WOB Training direction.....

[heavysprout]

After about two years of being out of serious training commission, I am finally making my way back thanks to a lot of support at home and here.

After only three months in the gym, my marks (by no means attention grabbing) at Dunedin were just short of my best before my troubles began.

The stickler is still WOB. Even at 9' my strength and technique left me with a "n/h" for the day at Dunedin.

In fairness I had previously never given it the training it required before I got injured. I spent more time in the gym than on the field trying to move up from 135# and excused it to no setup to train on. I worked on my strength and size but never put in the necessary reps needed to seriously attack the event come comp time.

We all know that MASA games start at 10' for the 56 WOB and that is my goal. I'd be ecstatic to hit 11' but if I top out at 10' from now till I turn 40...so be it. I'm just tired of it being an automatic "n/h".

So what I am looking for is some guidance.

At my strongest and heaviest in 2004/05 KO & Brock tried teaching me the spin....but at 5'4" 180# it was still like trying to catch a grand piano attached to a freight train. So I went back to a standing throw.

The hip is at about 95% on good days....100% on others but I am still rehabbing. Still 5' 4"...hahahaha. Currently 167#, working towards a solid 175# or so.

I've set up a standard in my backyard at 10' and started kettlebell swings (25 & 35#) over it.

I know it'll be a lot of work but I'm ready for it and would appreciate any direction/suggestions from you fellas.

[FrankH]

Personally I'd stick to standing. Spinning with the 42 *might* be possible for guys like us, but the 56? Uh no.

Some tips for the standing (non-cheating, manly) way:

1. Jump in the air. The stance you use to go highest is your WOB stance. No wider; you will lose height and leg drive.
2. Left hand on left thigh. (If you're right-handed.)
3. In the forward swing, go no higher than your chin.
4. In the back swing, go back as far as you can to give yourself as long a pull as possible. Try to get your elbow (shoulder if you're flexible) between your knees.
5. When the weight passes between your feet, drop your butt right in behind it.
6. Drive the legs and hips; "push" the weight with your hips. Chest up.
7. Look for the bar at about the halfway point. Finish the pull and end on your toes in the reverse "C" position, kind of like the caber only w/one hand.

Timing is key. The WOB swings help, but I find that they get me used to stopping the pull toward the end. (To save my basement ceiling.) Nothing like going out and doing the real thing. A 56-pound weight is livelier and has a much different feel than a kettlebell outdoors; use one if you can.

Good luck, bro. You are going to SHAME 10 feet!

[Gunny]

Great discription Frank. I think I've been forgetting the "sit down" or "Drop you Butt" portion of this.
I find on my pulls, I'm still looking down at the ground, using more back and shoulder, than legs.
Back to the drawing board for me.

[FrankH]

I forget to drop my butt sometimes too. Since it puts a little more bend in your knees, it gives you more leg drive.

[miked]

You should come up to the VMC, again, if you have the chance and get input, practice, and feedback from all of us.

[Stephen Malutich]

hey bro, i think what may help is not biting off so much in one goal...set your standard at 9"3 then 9 5 so on and so forth....HG is truly a game of inches...who knows maybe getting that extra practice may be just what the doctor ordered...small successes summed= big success

[heavysprout]

I'd love to bro'....it's the 2:20 one way drive that is the killer for me. Hard for me to give up a whole day on the weekend away from Tara and the kids, especially with us both working.

Hopefully again sometime in the future.

[heavysprout]

hey bro, i think what may help is not biting off so much in one goal...set your standard at 9"3 then 9 5 so on and so forth....HG is truly a game of inches...who knows maybe getting that extra practice may be just what the doctor ordered...small successes summed= big success

Problem is 10' is minimum for MASA games...so it's 10' or nothing.

[Gunny]

Problem is 10' is minimum for MASA games...so it's 10' or nothing.

I'm sure you get what he's saying though for training.
Getting those 3" increments in practice will boost your confidence. You'll be getting 10' in no time.

[heavysprout]

Oh YES...I do Gunny. I totally appreciate Steve's point. And as a guy my size competing in the open division, the only thing that matters to me are the little PRs...whether they be a foot or an inch.

I guess what I should have said was my standard at home [ladder with is stationary as well and set just around 10'....hahaha

I WILL take any AND all knowledge, experience and encouragement from you fellas.

Sorry.....six days on prednisone and albuterol treatments is *&^@ing with my brain and responses.

[Sheaf daddy]

WOB Drills -

Put the weight on the ground. Straddle it and grab the handle. Now walk forwardin a crouch until the weight is completely behind you, your body is squatted down low and your arm is stretched completely behind you to the point of straining. - Quickly stand up and push your hips through the weight and let the weight go so it flies forward. rinse and repeat. you want to end with a complete triple extension of hips, knees and ankles.

Benefits - This emphasizes you letting the weight getting all the way back - many people short the backswing and pull too early. This also emphasizes your hips (a$$) being weight pushes the weight. Also if you have a tendency of using your weight too much as a counterbalance and you fall backwards while you pull - this will help fix this.


WOB Lifts -

deadlift and jump shrug are your two most obvious but a third and rather interesting one is to attach and single handle to the low pulley. Load up the weight and then assume the stepped forward, arm between the legs, squatted down position I describe above but with the weight slightly lifted. Know do the stand/hip push and then return to the starting position. rinse and repeat. Similar effect to the drill but you can add weight in the off season and increase your strength.

Any dynamic lifting like Cleans and Snatches are good as long as you do power cleans and power snatches (i.e. do not drop down to catch the weight) If you are used to dropping under the weight then you will do that when trying to throw and you will not be completing the triple extension.

[heavysprout]

Thanks B' ...........got your message...drop me your number for I can return it some time