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Newton Strength and Power Notes-July 2008
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July Highlights
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- The USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Course in Charlotte, NC went very well, with the Dowd YMCA providing great facilities and Gina Josey doing a fantastic job of coordinating all details. All participants passed their tests and are now new USAW Sports Performance coaches….. well done!
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Doug Lane works on his Snatch technique at
the Charlotte, NC Sports Performance course |
Harvey Newton demonstrates Clean technique
at the Charlotte USA Sports Performance
coaching course
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One of the key players in this course was Doug Lane, director of the Cross Fit training center in Amelia Island, FL (check www.crossfitameliaisland.com). Doug’s a hard-charging fitness pro that really applies the course materials to his job. Doug immediately started to move forward with plans for expanded future programs.
On July 19 Harvey Newton will conduct a 4-hour program at Cross Fit Amelia Island on the Power Clean (one of Cross Fit’s core lifts). He’ll be back on September 13 for an 8-hour program on both the Snatch and the C&J. Amelia Island is a great part of Florida to explore (it’s as far north as you can go on the Atlantic side of the Sunshine State), so consider either or both of these programs for your CEU needs. But, space is limited (20), so be sure to contact Doug immediately to reserve your spot.
- The Strength and Power Training for Golfers workshop at Crystal Palace, London on July 3-4 was a massive success. Mark Bull (www.totalgolfconditioning.co.uk) pulled together 21 UK golf coaches, ‘physios,’ and strength professionals for an intense two-day program
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Coach Newton leads a lecture
on explosive lifting for golf.
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Mark Bull warms up the Snatch from the high blocks. |
Rapidly throwing this heavy sandbag from side-to-side works the rotational muscles.
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James Parker conducted several sessions on alternative methods for explosive training for golf. Included were dozens of ballistic exercises with medicine balls and other heavy objects. Stuart Corstorphine explained in detail the great 3-D Golf BioDynamics system TCA exclusively utilizes throughout the UK. Harvey Newton presented on several topics, included an overview of strength and conditioning for golf, a thorough explanation of the pros and cons of various forms of resistance training, and hands-on sessions on learning the Power Snatch and the Clean-and-Jerk.
Response to this program was very positive and there are plans in place for more of the same, on both sides of “the pond.”
On the day following the workshop Harvey, Mark, and Dan Yeomans (the TCA strength and conditioning coach) attended the European Cup golf tournament and took in a close-up look at Europe’s finest golfers.
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Dan Yeomans, Mark Bull, Harvey Newton
at the 2008 European Open golf tournament.
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Most of the UK golf coaches that attended
the 2-day workshop, Harvey Newton
(red t-shirt) in the middle, back row.
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Summer Olympics
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At the time of this writing, only 30 days remain before the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. It looks like Team USA consists of four women and two men.
Harvey Newton is once again part of the NBC Sports broadcast team, joined this year by two-time USA Olympian Shane Hamman. Word has it that online broadcasts of the competition will allow for much greater coverage of “minority” sports like weightlifting.
Keep an eye on this web site (www.newton-sports.com) for daily insights into the world of weightlifting during the Games.
Recent headlines have included the 11 positives by the Bulgarian lifters at testing in their own country. While such results suggest drug testing is getting more accurate in some areas, there is obviously a long way to go. Readers can expect more positive results, both in lifting and other sports, as the world’s finest gather to compete.
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| Reflections (Part IV) |
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This series of monthly installments looks at some highlights of current weightlifting technique instruction, especially as it relates to the pull motion in the Snatch and the Clean. Check for the entire series across several months’ newsletters.
In 2006 Ernie Rimer, an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ (now the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Ski Team’s national women’s downhill team) contacted Coach Harvey Newton and several other prominent experts in the area of weightlifting technique. Ernie was collecting details from various weightlifting and S&C corners related to the so-called “second pull” exhibited in the Snatch and the Clean. The Internet always reflects a good deal of chatter about optimal weightlifting technique and Ernie took it upon himself to collect and disseminate germane technique details to his NAU coaching staff.
Here is my answer to Ernie’s second question:
2) Briefly describe the body position the athlete should be in at the top of the pull, with special
reference to the ankles, knees, and hips.
At the top of the so-called 2nd pull (if we’re on the same page so far), the athlete should have
successfully extended the ankles, knees, and hips to near full extension. The bar should be close to the
torso and the upper body near perpendicular to the platform.
We tend to tolerate (or in some cases, encourage) a certain amount of ‘lean-back’ of the torso at the
top of the pull. This trait is dependent on particular coaching styles and may relate to particular lifter
segmental measurements. I see little reason for a non-weightlifter to be coached to lift in this posture,
but there may be some appropriate applications for weightlifters.
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