The purpose of this article is not only to teach you how to add power and velocity to
your shot on net, but the information you will learn will help to keep your shoulders
injury free during the competitive season.
To start we must identify the muscles involved in the shooting process:
Latissimus dorsi- This is a large muscle comprising much of the upper and mid back. It
is the primary muscle involved in extension of the humerus (upper arm).
Rotator cuff-The two primary muscles of the rotator cuff are the teres minor and the
infraspinatus. These muscles lie adjacent to each other, originate on the scapulae and
insert on the humerus. From a biomechanical perspective, these muscles help stabilize
the shoulder and are critical in protecting the shoulder from injury. From a performance
standpoint, they are possibly the most important, yet overlooked for improving shot
velocity. For example, the players in the NHL with the strongest external rotators
(rotator cuff), have the fastest slap shots in the league.
Biceps-The biceps muscle plays a very important role in the rapid acceleration of arm
extension when shooting. Although not a primary mover, the biceps muscle serves as an
antagonist, or opposing muscle to those involved in the shooting action. Every muscle
contains a protective mechanism know as the Golgi Tendon Organ. This reflex senses
when a muscle is being stretched too rapidly and shuts down contraction of the muscle.
So your must train to turn off this braking effect on the arm so that you can extend and
shoot with maximum force.
The program outlined below can be performed as an upper body workout by itself or
you can insert it into your current training sessions as long as you allow for the added
volume of work. For optimal results, you should try to perform this workout every five
days. This will provide enough frequency for strength and power development while
allowing the muscles adequate time to recover. If you feel you are lacking in strength in
the above mentioned muscles, do this workout at the beginning of the week. Otherwise,
the day after a lower body training session is fine. The workout is done by performing
the lettered exercises as pairs. Alternate each two, until all sets are completed then move
on to the next pair.
Exercise Sets/Reps Rest
A1) Wide grip pull-ups (palms facing away from you) 3x6-8* 90s
A2) Medium grip, reverse EZ bar curls 3x6-8 90s
B1) Incline Dumbbell hammer curls 3x8-10 60s
B2) Standing external rotation with high pulley 3x8-10 60s
C1) Seated rows with rope, pulling to chin 3x8-10 60s
C2) Dumbbell seated external rotation 3x8-10 60s
*Add weight with the use of a dip belt if necessary.
True "Functional" Training for Lacrosse
The term "functional" training has become a very trendy method of training over the last
few years. In both the fitness and sports conditioning fields, many so-called experts have
stretched this idea to the point of my great amusement. I realized that the industry had
gone over the edge when I attended a seminar and the speaker outlined how he trained a
motocross racer to perform better off jumps on the track by having him leap onto boxes
while swinging heavy dumbbells upward as if pulling on handlebars. Now I'm not a
mechanic, but I'm pretty sure that the bike is largely responsible for the jumping part. So
in this article, I would like to introduce some technqiues I have used successfully with
my athletes that have produced greater levels of "functional" performance.
All of us have seen the large Nordic men on ESPN pulling trains, throwing cars, and
picking up small buildings. They are examples of what being truly strong looks like. If
these men did not have "functional" strength, the would be quite incapable of performing
in the events that they do so well. Over the last several years, modified exercises that
closely emulate much of what they do have found their way into the strength and
conditioning programs of progressive thinking coaches in a variety of sports. These
training exercises provide greater levels of overall strength and conditioning as well as
mental toughness and what I view as real core strength. You often hear about core
strength in relationship to the abdominal region, but I feel that as an athlete, if your
ankles, knees, and hips are not strong, you will be unable to generate force from the
ground to reach the midsection. The strongman exercises do just that. Upon adding
these to your training routine, you will feel much more powerful and grounded on the
field and you will definitely notice the ability to display force over the course of a game.
The first exercises is the farmer's walk. This is very simple to perform and I believe
very underrated as a tool for improving sports performance. It will improve your
anaerobic conditioning dramatically, increase grip strength, as well as strengthen the
ligaments in your ankle and knees. The easiest way to do these is just by grabbing a
really heavy pair of dumbbells and walking with them, either for distance or time. I
suggest that if you are in great condition you use heavier dumbbells and aim for short
distances with explosive speed. If you are really strong but are carrying around some
extra insulation, you will benefit greatly from lighter weights and carrying them for
distances anywhere from 50-100 yards. Two or three workouts of this a week, and
you'll be ripped in no time at all. When training the farmer's walk, always look in the
direction you are heading and take short, choppy steps. One variation you might want to
try to increase abdominal strength is to use one dumbbell heavier than the other and
alternate sides each set.
The next exercise is my favorite, sled dragging. The sled is an excellent tool for
developing explosive leg strength and power. As with the farmer's walk, it can also serve
as a fantastic method for raising an athlete's level of conditioning while improving
strength levels. There are also many variations that can be done with the sled to work
the upper body. The main two exercises that I use with my athletes are forward and
backward sled dragging. Forward dragging with the sled attached via a belt around the
waist really targets the hamstrings. You want to keep an upright posture and walk with
powerful, driving steps. Using an attached rope, you can also drag the sled backwards.
Driving explosively backwards, taking short steps, pull the sled backwards. I like to tell
my athletes to visualize punching the ball of the foot into the ground. Again for stronger
athletes in need of conditioning, this can be an excellent tool when used for moderate to
longer distances of up to 100 yards. If your strength is lacking, load up the weight and
go for explosive pulls of no more than 20-30 yards. I purchase my sleds from
EliteFTS.com as they have been using them with athletes for years and make a sturdy,
durable product that should last for a long time. One other variation that I like to use
with my players is lateral sled dragging. You can purchase two dog collars at your local
pet store and attach them to the dragging rope that comes with the sled. Putting the
collars around your ankles, you can pull the sled sideways stepping first with the outside
foot and them with the inside leg. This will improve your ability to explode laterally past
your opponents or stay in front of them when on defense.
Next, we are going to discuss improving balance and core stabilization. I promise that
you will not be required to stand on one leg while juggling lacrosse balls. The strongman
event that is my favorite for improving these qualities is the Super Yoke. If you can
picture that yoke that farmer's used to use to carry heavy buckets of water, you've got
the right idea. Because the weights will begin to sway as you walk, you can see right
away how this would work the core and your ability to stay vertical. There are many
ways to utilize this implement including intentional stopping and starting, moving side to
side, and backwards. One of the most challenging drills with the Super Yoke is to set up
a slalom course and have your athletes manipulate the course, either for time or
distance. The Yoke is a good tool for correcting strength imbalances in the legs.
And now the king of all strongman events, tire flipping. I have found no better tool for
developing explosive strength in my athletes, regardless of their sport than with a good
old hunk of rubber. Tire flipping is an excellent tool for conditioning during
intensification and accumulation phases of training. Tire flipping has a great transfer of
power to most combative sports, and the last time I checked, lacrosse falls into that
category. When flipping tires, be sure to focus on driving through the tire explosively,
rather than trying to deadlift it. With the tire lying on its side, position the feet about one
foot away from the tire. You should feel like you're falling into the tire. Your grip width
will depend on the tread, but the wider your hands are positioned, the higher your hands
will be on the tire when you flip it up on end. Have your chest pressed against the tire
with your chin resting on top. Then, imagine driving the tire up and forward at a
forty-five degree angle. Your shoulders and hips should rise at the same time. If not,
then the load is too high. Perform the movement as explosively as possible to build that
ability to crush an attacker on defense or blow by a stunned defensive player en route to
the goal. Make sure to use cleats when training on grass and be careful that if you miss a
lift, the tire does not fall back on the knees. If you need to develop strength, use heavier
tires and perform a high number of sets for low reps. If you want to improve strength
endurance, use a smaller tire and go for distance or time.
As far as periodization goes, I like to use strongman training in two different ways. At
the very beginning of an athlete's general physical preparation, these exercises serve as a
great tool for building overall conditioning and stamina. In this case, you would keep the
loads relatively low and use an accumulation of either distance or reps. This will
improve your anaerobic conditioning and tolerance to lactic acid. When used closer to
the season, keep the volume load and slow build intensity to maximize your ability to
display your hard earned strength on the field. You can choose two exercises and
perform one of them every five days on a alternating schedule. For example, on
Monday you could do the Farmer's Walk and on Friday, flip tires. Change up the
movements every 3 weeks to avoid plateauing and keep yourself mentally fresh. These
drills are very taxing and the last thing you want is to dread the workouts due to
boredom. Try incorporating these exercises into your off-season training and I can
guarantee you will see and feel a difference on the field. And more importantly, so will
your opponents. Remember, train hard or go home.
Olympic Weightlifting for Lacrosse
There are many schools of thought when it comes to whether or not Olympic
weightlifting is an effective means for increasing sports performance. Some claim that it
is the only way for an athlete to improve his ability to display explosive power, while
those who hold opposing views will make that case that weightlifters are inherently
weaker than their powerlifting counterparts. Olympic weightlifting consists of two
competitive lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch. These two exercises, along with their
derivatives make up the sport of Olympic weightlifting. In powerlifting, the focus is on
three lifts: the deadlift, squat, and bench press.
To better understand the differences between the two modalities, we must first look at
the basic physiology of strength training. Strength is the capacity to overcome external
loads. Maximal strength is a maximum voluntary contraction against external load while
relative strength is the strength per unit of body mass. Power, described as
speed-strength, or strength-speed is the ability to overcome resistance at a high rate of
speed(force x velocity). The goal when improving athletic performance is to increase the
rate of force development(RFD). Olympic weightlifting utilizes speed-strength where the
object is to move a relatively lighter weight as fast as possible. Powerlifting, employs
more strength-speed, where the external load being moved is much greater, but speed of
movement is greatly reduced.
In this article, it is not my intention to make a case for or against either method of
training. I simply would like to present the method of Olympic weightlifting as an
important tool for improving your ability as an athlete to take you game up a notch. I
believe that every philosophy on training has something to offer and that to exclude one
of these training methodologies is to limit your potential as a successful athlete.
Starting position
The starting position, for the Olympic lifts, is of primary importance. An athlete cannot
finish "right" if they start "wrong".
All body levers are "tight"
The feet should be in the athlete's vertical jump position with the toes turned slightly
out. The bar should be close to the shins but not touching them
The back should be "flat" and even have a slight, concave curve in it
The arms should be straight and the elbows locked and rotated outwards
The head is up with the eyes focused straight ahead
The hips are higher than the knees
The shoulders are in advance of the bar
The "Pull"
Pulling the barbell from the floor has become an exact science. The bar's inertia is the
first thing the lifter must overcome and in order to do this, this movement must be
executed precisely.
The bar must move back towards the athlete, immediately
The hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate
The head stays in a level position
The 2nd pull must be faster than the 1st pull
The athlete should try to stay flatfooted as long as possible
The arms only bend to pull the athlete under the barbell
The feet move from the pulling position to the receiving position
The two exercises used most in athletic develpment are the power clean and the power
snatch. These are both shortened versions of the competitive lifts used in the Olympics.
They are somewhat easier to teach and have a greater transfer to power development.
The Power Clean
This exercise is able to produce tremendous amounts of force. You will typically be able
to handle more weight as the range of motion is less than the power snatch and the
movement is more mechanically advantageous.
Approach the barbell on the platform and adopt the proper starting position
Use a hook grip to grasp the bar
Set your back and rotate the elbows out to the side, while the arms are straight and the
shoulders in advance of the bar
From the start position, initate the first pull by pushing the feet into the platform and
extending the legs
As the bar accelerates upward with increasing velocity, finish with a violent shrugging
motion once the ankles, knees, and hips are fully extended
Then catch the bar in the receiving position
How to utilize the hook grip
This grip entails wrapping the index and forefingers over the thumb to grasp the barbell.
This grip takes some getting used to as it is initally painful, but will eventually allow the
lifter to move high loads without grip strength being a determing factor.
The Power Snatch
This exercise is more technically demanding, but the benefits are worth the effort. The
snatch has been shown to increase vertical jump when combined with a proper training
program.
Take a "snatch" grip on the barbell and assume the starting position
Set the back flat and inflate the lungs
The arms are straight with the elbows rotated outward
From this position, the legs and hips pull the barbell from the floor
As the bar passes the knees, velocity increases until touch the thigh or lower abdomen
The bar is then "caught" in the receiving position overhead.
Determining the proper snatch grip
Measure from your spine to the end of your extended fist. This should give your an
approximate grip width to begin with.
When properly executed and combined with a well-designed strength and conditioning
program, these lifts will assist you greatly in your ability to improve your strength and
power. Due to their complex and technical nature, I highly recommend your work with a
weightlifting coach certified by USA Weightlifting. For more information on these lifts or
to find a coach in your area contact Brian Yeager at brian@laxspeed.net or call
267-973-7493.
Next month, I will discuss the assistance lifts that are associated with the Olympic lifts,
as well as proper plyometric exercises and program design. Happy Holidays to everyone
and best of luck with your training.
Olympic Weightlifting for Lacrosse, Part Two
In part one of this article, we discussed the two main Olympic lifts that are utilized in
most strength and conditioning programs. The Power Snatch and the Power Clean are
excellent exercises that can be used for the development of power in most sports, but it
is important to realize that they are just tools that should be used in conjunction with a
proper planned and well-executed program. In this installment we will go over the
assistance or supplemental exercises that should be the basis for developing strength in
your training program. These movements will give you the proper strength levels
necessary to perform the snatch and clean with maximal force.
Strength Assistance Exercises
Front Squat
This exercise is excellent for developing the muscles of the hips, quads, and lower back.
This is also a good tool to assess whether or not you have proper flexibility as the
position that you need to get into to properly perform the front squat demands that you
have a flexible low back, hips, ankles, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Developing
strength in the front squat will have a direct correlation to your power clean as it closely
mimics the catch phase of the clean.
Take the bar in the "rack" position. Position the hands just outside shoulder width and
drive the elbows up.
With feet hip width or slightly wider, slower lower into the squat position, keeping the
back in proper alignment. Only descend as low as you are able with proper posture.
Return to the standing position by "punching" your heels through the floor and driving
the elbows up.
Press-behind-neck, clean grip
In addition to developing great arm and shoulder strength, this is a good exercise for
helping the lifter build awareness and comfort with holding weight overhead. This will be
essential once you are able to perform the complete Olympic lifts.
Set the width of your grip slightly wider than the shoulders. The bar should rest on the
trapezius muscles, not the neck
Before lifting, take a deep breath and fill the lungs with air
From the start position, push the bar smoothly overhead
The arms should be fully extended and the bar slightly behind the ears, with your center
of gravity over the heels
Keep your eyes focused straight ahead at all times.
Press-behind-the-neck, snatch grip
This exercise holds much of the same benefits of the clean press, only with a wider grip.
The bar is positioned on the trapezius and the movement is the same. Just make sure to
use your snatch grip when performing this variation.
Back squat
Often considered the king of all exercises, the back squat should be a mainstay in any
serious conditioning program. I truly believe that if you are serious about building your
strength in any sport, you should be squatting. The leg press is no replacement and is
often detrimental to the development of an athlete.
Take the bar from the rack and position on the traps and upper shoulders.
Fill your lungs with air and initiate the movement by pushing the hips back followed by
the knees tracking out over the feet.
Sit back as if sitting into a low chair until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. I
am a proponent of going as deep into the squat as your are able while maintaining proper
posture.
Return to the start position by driving the heels into the floor and accelerating upward.
Power Assistance Exercises
Snatch pull
Snatch pulls along with clean pulls, are fundamental exercises in weightlifting and have a
high transfer value into power production. It is essential that the lifter execute this
movement with maximal speed once technique is proficient.
Grip the bar in the starting position for the snatch
Inflate the chest with air and initiate the movement by extending the legs.
As the bar clears the knees, there is a slight rebend of the legs
Shrug the weight upward violently with the arms straight and the elbows externally
rotated. It is critical to the success of this movement that max force be used.
The bar then returned to the platform and the movement repeated for the indicated
number of reps.
Clean Pull
As with snatch pulls, this movement is great for developing power in the lower body.
Execute this movement like the snatch pull only use a grip slightly wider than your
shoulders.
Push press behind neck
This exercise is the next step in develping upper body power after you have built
strength with the press behind neck.
Dip down into a quarter squat position, preparing to drive the weight upward.
From this position, push the bar smoothly overhead, while driving up forcefully with the
legs
The arms should be fully extended and the bar slightly behind the ears, with your center
of gravity over the heels
Keep your eyes focused straight ahead at all times.
Push press from chest
This exercise is similar to the previous one except for the start position will be the rack
position as in the front squat. This will help you to generate force in front of your body
in a vertical plane
Romanian, stiff-legged deadlift
An excellent tool for developing strength in your low back and hamstrings, this exercise
is just as vital as the back squat for developing overall lower body strength.
Grip the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip
Bend the knees about 15 degrees
With the chest high and the lower back held in proper alignment, slowly descend by
pushing the hips back
Keeping the bar over your feet, lower the weight with the bar brushing your thighs
Only descend as low as you can while maintaining proper spinal alignment
Return to the start position by driving your hips forward
