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AFM Magazine


Complete Coach

Weight Room Essentials
by: Rod Smith
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The adage is the bigger they are the harder they will fall. Not necessarily. If your athletes can develop speed and agility along with size, they may very well be able to withstand almost anything the competition throws at them. The key to developing bigger, stronger, more agile players is the weight room. How do you as a coach get the most out of each weight room session? How can you create a weight room, or revamp your present facility into one that helps your players achieve their goals? With this installment of Complete Coach, we will focus on some weight room essentials. Equipment used by some of the game's elite. We have taken the time to speak with Oklahoma University's Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Jerry Schmidt, who shared with us his weight room philosophy and expertise. The products in this article, and companies that provide them are dedicated to helping you make each weight room session more effective. So are we.

Develop your Philosophy

Before revamping your weight room it is important to first determine what it is you want your players to achieve. Another way to do this is to examine and define your weight room philosophy. For example, what exercises do you want to emphasize?

For Oklahoma's Jerry Schmidt, the most important exercises are the squats and power cleans. These movements develop strength and explosion-two things every football player needs.

"My philosophy is geared toward improving running speed," Schmidt said. "And as a strength coach, the No. 1 thing is to definitely get the football team stronger. With strength and speed in mind you can then gear your equipment towards that."

Other factors that will effect how you implement your philosophy are the size of your weight room and your budget. Someone like Schmidt, who has the luxury of the Barry Switzer Complex, one of the nations largest and newest facilities, may not face the same obstacles as a small-town high school coach. But without the cornerstones of his philosophy in place, even Schmidt cannot get the results that he desires.

Teaching Explosion

Perhaps the main reason Schmidt centers his philosophy around the power cleans and squats is because they are mutilple-joint movements. When athletes perform these exercises, they are working hip, ankle and knee flexion. The simultaneous flexion of these three joints is common in all sports but no where is it more apparent than at the line of scrimmage.

"In football, when you come off the line of scrimmage you get so many different types of movements," Schmidt said.

A unique piece of equipment that also emphasizes mutiple-joint movements, or triple extension, is the Austin Leg Drive Machine. This total conditioning machine can help increase endurance, quickness and speed. Equipped with a shoulder harness, the Austin Leg Drive Machine will help you teach the fundamentals of quicker feet and better stance as well as develop strength. While the Austin Leg Drive simulates a player driving forcefully off the ball, the sled-like machine can be utilized by all sports during all seasons.

According to Austin Sporting Goods' Jerry Austin, the unique concept is what distinguishes the Austin Leg Drive Machine. "Strength and conditioning are key to preventing injuries and also getting the edge on being stronger, quicker and faster in all sports. Our piece of equipment does that."

Work Around your Limitations

If your philosophy centers around improving strength and running speed, as Schmidt's does, but you have limited floor space, you will want to choose multi-purpose equipment that allows for a variety of uses in a small area. By employing several multipurpose racks, you can reduce wasted time between sets and lifts, minimize weight room congestion and maximize the benefits of your weight room, whether it is large or small.

One example of this type of equipment is Samson Equipment's Power Station. This station includes a combo bench, safety rack, olympic platform and can even be customized with your school logo, usually at no additional cost. Three core lifts-the squat, bench and power cleans-can all be done at one station.

"A multi-purpose rack allows you to do your bench, squat and power cleans at one station," Schmidt said. "So if you haven't got that much square footage, you can put three or four athletes on one platform and they can do every exercise."

Determine your Priorities

Versatility? Durability? Appearance? No matter what piece or pieces of equipment you determine best mesh with your philosophy and your space limitations, you will definitely want to select durable equipment.

"I think durability is really the key," Schmidt said. "Because when you have a number of sports using them, your equipment is going to take a pounding." Other factors Schmidt considers when he is selecting equipment include versatility and appearance.

One company that tries to accommodate all three of these concerns is Samson Equipment. Their Power Station obviously provides versatility, but is also durable. As a testament to their commitment to durability, each piece of Samson Equipment comes with a 15 year warranty. The company also offers custom paint and upholstery colors at no additional charge. "It is not what we want, it is about what our customers wants," Samson's John Omohundro said. "We are very flexible with our customers and we make sure they get what they want."

Condition your Core

As a coach you know that all strength starts with a solid and stable core. For any number of reasons, many of today's young players lack the solid torso and sense of coordination that comes from having a solid mid-section. Sit-ups, medicine ball drills and other abdominal and hip flexor exercises can improve an athlete's core stabilization. One piece of equipment that can further enhance core stabilization, while also improving cardiovascular conditioning is the X-iser Machine.

"Core strength is very important because everything is based on having a strong mid-section and strong hip flexors," Schmidt said. "Anytime you're trying to develop speed and balance you've got to have a strong mid-section."

Used by many college and professional teams, this portable stair climber machine blends speed and resistance, strengthens stabilizer muscles, and improves power and agility without impact to joints or the back. Use the machine as an additional station in your circuit training, as a warm-up tool or during a workout between lifts as a means of cardiovascular challenge. Weighing just 14 pounds, the machine is easily transportable. This allows it to be taken on road trips, into the locker room or down to the sidelines.

The X-iser can even provide an effective means of rehabilitation for injured players. According to David Price, the head athletic trainer for the New York Jets use the stepper in their training facility, in their training room and in the rehab area of their weight room. "The machines are a great exercise tool for warming up, therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation, and just aerobic activity," Price said. "At the New York Jets, any non-practicing injured athlete works out on the field with the trainers and strength coaches. In the past these players just rode stationary bikes. With the help of the X-iser Machine we have added a new closed-chain exercise on the field."

Invest in Technology

When you have a bunch of athletes, particularly younger ones, training with free weights, one of your biggest concerns should be safety and teaching them the correct lifting techniques. One way to ensure safety is to have athletes spot each other. But what happens when athletes are forced to workout by themselves? Unfortunately, ensuring both a safe lifting environment and correct lifting techniques can consume a large portion of weight room time - time that could otherwise be spent developing stronger athletes.

One company that has been able to develop weight room equipment with all three concerns in mind - safety, proper lifting technique and productivity is Hammer Strength. While the company makes a complete assortment of weight room equipment, their trademark has become their Ground Base series of machines. These machines incorporate technology that allows athletes to train every major muscle group while their feet remain in contact with the ground. This technology not only eliminates the need for spotters, but removes the risk factor of traditional free weight equipment. Hammer machines ensure correct lifting technique by controlling the angle of muscle movement. Because they are free weight loaded, these machines allow athletes to adjust weight in smaller increments and to better isolate individual muscles than either traditional free weights or other weight machines.

Since its inception, Hammer has created weight room equipment that eliminates any extraneous force on the joints. The company's iso-lateral line of machines allows athletes to work each limb of the body independently of the other. Players who have either natural muscle imbalances or imbalances due to injury can isolate and develop the weaker muscle more easily.

This is a feature that OU's Schmidt employs. "Hammer has a lot of machines that we use during the season, say if a player is a little bit banged up-you can really isolate the muscle a little more."

Belt yourself for Support

Another weight room tool that will assist your players and make lifting a safer activity is a weight belt. Belts are available in a variety of sizes, widths materials, colors and price ranges. Some come with higher backs for added support. You will probably want to get an assortment of sizes and widths so that you can accommodate every player.

According to Schmidt, knowing when to not wear a weight belt can be just as important as knowing when you should. "Any time an athlete is using lighter weight I think that it's good not to use a belt," Schmidt said, "just for strength and stability to teach the body to be strong. Then as they get into lifting heavier weights like on the squat or power clean, I would recommend they use one."






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