Strength and muscle recruitment for newbs

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   I'm thinking of a newb Masters womens thrower that I was helping out until recently, and also of a good friend, also a Master, who has taken the proverbial bull by the horns and is changing not only his overall strength, but his ability to use what he's got.

DISCUSSION POINT:

I'm pretty convinced that most people are a lot stronger than they think they are. It's just that most of us in North America have lives where we don't ever have to put out max muscle capacity for anything.  If you're a trainer..this isn't you. Ditto if you bust trenches for the local utility company, or you're a sheetrocker, or do some other sort of hard physical labor for your profession.

Me?  I'm a computer geek. Before that I was a Biology adjunct professor and worked in biotech research labs.    I work all day and never do anything more strenuous than climb 3 flights of stairs. If I didn't hit the gym now and ride my bicycle in to work now and then, I'd have turned into a blob.   A whole lot of North America spends most of their days much like mine.  I think that people in lives like mine simply *forget* how to recruit muscle effort. They lose muscle mass and strength over the years, but even worse than that, their bodies and minds just "forget" how to use what we've got. 

Most of us sure didn't have that problem when we were kids, you know?

OK, comments on  those ideas??

NEXT.... How to help someone re-learn how to recruit the muscle they've already got----

My Masters friend..the guy.. is just starting to do this on his own.  You could see it when he started out. I'd watch him try WOB and think..."For heaven's sake,  PULL on the stupid thing!"  I'm sure he felt like he was trying hard but it just didn't look like he was DOING anything.   A year of throwing and weight training has made him stronger, but more importantly than that, he's starting to really use what he's already got.  It's really cool to watch.

But as motivated and consistent as he is,  it took him a year-plus to get there.

The womens Master never got there.  Now, she only threw with me for 6-8 weeks, but I was convinced that she just didn't know how to really commmit to any physical exertion.  I think in part, that it's part of her upbringing....as in, it's not ladylike to bust a gut and scream and put out your all, physically.   I remember watching her and getting frustrated with her lack of GO, until one day I set her up with a stone and bellowed at her go GO FOR IT,  DAMMIT...  and what I got was this pathetic little *hop*.

I think her mind and her body had no clue HOW to go for it, any more. I bet she knew how when she was 8 years old, though.

So.....Care to share your ideas on how to teach people to GO for it?  How to get people to use the power they've got?

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Alan H Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Postaholic Account banned. Joined: 5/19/08 Status: Offline Points: 3135	Post Options Post Reply Quote Alan H Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Strength and muscle recruitment for newbs Posted: 8/16/11 at 7:11am
	I'm thinking of a newb Masters womens thrower that I was helping out until recently, and also of a good friend, also a Master, who has taken the proverbial bull by the horns and is changing not only his overall strength, but his ability to use what he's got. DISCUSSION POINT: I'm pretty convinced that most people are a lot stronger than they think they are. It's just that most of us in North America have lives where we don't ever have to put out max muscle capacity for anything. If you're a trainer..this isn't you. Ditto if you bust trenches for the local utility company, or you're a sheetrocker, or do some other sort of hard physical labor for your profession. Me? I'm a computer geek. Before that I was a Biology adjunct professor and worked in biotech research labs. I work all day and never do anything more strenuous than climb 3 flights of stairs. If I didn't hit the gym now and ride my bicycle in to work now and then, I'd have turned into a blob. A whole lot of North America spends most of their days much like mine. I think that people in lives like mine simply forget how to recruit muscle effort. They lose muscle mass and strength over the years, but even worse than that, their bodies and minds just "forget" how to use what we've got. Most of us sure didn't have that problem when we were kids, you know? OK, comments on those ideas?? NEXT.... How to help someone re-learn how to recruit the muscle they've already got---- My Masters friend..the guy.. is just starting to do this on his own. You could see it when he started out. I'd watch him try WOB and think..."For heaven's sake, PULL on the stupid thing!" I'm sure he felt like he was trying hard but it just didn't look like he was DOING anything. A year of throwing and weight training has made him stronger, but more importantly than that, he's starting to really use what he's already got. It's really cool to watch. But as motivated and consistent as he is, it took him a year-plus to get there. The womens Master never got there. Now, she only threw with me for 6-8 weeks, but I was convinced that she just didn't know how to really commmit to any physical exertion. I think in part, that it's part of her upbringing....as in, it's not ladylike to bust a gut and scream and put out your all, physically. I remember watching her and getting frustrated with her lack of GO, until one day I set her up with a stone and bellowed at her go GO FOR IT, DAMMIT... and what I got was this pathetic little hop. I think her mind and her body had no clue HOW to go for it, any more. I bet she knew how when she was 8 years old, though. So.....Care to share your ideas on how to teach people to GO for it? How to get people to use the power they've got?

Sammy68123 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 6/15/08 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 735	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sammy68123 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 8/16/11 at 8:54am
	Hi Alan, This is the ed psych person talking. Recruiting muscle you have, especially precisely, is a motor skill, not really different than kids learning how to walk, climb steps, hit a ball, etc. I'm in my 5th season now and I truly recognize the skill components necessary. So for your first question, for say WOB, deconstruct all the component skills necessary and practice them, even with next to no weight. So far, I'm finding the KB swing, both 2 and 1 hand, good for lower body, and 2-handed underhand medicine ball throws for height, but jumping is also useful. Then, the finer points come in: making sure the sequence of recruitment is right, and then making sure the person finishes the throw with full extension and doesn't stop short. These are all components. Each event poses it's own unique and precise skill challenges. I struggle with making sure my left side does its job, so drawing attention to it, sometimes even poking or raking the muscles needed, cues what needs to work. As far as teaching people to GO for it, especially for women that I've trained in the gym in the DL, is building success with increases of weight, and watching for subtle signs that they aren't recruiting everything. I have a couple women (for fitness) who DL in the 185-225 area. I can usually see if they're not using everything--like their left side--and can cue them to use that part on the next repetition and they. Another one I train seems to have less body awareness than the other two. Where I can ask the others "did you feel that?" and they usually can say "yes", this person usually says "no". You don't say much about the woman Master, but had she lifted REAL weights before, or just Barbie weights? Weights in aerobics classes are by definition, aerobic efforts. Also, helping them visualize the task by analogy to another familiar one might help. Learn from them about tasks they've successfully performed before that you can connect to this one, or ones they could imagine. In summary, build skills and successes with the components, use analogies to help them connect to familiar tasks, and watch to give specific and useful feedback. "GO FOR IT" is not specific enough; actually "PULL on the thing" is more specific and useful, but you may have to provide some more vivid analogies that can help unlock them (I've used some rather graphic, but perfectly understood ones in the past with both genders). I hope this helps a bit. Teresa Merrick, Ph.D./Bellevue, NE