USAWA

What lifts do you find helpful?

James, HG is great, isn’t it?! I’m glad to see that you’re giving your talents a shot at that sport, too.

I would say, however, that your success in HG does not depend that much on which all-’round lifts you train, but instead on your throwing technique. What will be absolutely critical is that you maximize your technical proficiency in each event. To do that, however, you’ll have to have competent, valid, and reliable assessments of where you might be going wrong. And that can be tough because you’re so dependent on the knowledge and experience of others, which may not always be around to help out. And once technical errors creep in, they’re awfully hard to get rid of. Alternatively, you could employ your own video analysis and I know you know how to set up a camera. 🙂

Then you can start thinking about the strength training and conditioning aspect for HG. But as in all sports, it must be designed around your particular strengths and challenge areas. So much of what you read is about this or that routine that some dude used to do some amazing stuff, or you read shit from the proverbial self-proclaimed guru that holds no foundation in physiological fact…and most importantly does not address what I already mentioned…your own personal strengths and challenge areas.

James, put another way, if you just follow some person’s “routine” and do the lifts he does, then I guarantee you one thing…you’ll make progress. But that’s hardly the point, because our bodies adapt to any and all stimuli and if you don’t get injured, you’ll make progress. But that’s not what it’s about, at least not in my mind. To me it’s about maximized gains and peak performance.

With that said, perhaps before you embark on this new athletic challenge, the most important question to ask yourself, and answer, is how good you wanna get. If you just want to play around and do something new, then you don’t have to worry too much about the details. But if you want to get as good as you can become, then you most certainly will have to pay attention to those details.

In either event, Jim, I think you’ll have a blast from challenging your body in a different way and meeting all the wonderful people that HG typically has.

-d

Dan is right, very much dependent on technique. If you’re stronger, with good technique, you’ll throw farther. For lifting and throwing, Scott Campbell showed me an app called ubersense.com. It is unreal! You can draw, compare side by side, all kinds of good things.

Oh, and go here. Nasga is a bunch of sharks

http://sigmathrowafara.forumchitchat.com/?forum=307848

James,

I’m GLAD to hear that you have given the Highland Games a try – you will find that throwing the Heavy Implements can be lots of fun! I’ve always said the all-rounds is the lifting equivalent of the HG’s.

The best way to improve throwing is to THROW. Watch video’s, study technique, and if possible, find someone who is an experienced thrower and get them to help you “one on one”. Early on if possible so you don’t develop any bad technique habits from training incorrectly.

Most of the HG implements can be home made. They don’t have to be fancy. To make weight for distances you can use old plates attached to a eyebolt, chain, and handle.

One thing I have missed since my “retirement” from the HG’s has been the training I did for overall athletic ability. As my buddy Dave Glasgow has always said – he lifts to throw. By this he means any lifting he does is to specifically help him as a Highland Games athlete. All round lifts are great for this as most require movement of the feet, one arm use, and explosiveness in the lifts. However, a big pull always helps the caber!

Good luck, and if you have any specific question, just ask. Al