10306
Strength, Power, Reactivity, & Speed Discussion / Re: Chris Korfiist Interview
« on: March 31, 2010, 06:24:20 pm »
Charlie Francis lists the half squat as a key exercises for sprinters and repeatedly talks about how important it was for Ben Johnson (steroids or not). Saying that sprinters shouldn't train like powerlifters is so obvious as to be completely meaningless. No coach worth anything has ever said that they should. Worst. Straw man. Ever. But just because a sprinter's training should revolve mostly around sprinting (um, duh) doesn't mean that squats are evil.
Yes, getting caught up in too much squatting is counterproductive if you want to be good at anything but squatting. See my own stupid training for evidence of this. And I'm not even good at squatting. I digress. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Boyle style (as Alex V put it), is just as counterproductive.
Jumping high requires leg strength improvement. Squats are a fantastic way to do that. So are lunges and leg presses. If you're super tall and you've got long femurs, then squatting is not required to help you jump higher because (full) squatting is potentially dangerous. Every exercise is just a tool. Unless you're a PL'er or OL'er, obviously. Otherwise it's just another potential aid to your training.
Yes, getting caught up in too much squatting is counterproductive if you want to be good at anything but squatting. See my own stupid training for evidence of this. And I'm not even good at squatting. I digress. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Boyle style (as Alex V put it), is just as counterproductive.
Jumping high requires leg strength improvement. Squats are a fantastic way to do that. So are lunges and leg presses. If you're super tall and you've got long femurs, then squatting is not required to help you jump higher because (full) squatting is potentially dangerous. Every exercise is just a tool. Unless you're a PL'er or OL'er, obviously. Otherwise it's just another potential aid to your training.