Background
From 2017 to 2019, I used to be lucky to help the Dutch “Undertaking 2020” girls’s eight rowing choice as a energy and conditioning coach. My activity was to create and carry out the day-to-day bodily energy coaching to enrich the massive variety of weekly rowing classes the staff carried out. The staff was fashioned in a barely totally different method than regular. The teaching workers, who included Nico Rienks, Henk-Jan Zwolle, and Rob Robbers, had all carried out on the Olympic Video games and gained each gold and bronze medals in 1988, 1992, and 1996. Their purpose was to place a rowing staff collectively from scratch (the athletes would have restricted to no prior rowing expertise) and design a program permitting them to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games. In 2014 over 300 girls signed up after an preliminary media marketing campaign and a remaining 8 athletes had been chosen to start out the venture. Energy coaching has at all times been part of high-level rowing, so I contacted the staff throughout the 2016-2017 season and provided to assist incorporate extra concentrated energy coaching classes into their weekly coaching. And so, a multi-year effort towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games started.
This text will cowl a small portion of the principle program, focusing particularly on the energy and conditioning work performed within the health club. The protocols mentioned account for 15-25% of the full weekly coaching classes.
We’ll cowl the insights and particulars resulting in the creation of this system, together with our outcomes and key takeaways. I need to specific my gratitude to everybody concerned on this venture. Thanks to the coaches, workers, athletes, and the invaluable help from StrongFirst and my private circle.
Design
The core design of this system was developed by Pavel, Fabio Zonin, Brett Jones, and Craig Marker. Moreover, key ideas from the Strong Endurance™ and Second Wind curricula had been built-in. Rules for warm-up and mobility had been drawn from my years of expertise with Virgil Spier and Erwin Maaswinkel. Collectively, these components fashioned a protocol geared toward assembly a variety of calls for and impressive objectives, all whereas preserving the athletes injury-free and in peak situation all through the season.
Pre-season Assessments
To successfully implement this system, it was important to determine a exact baseline evaluation of the athletes’ energy, flexibility, and energy output.
Earlier than beginning this system, particular person athletes had been examined, and a staff evaluation was performed. Essentially the most important areas of focus, as decided by each the rowing coaches and myself, included:
- Purposeful Motion Screening (FMS) for general motion evaluation.
- Energy switch checks and video evaluation of the rowing stroke, cross-referenced with FMS outcomes.
- Baseline energy testing utilizing 1-5 rep max (RM) assessments:
- Zercher squat (1RM and 5RM)
- Pullup (1RM, strict with full vary of movement)
- See-saw press (1RM and 5RM)
- Corrective workouts tailor-made to every athlete’s wants.
The Coaching Plan
“Energy endurance, in contrast to energy, has no progress limits.”—Streltsov
Not all of the athletes had expertise with energy coaching, so we spent the primary three to 4 months specializing in constructing primary energy and motion patterns. This concerned the basics of StrongFirst, together with workouts just like the deadlift, swing, get-up, goblet squat, again squat, entrance squat, Zercher squat, pushup, and extra.
As soon as the athletes had develop into proficient sufficient with these strategies to carry out 1-12RM checks, the principle program started.
Every coaching session included the next common and movement-specific warm-up:
- 5-10 minutes of flooring respiration, Dr. Stu McGill’s “huge three” workouts (curl-up, facet plank, and bird-dog), thoracic extensions with a foam curler, rib pull/Brettzel stretch/scorpion stretch, and any particular person corrective workouts recognized as essential for athlete improvement.
- Cling/suspension drills, one-arm supine shoulder packing drill (from the SFG I guide), halo, get-up, goblet squat, and pushup.
- 1-2 rounds of the principle program with lighter warm-up weights.
- Separate classes or on the finish of a session: Second Wind straw respiration follow (±15-Half-hour).
It was urged to include just a few barbell workouts to restrict selection for the principle program. This strategy would make it simpler to judge what labored nicely for the staff and what didn’t.
Moreover, we anticipated that rowing classes (each on the water and with indoor rowing machines) would possibly introduce extra glycolytic calls for than excellent. Because of this, we wanted to seek out options that might permit the staff to construct a robust basis of energy and energy in the beginning of the season and keep these good points successfully throughout the season. Peaking home windows had been dictated by pre-set competitors dates and the teaching workers’s priorities for the staff, which means that decreasing excessive glycolytic outputs all through the season couldn’t at all times be absolutely managed.
One of many key objectives of the coaching plan was to assist athletes naturally keep away from counting on spinal flexion and compression for stability. The main target was on growing the strongest and most effective strokes, making certain they may keep pure respiration and delay any “all-out” actions, which might enhance the chance of harm.
The Most important Protocol
With the coaching objectives in thoughts, Protocol #7 from the Sturdy Endurance™ guide was chosen and tailored to suit the staff’s particular wants. An extra research offered a second layer for making use of the Sturdy Endurance strategies in follow. The ultimate program, outlined under, contains 12-15 units of:
- Zercher squat x 3-5 reps
- Pullup (assisted the place wanted) x 2-5 reps
- See-saw press x 3-5 reps per arm
- Relaxation 3-4 minutes between units
- Waving the load: mild for 8-11 units, medium for 12-15 units, heavy for 15+ units
- Gentle and heavy: ±15-20%
- Medium: ±60-70%
This program was adopted by the staff for 4 to 6 months.
Outcomes
The outcomes from April to July, which characterize probably the most constant and aggressive section of the season, are proven in Desk 1 under. The influence of the protocol was clear throughout a number of key metrics.
Energy good points
Whereas we anticipated energy enhancements, the good points exceeded expectations, persevering with to develop even throughout the aggressive portion of the season regardless of 6-10 further boat/indoor rowing coaching classes and competitions per week. On common, the staff noticed:
- +5.8% enhance within the Zercher squat
- +2.2% enhance in see-saw presses
- +0.6% enhance within the pullup
Particular person energy will increase ranged from 19.8% to 37.5% over the course of the season, relying on the athlete and train.
Work capability
Whole working capability per coaching session elevated by 10-26%. The staff’s common coaching quantity per session rose from 3,215kg to as a lot as 5,235kg per athlete.
PPF and RPE
Perceived Bodily Freshness (PPF) earlier than coaching confirmed a slight decline because the season progressed.
Fee of Perceived Exertion (RPE) post-training initially decreased however spiked towards the top of the aggressive season.
Observe that these metrics had been collected solely throughout energy and conditioning classes.
Fee of restoration
One main good thing about this protocol was an enchancment in restoration charges. This was partially mirrored within the early season lower in RPE (suggesting athletes felt extra energized and fewer fatigued) and within the vital will increase in each work capability and energy. It is usually value noting that peak efficiency efforts occurred towards the top of the season, significantly within the remaining month (July).
As emphasised in StrongFirst ideas, the power to generate rigidity, energy, energy, or velocity throughout motion is just one facet of the equation. The opposite, equally necessary side is an athlete’s skill to loosen up each the muscle tissue and psychological state after exertion, which regularly distinguishes top-level efficiency.
“There is no such thing as a endurance the place rigidity isn’t alternated with relaxation. A stretched bow snaps.”—Komensky
Publish-season energy coaching outcomes
Observe a: Measuring Perceived Bodily Freshness (PPF, pre-training) and Fee of Perceived Exertion (RPE, post-training) was used to evaluate how bodily and mentally contemporary the athletes felt every day. A PPF rating of 1 indicated low vitality and freshness, whereas a rating of 10 indicated most vitality and freshness. Equally, an RPE rating of 1 represented minimal effort and 10 indicated most effort. Together with each day coronary heart fee variability (HRV) measurements, this knowledge offered perception into the athletes’ private expertise with the coaching calls for and its results.
Observe b: The Zercher squat was usually carried out with weights starting from 55 to 70kg, whereas the see-saw press was performed utilizing double kettlebells weighing 12-16kg. The staff progressed from assisted pullups to full body weight pullups, which was a big psychological and bodily achievement for some athletes, on condition that the typical peak was ±1.85m and the typical weight was ±80kg, making strict body weight pullups a problem for a lot of. Moreover, two athletes carried out pullups with an additional 5-8kg of added weight.
Energy coaching classes comprised 15-25% of the athletes’ weekly coaching program. These classes established a stable basis for his or her bodily improvement; nonetheless, rowing method might solely be practiced by devoted hours on the water or indoor rowing machines.
Different Outcomes and Insights
Train choice
The general rowing leads to June and July highlighted the effectiveness of the energy coaching program. The incorporation of the Zercher squat helped scale back decrease again pressure whereas sustaining/growing energy output within the boat. As a result of the rowers used one oar (or rowing blade), there was an inclination for unilateral imbalances to develop between their dominant and non-dominant arm/facet. Think about doing all of your kettlebell swings and presses solely on one facet of the physique at a aggressive stage. The Zercher squat, see-saw press, and pullup had been particularly included to advertise balanced and symmetrical pushing and pulling skills in every athlete.
Visualization and private monitoring
Visualization workouts proved invaluable in preserving athletes mentally targeted whereas enhancing their motion consciousness and coordination. We utilized visible suggestions instruments to evaluate particular person workouts and motion patterns, monitoring progress for every athlete. Private notebooks, together with detailed opinions of pre-season take a look at outcomes and in-season improvement challenges, additionally performed a vital position within the studying and enchancment course of.
Peaking timing
The staff’s efficiency indicated the necessity for a shorter peaking window, suggesting the necessity for higher periodization and tapering methods.
Aggressive Successes
The staff took three first-place finishes in June, together with two national-level competitions and the staff’s first worldwide victory towards the Dutch and German nationwide groups on the Regatta of Essen in Germany.
There have been combined leads to July with performances not in line with the races in June. This led to a loss within the finals on the Nationwide Championships within the Netherlands and a third-round exit (following 1-on-1 elimination rounds) on the Henley Royal Regatta in the UK.
The general staff was disbanded within the remaining yr main as much as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nevertheless, two athletes from this group had been chosen for the Dutch Nationwide Group and continued their coaching to qualify for an Olympic boat choice. Whereas our staff and I had been now not concerned within the coaching of those two athletes after the venture concluded in 2019, it was unbelievable to see that they (Tinka Offereins and Hermijntje Drenth) gained Olympic gold within the Ladies’s 4 on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Most important Takeaways
Essentially the most invaluable takeaway from the outcomes mentioned on this article, and your entire two-year journey, is the clever utility of antiglycolytic coaching. Whereas extra skilled athletes, coaches, and sports activities have begun to acknowledge the advantages of antiglycolytic coaching, the normal “exercise” mentality, the place coaching is concentrated on pushing by fatigue and glycolytic exhaustion, nonetheless must be higher understood and re-evaluated.
The power to carry out actions in excessive quantity and with better high quality beneath medium to excessive hundreds proved to be a key issue within the success of this program. This strategy led to elevated energy good points, improved work capability, and sooner restoration charges.
The insights gained from this coaching program will information future programming, together with low season “elevating the ceiling” coaching, a stronger emphasis on addressing particular person vitality leaks, and a give attention to growing alactic+ cardio work capability, paired with fastidiously timed aggressive peaks.
I want to personally thank the StrongFirst management staff for his or her invaluable contribution of time and experience to this venture. I might additionally like to increase my gratitude to Roger McCarthy, Derek Toshner, Alexey Senart, Lois Robin Monaco, and Willem Enschedé for his or her contributions and for being continuous position fashions to me. It has been an unbelievable honor to start my skilled profession as a coach with this staff and inside the StrongFirst neighborhood at simply 18 years previous. Essentially the most rewarding reward was the chance to personally apply StrongFirst applications, develop into a lifelong pupil of energy, and share that information in an impactful approach.
Beginning college, Thom determined to develop into the coach, coach, and mentor he had at all times needed, with the purpose of supporting younger athletes of their development to skilled efficiency ranges.
His journey led him to StrongFirst, the place he earned his SFL certification in Vicenza on the age of seventeen. By the point he was nineteen, he grew to become a StrongFirst Elite teacher. He’s at the moment licensed as an SFG I and SFB teacher.
Throughout this time, he acquired the exceptional alternative to work as a energy and conditioning coach for the Dutch Ladies’s Heavyweight Eight rowing staff, often known as Undertaking 2020. He coached the staff till his transfer to Switzerland two and a half years later.
Having accomplished a level in Neuroscience, Thom is now an lively researcher in Zürich, specializing in sleep, mind well being, and the neuroscience of studying. Outdoors work, he spends his weekends climbing mountains, path operating, instructing energy lessons, and providing in-person and digital one-on-one classes.
StrongFirst taught him the influence of purposeful coaching, the ability of neighborhood, and {that a} pupil mindset ought to be on the coronary heart of all you do.
Comply with him on Instagram at @thomvdermeer.
