength and Conditioning Society. 27(4) p. 50-55. McBride, J., Blow, D., Kerby, T., Haines, T., Dayne, A. and Triplett, N. (2009) Relationship Between Maximal Squat Strength and Five, Ten, and Forty Yards Sprint Times. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Vol. 23, Number, 6. Tricolli, V., Lamas, L., Carnevale, R., &Ugrinowitsch, C. (2005). Short-term effects on lower- body functional power development: Weightlifting vs. vertical jump training programs. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 19(2) pp. 433-437. Read More