Winter "Off Season" Training

I like the West German Training style.  Ulf Timmerman has alot of good ideas.  A basic outline would look like:  Throw as heavy and as often as you can, press 3-4 days a week, snatch 2-3 days a week, and squat 1-2 days a week.  Emphasizing power on everything.

I think HG itself lends itself to good throwing training.  Lot's of variety.

I've learned a lot this season.  Hopefully I can apply it successfully.

 

Help, I have dropped my weight in the snow and can't find it. I agree Geisler, hard to throw in -20 degrees F and a few feet of snow.

Off-Season training is a time to address weaknesses, injury rehab and build a base to launch into pre-competition and competition training.

Objectives for Foundation Period

Increase Limit Strength - Focus on compound kenetic chain movements, including squats, presses and pulls.  I agree with Josh's post referring to lifting frequency, but I would modify this.  I emphasize "pulls" not just a snatch. 

This period is best spent building a solid foundation of strength with which to apply to specific competition periods.  While Olympic lifts should be performed year around, more emphasis should be placed on deadlifting in various forms, squats and heavy pressing movements.

An example might be.

Monday        &nbs p;         &nbs p;        Wednesday  ;                    Friday
Power Clean                     Overhead Press       &nb sp;        Snatch
Bench Press       &nbs p;         &nbs p;   Romanian Deadlift    &n bsp;         Inclin e Press
Squat          ;           ;           ; BB Row                           Deadlift
Abs                                 Abs                                 Abs

During this period you may wish to work medium to medium heavy weights in your Olympic Lifts, focusing on technique.  More attention is paid to the powerlifts.  Once you move into a pre-competition phase, work up to real maxes on Olympic lifts and de-emphasize the focus and frequency of the powerlifts, and weight training in general.

If you are in a cold climate you'll have to train indoors with an indoor shot, throwing weight and medicine balls - Check out everythingtrackandfield.com - glide and/or spin drills, and plyos.

During these periods concentrate on the basic spin and glide technique required in the events.  The hammer, caber, sheaf and throw for height can be partially replicated with medicine ball training.  It will not be exact, but the motor movements will be maintained and it will not take you so long to get good throwing technique back.

If you are following the aformentioned weight training schedule you might do this during the off-season.

Tuesday                  Thursday                     Saturday
Drills                        Drills                           Plyos
  A-Drill                      180 Drill                       Box Jump
  Glide and Stop           S. African                    Depth Jump
                                360-Drill                       Long or Zig Zag Jump
Throws (Indoor Shot)  (Throwing Weight)         Medicine Ball
  Stand Throw               Weight For Distance      Trunk Twist
  Open Throw                Weight For Height         Put
         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;       Side Throw
         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;         &nbs p;        Overhead Throw

I glide with the shot so I also include a Throw From a Stretch in my throws - see http://www.coacheseducation.com/throws.htm Article by: Don Babbit, University of Athens, GA Coaching Shot Put for Beginner Throwers Part I and Teaching Progressions For Beginning Shot Put Part II.

As you move into the your pre-competition phase change priorities to focus on specific sports skills.  Good Luck.

Get some medicine balls with handles and a basketball court and you can at least work on foot work for the WFDs during the "cold" season.

An indoor shot can also be used depending on the court that you are throwing on.

Hammer can be "trained" using a tornado ball indoors.

None of these are as good as the real thing but when it's all you've got you've got to get creative!  Cabin fever will drive you to come up with some wild things.

It's a medicine ball with a rope attached to it.

how many reps and how many sets of each do you do?