Weightlifting training prep school students

[Guest guest]

My friend and Weightlifting mentor, Mike Burgener has taught

Weightlifting as part of the PE curriculum at Rancho Buena Vista High

school for many years. He has 8 platforms in his weightroom and his

students are required to exhibit the appropriate skill level in order

for their lifts to qualify them to get a passing grade. His classes

have 40-50 kids in them. However, Burgener is an International level

Weightlifting coach with decades of experience. His methods for

teaching large groups are modeled after modified USA Weightlifting

teaching methods and Marine Corps training, with a fair amount of

positive reinforcment thrown in.

As the strength coach at a prep school I have coached 30-40 students

to do Weightlifting and weight training in an area slightly larger

than a two car garage. Having worked with Mike for many years, in

addition to a lot of Weightlifting experience and familiarity with

martial arts and Marine Corps training methods made it fairly easy

for me to integrate his methods for training large groups of prep

students with my own.

Establishing control from the get go is essential. It is made clear

to my athletes that failure to comply with weight room training

protocols and rules will result in not being able to participate. My

athletes are never punished by having to run or do pushups. That is

the training that makes them better athetes. Their punishment is to

NOT participate, which, in the training environment we create for our

athletes, is anathma. The only good reasons for nonparticipation are

sickness or injury. Not training due to improper conduct or for a

rules infraction is the worst form of humiliation and therefore the

ultimate punishment. Athletes want to compete. Educating your kids

about the benefits of Weightlifting training lays the foundation for

compliance. The single biggest issue I deal with is overtraining,

getting the athletes to understand the importance of rest and

recovery, because as they develop lifting proficiency and feel

themselves becoming more powerful, they want to train even more. In

the last 11 years I've only had to kick a couple of athletes out of

training for being late, not paying attention or breaking the clearly

established rules.

The major drawback to training large groups is coaching experience.

It does require a considerable amount of experience to safely teach

30-50 kids proper Weightlifitng technique as a group. However, it is

quite doable. Weightlifitng training lends itself to an assembly line

style of training because of the low number of reps executed per

lift. The key is having the coaching experience to be able to rapidly

critique and correct flawed technique before moving on to the next

athlete. That takes a good eye, which comes from experience.

Getting experience starts with taking the Level l Club Coach's Course

through USA Weightlifting. It also helps to get mentored by an

experienced Weightlifting coach. It will take time working with

individuals to develop an eye for flaws in the techical aspects of

executing the lifts. Studying films of elite lifters is hugely

beneficial. One of the ironies of coaching at the prep school or

college level is how many " coaches " don't do their homework.

Unfortunately the essential thesis that Weightlifting is highly

technical, requires some serious effort to learn to coach and is not

well understood by many is correct. That there are ostensibly well

educated strength coaches at the college level and even the national

level who are essentially clueless about the efficacy of

Weightlifitng andit value to athletes is both apalling and very

discouraging.

Mike Burgener's children are superb examples of the benefits of

Weightlifting from an early age. Number 1 son is the most powerful

guy in the Western hemisphere. Casey snatches 400 lbs and clean and

jerks 500! He is 6'1 " only weighs 265lbs. Number 2 son is in the Navy

and getting ready for Buds training (SEAL boot camp). He's a former

Jr National Weightlifting Champion who exhibited a 40 inch vertical

as a high scholl volleyball palyer. Number 3 son is playing college

baseball for one of the best teams in the country. His youngest

child, a daughter, is a nationally ranked Weightlifter and all around

superb athlete like her brothers. I attribute most of their

athleticism to a foundation in Weightlifting from early age.

Would that we could grow the sport of Weightlifitng faster and get

more kids doing it sooner. It makes such a profound difference in

kid's self esteem, self discipline and physical capacity for sports.

Go to youTube and use Casey Burger as keyword to see him lift. To see

Mike working with his prep school kids and athletes at the Regional

Training Center use Mike Burgener as keyword. To see the most

powerful athletes in the world use Weightlifting as keyword. Enjoy.

Wishing you all have a healthy and prosperous 2008,

W.G.

Ubermensch Sports Consultancy

San Diego, CA.