for football currently? Anyone remember reading anything about our weight training in an article?

meaning you focus on clean and jerk and "the snatch" lifts rather than pressing off bench press numbers and squats, etc.

Olympic lifts are believed to increase speed and explosiveness. Some may not agree but there have been scientific studies published in reputable professional journals that have found this to be true.

 

Some on here have criticized and implied that olmypic lifts are some how sub par compared to traditional power lifts.

 

Personally I hope ND does incorperate olympic lifts in the work outs. They do incorperate heavey weights and explosive quick movements. They do work! I would think you would be hard pressed to find many schools that do not use thes exercises in thier programs. Traditional lifts such as bench press and squats are still used in a good strenght training programs. Olympic lifts are just part of the big picture.

When our qb out bench presses two of our offensive lineman, I have a problem with that. Mendoza had our offensive lineman running 100 yard sprints which Weis told him to cut out after our crappy 07 year. There's a reason our guys are under developing and much has to do with Mendoza. We'll still underperform because Mendoza is here, imo.

will , i agree, however i think that mendoza gets another year. he most likely got his chain yanked and we should see some good results in 09. go irish

I don't know what they employ, but I know it doesn't work.....

100 yard sprints actually increase lean muscle mass. Ever seen a fat sprinter? It also helps to increase explosiveness. The olympic lifts are typically power cleans, Squats and deadlifts and they give the person doing them an incredible burst of explosive power. These exercises typically stress the inguinal ligament which helps stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone naturally which helps to build muscle mass. One of the guys that has really done well with Mendoza is Chris Stewart. Frankly, as much as a lot of you want to deny it, a lot of colleges are still pumping their kids with steroids. ND's kids are obviously NOT using them. How can you tell? Severe Acne, mushroom cap like deltoid muscles, incredible muscle mass with low bodyfat, shredded abs etc. I know, I know, occasionally there are genetic freaks but not en masse! One thing that Mendoza and Notre Dame should invest in is Beverly Nutrition products out of Northern Kentucky. These are the supplements and protein powders that most of the top bodybuilders and power lifters have been taking for 30 years to get big and cut. The power lifters take more of the supplement called Ultra 40 which is dessicated liver tablets with Vitamin B-12. I take this myself and it works. A lot of the Pro bodybuilders are spokesmen for all of these supplement companies in the magazines but a lot of them really use Beverly Nutrition products. Of course, the pro bodybuilders are also using steroids and growth hormone too. There is more to getting size and strength than just lifting weights. The diet is the most important factor and there is also the rest and recovery factor which our kids are always complaining about.

Bench press actually has less to do with how tall or big a guy is height and weight wise. The big bench pressers are usually your small, stocky guys with shorter arms. The linemen usually are taller an have longer arms which puts them at a disadvantage on the bench press. I did 360 pounds in high school at a weight of 167 pounds. I'm 5'11''. The linemen always struggled because their long arms just weren't as strong. I bet Hughes is one of our biggest bench pressers.

That's a great post Chiro. Helps explain alot.

Bench press actually has less to do with how tall or big a guy is height and weight wise. The big bench pressers are usually your small, stocky guys with shorter arms. The linemen usually are taller an have longer arms which puts them at a disadvantage on the bench press. I did 360 pounds in high school at a weight of 167 pounds. I'm 5'11''. The linemen always struggled because their long arms just weren't as strong. I bet Hughes is one of our biggest bench pressers.

 

that's what I always tell the young kids who think they're weak if the smaller kids are benching more and they're a lot bigger. In HS all the guys 5'10 and lower were benching as much as me and the other OL if they were serious lifters. Back then it'd piss me off lol, but when I went to a fitness coach he told me since they had shorter arms it was easier for them to bench press.

I've seen a few posts about this, and having a strength and conditioning background, I want to clarify some things.

 

"Olympic weight training" is a broad term. The Olympic lifts are two -- the clean and jerk, and snatch. Most people also categorize "Olympic weight training" to include the squat, deadlift, power clean, bench press, and press.

 

If you want to add explosiveness, power, strength, and size, these are the absolute, 100% best lifts to do it. Any program that doesn't involve them aren't worth their salt. I've heard people mention on this board that Olympic weightlifting makes you slower and less explosive. This is categorically false. The power lifts mentioned above are the most compound exercises your body can use, use the most range of motion, and are the most complete lifts in terms of developing the musculature to aid you in contact sports like football.

 

The trainers not worth their paychecks are the guys who have their athletes on machines and Nautilus equipment. These have no function to their movement and range of motion and therefore are a complete waste of training time. I don't know Mendoza, I don't know what type of program he runs, but from the pictures I've seen of our weightroom, there are plenty of racks and heavy platforms that make me think we're using at least SOME of these lifts in the strength and conditioning program.

 

As for the 100-yard sprints for O-Lineman, sprints like that (intermediate range, that is) are a functional and important part of HIIT (high-intensity interval training). These type of sprints not only condition athletes aerobically, but they are important to develop metabolic pathways not developed in long runs or shorter sprints. This type of HIIT conditioning, as well as specific position-type conditioning drills (footwork, explosion, etc.) are all smart training and will lead to a well-rounded athlete.

 

Now, I have no idea what Mendoza runs. I know that the former Michigan trainer under Carr relied on machines, and when Rich Rod brought in his own S&C guy, the athletes commented on how different it was and how much it relied on freeweights and very little on machines. The guy Rich Rod brought in knew his stuff -- this is the way to develop "football power".

 

I haven't been happy with how are athletes have seemed to be conditioned on the field, and again, I have no idea what kind of program Mendoza runs. But there have been some comments thrown around this board (not so much this thread) and I held off on commenting about it, but wanted to clarify a few things.

When our qb out bench presses two of our offensive lineman, I have a problem with that. Mendoza had our offensive lineman running 100 yard sprints which Weis told him to cut out after our crappy 07 year. There's a reason our guys are under developing and much has to do with Mendoza. We'll still underperform because Mendoza is here, imo.

 

Charlie Weis is the last guy who should be telling his S&C coach how to do his job.

 

Brady outbenched most lineman at the NFL draft combine -- not just ND's athletes. That's a testament to the fact that Quinn is a genetic freak, and has no implications on the program we run.

100 yard sprints actually increase lean muscle mass. Ever seen a fat sprinter? It also helps to increase explosiveness. The olympic lifts are typically power cleans, Squats and deadlifts and they give the person doing them an incredible burst of explosive power. These exercises typically stress the inguinal ligament which helps stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone naturally which helps to build muscle mass. One of the guys that has really done well with Mendoza is Chris Stewart. Frankly, as much as a lot of you want to deny it, a lot of colleges are still pumping their kids with steroids. ND's kids are obviously NOT using them. How can you tell? Severe Acne, mushroom cap like deltoid muscles, incredible muscle mass with low bodyfat, shredded abs etc. I know, I know, occasionally there are genetic freaks but not en masse! One thing that Mendoza and Notre Dame should invest in is Beverly Nutrition products out of Northern Kentucky. These are the supplements and protein powders that most of the top bodybuilders and power lifters have been taking for 30 years to get big and cut. The power lifters take more of the supplement called Ultra 40 which is dessicated liver tablets with Vitamin B-12. I take this myself and it works. A lot of the Pro bodybuilders are spokesmen for all of these supplement companies in the magazines but a lot of them really use Beverly Nutrition products. Of course, the pro bodybuilders are also using steroids and growth hormone too. There is more to getting size and strength than just lifting weights. The diet is the most important factor and there is also the rest and recovery factor which our kids are always complaining about.

 

Your post brings up good points. Former All-Pro Mark Chmura was saying the first sign of olympic weight training was slow and weak players. He wasn't a fan of it through his experience and railed against the former Green Bay S&C coach for it. He also said it was important your S&C coach knew about the best and latest supplements outside of roids. As he felt supplementation needed to be a big part of a team's program. Something needs to change with us and unfortunately Weis doesn't see this. Another sign he may not be head coaching material.

Katz your post was very informative. I'm just mentioning what I heard former BC TE and GB All-pro Mark Chmura saying on the topic. He had some interesting things to say and definitely wasn't a fan of a program olympic-based and had a campaign against the now former GB S&C coach for awhile. Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy just fired his S&C coach this off season so he must not have liked the production, same as ND has been lacking,imo.

Your post brings up good points. Former All-Pro Mark Chmura was saying the first sign of olympic weight training was slow and weak players. He wasn't a fan of it through his experience and railed against the former Green Bay S&C coach for it. He also said it was important your S&C coach knew about the best and latest supplements outside of roids. As he felt supplementation needed to be a big part of a team's program. Something needs to change with us and unfortunately Weis doesn't see this. Another sign he may not be head coaching material.

 

Then Chmura was either

 

a.) speaking out of his butthole or

 

b.) trying to sell something.

 

Olympic weightlifting and their supplementary exercises are the absolute best thing to do to gain strength, power, and explosion.

Bench press actually has less to do with how tall or big a guy is height and weight wise. The big bench pressers are usually your small, stocky guys with shorter arms. The linemen usually are taller an have longer arms which puts them at a disadvantage on the bench press. I did 360 pounds in high school at a weight of 167 pounds. I'm 5'11''. The linemen always struggled because their long arms just weren't as strong. I bet Hughes is one of our biggest bench pressers.

 

Him and Schwapp.

 

Schwapp's got little baby T. Rex arms.