|
|
There are three traits that are common among tactical athletes that can be disastrous in the gym. People with an affinity for taking risks are often drawn to tactical professions. Tactical athletes also like to test themselves to ensure that they are keeping their edge. Finally, tactical athletes are predominantly type A personalities (overachievers). These personality traits are a mixed blessing of course. Combined with a high level of motivation, they lead to high levels of success. However, in the gym, these traits have to be restrained in order to avoid disaster.
Tactical athletes would be well served by learning the lessons that have been learned the hard way by countless strength and conditioning coaches. Strength coaches who work with athletes are very risk averse. If you start injuring athletes as a strength coach, you get fired, quickly. The world of training athletes for sport is a world of minimizing risk. But……you might say…..”Athletes play injured all the time.” Yes, that is true. But the injures are primarily sustained while playing and practicing the sport, not in the weight room. For the sports athlete, just like the tactical athlete, the job is risky enough without introducing more risk in the conditioning program. Strength and conditioning training for the job should not increase the risk of injury significantly. Successful strength and conditioning coaches are always looking for lower risk alternatives for training. If jump squats will do the job, why risk doing snatches? Do I want to risk an athlete’s shoulder doing muscle ups? Do I really want this group doing handstand pushups or can I get the job done with the press instead? These are the kinds of questions that good strength and conditioning coaches wrestle with, and the successful ones always fall on the side of caution, within reason. Like Dan John says, “Remember to keep the goal the goal.”
Strength and conditioning coaches also understand that performance on the field of play is all that matters. There is a football saying that expresses this idea well, “Built like Tarzan, but plays like Jane.” Everything they do is measured against improving performance and reducing the risk of injury. They understand that the true test of the athlete is on the field of play, and not in the gym. They also understand that if the athlete is too tired or too sore to perform on the field, the strength and conditioning program is excessive. I know several high level triathlon coaches. They all agree that the biggest problem they face in dealing with motivated, type A personality clients is keeping them from doing too much. The personality traits listed above is going to always make that a challenge. Testing yourself daily in the gym is a mistake. Coach Pavel has likes to say that a typical periodized intensity program looks like, “heavy, heavier, even heavier, injured, light….repeat.” The real answer for those who need to perform outside of the gym is moderate, moderate, moderate and occasionally heavy.
There is an old Marine Corps saying, “ It’s easy to be hard, but it’s hard to be smart.” Training smart involves keeping the big picture (Keep the goal the goal!) and not making the obvious mistakes. Here are some of the most obvious:
1. Testing yourself too often in the gym. You are going to test yourself more often than is productive. As a tactical athlete it is in your DNA. However, you don’t have to prove anything. You have already made the selection, passed the school, passed the real test. You belong. Testing yourself occasionally is OK, just don’t do it daily, or even weekly.
2. Picking risky exercises when safer versions will work. There are lots of Youtube sensations who are known for performing some impressive looking feats in the gym. Be aware that there is a difference between demonstrations and training. Your job is dangerous enough. Keep the training low risk. Demonstrate your worth on the job, not in the gym.
3. Pursuing heavier weights too aggressively. Strength happens slowly. Rushing the issue most often results in compromised form. Moderate loading is the key. Moderate loading ensures that you are able to execute each rep correctly. Strength training is loaded movement. Never sacrifice movement to add load. Also consider, is adding 100lbs to your deadlift going to make you better at your job? Maybe, but maybe not. This is a risk management decision.
4. Confusing the means with the end. If the goal is better tactical performance, then performance in the weight room is a means, not an end. Like coach Dan John says, “Remember to keep the goal the goal.” Don’t compromise tactical performance for better gym performance and don't take excessive risks in training.
0 comments:
Post a Comment