KIN 425, Concepts of Strength &
Conditioning
Chapter 17 Resistance Training and
Spotting Techniques
-
Pictured below are the four bar grips:
a.) pronated
b.) supinated
c.) alternated
d.) hook
- Looking at the picture
above notice that the thumb is wrapped around the bar in all of the grips
shown; this is called a closed grip.
When the thumb does not wrap around the bar, it is called an open
or false grip. For
obvious reasons, the open grip is less safe than the closed grip.
- When lying on a bench in
the supine (face up) position the athlete should position the body so that
these five points contact the bench (body) or floor (feet):
-
Head
-
Upper back/shoulders
-
Butt
-
Right foot
-
Left foot
- Establishing and
maintaining this five-point body contact position promotes maximal stability
and spinal support.
- Someone who has low back
problems should place their feet on the bench when doing bench presses –
this method helps to alleviate tension in the low back region.
- Exercises performed while
standing typically require the feet to be positioned slightly wider than
hip-width with the heels and ball of the feet in contact with the floor.
- Cam of lever-based exercise
machines that have an axis of rotation require specific positioning of the
athlete’s body, arms or legs for safety and optimal execution.
The joint(s) being extended and flexed need to be aligned with the
joint or axis of rotation of the machine.
- The most strenuous portion
of a repetition is referred to as the sticking point.
- Athletes should be
instructed to inhale during the least stressful portion of a repetition
(eccentric phase), and to exhale as they move beyond their sticking point of a
repetition (concentric phase).
- During structural exercises
(those that load the spine), such as squats and deadlifts, athletes should be
taught to hold their breath and utilize the Valsalva maneuver.
The Valsalva maneuver can be helpful in maintaining proper vertebral
alignment and support through increased intra-abdominal pressure which
increases the rigidity of the entire torso to aid in supporting the vertebral
column.
- A weight belt should
typically be worn when performing lifts that place heavy stress on the lower
back during sets that involve near-maximal or maximal loads.
- No weight belt is needed
for exercises that do stress the lower back but use light loads.
- In class we discussed the
use of a weight belt during lifting. What
did I recommend that an athlete should use as their first, and most important,
core support mechanism?
-
The Core musculature (abs, obliques, erectors) should be used as a natural
weight belt to provide structural support when executing exercises that load
the spine. A weight belt
should only be used during heavy sets, never for warm-ups and light to
moderate sets
unless prescribed by a sports medicine professional.
- A spotter is someone
who assists in the execution of an exercise to help protect the athlete from
injury.
- The term liftoff
refers to assisting the lifter in moving the bar from the bar holders to a
position in which they can begin the exercise.
The liftoff is the safest way to begin the bench press movements,
especially when using heavy loads.
- Three spotters should be available when an athlete is
performing a heavy max in the barbell squat:
-
one behind the lifter spotting their body
-
one on the right side and one on the left side of the bar to
spot the weight
- When spotting any exercise
spotting the actual weight is the safest and best place to spot, but because
of body size and positioning sometimes this is not possible.
If spotting the actual weight (bar or dumbbell) is not possible the
second best option is to spot as close to the weight as you can.
- For dumbbell exercises you
should spot by grabbing the actual dumbbell or the athlete’s wrist – not
the elbows.
- When setting up the rack to
perform a Bench Press (flat, incline or decline) the bar should be positioned
so that the lifter has only about a three inch lift to get the bar out of the
bar holders.
- When performing an Incline
Bench Press the bar should make contact with your upper chest.
- When performing a Flat or
Decline Bench Press the bar should make contact with your lower chest, at or
below the nipple line.
- When setting up the rack to
perform squats the bar should be positioned at mid to upper chest height when
facing it.
- The three different types
of barbell deadlifts that we discussed in class are:
-
conventional [feet hip width, hands outside of stance]
-
sumo [feet outside shoulder width, hands inside of stance]
-
Romanian [feet hip width, hands outside of stance]
- The three different types
of barbell squats that we discussed in class are:
-
back squat
-
front squat
-
split squat
- The difference between the
split squat and the lunge:
-
split squat – feet stay apart during the entire set
-
lunge – step forward (or backward) with one foot, squat,
then return to the starting feet together position
- For the power/Olympic/speed
movements (cleans, jerk, snatch, etc.) there is no way to spot.
If you get into a dangerous position you drop the weight and get away
from it. There should only be one
person on the lifting platform – the lifter and no one else.
- The safest and most
effective way to perform a Lat Pulldown is in front of the face.
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