Even though our conversation was taking place in the weight room, Chris was adamant that all of their training, ultimately, must make the athlete better in their arena of competition. Big bench presses and fast 40’s, while impressive to the lay person, did not make an athlete a champion. Carlisle places a large emphasis on movement skills and speed. In all components of their training, USC athletes are developed with technique and skill being of utmost importance. Next in the priority scale is speed. Strength is third in the list of training priorities. The USC Strength and Conditioning room has a list of record lifts (clean, bench and squat) on the wall, but Coach Carlisle is quick to point out that the lifts are simply general indicators, and not an end in itself. Carlisle views the weight room as simply a means to an end. Although he would like to have his athletes as strong as possible in the weight room, he is more concerned about how they practice and compete in their chosen sport.
Yet more about Seattle's new celebrity hard ass. I've lifted some and this, to my still very layman understanding, sounds completely sensible and wonderfully refreshing.
Trim Tatupu down.
over 2 years ago
John Morgan
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Most athletes still believe that lowering weight slowly is better. What this is doing is ripping your myosin heads out of the actin, due to the depletion of ATP. Literally ripping your muscles. This does make muscles bigger (heterotrophically), because in order to heal your muscles will essentially produce more fibers. It also causes scarring, decreasing range of motion.
That’s why you get these athletes or meat heads with huge muscles but no flexibility in their limbs.
I reread that and it sounds pedantic.
I just meant to add to the reasons for “pure lifting” not being the only way.
well this style of lifting for hypertrophic (muscle building) gains is appropriate
as part of an off-season program. Muscle size correlates very well with muscle strength. Of course a football player needs to be able to apply that strength quickly. That’s why leading up to the season the focus should be on developing explosive power. This is usually accomplished by dropping the weight for a given exercise and focusing on speed (under control of course). The Olympic lifts (clean and jerk, etc) are ideal lifts for these purposes.
I disagree.
Lowering the weight slowly is not a problem for football players. They need the size, because size doesn’t correlate with strength. Plus, athletes at that level are taught to lower the weight slowly and then explode up, thereby increasing size and explosion.
As someone who is very familiar with these type of techniques, I’m glad to hear this guy is coming to the Seahawks. But if the Seahawks weren’t doing this type of stuff before I’d be very surprised. Of course training techniques have come a LONG way in the last 10/15 years, but at the level the NFL is at if they weren’t doing this stuff that would put them at a big, big disadvantage.
TouchMyIchiro
I don't understand
They need size, but size doesn’t correlate with strength? Don’t they also need range of motion and flexibility? Having bigger muscles makes you stronger, sure, but it can also affect your play (Tats) and it can lead to muscles knotting due to proteins, making it so one’s muscles don’t contract as easily or as quickly.
Oops.
Size does correlate with strength, saying it doesn’t was a typo.
Yeah obviously flexibility and range of motion are important, but by lowering the weight slowly you are not negatively impacting range of motion and flexibility. Now if you lower it slowly and then raise it slowly, and do it often enough, then yes, it will cause problems with flex/ROM. But that’s why any serious athlete is taught to lower slow and raise quick.
It really isn’t that big of deal because the best football exercises, the ones the Seahawks are (most likely) doing have little to do with a bench press. Strength and conditioning programs have evolved so far from where they were even in the late 90s that everything is pretty much sport and/or position specific.
As for Tats, I can’t really comment because I don’t get a chance to watch many Seahawks games cause I live overseas. I’ve read enough people saying he has gotten too big, and that’s probably the case if so many people see it.
TouchMyIchiro
Interesting dialogue, guys.
I don’t disagree w/ the Tats commentary, but I will add that part of his problem tackling that I have read is that he doesn’t have very long arms. I’m pretty sure I heard John mention his ‘short’ arms on more than one occasion. I wonder how de-bulking Tatupu can affect even that? I wonder if reducing his upper-body, specifically in the shoulder area will a) help with the arm issue and/or b) deplete the strength he has used so well in shedding blocks?
I would like to comment...
but with a combination of not watching enough Seahawks games and having a background that isn’t predominantly football I probably just be talking bullshit.
I will say that different body frames can support different amounts of muscle, and if you have short arms its not a good thing if you want to have a lot of bulk. But short arms do make it easier to look jacked, so that’s nice. Haha
TouchMyIchiro
I'm glad to see this, but I have my reservations
I have a hard time believe pro organizations have radically different S&C programs. Football is football and S&C is science. I doubt the best methods and programs are a big secret. I can’t imagine it’s much, if any, different among different teams.
But if this guy’s the real deal and he’s able to improve the S&C of our players, I’d imagine guys like Unger and Cole will benefit the most.
6/14/40. Sweet.
Yeah, I wondered about that
You would think all S&C programs would be analogous, but then I hear about how the Cards have this crazy-awesome program, and then they have the fewest injuries. I don’t know if that’s a distinct cause and effect relationship, but I’m willing to see.
Look at the Cowboys health over the past few seasons.
They’re medical and S&T is highly regarded and has been linked to their team having reduced injury numbers (better health).
Rangers? Really?
The good news is you got five guys with arms like orangutans’. Each one of them can give you 300 innings and will never break down. The bad news is a team ERA over 6.0…
inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
I realize that
just kind of surprised they’d make the effort instead of developing the bats.
inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Look no further than the combine.
The measurements they have them doing are archaic. It’s no secret, but more a willingness to depart from the traditional, uber-macho methods and more towards actual workout science.
by Spider Jerusalem on Jan 28, 2010 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
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