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The New Era of Multi-Sport Athletes
Ever since athletes like Bo Jackson and Deon Sanders showed the world that athletes could play multiple sports at very high level, athletes have realized that it is a possibility. Strength athletes are no different. Today we have powerlifting, weightlifting, Grid, CrossFit, and even bobsled. Several athletes are finding ways to do two or more of these sports at a super high level.
One of my athletes, Adee Zukier, has managed to compete in weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, bobsled, and is now a professional Grid Athlete. The crazy part is that she did all of this in one year. Actually she did all of this in the last four months, and she tore it up in all of these. She is having fun, and she is still hitting new PRs.
There are a lot of coaches out there that would get upset with Adee. Those coaches need to be reminded that their job is to help their athletes reach their own personal goals. It doesn’t matter what the coach wants. Sure at Team MDUSA, we pay our athletes, so we have more of a say in what they do. However, if you are a coach that is not paying your athletes, then remember your role as the coach.
Personally, I find it intriguing. Watching an athlete like Adee perform so highly in so many sports is simply amazing. Her body is genetically gifted to do just about anything that she wants it to do. Would she do better in a given sport if she focused on it? Maybe, but an athlete like Adee would be bored to death. She is having a great time right now in her athletic career. There is a new challenge around each corner. There is a constant smile on her face, so I say keep killing it.
Coaches make it seem impossible to combine the sports. Personally, I don’t think it is that hard. Here is an example outline that one could use to program training for weightlifting, powerlifting, bobsled, and Grid:
Day 1
Dynamic Speed Warm Up
Half Kneeling 15-yard sprints x 4-6
Triple Broad Jumps for distance x 4
Snatch
Squat contrast with plyos
1-2 Exercises to target muscular balance
Lactate Endurance work
Day 2
Jerk work
Muscular Endurance ex. 3-5 rounds of 10 reps of Jerk at 60% of Max with 90 sec rest
Deadlift
Then take aspects of a Grid Race and perform
Day 3
Speed Warm Up
Maximal Speed Technique Work: Flying 30’s or 40’s
Med Ball Throws
Clean & Jerk
Front Squats
Posterior Chain Work
Lactate Endurance
Day 4
Bench Press
Push Press
Gymnastic work
Sprint repeats with an emphasis on form
Day 5
Max Snatch
Max Clean & Jerk
Heavy Carries
Cardiovascular work
Day 6
Speed Warm Ups
Speed Contrast: Heavy Sled Push with 10-20 yard sprints
Squat
Deadlift
Muscular Endurance Work ex. Heavyish Overhead Squats x 10 reps x 3-5 sets
Aspects of One of the Grid Races
Here is the key! You have to already have a solid base of strength, speed, gymnastics, and work capacity. If you are lacking in one area, then you will need to focus in that area for a while to catch it up. Adee is an example of an athlete that can already do pretty much whatever she wants.
I think that I do well with coaching these athletes because I was one of them. I competed highly in weightlifting, powerlifting, and made a run at the bobsled. Now at 42-years-old, I am enjoying the GridStyle training. It just keeps my interests peaked, and that is especially important at my age now. I need to have fun, so that I want to be in the gym. No matter what your age, if you are miserable going to the gym, then you won’t go.
I am not telling all of you to go out and do multiple sports. I am just saying that it is possible. If you have a shot at the Olympics, then you need to focus. If you are a powerlifter about to break a world record, then you need to focus. If you are bored with training and are super strong and fast, then maybe it’s time to have some fun with multiple sports.
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