Supertraining 1.

I bought Mel Siff’s Supertraining couple of years ago. It is not a popular kind of reading but a serious scientific text on training. Which I didn’t realize at the time of buying. Nevertheless, I read parts of it sometimes. Like with many books of this kind, you tend to understand more as time goes by and your knowledge and understanding of the subject – sports training in our case – deepens (hopefully).

There are two things I like about this book. One, most references are to Russian (or rather Soviet) sources. Two, you can find evidence for many, often opposite points of view regarding training principles. Just like you can support your point of view by citing the Bible: you can find whatever you want – or interpret it whichever way you please.

This post is the first of many where I am going to discuss ideas from Supertraining, hence the numerical ending oin the title.

This time I was reading about strength training and endurance and learned couple of interesting things. First, I liked Siff’s paragraph on the Process of Functional Specialization which I will recite below.

According to Siff, if we focus on the process of functional specialization over many years of training, its most general features may be represented in an ascending flowchart.

Level 4.
Structure of special physical preparedness

Level 3.
Ability to display explosive force
And
Specific endurance

Level 2.
COORDINATION

Level 1.
Speed, Strength, Endurance


We are endowed with an enormous ability to execute any motor task and perfect this ability. We have flexible mechanisms of coordination, regulation and energy production for motor function, and the ability to produce movements which require the display of speed, strength, or endurance. These mechanisms ensure the success of human activities in daily life and offer extensive possibilities for adaptation – that’s the qualities of Level 1. We start training for sport, and this training stimulates the motor function, which coordinates all muscular activity (Level 2). The motor function specializes chiefly by developing the ability to display explosive force and specific endurance independent of the type of the sport (Level 3). The specific endurance may be predominantly cardiovascular or local muscular in nature. In addition, explosive force relates closely to the motor qualities of starting strength, acceleration-strength and absolute strength. The intensive stage of functional specialization follows which forms the structure of special preparedness (Level 4). The latter displays its own form with respect to interactions of the cardiovascular-respiratory and motor systems, which secure the athlete’s high work capacity.

And now the most important part. Within the confines of such structures, the functional systems interact in cooperative and subordinate relationships. Cooperation implies the relationship that is characterized by the effective interaction of all the systems responsible for producing the working capabilities of the body. Subordinate relationship means that the productivity of one system is enhanced by the functional potentials of the others. The structure of the special physical preparedness is determined by the specific training regime, and does not relate to conditions imposed by other sporting activities. End of paragraph.

For me the most revealing concept is the system interaction. In GS strength, endurance, special endurance, mental toughness, maximum strength and who knows what other qualities are all important for achieving results. Is it reasonable to insist that the only way to train for it is to imitate the competition conditions by doing timed sets? I do not believe so. If it was the case then boxers, for example, would only fight all the time, runners run their distance – no weights – and rugby players would just play their game every day. Unfortunately it is not that simple, and many modes of training directed at the development of different qualities are employed in most sports. Highly specialized training makes sense only at very high level of development.

When arguing about correct ways to train for GS Enemabagg from IGX (I apologize for his posting name and would like to use this opportunity to declare that I do not share his attraction to certain insertable devices!) - well, Enemabagg mentioned that he used to train several years mostly interval style without any sensible progress. Until his coach grabbed him and said "Train GS way, you bitch!". After which the numbers went right up. Jokes aside, I believe that the reason he improved is that by doing intervals he built the base for specialized training and that without it timed sets would not be as efficient. This suggestion is sort of reinforced by another poster, the convert from Hardstyle, who shared his impressions of the first timed set. He managed ten minutes when trying it for the first time, even though his previous training was mostly a la Pavel.

All I am saying is that Girevoy Sport is no different from other cyclical sports in that there is no OTW. Max strength is best developed by heavy lifting with low number of repetitions per set. Endurance – running, timed sets, interval training and assistance exercises for high reps or long time. Speed strength – fast lifting, both heavy and light (or lighter). And so on. Level one represents the most generalized, while at level four you have to display highly specialized physical abilities. Even though “you cannot run before you can crawl” is an annoying cliché, it is still correct. Why GS should be an exception - I have no idea.