STRENGTH TRAINING “A Historical Perspective” John Balano City College of San Francisco Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

LIFTING WEIGHTS Oldest known form of sport to man All civilizations have legends associated with feats of strength Milo of Crotona (Italy) is most famous

MILO Carried 4-year old bull on his shoulders the length of the stadium at Olympia A length of 200m Bull estimated to weigh 400kg (≈ 900+ #) Carried the bull until it was 4-years old Progressive Resistance Training

MODERN OLYMPICS One of the original sports (circa 1986) Adopted in its modern form in 1928 Press – Snatch – Jerk Press omitted in 1972 Snatch – Clean and Jerk

OLYMPIC PRESS

OLYMPIC SNATCH Receiving Position

OLYMPIC JERK Slight Knee Bend to Start

OLYMPIC JERK End Position

OLYMPIC SNATCH USA’s Shane Hamman 418 lb. Snatch (2003 Titan Games – San Jose, CA)

Start Phase

Pull Phase

Rising out of the Receiving Position

Canada’s Cara Heads at 75 kg/165 lbs Receiving Position of the Olympic Snatch (2003 Titan Games – San Jose, CA)

USA’s Tara Cunningham at 53 kg/116 lbs Drop Phase of the Olympic Snatch (2003 Titan Games – San Jose, CA)

Tara Cunningham Finish Position of the Olympic Snatch

OLYMPIC CLEAN Start Position

OLYMPIC CLEAN Pull Phase

OLYMPIC CLEAN Receiving Position

OLYMPIC CLEAN USA’s Oscar Chaplin at 85 kg/187 lbs Rising Out of the Receiving Position (2003 Titan Games – San Jose, CA)

SPLIT JERK POSITION Canada’s Maryse Turcotte

POWERLIFTING Not an Olympic sport Competitive status in the 1960’s Bench Press – Squat – Dead Lift More popular than Olympic Weightlifting Associated with Bodybuilding

BENCH PRESS

SQUAT

DEAD LIFT Start Position

DEAD LIFT Finish Position

WEIGHT TRAINING AND SPORT 1870’S Track and Field W.B. Curtis (Hammer) H.E. Buermeyer (Shot) Titles in United States same time as competitive weightlifters

1936 German Olympic Team Gold Medalist Hans Woelke (16.20m shot)

WEIGHT TRAINING AND SPORT (continued…) Les Steers, USA 3 x WR in High Jump Best of 2.11m 1st athlete to publicly go on record about barbell training

LES STEERS (Picture circa 1941) “You need strong leg muscles in the high jump, particularly when you weight as much as I do. Only weight-lifting could have given me that extra power I need so much.”

WEIGHT TRAINING AND SPORT (continued…) Mal Whitfield, USA – 800m Bob Richards, USA – Pole Vault Parry O’Brien, USA – Shot 1948 – Olympic Gold Medals collectively

PARRY O’BRIEN (Picture from 1956 Olympics – Melbourne, AUS) O’Brien received much media attention for his technical innovation and dependence upon heavy progressive weight training

WEIGHT TRAINING AND SPORT (continued…) Pre-1950’s and the muscle bound athlete Coaches and systematic programs Benefits to athletes Viennese born ex-skier Franz Stampfl, track and field coach, openly declared his belief in barbell training

Franz Stampfl coached Ralph Doubell (pictured in 1968 Olympics 800m final) the last Australian Olympic Champion “Muscular strength is the determining factor, particularly in all movements where explosive speed and perfect balance are vital to first rate performances. Weight- training should be part and parcel of the training program of every athlete.” – Franz Sampfl