Strength and Conditioning for Rowing E-Book

Alex Wolf

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 325

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

The field of strength and conditioning has grown exponentially over the last two decades, making both collaboration with others and recognition of the impact S&C coaches can have beyond the weight room more important than ever before. This book purposefully begins by sharing professional insights from both the individuals S&C coaches work with - the event coaches - and those individuals S&C coaches work for - the athletes - to examine how collaboration towards agreed, shared and understood performance goals works in practice. The latter chapters focus on applying S&C principles within rowing populations, which are easily transferred to any athlete. This includes: a 'performance backwards' approach to planning; exploring an adaptation approach to programming; common injuries across rowing populations; exercise selection, including specific trunk training assessment and programming; transfer of training to rowing performance, and finally, understanding the needs of Paralympic Rowers.

Leseprobe

STRENGTH

AND

CONDITIONING

FOR

ROWING

STRENGTH

AND

CONDITIONING

FOR

ROWING

ALEX WOLF

First published in 2020 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2020

© Alex Wolf 2020

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 742 2

Dedication To Beatrix and Evalyn, my gorgeous girls.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Foreword by Frances Houghton MBE

Introduction

1STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING IS NOT THE EVENT ITSELF

2FUNDAMENTALS OF COACHING

3UNDERSTANDING THE DEMANDS OF ROWING

4FUNDAMENTALS OF TRAININGChris Mcleod

5NEUROMUSCULAR PERFORMANCE

6MAXIMAL FORCE EXPRESSION

7RATE OF FORCE OF DEVELOPMENT

8MUSCLE AND TENDON MASS

9WORK CAPACITYNicole Chase

10STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING FOR PARALYMPIC ROWINGTom Rusga

11COMMON INJURIES WITHIN ROWING

12TRANSFER OF TRAINING

13EXERCISE TECHNIQUEJack Birch

14TRUNK-TRAINING

Conclusion

Index

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

When agreeing to write this book, I didn’t quite know what I was letting myself in for. I wanted to share the expertise of some truly great strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches who have been gracious enough to contribute to this book. Many thanks to Jack Birch, Nicole Chase, Chris McLeod and Tom Rusga for your contributions. Several chapters have been shaped by the numerous conversations with Frances Houghton who always reminded me of the importance of conveying the message that we are all human, coach and athlete alike. A big thank you to Paul Thompson for graciously sharing over thirty years of rowing experience and wisdom to add greater depth and understanding of what is most important when working within a collaborative team. Thank you to Karen Bennett, Olivia Carnegie-Brown and Mel Wilson from the 2016 Olympic silver-medal winning British Women’s 8 who generously shared their personal insights around the athlete perspective and eloquently articulated the wider impact of S&C coaches beyond that of the weight room.

When I started to build the content of this book, I felt there was something missing, without which I couldn’t tell the full story of being an S&C coach. Thank you to both Chris McLeod and Stuart Pickering for being critical friends and helping to shape this book to be closer to the intended narrative. Thank you, Stuart, for sharing your research to help convey the important messages around being an S&C coach.

Several training programmes are included with permission from Chris Boddy. Thank you for sharing your work; it has been great fun coaching you. Thank you also to all those who agreed to appear in the book as models: Max Honigsbaum, Matt Thompson, James Cheeseman and Lu Shi Yu. Finally thank you to Nick Middleton from Nick Middleton Photography, who provided the beautiful rowing images throughout the book. I am grateful to you all.

Disclaimer

Please note that the author and publisher of this book do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any error or omission, nor any loss, injury, damage, adverse outcome or liability suffered as a result of the use of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. Since some of the training exercises and methodologies can be dangerous and could involve physical activities that are too strenuous for some individuals to engage in safely, it is essential that qualified medical advice and consultation is taken before training is started.

FOREWORD

By Frances Houghton MBE5 x Olympian, 4 x World Champion, 3 x Olympic silver medallist.

PERSON

When I stood in front of Alex I knew he saw a person, not a potential line on his CV. I knew he understood that for me to reach the Olympic podium the time I spent in the gym presented multiple opportunities to improve, and was about so much more than how much I could lift.

I remember one day between sets, he started talking to me about ‘normal’ stuff – he asked what I enjoyed doing outside of sport. What made me laugh? We compared notes on our favourite box sets.

Becoming Olympic Champion in rowing, getting fitter, stronger and more skilful every day had been the focus of my life since the age of sixteen. In a day that was one like every other – training – food – training – food – gym – food – sleep – he brought connection to the outside world. That day it felt like he reactivated my personality; he reminded me that I was a person outside of rowing. Over time he taught me that the whole of me mattered and the more of myself I brought to my sport – whether it was a Tuesday afternoon in the gym, or the Olympic start line – the more powerful, and fulfilling, my performances would become.

Consistency

During the time I worked with Alex from 2009–16, the gym felt like a safe place, no matter what form I was in. The S&C coaches treated me the same every day – through some of my worst and best years in sport – whether I had just won a world medal, or had underperformed in a major trial, or I was in my third month out crab-walking my way through another injury. It wasn’t where I was judged; it was where I could always move forward no matter where I was at today.

Standard

Behind all of this were layers of understanding and clarity – reflecting on what it really took to be a good S&C coach.

During his time in rowing Alex instilled a standard of consistency, clarity, alignment to the end goal, professionalism, individualization within a complex programme, and acceptance of the challenge of navigating strong personalities – that made the rowing S&C programme a gold-medal benchmark of effective contribution. He reformed the impact it was possible to have.

In this book Alex shares those layers – both the technical and the human. He writes: ‘Credibility cannot be fast tracked’, he’s right, and as athletes we often feel like we are putting our ‘one chance’ dreams in someone else’s hands. Our standards are uncompromisingly high.

But Alex raised the bar.

In the End

In the years since I retired, Alex and I have continued to reflect on what played the biggest part in taking me from glimpses of world-class form, but seemingly endless years of injury and underperformance, to standing on the Olympian podium one last time.

He helped me realize that I started out thinking that elite sport was all about winning gold at all costs, and focusing on making myself the best athlete I could be to make that happen, but that for me, my most powerful performances were about far more than my technical and physical ability.

It was really about the connection I had with my teammates, coaches and support staff, and what we could create together – working together to produce something more than any of us could do alone – and being able to share that moment with those people that really knew what it had taken. Not just my teammates, but the physios, coaches, doctors, physiologists, and S&C coaches who had been there day in day out, through the highs and the lows – the PBs and the crumples to the floor. Sharing that journey and celebrating what we had created together was what the ultimate experience in sport was for me. It was, and continues to be, about far more than the medal.

Yes, when I sat on the start line in Rio I knew I was in the best shape I could possibly be in on that day; but working with people who ‘got it’ and ‘got me’ not only led me to the most fulfilling experience in my career, but also took me closer to gold than I ever thought possible in that final in Rio.

INTRODUCTION

Accomplishments will prove to be a journey, not a destination

Dwight D. Eisenhower1

Ifeel incredibly fortunate to have spent the best part of two decades working with a diverse array of athletes and coaches in a shared pursuit of accomplishing something special. To be given the opportunity to share my experiences and insights gained during my time working specifically with rowers and rowing coaches is in equal measure humbling and indulgent!

I had the privilege of leading the strength and conditioning (S&C) support for the GB Rowing team for five years, which spanned the London Olympiad and the start of the lead-up to the Rio Olympic Games. On reflection of my time with GB Rowing, this is where I believe I truly understood what it was to be an S&C coach. This understanding had developed from my previous experiences in several Olympic and Paralympic sports, in individual and team sports, and in coaching athletes too. All these experiences have led me to wrestle my own consciousness around what I originally thought being an S&C coach was all about and how I wanted to judge myself, compared to what I now believe this to be and how I judge myself today.

This book shares that journey and outlines what I truly believe is important to be a successful S&C coach, whatever domain you work in. I served as the Head of Strength and Conditioning within the English Institute of Sport (EIS), where I was responsible for the welfare, growth and development of over 100 S&C coaches during my tenure. It was the insights and reflections shared in this book that led to the informed support and development of these coaches. My last role within EIS as Head of Learning meant that I was responsible for supporting and developing the organization’s entire staff. The experiences from this role have continually informed how best to support the whole practitioner workforce, regardless of discipline.

Having read many of the emerging texts around S&C, lectured around S&C at undergraduate and postgraduate level and being involved in over 100 S&C coach recruitments, I cannot help feeling that there is a gap between what is taught and advertised and the reality of what happens on the ground every day as an S&C coach. While this book is firmly anchored around the physical preparation of rowers, it also shares insights into the wider practice of being a coach. There is so much more than simply the ability to technically understand movement or prescribe training programmes for optimal adaptation. We also need to understand ourselves, those around us and the context we operate in to truly liberate the greatness in the people we work with every day. I am referring to athletes, coaches and support staff here; we are all human, yet my previous experiences suggest that at times we have neglected the human side of S&C. It is my intention within this text to share real insights from athletes and coaches into just how powerful this understanding is in achieving the desired outcome, regardless of the quality of the intended written programme.

There will of course be contemporary thoughts on the physical preparation of rowers to act as a basis to start providing evidence-based support to rowing populations. A large proportion of what will be shared is built on the experiences I have had before rowing and drawing on some outstanding individuals I have had the good fortune to work with. Some of these individuals have contributed chapters to this book, as they are far more eloquent than me at sharing their experiences and insights. For that, I thank you all.

I have also included personal reflections from rowers and rowing coaches, highlighting a rich perspective that is often lacking within the current literature, with the aim of helping us all to support those around us. It certainly challenged me to answer the questions ‘Why do we do what do?’ and ‘For whose benefit?’ Thank you all for your generous contributions.

I hope you find this book a useful resource to help navigate the world of rowing and S&C. I will end with what I normally start with when talking to others around this topic: while a lot of this is evidence based, it is still my opinion and interpretation and therefore my experiences. I invite you to be inquisitive with what you read. If you are unsure of what is written, ask questions and continue to explore until you have greater clarity. Share with your peers, seek to continually iterate your own thoughts and make sense of your own experiences.

REFERENCES

1.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1957). New York Times, 17th December (addressing NATO 16th December).

1

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING IS NOT THE EVENT ITSELF

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Aristotle1

INTRODUCTION

Back in 2007, there was a meeting room filled with the S&C coaches from UK Athletics discussing what were thought to be the critical determinants of performance for sprints. The discussion was framed around how much a sprinter should lift or what exercises the sprinter should use. At that time, Dave Collins was the Performance Director. Dave was sitting in the meeting and after about thirty minutes of discussion, stopped us all and stated, ‘Stop making strength and conditioning look good, make performance look good’.

That comment made the room silent. It made all the S&C coaches consider what is important for performance, what is used to make S&C look good and to show others that the S&C programme has been successful. The statement ‘Stop making strength and conditioning look good’ has been a guiding light over the last decade. It is constantly referred to when struggling to delineate what is important and to create clarity around the training process.

The belief in ‘Stop making strength and conditioning look good’ refers to the incessant desire for S&C coaches to demonstrate the impact the programmes and coaching are having within the weight room with little regard to the wider performance piece. If the focus becomes too engrained around what happens in the weight room, performance will suffer as races are not won based on the load lifted on a bar. The second point being made is the disconnect of S&C coaches defining what is required for performance without regard to the coach and the coach’s philosophical model or principles of performance. Each coach will have a varying model on the same event and the way S&C coaches support this will need to vary. The final point being made was how connected is the S&C programme to the coach’s model of performance? How aware is the coach of what the S&C programme is trying to achieve and how well aligned is it with the overall performance plan for the relevant part of or the entire season? The S&C programme cannot be done in isolation from the rest of the athlete’s programme. If it is, it is likely to be counterproductive.

The key reflections and subsequent questions asked that have guided decision-making while working with coaches are:

1.How can S&C support the event demands?

2.What is the coach’s model or philosophy on training for performance?

3.How does S&C support the coach’s model or philosophy of performance?

A COACH’S PERSPECTIVE

Before writing this chapter and deciding its content, a few S&C books and articles which were thought to provide understanding around working with sports coaches were read. The texts provided some personal insights into the authors and suggested things to consider and potential opportunities. However not one of them provided a coach’s perspective on what the coach feels is most important when collaboratively working together. With that in mind, there was a need to include real coaching insight to share how a coach may view working with others and what is important to consider as a practitioner when working with the rowing coach.

The first name that came to mind when identifying a coach to contribute was Paul Thompson. Paul was the GB Rowing Chief Coach for women and lightweight when I had my first experience of working with him while serving as Lead S&C coach for British Rowing. At the time of writing, Paul is currently the Head Coach for the Chinese Rowing Association and has worked within the sport for over thirty years. Paul was also instrumental in setting up and leading the UK Performance Coaches Association (UKPCA), which aims to support and represent coaches through the professionalization of performance coaching. Paul has been recognized by UK Sport for the contribution and success within coaching through the recognition of being named a Coaching Fellow. Some of the most fulfilling and positively challenging experiences I had were while working with Paul up to and during the 2012 Olympiad. This book is a little better for Paul’s contribution.

Some important extracts taken from my interview with Paul are shared here. Commentary around the extracts has been made to provide the reader with greater context.

Performance Backwards

Paul started by explaining the thought process around building performance plans and the considerations.

… the first thing needed to have a deep understanding (is) what the competition is and what they (the rowers) need to do in their performance. You need to work back, so you need to be able to plan what physical skills are needed. What tactical technical as well as mental skills, and then you keep coming back to find what are the biggest things that are going to make a difference to the athlete’s performance. Because there’s always lots of stuff to work on. You’ve got to work out what your first principles are in your performance and make sure that they’re well enough prepared to deliver those things.

Paul is describing the idea of a ‘performance backwards’ approach.

1.What are the component parts that contribute to a medal-winning performance?

2.How are these component parts developed?

3.Bringing it back to S&C, how can S&C support the development of these component parts?

Having worked with several rowing coaches, each one will have a variation on the model of performance and how this is attained. Where S&C sits within the performance model will also vary, so we cannot assume that a ‘one size fits all’ approach will positively support performance. While a performance model was not articulated during the interview, having previously worked with Paul while at British Rowing and reconnecting with him at Chinese Rowing, he not only has a model but is able to articulate it in a manner which allows all those that work within the performance support team to fully understand it and how it may be positively affected by the team. To bring this to life, we should look at one of the components; the rowing stroke. While working with British Rowing, Paul articulated the stroke as a ‘long, front loaded, leg-driven stroke’, which became the adopted approach for British Rowing as the technical model. This is freely available on the British Rowing website.

This model identifies three important component parts that all performance support team members can potentially add value to:

1.Long: Distance per stroke is the basis of the rowing stroke. The ability to propel the boat forward as far as possible with each stroke, resulting in fewer strokes being taken during a 2,000m race.

2.Front Loaded: The drive phase starts as soon as the blade enters the water. The rower applies force immediately to the oar as it enters to utilize the full opportunity to apply force throughout the early part of the drive phase. The ability to apply force which can effectively be utilized to accelerate the boat can only happen before maximal handle force occurs, which is around the point the oars are perpendicular to the boat. After that point, the amount of force that can be applied diminishes as the boat continues to accelerate. The application of more force will not accelerate the boat any further and may reduce the degree of acceleration. This contributes to the distance per stroke component in point 1.

3.Leg-driven: The prime contributor to the rowing stroke is the legs. The technique applied must place the legs in an advantageous position to do this. Chapter 4 provides greater insight into the leg component of the rowing stroke.

Fig. 1.1 The catch.

From an S&C point of view, there are several areas that can support this component part of the performance model. If consideration is given to the leg-driven component, this provides the S&C coach with a high degree of clarity that most of the force application will need to come from the legs. If this is taken one step further, the drive phase of the rowing stroke is a concentric action biased around the hip and knee being the significant contributors to force application. Therefore, this provides the first positive contribution to the performance model; training methods that develop hip- and knee-biased concentric force application (Chapters 6 and 7 examine maximal force and rate of force development in more detail). When considering the front loaded component, this refers to the ability to apply force early within the drive phase. At the catch (Fig. 1.1), the rower is in a deep compression of ankle, knee and hip flexion. For the stroke to be front loaded, force application needs to occur within this compression position. This provides the next level of insight whereby training methods should bias force application in deep flexion positions of the hip and knees.

A performance backwards approach identifies the critical components of performance and works backwards to identify how these component parts can be developed. As Paul stated, there are many things that can be focused on but identifying the ones that will make the biggest difference is important to create clarity and alignment in the performance support team. The example above demonstrates how important it is to understand the coach’s model of performance. Using the example above, not all rowing coaches will have the same model of the rowing stroke so the way S&C practices are applied will differ. Understanding the coach’s performance model will inform how S&C can best support the model and the rowers it is applied to.

Paul continued to explain how the performance backward model evolved, which is worth sharing as it provides insights into how long it takes, the iterative process required and the balance between evidence and experience.

You’ve always got the textbooks in theory but that always collides with practice and experience. And you know I’ve been fortunate enough to have a little bit of both. But it certainly took a few years together to get the balance right. And you know when you reflect back over the years you could have done this, you could have done that. But I think they’re all learning experiences. I’ve had the privilege to have some really good colleagues’ mentors, some … from when I first started coaching [that] I’m still in contact with now. But then also the bit of rigour behind it in evidence-based research. And I think if you can combine all of them together and you’ve got your first principles and when you’re trying new things in coaching, if you know that the principles are sound then you can really be confident to move those areas on. If they’re not … then that’s when you start to get into a bit of hocus pocus.

The way Paul describes how the model evolves is probably no different to any of us. We find the evidence base to give some rigour behind the thinking but eventually it is the day-to-day practices that become real-life learning opportunities to influence future practice. What Paul articulates are three important characteristics that all coaches – regardless of sport or function – can apply:

1.Learning experiences: everything that a coach is exposed to is an opportunity to learn something about what you have done or can do in the future.

2.Reflection: to turn events into learning experiences, there is a need for reflection. Reflection is more than a chronological timeline of events but the interplay of coach, athletes, staff, task and environment to name a few important areas. Asking questions of how each of these areas affected the intended outcome and one another will start to provide reflections to inform the next session or interaction.

3.Coaching is an iterative process: Paul spoke about getting the balance right between evidence and experience. This implies that at times either one may have been overplayed. However, you may not know where the balance lies until you have tested the boundaries before finding the ideal balance. This balance can constantly shift, which requires a continued appraisal resulting in the iterative changes in the coaching process and performance model.

Performance Support Team

Paul was asked how the performance support team is viewed within the performance planning.

I think I guess I’m more of a generalist, so you actually need the specific expertise of people that are experts in those fields. I think it’s important to know who’s responsible for what but with your support staff you need to be able to at least listen to the ideas and balance those with the priorities. You know, because there’s always a biomechanist who thinks that biomechanics is the answer to everything a physiologist will do, the nutritionist etc. So it’s about making sure that you can get those ideas and incorporate them into the programme because again it’s the number of times the messages are reinforced or the number of exposures people have to that as to how much impact they have in the training. So, you need to be able to work out one of the most important things. And you can’t be expected to be an expert in everything, but you can be an expert in the performance, and you need to know how you can bring that together and prioritize it. And that’s relying on the expertise of the support staff to bring that into the plan.

Paul brings up that important point within the introduction. As an S&C coach, there is a bias in the way the performance question is being viewed. There is a danger in trying to answer the question from a singular perspective. There is acceptance that there is domain-specific expertise and this expertise can be considered in aiding performance, but there is a need for someone to lead this. This is where Paul identifies being the generalist. Paul is in a position of being the original curator of the performance model so has the greatest understanding of what is available from the expertise surrounding the athletes to apply within the model, and what not to. This supports Paul’s previous point around identifying the priorities to work on and not be distracted by everything else that could be done.

The following question was how Paul helps the performance support add value to the performance model.

In one way it’s all about building trust. And often when you’re in a team, a young sport scientist may be coming in and promising to change everything and you know you need to be able to get a balance. So again, it comes down to trust that builds up and you can’t really gain that until you’ve been through some ups and downs and built those strong working relationships. Particularly the more time you have in coaching and the more things you see and the direction that you wanted to go. It’s understanding what skills people bring.

… Everybody’s got their role and needs to stay in their role. However, you need to have an environment … where gains can be made in the programme and be listened to. I’m sure other head coaches might do it differently, but I think it works well when those connections happen and there’s a bit of excitement about what can be delivered. And so that people are working well off each other.

As with all relationships, there must be a high degree of trust. It is rare that individuals trust one another unquestionably from the outset. Again, with all relationships, there is a need to work on them consistently. The coach–S&C coach relationship is no different. Paul articulates the up and down experiences that build this trust. The actions and behaviours S&C coaches demonstrate will ultimately determine the level of trust with the coach. As Lead S&C Coach for GB Rowing, fixing bike wheels, carrying boats, driving vehicles on training camp and timing crews along the riverside are not in the job description. However, these were tasks undertaken to support the performance model either by adding value or by removing distractions to athletes and coaches. It is these acts that build strong working relationships, which support collaborative working practices. In the latter years working with GB Rowing Paul stated ‘It is my job to prepare a group of athletes, coaches and support team staff to perform one week in every four years.’ This profound statement is a reminder that everyone must perform in moments that matter; to do this, there needs to be a high degree of trust across the entire team that everyone will do what has been asked and agreed.

Paul highlights an important point. Having been a rowing coach for over thirty years and evolving the performance model, Paul has a thorough understanding of the sport and what the model is to achieve this. When a practitioner who has limited experience of the sport and may only have a fraction of experience of working within the domain-specific expertise suggests significant changes, the coach will always approach with caution. The chances are the coach may have previous experiences of what is being offered or it is simply not aligned to the identified priorities or does not merit being prioritized. There are two areas to consider:

1.If the ideas suggested are not acted upon, it does not mean the coach is not listening nor understanding what is being suggested. It merely reflects the coach working through the performance model. If in doubt, ask for feedback on the reasons why the suggestions may not have been adopted. Ask for the coach’s thinking behind the decision-making. There is often a huge degree of thought behind it.

2.Consider how the suggestions have been conveyed to the coach. Like comedy, timing is everything. Over the years, different strategies have been adopted to provide suggestions and feedback to better land the message. This includes how the message is conveyed. One thing for certain is that email is probably the worst medium to try to do this. With Paul, there would be training camps where rowers would be cycling so there was plenty of time in the support car to share ideas with him. This is where a lot of the progression of the S&C support evolved.

If this is examined a little further, Paul articulated the following:

One of the things I learned early on as a coach came from one of my coaches and my boss [about how] to change things. So, it’s like doing a scientific experiment [when you have] changed one or two things. You know what it is you changed because if you don’t really understand what you’re doing then your performance isn’t going to be predictable. So just being able to take all that in and be able to steer it slowly around. Because if you’ve got a successful programme you don’t want to be going at right angles the whole time because then you don’t really understand what you do. You need to have the direction and the pathway that you’re going to go in – most of the stuff can be how can you do that better, so that then all the support staff are going in the same direction. So, you need to be able to articulate what that vision looks like.

There is a clear articulation that Paul is responsible for providing the clarity of the performance model, which should provide performance support team staff with the reference point to anchor potential opportunities to. It is also clear that just like scientific experiments, there is a need to only alter one or two areas at a time to truly understand what the impact of these are. Secondly, any opportunities for change should be aligned to the existing programme and not trying to ‘fight’ with it by taking it in a totally different direction. These latter points are useful considerations when sharing opportunities with coaches. It is important to refer to the questions at the end of the introduction around how S&C can support the event demands and the coach’s model of performance. If these are continually being asked, the opportunities for change will be allied to the wider performance model and will be the next logical progression of what is currently being delivered.

S&C Supporting Performance

The next question was how Paul views S&C in relation to rowing performance.

You never know where those gains are going to come from. Often people look for the … marginal gains in the sexy stuff. But 95 per cent of your performance comes from doing the basics really well.

And what happens in the weight room must support what’s in the boat, not the other way around. And you know at some stage you need to take the time that you work in the gym to put it on the water because it’s not just about strength and conditioning.

So, there are rowing programmes that are very successful that don’t even do weights. I think that the value comes in the physical preparation of the rower and that you know you need to be able to be flexible enough to get in the positions that they [rowers] need to get into and be strong enough to hold those. You need to have enough conditioning to be able to do that under duress. So, you can do that physical preparation outside of the boat. And I think that’s key. And that’s before you start getting into how much force transmission you can make in the strength levels etc. And so, for me the key thing is you can do stuff in the gym that you can’t do on the water, and that supports water performance.

Paul believes that S&C can support water performance and that some of the work must be done outside of the boat. However, it is also clear that there must be a transfer of weight room performances to the boat. The recognition that some nations do not complete strength training and are genuinely successful competitors suggests there is a need for real clarity around why it would be completed and the impact it can have. Chapter 12 provides a greater discussion around transfer of training. Fundamentally, Paul articulated that if the basics are done well, that is most of the performance model taken care of. However, being distracted by the potentially more exciting marginal gains can have a negative effect on preparing rowers. Ultimately, S&C is rowing training, it is just completed in the weight room.

Final Comments

In the final part of the interview, Paul was asked if there was anything else to consider when working with coaches.

… You need to understand performance and understand where people are coming from. Building relationships with the coaches and then building the understanding of the performance in that sport as well. It comes down to the old thing; God gave you two eyes, two ears and one mouth so that you can use them in that proportion and so you need to be able to listen, find out where they are coming from. And even if you think that they’re doing something that is wrong, it’s trying to find out why they are doing it because nobody does things to go slower. If you can get that understanding then you can start steering. But if you don’t have a relationship with the coach you can’t do that. So, the better working relationship you have, the more influence you can have. You have to learn quickly to understand what the key things are. Build that relationship quickly and generally it’s best to support what they’re doing and then steer them around the corners, where you wanted to go.

There are consistent themes throughout Paul’s interview, including the need to listen and understand what the coach’s model of performance is and where S&C coaches may be able to influence it. There is a strong sense of trust and collaborative relationships. The greater the relationship, the more likely that there will be an opportunity to influence the programme to opportunities S&C coaches may feel would be performance optimizing. Again, the theme of learning quickly and continuously is present. The experiences of working with Paul support these comments throughout and are the themes shared with S&C coaches around effectively working within performance support teams.

Conclusion

The insights Paul generously shared provide real clarity on what is important when working with coaches. While these points may differ slightly from coach to coach, no one will disagree that trusting and collaborative relationships are a good starting point. This will allow a greater understanding of the coach’s model of performance, which in turn provides the insights needed to start preparing how S&C can support this model. Without the model, S&C support at best is guessing what is necessary for performance. This runs the risk of being counterproductive through the conflict of performance outcomes. When there is clarity, the entire performance support team will recognize how the domain-specific expertise can support performance and have greater alignment across all this expertise. It is, however, the coach’s prerogative to determine what will and will not be included to support the model of performance. Remember it is not that the coach is not listening or understanding. It is more than likely the coach has evaluated the merit of what opportunities exist aligned to the priorities. If the merit is high enough and aligns to a priority, it is more than likely that its delivery will be asked for. If neither of these, it is unlikely that the coach will request its delivery. The prioritization of performance components is critical and incredibly hard to do. It is done to provide adequate time and resource to go after components with real vigour, but also to avoid distraction. If the expertise offered is not followed through, remember it’s the idea and not the person the coach is disregarding at that point. There will be other opportunities to continue to support the iterative process of contributing and adding value to the model of performance.

REFERENCES

1.Aristotle. (2016). Metaphysics (Hackett Classics). Indiana, USA: Hackett Publishing Company.