Coach Asanovich on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Off-Season

 Joey VanLaningham with Mark Asanovich

Every Strength and Conditioning Coach has a different view on what should take place over the off-season. Here is how Coach Asanovich views the Buccaneers.  Note this is a previously published article and though Asanovich is no longer the Buc's strength coach, it gives valuable insight into how a top strength coach views is job and the outcome of his actions.  

Asanovich was the strength and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1996-2001 seasons, a total of six years. Asanovich's record as the team's strength and conditioning coach was 54-42-0, making him the second-most successful strength and conditioning coach in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history (up to that time).

Although it is true that all Strength and Conditioning Coaches look towards the off-season as a time for his or her players to either get bigger, stronger, and/or faster, they each have a personal philosophy about their training time.

Mark Asanovich, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, says that in terms of intensity, the off-season is just like the regular season.

He states, "We define 'Intensity of Training' as the level of effort with which a player exerts himself during his workout. The intensity of training between pre-season and regular season does not change."

Because he considers intensity to be synonymous with effort, Coach Asanovich will settle for nothing short of maximal effort at any time. "In the weight room, as on the field, maximal effort is required to develop maximal results. As such, we expect maximal efforts from our players regardless of the time of year," is how he summarizes the Buccaneers seasonal strength-training philosophy.

However, Coach Asanovich does warn about overtraining. He states, "Because we expect this level of effort, once we enter training camp, we do decrease the frequency of our workouts from three times per week (pre-season) to one or two times (regular season)." He added that the reason for the decrease in frequency was to "promote full recovery and prevent injury."

Other than intensity and frequency, the other important factor to any quality strength and conditioning program, off-season or otherwise, is specificity. Coach Asanovich says that the Buccaneers stay very specific year around.

Of this, he says; "The purpose of any training protocol is to stimulate a specific physical adaptation response. Training is a 'use it or lose it' reality. Simply meaning, if you are training for a specific response from your training, once you terminate that training mode or exercise, you lose whatever physical adaptation that you were hoping to improve in your training."

Because of his "use it or lose it" concept, Coach Asanovich sees to it that the Buccaneers stay focused on the same football-specific exercises throughout the year.

According to him, "Our in-season training or exercises are a direct reflection of our off-season training or exercises. As such, the training protocols that we employ in the off-season are identical to the protocols that we employ in our in-season protocols."

His philosophy and training protocols must be working. The Buccaneers have shown marked improvement since his arrival, and they expect even greater accolades this season with the addition of high profile players such as Keyshawn Johnson.

One thing is certain, the Buccaneers will not lose a game because they are out-ran or overpowered; Coach Asanovich will see to that.

Chet Fuhrman Sports Strength Training Philosophy

This is the way of a great strength coach.

Worked for Bill Cohwer who garnered a Super Bowl win as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

Furhman talks about how it's done...

It was more of a life accomplishment. The teams I coached won a high school state championship, we won championships at Penn State, and we went to the Super Bowl twice in Pittsburgh while I was there. The accomplishment for me was to help those teams win.

The most important thing about my time in Pittsburgh was our record over the 15 years that I was there. Trainers keep statistics on players that miss games due to injuries. Over those 15 years we had the least number of players miss games due to injury of any team in the NFL. That’s how you judge if we were good. That’s the bigger accomplishment.

How did you manage do accomplish that?

It wasn’t all me. Cowher knew when to push guys and when to back off. Then there were more OTAs and many teams used all 15, but he only used 12. This was when there were no rules in training camp about two-a-days. He would never have two-a-days on back-to-back days. We didn’t always go in pads. He was ahead of his time in knowing when not to push players too hard.

Trainer John Norwig is also an institution there. His staff was outstanding. They did an outstanding job healing injured players and in preventing injuries. Cowher also told players to be smart about injuries -- not to hide them. He stressed that players should get treatment. He made it a point to make sure they got treatment if they were injured.

What did you do to help keep those injury numbers down?

Cowher told me when I got there that he never wanted to hear that a player got injured in the weight room. He wasn’t going to be understanding if a player got hurt doing a bench press or power clean, or on dead lifts. I told him I had the perfect program for him because I used slow and controlled lifting movements in my program. It’s another way to get stronger but took the injury factor out of the weight room. [Boom!  Done!.  That's how you make Stronger Athletes, you train them and don't let them injure themselves in the weight room.  Not rocket science, unless you buy into the Oly lifting cult]

I had only one player get hurt in the weight room, and that was because they hurt their foot when they took a 45-pound plate off the bar and a 25-pound plate dropped off and fell on his foot.

Tell me more about the program and how it prevented injuries like those you see today?

The program did not include ballistic types of movement that cause injuries. I always use the bullrope comparison – the type of rope they use in tug-o-war that has thousands of fibers to give the rope strength.

When you power lift – do Olympic lifting or squats – what it does to tendons and ligaments is cut the fibers a little each workout. Over time, it leaves just enough to keep it all together until it snaps. That’s the analogy I always use with heavy lifting.

I had a player who could lift 500 pounds, but his career ended when his elbow gave out, Did lifting 500 pounds really help his career? No. It ended his career. He pushed his body too hard over time.

Also, as a conditioning coach, I always felt my job was to help players over the course of their life. I want them to be able to play with their kids later in life. The game is so punishing already. Why punish your body in the weight room with heavy lifting and ballistic movement? Some guys do box jumps – weights on them as they jump off of boxes. The stress and strain of those ballistic movements on cartilage and tendons – it’s no wonder why they have such bad injuries later in life. It accelerates their injuries. They won’t have a pain-free life later on. Some of that pain they have later is due to just playing the game. But why make it even worse? I think my program helped them with that.

In the end, I know some guys are just doing what the coaches tell them to do. But I remember that the strongest kids in rookie camp rarely made the team. It all comes down to whether you can play football or  not.

The Mystique Associated With Russian/Eastern European Training Methodologies

 Coach Asanovich gives us his take on the problems with ballistic resistance training.

Given the "Athletic Performance Equation," performance outcomes are dependent upon the sum interplay of a myriad of controllable, uncontrollable and somewhat controllable variables. Hence, to what extent does coaching, athletic talent, team 'chemistry,' nutritional status, psychological readiness, weather conditions, officiating, pharmacological status, luck, or for that matter, one's training protocols effect the sum athletic performance? Obviously, an attempt to conclusively quantify the effects of a single performance variable on overall performance outcomes becomes a matter of subjective speculation.

Nevertheless, by virtue of successful athletic performance, successful athletes, coaches, and teams are intuitively thought to possess successful training protocols. The unspoken assumption being that if one follows the training protocols of the champions, one will likewise evolve into a champion. Consequently, popular opinion has led many to believe that as a result of past International and/or Olympic success, it is logical that the Russians must implement the most effective training protocols. To compound this misguided perception, there are many who would also have one believe they also harbor numerous "training secrets."

Ironically, many athletes and teams have performed successfully without ever having employed these Eastern European regimens into their training programs. Truth be told, many athletes and teams have performed successfully without ever having been involved in a supervised/systematic strength and conditioning program! To this I would also add that many athletes and teams have performed successfully in spite of, rather than because of their training protocols.

However, most would assume that the end justifies the means, and if the Russians do it, that must be why they are successful. To blindly accept this position, one must naively support the belief that performance success (or lack of success) is solely dependent upon one particular training methodology. Unfortunately, this may not be the truth. Rather, as professionals, the issue is one of unbiased scientific proof, not empirically hyped innuendo.

Relative to muscle contractile velocity, there are four determining factors that determine the rate at which a muscle fiber can contract (i.e. explosiveness):

1. The degree of myosin ATPase activity.

2. The degree of sacroplasmic reticulum development.

3. The degree of troponin's affinity for calcium.

4. The degree of neural innervation size.

However, the fact is that any anecdotal gains resulting from Russian/Eastern European training are PERCIEVED gains -- and are therefore no more significant than doing absolutely nothing at all. The problem with "perceived results" (particularly when a monetary investment is involved), is that the subject's objectivity is biased as a result of their emotional attachment and vested interest in the attainment of the desired results. Unfortunately, well-intended (but not well-educated) athletes, coaches, and parents are easy targets for such commercially hyped hocus-pocus.

The fact of the matter is that ballistic resistance training is unproven and/or unproductive at best, and potentially dangerous at worst (especially in prepubescent athletes). Ballistic resistance training, like any momentum-assisted movement, violates the most fundamental principle of strength development, that being, the Overload Principle. The Overload Principle states that muscular development will only occur as a result of the application of a stressor that exceeds the muscles voluntary capabilities. As such, it follows that if the application of the stressor (or resistance) is "momentum-assisted," the amount of stress is lessened and muscular development is compromised. In other words, performing exercises at maximal speeds will result in minimal muscular effects.

To make matters worse, performing exercises at maximal speeds will also result in maximum muscular risks. Newton's second law of motion states that, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Relative to an individual performing an accelerated exercise movement therefore, the magnitude of potential internal forces produced is directly proportional to the speed at which the exercise is performed. Orthopedic injuries are sustained when these forces exceed the structural integrity of the involved joint(s). If acute injuries are avoided, repeated trauma from such biomechanical loading can predispose the muscles, fascia, bones and connective tissue to chronic injuries that are sustained once an athlete enters competition. For this reason, Dr. Fred Allman, former American College of Sports Medicine president has warned, "It is even possible that many injuries...may be the result of weakened connective tissue caused by explosive training in the weight room."

Unfortunately, a joint's structural limits are unknown until the damage has already been done--and then is too late. Obviously, risk of injury is inherent (and accepted) in sports competition. However, to suggest that there be an inherent risk of injury in training for sports competition is certainly unacceptable, unprofessional, and unethical. After all, the primary objective of any training program is to enhance one's physical potential, not endanger it! Consequently, one should be encouraged to perform strength-training exercises in a controlled manner. To do otherwise, is to invite musculoskeletal injury.

Certainly many controversies exist relative to training methodologies, ballistic training and Olympic lifting being a major concern. Yet, regardless of which training protocols may be right or wrong, as health/fitness professionals our first responsibility is to the safety of those who have entrusted their health to us. By denying, ignoring, or overlooking the risks involved in training protocols/devices, we do a great disservice to the individuals we train. For these reasons, I would encourage coaches to be very discriminating in selecting training protocols.

After all, as with anything in life that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ballistic resistance training and Olympic lifting are no exception to the rule.

Weights are a Vehicle

 "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -Voltaire

When it comes to sport strength, it is best to consider weights a tool and not the end all be all. Every athlete needs strength to be sure, but they don't need to be power lifters or Olympic lifters or hold the phone, body builders for gawd sakes.

As a coach of a sport you need athletes with enough strength for the role they play on the team. You don't care if they squat double bodyweight or meet some other arbitrary bullshit metric. You care that they are strong enough for their role.

BTW, we wrote about strength coaches before, and even before that, even better, you may want to read that if you have not. It's not rocket science. A simple 1 or 2 set to failure program with the basic compound lifts either free weight or machine approximation done in a rep range suitable to athletes rather than powerlifters or Olympic lifters is ALL YOU NEED.

You don't need periodization, plyometrics, or any of that crap. Get in the weight room, lift and get out. Your players have better things to do, such as actually practice the sport they are in. 

Dumbbell Deadlifts

 by Dr. Ken Leistner

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.." --Robert Frost 

One of the most difficult exercises that can be utilized to improve a lagging deadlift is the dumbbell deadlift. This is an infrequently seen movement because it is difficult to do correctly, and extremely uncomfortable due to the intensity with which it works the deadlifting muscles.

Like all variations of the deadlift, the dumbbell deadlift has to be done carefully, in good form, keeping the weight under control during the entire movement. Obviously, large, heavy bells will be used, but one should try to utilize the York globe-ended casted models, or plate loaded bells having ten pound plates as the largest denomination.

Utilizing dumbbells with twenty five or thirty five pound plates raises the resistance too high from floor level, reducing the intensity and productivity. If you are going to descend to a position that is much lower than your regular deadlift stance, a necessity when using dumbbells, attention to form is all important, and this is one of the contributing factors to the extraordinarily high level of intensity possible to attain in this exercise. Concentrate on keeping the hips, back, and shoulders in proper lifting relation to each other, although one will be a bit more rounded in the lumbar spine than usual. This will not be a problem if attention is given to starting the lift with the hips and thighs, and eliminating momentum as an assisting factor. This means that you have to set the hips and low back before ascending, on each and every repetition.

Holding 100-150 pound dumbbells in each hand feels "heavier" than deadlifting a barbell that weighs 300 pounds, and is more difficult to hold on to. Do not use straps! It is expected that your grip will improve to the point that you will be able to handle the very heavy bells without the grip being a limiting factor. The muscles that retract and stabilize the scapulae will be under tension during the entire duration of each set. The lumbar spine, too, will be under constant tension due to the necessity of maintaining correct lifting position while descending to a very, very low position.

I have intimated that this is a tough exercise and it is, especially when done properly, and for higher reps. This is one deadlifting movement that requires high reps too, as you would be hard pressed to find dumbbells large enough with which to reasonably do six or eight reps. The low back muscles will respond better if this assistance exercise is done with "moderate" weights which allow you to work at a very high level of intensity, while exposing the lumbar musculature to low levels of force and compression.

One, or at most, two sets of 20-30 reps, one time per week, will be more than enough to shock the spinal erector and trapezius muscles into a period of rapid growth. Be careful to integrate this movement into your program in a manner that will avoid overworking the erectors, and care should be taken on the final few reps of every set to assure that excessive flexion of the lumbar spine (rounding forward) is avoided, despite the discomfort and fatigue that a proper set of dumbbell deadlifts causes.

Happy Crossfit Fools Day aka Every Day

 

"Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain." --Friedrich Schiller

Get the Strongest?

 It was recently April Fools Day.  Here are some that are fools all year long.   Gaining strength is simple and safe.  Nonsense like this has no place in a workout.  Can you imagine a professional sport risking it's high paid players with crap like this?

Best Strength Coach

 Who would you rather have strength train your athletes. A world class power lifter or Olympic lifter or simply anyone with the proper knowledge of strength training?

That seems like and is a loaded question. Many might jump at the chance to have a world level lifter train their athletes. But should they? The answer is maybe.

Sure the lifter understands strength acquisition. What we need to understand also, is that the lifter’s life has been about the acquisition of strength. Not much else mattered to him. If he was too sore to lift, he took a day off or lifted anyway. He didn’t do another activity such as running passing routes while hobbled from squats. If he tweaked his back on squats or deads or cleans, maybe a day off. One must realize that getting more weight on the bar was the singular goal of a lifter because that is his sport. He doesn’t care about shooting baskets, defending someone who is trying to score a basket or anything of the sort.

That world class lifter may be too narrow minded in approach for your strength program for athletes. To him strength is the only goal that matters. Yes, all things considered you want stronger athletes. Hell, we named our site that. We all want that. One must consider that an athlete has other demands on their training time besides the acquisition of strength. Strength training should not and need not interfere with sport training.

How do you do that? Well for one you train briefly and intensely. One or two sets on main lifts taken close to failure. You don’t teach the athletes the nuances of the squat or bench so they can get another 20 lbs on the lift. Those “technique” gains will not matter on the field. On the field, conditions are not controlled. You don’t have time to position your body just the right way, to “pack your shoulders” or properly valsalva, and so on. General strength wins the day. And you only need so much of it!

Any good strength coach will understand the above. The world class lifter might understand and if he does, he will be a good strength coach. If he doesn’t understand and to him if it’s all about strength, he’s going to have your athletes over stimulated from the weights and over tired for the other training demands of the sport.

The strength coach needs to understand that his role is to make players stronger and more injury resistant, but not make them into mini power lifters or mini Olympic lifters. Especially, not the latter which requires a great deal of sport (Olympic Lifting) specific knowledge that is only of value in the the sport of Olympic Lifting.

Also if the “strength coach” encourages the wrapping of knees, elbows, use of lifting specific shirts, or suits or belts, you need to find another strength coach. No one lifting for athletics needs any of those crutches in the least. They allow you to go beyond what is healthy and beneficial for the organism so you can boast higher numbers in lifts which don’t translate to performance on the field.

The things I mention above are why the Dr. Ken, Bob Whelen, Dan Riley, Matt Brzyci, Mark Asanovich and others of the world are on the right path when it comes to training athletes. Strength training should build a modicum of strength without preventing proper sport specific practice of the athlete.

Far too few understand this and focus on adding 5 more lbs to a max under clinical conditions. Choose your strength coaches wisely.

As stated in another article... "A few years ago, a similar series of incidents led to the removal of the racks from the Cincinnati Bengal weight room. Most of the players who did squats came from a powerlifting background where their college strength coach was an active or former lifter, and encouraged them to do heavy, low rep squats as “the only way” to increase lower body power for football. Their previous training or egos demanded that they squat only with the big belt, only with the knee wraps, and only if there was as much weight as possible on the bar. Doing fifteen or twenty repetitions with four hundred and fifty pounds wasn’t seen as being as “strength stimulating” as doing three reps with six hundred and fifty pounds, and many of the players had the low back injuries or chronic stiffness to prove the folly of this type of reasoning. When the injury rate became alarming, the racks were removed, and at least in the case of the Bengals, the players have improved significantly with the use of the Nautilus Duo Squat machine and the new Leverage Leg Press unit, both done for reps in the fifteen to twenty range."

This is the type of strength coach you need for athletes.