Tom Brands is easily rated as one of the top intensity wrestlers this sport has ever seen. His work ethic has rarely, if ever, been matched on the mat. In college, Brands was a force for the Iowa Hawkeyes,… + See More +
Tom Brands is easily rated as one of the top intensity wrestlers this sport has ever seen. His work ethic has rarely, if ever, been matched on the mat. In college, Brands was a force for the Iowa Hawkeyes,… + See More
- See Less - Tom Brands is easily rated as one of the top intensity wrestlers this sport has ever seen. His work ethic has rarely, if ever, been matched on the mat. In college, Brands was a force for the Iowa Hawkeyes, capturing the "Gablesque" mentality of the sport by constantly attacking and putting pressure on his opponents.
Tom Brands was a four time All-American and three time NCAA national champion in college. He built off his collegiate success and competed for the U.S. in freestyle. Brands won the Gold medal at both the World Championships in 1993 and at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.
He continues today as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeye program to lead the new generation of Iowa wrestlers.
#201
Anonymous Coward October 20 at 1:04am
First of all, you're not "hard" because you broke your girlfriends wrist...you're an @$$hole. second, cyclones are Iowa State, everyone knows that. and thirdly, if your such a good coach, where are your 22 national titles?
This is an embarrassment. When I'm head coach they'll be running the halls until they pass out. That's what Bud use to do to us in the glory days. I'm a two time state qualifier...you think I'M be going to be this easy on bert metcalf? You bet your ass I won't be. When I'm coach the conditioning will step up big time. I broke my girlfriend's wrist once so you know I'm hard. Watching these kids half-ass it is making me sick. Gotta work these cyclones into shape. You won't be laughing when I'm head coach.
Good Day. I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation. Help me! Please help find sites for: kitchen islands. I found only this - Annealing glass beads. Bradenton airline listings airline tickets. Some random bits scribbled by jeremy zawodny. With best wishes :-), Peverell from Turkey.
Well apparantly its working.What 22 NCAA titles now?And maybe if you read some of Gable's books you woujld learn that he had to wake up, do chores on the farm, run to school (5miles i think), go to practice and work harder than everybody in the room, run home, then do farm chores again, and then homework.His surgeries wern't from incorrect lifting but a lifetime of hard work and people wonder where Iowa gets their work ethic from.Everyone hates Iowa but the truth is Iowa wins by pure hard work and determination to be the best.
I doubt any of you have accomplished anything close to any of these wrestlers for those naysayers.
Maxell apparently doesn't read too carefully, so I'll explain it a little more clearly. Notice the part where I wrote "I also don't recall Doug Schwab finishing too many shots at the Olympics, so if this is lifting technique for wrestling, his showing wasn't the best representation." In context, Doug Schwab is a U. of Iowa wrestler and coach whose training includes this kind of lifting.
Now, what I wrote does NOT say "Schwab's showing at the NCAA's wasn't the best representation" nor does it say "Lincoln McIlravy's showing at the Olympics wasn't the best representation" nor does it say "Stephen Abas's showing at the NCAA's wasn't the best representation" nor does it express any of the other stellar reasoning you displayed, logician. Show me where Abas lifted weights like this, or McIlravy, or Askren.
Schwab finished shots in his career, but not always cleanly; like most Iowa wrestlers, he was a bull on the mat who set up his moves by constantly driving in, using shots to set up other shots, and pressuring his opponent. That wrestling accommodates compact, explosive moves from compact, explosive guys, but doesn't necessarily use a full range of motion. As the freestyle rules stand now, that kind of pressure wrestling can leave one open to well-timed and clean technique, which is anathema to Iowa's mat ethic. If you have a problem with that, bring it up with FILA.
I specifically referred to Schwab at the 2008 Olympics. In fact, unless a member of the 2008 team trained and could wrestle as a clone of a Brands (like Cejudo), hardly any shots were finished by U.S. wrestlers in the 2008 Olympic freestyle competition. We had the worst showing as a team ever in freestyle. Cejudo himself had to score more on reshots, which isn't bad at all, I'm not criticizing that. I like how Cejudo wrestles, and how the Brands' wrestled. And I don't have a bone to pick with the Iowa program; I spent a lot of time working out there in summer camps. But their style better serves collegiate wrestling, with wilder scrambles and more pressure. Short, explosive moves are okay when you don't roll much in a scramble, but A.) The training in this clip doesn't serve full range of motion, and B.) In reference to freestyle, full range of motion won't do much good if your base incorporates scrambling (like Askren).
Iowa tends to recruit wrestlers who are made for their style of wrestling; compact pressure wrestlers who use short explosive moves over and over again until they get what they want. What we have here is a sort of lifting training that serves a specific form of NCAA Iowa-style wrestling and wrestler (like Schwab), and that training serves a majority of their team in the NCAA (maybe Morningstar is coming around). This sort of lifting may accommodate that style of wrestling for those kinds of wrestlers in the NCAA, but my comment was how it didn't serve Schwab in freestyle, and I don't know what it would do for longer, rangier wrestlers. Just thinking back to the early 80's, the lankiest wrestlers I can remember Iowa having are McIlravy and Chiapparelli, and I know Gable had a devil of a time getting Rico to lift the way Gable wanted him to. (By the way, Rico's parents have a fantastic restaurant in Baltimore called Chiapparelli's – they have old portraits all around the place of Italian fisherman next to portraits of Rico throwing people.)
The training here seems to be for explosion, short movements, and sustained conditioning, but doesn't accommodate for moves that require a full range of motion, like getting one clean shot off that scores – which works better in today's freestyle. That's why I asked about Zostautas in my follow-up; his training incorporates moves that keep a wrestler strong in both extended, mid-extended, and compact positions (ie Jake Herbert). Don't bring up "I don't see Northwestern winning any NCAA titles," because that's not a valid argument; others on this thread have already noted that Iowa is getting more top talent out of high school than any other school, so all you have is a “what if” – what if Northwestern had Iowa's athletes or Iowa had Northwestern's.
This clip also doesn't show all the rope-climbing and hard drilling Iowa incorporates that would include full range of motion. However, the argument can be made that those different sorts of training are needed to complement each other.
So finally, Maxell, following your logic, anyone after seeing this clip of the 2008 Iowa team lifting in this way should listen to Kenny Monday, or John Smith, or Brandon Slay, or Kerry McCoy, or Barry Davis, or any other successful collegiate wrestler, because by your logic, this clip tells us what we should expect from any successful collegiate wrestler, whether they're associated with Iowa or not, and whether they've coached or not (Abas, McIlravy, Askren). I'm not calling you names or anything, but you didn't think that one out too carefully before you went all ad hominem.
well i recall Schwab finishing thousands of shot in college including them in the NCAA finals where he won a title. finishing shots at the olympic level is pretty hard. i'm not going to kill a guy for that. you don't have to be an olympic champ to know how to wrestle. by your logic, you should never listen to stephen abas, terry brands, lincoln mccilravy, ben askren, etc. they didn't win olympic golds. real smart D bag.
One more question: Since everyone on this forum seems to know more about lifting for wrestling than everyone else, how would this lifting workout compare, wrestling-wise, to the stuff Nick Zostautas is doing at Northwestern? He has a number of wrestling-related lifting videos on here, and they seem to have the same goal, but very different means of getting there.
I know, Iowa has more All-Americans, more NCAA champs, etc., but it's not like Northwestern is slouching, either. It makes me wonder what Northwestern lifts would do for athletes like Metcalf, Falk, Morningstar, Slayton, etc.
Anybody know just how many surgeries Gable has had? I've lost count. Yeah, some of that came from him staying on the mat until well past his prime, but I wonder if cheat lifts didn't prime his knees/hips/shoulders/etc. for future injury.
(I also don't recall Doug Schwab finishing too many shots at the Olympics, so if this is lifting technique for wrestling, his showing wasn't the best representation...)
Actually the only thing wrong with that video is one or two guys were wearing weight belts. Weight belts actually compress you core muscles and dont allow stability. The core is much stronger without belts. Also, one guys was doing rows with a rounded back. With every lift, the back should stay in neutral position with a slight arch in the lower back. All strength coaches and serious athletes should read this book and do their own research:
Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Dr. McGill
I admire their intensity but if they slowed down their movements, used a more practical weight training program (full body, heavy emphasis on the 5 basic lifts, 3days per week), they could considerably increase their physical strength.
"Disciplined weight lifters" I've seen them in "gyms" and got a ton of em here in the school where I work. They all talk about form and the proper way "scientific way" to perform the exercises. They show up in their little tight shirts and their speedos, do some intense reps, then admire themselves in the mirror, and then do their "dynamic stretching" routines. They look great and they are very good at lifting "properly" and they speak with much authority about fitness and athleticism.....And none of them are accomplished at any given sport...except for the sport of sculpting themselves. As far as some of you guys talking about who the Iowa technique isn't that great.. How is it that Iowa with its so called lack of technique can churn out NCAA All-Americans and send people to the olympics and have been doing for quite a long time? Iowa's wrestling style and approach in all positions and their training system is the best in the country hands down, period. No compromises,no frills, no short cuts.
All I'll say is...after you herniate a couple disks performing this "sport-specific" weight training approach....how the hell can you wrestle?
Yes, I think it's a great routine...as long as your goal is to destroy your body or get an early start at degenerative joint disease. Why wait until you're 60? Start at 20! Run a marathon with ty mechanics while you're at it.
If any of you "discipline lifters" would stop looking at yourselves in the mirror when you lift, you might understand that this is a championship team with champion coaches throughout. Gable's intensive training camps throughout my youth preached this type of lifting along with all of my coaches along the way in high school, college and MMA. Stop staring at how well proportioned you are and train for what you do in life.
You must look at this video objectively..in that, aside from the lack of technique (and fyi - it's not heavy hand cleans..it's HANG cleans they were trying to perform) the intensity and commrorade alone is worth it's weight. Every movement shown is explosive and will result in hormone secretion and muscle activation/contraction to a degree. However, some of the techique with heavy load shown can and does put the athlete at a high level of risk of either injury or worse yet, their bodies and motor untis will start to develop poor patterns..ie, if correct technique is not taught eary on, their bodies will morph into performing irregular patterns because it believes that they are correct.- Watch someone who bench presses heavy weight and bounces it off their chest with each rep...after awhile they are almost incapable of doing it any other way at the risk of lessening the weight and ego's. My suggestion is two things, first...olympic lifting should be done eary in the pre-season and maintained somewhat throughout but with less load and volume. Hang cleans are great but pulling from the floor is not only more wrestling specific but will recruit more muscle fiber contraction, more hormone secretion and will result in greater stress on the body (in a good way). Jerk presses and pull snatch are just as important. The intensity shown here is amazing and should be respected, however, muscle fiber contraction gopes by an all-or-none principle- meaning this-MUSCLES DON'T PARTIALLY CONTRACT. MUSCLES CONTRACT OR THEY DO NOT. EXECUTING PROPPER TECHIQUE WILL NOT ONLY ENSURE OPTIMAL MUSCULAR CONTRACTION BUT WILL YEALD THE BEST OVERALL RESULTS. Tom Brands is a legend and should be commended for what he has done for the sport, however, the addition of not only a strength and conditioning coach but a heavy eye on technique will make the workout most efficient!
theyre not lifting to look like bodybuilders, theyre lifting to get their body used to the strain of wrestling and getting it stronger in those positions. Tom seems to be walking around ok, and i believe he won some world titles and an olympic title. The people that wrote all those textbooks on lifting have probably never one anything but a looks contest in their life.
IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT THE WEIGHT THERE DOING REALLY ISN"T THAT MUCH FOR THEM AND THEY PROBABLY COULD DO DOUBLE THE WEIGHT THEIR DOING IN THE VIDEO WHEN THEIR DOING A REGULAR WORKOUT
iowa does well despite incompetence in the weight room...attriubute it to good wrestlers...not S&C...if you say that is an appropriate way to get someone strong...you know nothing about what you speak
It works for them so it%u2019s ok. I would contest that the reason you lift weights in a specific way is to strengthen individual muscles. The reason for lifting like a weight trainer is to ensure you hit every muscle. The way Iowa is lifting I don't think that is happening. They are using the big muscles and momentum to lift. But to each his own and obviously it works for them. I hope everyone stays healthy.
strength is strength it doesnt matter what angle you lift at,it matters that your stressing the muscle not the joint or influencing other muscles that are not intended.
it's not like brands just picked a conditioning coach and left it to him. brands obviously approves the workouts. wrestlers can't train like football players or bodybuilders.
People are stupid...i would go with BRANDS knows who to hire for strength coach..and the guy in this video isnt the strength coach anyway...and i think the NCAA title proves it along with the strength of these wrestlers METCALF and Falck is strong as hell for 125
Anyone that has a problem with this video should cut their balls off! Iowa has always lifted like this. The majority of successful college wrestling teams, top high school teams, and most of the teams coached by Gable disciples lift like this. It has been done for years. That is why good wrestlers and MMA fighters never pick a dumb-ass strength coach that knows nothing about grappling, body movement, or sacrifice %u2013 at all costs - to win! Anyone that criticizes this video has obviously never read any of Gable%u2019s books. And I am pretty sure Iowa rarely has an All-American or a starter hurt, and when they do, the guy usually recovers quickly; most likely because Tom Brands and his staff know what they are doing and you all don%u2019t know shit. Besides didn%u2019t you hear coach Brands in the video %u2026 %u201CYOU ARE ALL BULLETPROOF!%u201D Tom Brands should be a national hero with his own day!
This is the way the D1 national champions lift? I'd have to say this video is extremely disappointing...with that caliber of athletes at least have someone in there who knows what they are doing!
But what's the function? If it's to mimic wrestling, then why bother? Just get on the mat and wrestle. If it's to simulate wrestling against greater resistance, then again, why bother? Get back on the mat and wrestle against someone heavier than you. Gable did this for decades and instructed the world as to its benefits. That was part of the genius of Dan Gable. But if the function is to prepare the body for such workouts or for matches, then do it in the best manner possible. This heaving and swinging of weights is counterproductive. What it amounts to is the useless dispersal of stress away from the muscles and into the joints and into the ether. It makes no sense whatsoever. By the way, thanks, Flo for honoring the American principle of free speech by letting me vent on your website. My purpose is to help Tom Brands win 15 titles in 21 years, like Gable did (actually, I'd like to see Tom, J Robinson, Jim Zalesky, and Tom Brands win that many, because they're all great men.
I would not use this for a technique video, however you have to remember the sport. Train the way you compete! Wrestling is fast, jerky and exposive movements and that is what your body must get use to. I do agree I would never teach this to my kids, but I do see why they need this training at this level.
Sure, it could be that I'm missing something. It's also possible that I've gotten things done and have gotten results in this area. The ad hominem ("you're an intellectual, so you have no practical knowledge in this area") is as rhetorically invalid as the argument from authority. The fact is that the best textbooks on lifting are written by people who have "gotten things done" (i.e. actual lifters), and they will all tell you that you will get a much tougher workout by using strict form and complete movements, not only in terms of absolute strength, anaerobic endurance, strength endurance, but in cardiovascular endurance. I was surprised to see that Gable weighed in against J Robinson on this back in February, because every video I've seen of Gable lifting (one in the 60s, one in the 70s, and one in the 90s) all show him using good form. He's explosive, but definitely not cheating. The only people I've seen use this until now were the Brands twins, and while I'm a huge Iowa fan and think they are both highly intelligent, I just believe that they were doing it wrong with so much cheating.
Wow thats how everyone does cleans at my school and they look stupid too. If you're gonna do olympic lifts at least teach your athletes proper form. Because despite what dumbass says good form is key to lifting more weight. Oh yea and its 'hang' not 'hand'.
this has to be the funniest thing i've ever read. how did this prediction turn out for you? LOL
"i believe i was talking about the strengh coach but since u had to talk about how much better Iowa is i hope lang cement mixers metcalf for a pin, assuming metcalf makes it without seriously injuring himself with this ridiculous weight routine"
while you are too smart for your own good, other people have to actually get things done and get results. You can dig your head in a text book all day long but the fact of the matter is you are missing something that is not in that text book.....couldnt that be a possibility in that ever so smart brain of yours?
Who were the best conditioned wrestlers at the tourney? Who won by Friday? Who is the best coach EVER in the sport? How does one win a championship? Iowa. Iowa. Gable. By knowing more than everybody else
Exercise science? Is that the major people take when they can't pass real classes?
are you serious?! come on this program is completely ridiculous...imagine the things this team could do with decent training... it's kind of scary. in all honesty though the athletes involved here are at risk every time they step in the weight room training like this
The argument from authority ("Iowa is the best, so what they're doing is the best") is rhetorically invalid. One can and should criticize this lifting routine, even if they are national champions. National champs--along with everyone else--can always improve. This program is dangerous, inefficient, and downright dumb.
Is that fat chops Mike Faust a strength and conditioning coach for Iowa? Last I heard he was an "administrative assistant" which makes the coaching he is doing here a no-no.
the people that criticize this strength program probably think they know more about it then the actual professionals. Iowa took home the team championship this year so obviously what they are doing is not based off of "natural talent" but good coaching and good programs.
You want to know something about training wrestlers, give Ivan Ivanov a call at the USOEC. He will tell you exactly how to train your guys whether they are freestyle or greco. with respect to this video, this coach is an idiot. If he were on my staff, I would fire him in a second.
I have been a wrestling coach and a college strength strength coach. Although the intensity is great, it's not worth the future health of these student-athletes. I hope that the young strength coaches and wrestlers out there, that are watching this atrocity, realize that Iowa wrestling recruits the best of the best. This type of weight training did not make them great. They were great before they got to Iowa. I highly suggest that no one lift like that unless you are an Iowa caliber wrestler. If one my assistants allowed a team to lift like that, I would fire him.
All the haters who are saying how stressful lifting like this is on your back and shoulders are absolutely right. it stands to reason though, that you should prepare your body to meet the demands of your sport, and in the case or wrestling, that means alot of "horseing" weight, and stress on your shoulders and back. Anyone who has spent any amount of time on a mat knows that your shoulders take a beating, as does every other part of your body.
Also, iowas results over time at the NCAAs and other national venues should speak for itself.
What happens on the mat is no excuse to use bad form and i feel sorry for them when they go on to Olympic level because the strength training is perfect form Olympic lifts and they are going to have to start with half of what they are using now
this vid is a perfect example of not letting little things like a university education, CSCS, or a brain, hold you back from getting a job as Div I strength coach.
Cool, not one movement was done correctly, way to permanently build disabilities in your wrestler's future's, but hey who cares about their bodies later in life so long as the Hawkeyes are champs again... idiots
Iowa has Great strength coaches who have trained in "coaching olympic style lifts" for strength, the wrestling program has just chosen not to use this valuable resource. Instead they fill the Strength Coach position with a former wrestler who is really not that qualified for the position. Lots of room for improvement ..which should send chills down the spines of the rest of the NCAA!
Sure, they're shot later in life. They know that. It's no secret to anyone who grew up in Iowa. But we're also the toughest sumb*tches on the planet. And that 50-year-old dried up wrestler will probably be more physically able out of necessity than many of you that trained "smarter" but didn't subject yourself to the same physical stresses. Many of those wrestlers run farms, and I've seen feats of sheer stupid strength on a farm that make World's Strongest Man look like Kindergarten. Especially when the guy hauling tractor tires or large parts around himself is a former 117-pounder who walks around at 132 20 years later.
3rd rate conditioning program? The Hawkeyes are well known for for their superb conditioning. Give it a rest guys, these guys just brought home their 21st National Title with their "horrible form."
if you notice in almost all of the lifts none of their backs were bent to lift the weight. except metcalfs on the last set of heavy biceps. they really arent doing horrible technique
JK's comments hits the nail right on the head. This "coach" DOES NOT know what the heck he is doing. What the heck is a "hand" clean? It is a shame that Iowa wrestlers are probably one of the most naturally/genetically gifted wrestlers in the country, yet they are being subjected to this kind of 3rd rate conditioning program. Like JK said, check back with these guy in 5 years. If they continue training like this, they'll be suffering from chronic back, neck, shoulder, and knee pains by the time they are 30 years old.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL April 1, 2008 at 10:15pm
The "strength coach" is Mike Faust, All-American HWT and apparent management major for people keeping track. But if you've ever heard Gable or Brands take on lifting it is about moving weight in sometimes less than optimal physiological circumstances as sometimes happens in wrestling...
Im sure that these guys are ridiculously strong. I am also sure that while the way they are lifting is very effective for thier sport, they are trading thier long term health for imediate results. These guys are the cream of the crop athletically, hence the low injuries, but the unfortunate ones of the group will pay sooner or later.
I am a strength and conditioning coach and currently a grad student in exercise science. The way those guys lift (even if its wrestling specific...whoever said that check out the journal of strentgh and conditioning, there was an article on wrestling conditioning I think last year), they set themselves up for chronic injury. Their BAD posture (disc herniatian, low back strains...) and those jerking movements(again the stress on your lower back is incredible, also someone probably never heard of the inverse relationship between velocity of the movement and muscle tension) remind me of high school strength and conditioning programs. I have seen countless of so-called strength coaches that let those kinds of things happen (miserable posutre and jerky movements) and even more kids with low back or shoulder surgery (avoidable!!!) resulting from wear-and-tear through bad lifting. Yes, they might have won the NCAA, but take a look at those guys in 2 or 3 years. They'll have irreversible injuries that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. One of the two major goal of srentgh and conditioning is injury prevention which I dont see in this video.
this is awesome!these guys lift the same way they wrestle,INTENSE! this why the dominate because they go all out on everything. and also all this form stuff is bs
and what does it do for their wrestling?this why metcalf is wiping out all his competition. GO HAWKS!
sean Kim is right werstling is very different from football and the workouts are different to. my team uses a similar workouts and they work wonders so any one thats critizing them can go to hell.
DAN GABLE IS A WRESTLING GOD AND NONE OF YOU FORGET IT!!!!!!!!
these guys have won the Big Ten countless times, and have been NCAA champs how many times? i dont really think it is up to you to tell them how to lift, and i really dont think u should be saying anything li9ke u know it all. either you are a football player, or u listen to football players, because in wrestling, u are never fully extended on any work out, and almost every thing u do has to be quick, and sort of like a jerk or a quick tug or push, not really a full pull and extend motion. also the same when u bench, wrestlers tend to bench more quickly and dont touch their chest fully, just so they use a lot of muscles at once, and never have to regroup muscles every rep. you keep sticking to ur football lifts, and let them continue with their lifts, and when you coach a 20 time NCAA Div 1 champ team, then come back and tell them what they are doing wrong.
If you watch the video closely, it isn't about body building and form, it's about horsing weight around more or less in the same way that you hand fight and horse your opponent around, digging in underhooks, circle pulling a guy, etc., The whole idea that you have to have perfect weight lifting form is absurd. Perfect weightlifting form is for perfect weightlifting form...you don't have to have perfectly controlled pullups with complete extension.. just like in a wrestling match you don't approach your opponent with you hands extended (you'll get dumped on your butt if you do that)....and in wrestling, you don't isolate muscles...you use multiple muscle groups when you do standups, situouts, penetration steps, throws..so why in the world would you want your strength training program to not use multiple muscle groups as well? Hey. These guys are the Big Ten Champs and they are on the verge of taking it all at the NCAA's. The cricisms remind me of when I was back in high school and my coach was explaining how to maintain my weight by eating five small meals a day and I told him my doctor said that was wrong, and then he asked me if my doctor was in shape and I said, "no he's fat", and then my coach asked me why the heck I was listening to a busted out fat guy on how to get in shape. I think I'll go with Brands and his crew on this one. They know what they're doing and they're proving it on the mat.
Okaaaaaay...Watching these guys lift, I see they are using really heavy weights with terrible technique!!! On those lat rows they shouldnt throw the weight using their whole bodies. The back muscles are not being isolated and they are incorporating too many muscles in the exercise(you are stimulating other smaller muscle fibers that wouldnt otherwise be stimulated though)I mean, I know Iowa has a proven track record,dont get me wrong, but as far as body building goes anybody would tell you this is bad technique!
I love Dan Gable and Iowa wrestling. I am just glad that he now has Brands back so that they can return their style to the top of the NCAA's. The proof is in the pudding!
If iowa got a new strength coach, spent some money and got an amazing strength coach they would be untouchable. smarter not harder? how about smarter and harder why have one we you can have both?
Just the fact that these young men competing in a totally underfunded sports program like wrestling (unable to hire professional weightlifting coaches), they are way ahead of the game. Back in my day, weightlifting was never done during the season, wasn't even considered! So applaud these young men for doing the best they can and working so hard to achieve their goals. Of course, they never had to walk 10 miles both ways to school through 7 feet of snow in bare feet like I had to back in the day.
As far as a strength workout, that was worthless. They have absolutely no idea how to perform Olympic lifts. Downright dangerous. Someone could get seriously injured. And before someone says how they have been lifting this wasy for 30 years and nobody's been injured, look no further than the original coach Gable. His hips are not the original. You can work hard and smart at the same time. The smart part is not happening.
I don't remember the last time Iowa had a guy sit out because he was injured from lifting. They must be really lucky huh georiaboy? You just keep using your pathetic genetic excuse like I am sure you use to try and explain why you are not as good as others. Classic know it all who has probably done nothing.
warm up on concrete...great for knees. run stairs...fatigue before lifting leads to injuries. reps on olympic lifts way to high. terrible technique leads to injuries. good technique will lead to better strength gains. no technique in lifting?...i guess technique isnt important in wrestling either. if they had even an average strength coach these guys would be elite. that guy has no idea of what neuromuscular mechanisms are involved. train smart. he is lucky he is training those with good genetics
You haters ought to be ashamed. You have all of the time in the world to talk smack about hard work. You sound like the media has fed your heads negative crap. Yah thats right,good form and tecnique are important to keep injuries to a minimum, but the facts are that any international or top colligate wresters have something you chuckle heads will never have, guts,fortitude and above all a heart. Keep up the good work,to all aspiring wrestlers and anybody else at this level with true grit.
These guys are strong, and did ya'll hear about hte guy running the lift, Mike Faust...he is up for some national award with his fiance...I think we should all vote for him http://www.bridalguide.com/vote
you can vote up to 25 times....wrestling fans unite!!!
Nothing wrong with explosive lifting, and I don't think they'll get injured. However, they use too much upper body in their cleans, so they aren't getting the benefit from them that they should. Of all of them, Falck has reasonably good clean technique. They obviously work extremely hard I hope the Hawkeyes win the NCAAs!
I could almost bet that most of the ignorant comments came from teenagers, huh?
As a former fitness, and personal, trainer for many years... I can say I only had one problem with the weight lifting part, and that is IMO they should have started out by pre-exhausting their backs, then moved on to their biceps ... as you always hit the largest groups first ... Otherwise, it's all good stuff.
You people are pathetic...
Look at all the success Iowa has had the last year and tell me you have problems with how they are lifting. I dont care if im the smartest guy in the world, if Tom Brands or Dan Gable tell me to lift a certain way, I'm going to lift how they tell me to lift. They wouldn't have had the success that they've had if they were doing things wrong all this time
i like how people make good points about weightlifting and then others because they are obviously wrong relate it back to wrestling a sport that is 90% technique and 10% strengh, Iowa is a great WRESTLING school but some of us are simply saying that there weight routine could use some work, I personally would never question brands or gable on technique
Too much talk about science... I think they're lifting to get stronger, which, of course, any type of lifting will do. Maybe the greater reason they are lifting "this way" is to take a break from some of the more intensive stuff, and help the athletes develop stronger minds. An athlete who thinks he's getting stronger... is.
first of all the form isnt even that bad
yea it's not perfect and it looks a lil sloppy and it def isnt the best way to lift something, but these guys kno what they r doing.
they warmed up very hard to ensure they where ready for the intense lift
All the people that are saying the poor form is increasing their risk of injury should consider that everytime someone wrestles live and is in constant scrambles it is impossible to lift or move your opponent properly.
if lifting like iowa did in this video is increasing the risk of injusry then wrestling live also has that same injury. (if you notice the iowa guys are rarely lifting more than there body weight therefore simulating an opponnet)
Iowa hasn't been tormented with a lot of injuries for quite a while. I love how all you people "think" you know how everything should be done. Are you D-I coaches? Just taking some classes doesn't mean much. That's what sucks with being a coach--all the bleacher coaches know how to do it better.
Appreciate all of the experts' opinions... do we truly believe that ONLY the #1 team in the country and no one else does this sort of in-season workout????
Hey Gable, your first sentence says it all.....The science of strength training has come a long ways since the 70's. They may have good conditioning, I don't think anyone on here is knocking their conditioning. All that is being said is the risk to reward ration is severly slanted to the risk side with this type of training. I doubt you find many strength coaches for professional athletes that train in this manner. The risk is to great considering you can get the same benefits with much safer and controlled exercises.
Iowa has been lifting like this for over 30 years. They know what they are doing. They are notoriously the best conditioned team and people are making fun of their lifting. That is laughable.
I really liked this video. Brands firing them up before the workout, telling why they are doing it. The guys, you can tell, have fully bought into Brands and believe in what they are doing. I'm very impressed with Brands as a coach.
they're not lifting extremely heavy. just "horsing" the weight up is good for strength in a aerobic way. short bursts in an extended period of time looks good for that explosiveness. it seems to work alot of different muscle groups as well.
Some of you guys are jugheads. Who's training is better, who is in poor form, who was better John Smith, Gable or Sanderson? If you can do it better or have a better understanding of this sort of thing, find a college and coach. See you at nationals. This is very much the way Brands and many other haweyes have trained and it works. Quit looking for negitive things to say just to make yourself feel better about your team getting beat.
Bye the way, buxton is training kids not adults. Most of your finer jugheads know they cannot train the same.
Real....I think you need a little lesson on lactic acid. For startes the build up of lactic is a goog thing, why you want to get rid if it is beyond me. Lactic acid is actually a fuel, not a caustic waste product. Muscles make it deliberately, producing it from glucose, and they burn it to obtain energy. The only way to get rid of it is through expiration, and that is only a small percentage of it, most is reused for energy. You need learn basic physiology if you're going to try to make a point.
i actually think Blair does better work outs than this. buxton has them doing stuff to similate to wrestling match that has no stability, but im sure they dont do some of the horrible form iowa does.
Maybe the worst use of time I have seen. That work out is almost counter productive, the form is horrible. Don't give me crap about it's set up like a wrestling match. If an athlete is strong and balanced his body acts accordingly. Lifting with strict form while still being explosive is far more productive than that crap. Obviously the coaching is good at Iowa cause their strength training leaves alittle to be desired. Not bashing Iowa just that injury inducing workout.
You morons watched ONE video, and are claiming that they're going to have lifelong reprocussions from their lifting form?!! LOL! This is high intensity training. They're trying to burn calories, push their muscles to failure, and increase their aerobic, as well as, anaerobic threshold. They're focusing on a major muscle group, and exerting it into failure... not building muscle and bulking up. There's a very big difference. Basically they're teaching their body to take a beating, and recover quickly (get rid of the lactic acid). Where you'll see that difference is in that third or fourth match at Big 10s or NCAAs. You must not be much of a "exercise physiologist". Either that or you're some kid who's taken a basic exercise science course, and are trying to act like you know something.
This workout has nothing to do with form. All these kids could probably lift at least TWICE as much as they're working with in that video. Like he said, they're horsing the weight through space, not lift it.
just for the record i was completely un bias I saw the NW coach on this web site and he knows his stuff, I'm an Ohio state fan, but u guys keep talking all that trash and we'll see wat happens
i believe i was talking about the strengh coach but since u had to talk about how much better Iowa is i hope lang cement mixers metcalf for a pin, assuming metcalf makes it without seriously injuring himself with this ridiculous weight routine
While I agree about relaxing how strict one should be lifting technique and form in certain training cases, these guys should be careful. There form isnt off par, its just awful. And awful can mean dangerous and ineffective. Dangerous because there is obvious room for injury. Ineffective because when you lift with the form they are, most of the stress of the wieghts you are moving is placed on joints. This, rather than truley working out thier bi's or delts.
I liked the video Martin. It looks like Iowa is building strength in their minds more than anything else. An attitude of attacking the weights, power and moving their opponents. They will be strong in Minneapolis and St. Louis.
I love how Martin knows so little about lifting...a hand clean?? It is normally called a HANG clean i believe. Another thing to think about....the "weight" coach is a wrestler who is in Iowa training for freestyle. It is possible he does not know too much about actual GOOD FORM while lifting. They put on a lot of weight, and then lift it by using bad form. Doesnt make much sense, because it really is not making them much stronger....And their pull ups are brutal. I know 10 year olds who do better pull ups
Clearly they know what they are doing, but there is also something to say about their terrible form. They are trying to "move the weight", and thus are not focused on their form as much as they normally would be. But, if you could move the weight while keeping decent form, it might help you a little more. As it is, it seems to be working fairly well for the Hawks
Yeah what does Brands know anyways, him and his brothers are just legends, hold 5 NCAA Titles, and are ex world elite. They must have had a crappy coach in college that showed them this crap...oh wait there coach was Dan Gable the best in the world...Iowa will win nationals, NW may be top ten
Iowa wrestlers have been training this way for a long time. Yes, they also train with good form when trying to make gains like in the off season, but the point now is to make it similar to a wrestling match, are you always lifting and moving people from the anantomically correct position when wrestling?? When Northwestern places higher than Iowa then come back and tell us how great they are!
your missing the point figure4. It is a whole different type of stregnth training....anything to move the weight so long as you dont injure yourself....that is what the strength coach said...Obviously results speak for themselves
your missing the point figure4. It is a whole different type of stregnth training....anything to move the weight so long as you dont injure yourself....that is what the strength coach said...Obviously results speak for themselves
Iowa goes through a lift day. About a month out from the NCAAs, the team is poised to win an NCAA title and this lift is a way for them to gain strength for the month ahead. February 26, 2008
Iowa Lift
I doubt any of you have accomplished anything close to any of these wrestlers for those naysayers.
Maxell apparently doesn't read too carefully, so I'll explain it a little more clearly. Notice the part where I wrote "I also don't recall Doug Schwab finishing too many shots at the Olympics, so if this is lifting technique for wrestling, his showing wasn't the best representation." In context, Doug Schwab is a U. of Iowa wrestler and coach whose training includes this kind of lifting.
Now, what I wrote does NOT say "Schwab's showing at the NCAA's wasn't the best representation" nor does it say "Lincoln McIlravy's showing at the Olympics wasn't the best representation" nor does it say "Stephen Abas's showing at the NCAA's wasn't the best representation" nor does it express any of the other stellar reasoning you displayed, logician. Show me where Abas lifted weights like this, or McIlravy, or Askren.
Schwab finished shots in his career, but not always cleanly; like most Iowa wrestlers, he was a bull on the mat who set up his moves by constantly driving in, using shots to set up other shots, and pressuring his opponent. That wrestling accommodates compact, explosive moves from compact, explosive guys, but doesn't necessarily use a full range of motion. As the freestyle rules stand now, that kind of pressure wrestling can leave one open to well-timed and clean technique, which is anathema to Iowa's mat ethic. If you have a problem with that, bring it up with FILA.
I specifically referred to Schwab at the 2008 Olympics. In fact, unless a member of the 2008 team trained and could wrestle as a clone of a Brands (like Cejudo), hardly any shots were finished by U.S. wrestlers in the 2008 Olympic freestyle competition. We had the worst showing as a team ever in freestyle. Cejudo himself had to score more on reshots, which isn't bad at all, I'm not criticizing that. I like how Cejudo wrestles, and how the Brands' wrestled. And I don't have a bone to pick with the Iowa program; I spent a lot of time working out there in summer camps. But their style better serves collegiate wrestling, with wilder scrambles and more pressure. Short, explosive moves are okay when you don't roll much in a scramble, but A.) The training in this clip doesn't serve full range of motion, and B.) In reference to freestyle, full range of motion won't do much good if your base incorporates scrambling (like Askren).
Iowa tends to recruit wrestlers who are made for their style of wrestling; compact pressure wrestlers who use short explosive moves over and over again until they get what they want. What we have here is a sort of lifting training that serves a specific form of NCAA Iowa-style wrestling and wrestler (like Schwab), and that training serves a majority of their team in the NCAA (maybe Morningstar is coming around). This sort of lifting may accommodate that style of wrestling for those kinds of wrestlers in the NCAA, but my comment was how it didn't serve Schwab in freestyle, and I don't know what it would do for longer, rangier wrestlers. Just thinking back to the early 80's, the lankiest wrestlers I can remember Iowa having are McIlravy and Chiapparelli, and I know Gable had a devil of a time getting Rico to lift the way Gable wanted him to. (By the way, Rico's parents have a fantastic restaurant in Baltimore called Chiapparelli's – they have old portraits all around the place of Italian fisherman next to portraits of Rico throwing people.)
The training here seems to be for explosion, short movements, and sustained conditioning, but doesn't accommodate for moves that require a full range of motion, like getting one clean shot off that scores – which works better in today's freestyle. That's why I asked about Zostautas in my follow-up; his training incorporates moves that keep a wrestler strong in both extended, mid-extended, and compact positions (ie Jake Herbert). Don't bring up "I don't see Northwestern winning any NCAA titles," because that's not a valid argument; others on this thread have already noted that Iowa is getting more top talent out of high school than any other school, so all you have is a “what if” – what if Northwestern had Iowa's athletes or Iowa had Northwestern's.
This clip also doesn't show all the rope-climbing and hard drilling Iowa incorporates that would include full range of motion. However, the argument can be made that those different sorts of training are needed to complement each other.
So finally, Maxell, following your logic, anyone after seeing this clip of the 2008 Iowa team lifting in this way should listen to Kenny Monday, or John Smith, or Brandon Slay, or Kerry McCoy, or Barry Davis, or any other successful collegiate wrestler, because by your logic, this clip tells us what we should expect from any successful collegiate wrestler, whether they're associated with Iowa or not, and whether they've coached or not (Abas, McIlravy, Askren). I'm not calling you names or anything, but you didn't think that one out too carefully before you went all ad hominem.
Iowa fan?
I know, Iowa has more All-Americans, more NCAA champs, etc., but it's not like Northwestern is slouching, either. It makes me wonder what Northwestern lifts would do for athletes like Metcalf, Falk, Morningstar, Slayton, etc.
(I also don't recall Doug Schwab finishing too many shots at the Olympics, so if this is lifting technique for wrestling, his showing wasn't the best representation...)
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Yes, I think it's a great routine...as long as your goal is to destroy your body or get an early start at degenerative joint disease. Why wait until you're 60? Start at 20! Run a marathon with ty mechanics while you're at it.
Tough guy workout more than technique.
"i believe i was talking about the strengh coach but since u had to talk about how much better Iowa is i hope lang cement mixers metcalf for a pin, assuming metcalf makes it without seriously injuring himself with this ridiculous weight routine"
Exercise science? Is that the major people take when they can't pass real classes?
Tell me if I'm wrong, majority of wrestlers has some sort of ear affection or torn.
Also, iowas results over time at the NCAAs and other national venues should speak for itself.
and what does it do for their wrestling?this why metcalf is wiping out all his competition. GO HAWKS!
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As a former fitness, and personal, trainer for many years... I can say I only had one problem with the weight lifting part, and that is IMO they should have started out by pre-exhausting their backs, then moved on to their biceps ... as you always hit the largest groups first ... Otherwise, it's all good stuff.
Look at all the success Iowa has had the last year and tell me you have problems with how they are lifting. I dont care if im the smartest guy in the world, if Tom Brands or Dan Gable tell me to lift a certain way, I'm going to lift how they tell me to lift. They wouldn't have had the success that they've had if they were doing things wrong all this time
yea it's not perfect and it looks a lil sloppy and it def isnt the best way to lift something, but these guys kno what they r doing.
they warmed up very hard to ensure they where ready for the intense lift
All the people that are saying the poor form is increasing their risk of injury should consider that everytime someone wrestles live and is in constant scrambles it is impossible to lift or move your opponent properly.
if lifting like iowa did in this video is increasing the risk of injusry then wrestling live also has that same injury. (if you notice the iowa guys are rarely lifting more than there body weight therefore simulating an opponnet)
Bye the way, buxton is training kids not adults. Most of your finer jugheads know they cannot train the same.
cus if they are outting on a lot of mass its hard to keep your weigth down...
This workout has nothing to do with form. All these kids could probably lift at least TWICE as much as they're working with in that video. Like he said, they're horsing the weight through space, not lift it.
Move on, son. You know not what you speak of.
It's called MOVING THE WEIGHT - would you like to try?