Ask Martin Vol. 6: Offseason Training
Published on 29 September 2010 in Ask Martin | 4 Comments |This is a question I receive a while ago, but it is pertinent now that my season is finally coming to a close. Let me start by telling you what not to do. The worst thing you could do, in my opinion, is follow the typical North American approach of taking two months off and then doing “fall training” to build a base for another 2-3 months. Combined, that means you spend five months before getting back into hammer training and you essentially throw away a lot of the technical and special strength gains you made during the spring. The theory of building a “base” really doesn’t have much use beyond young athletes. After 60 or 65 meters, building a base loses much of its effect. At that level, the thrower already has a good base and needs to train more specifically. That means hammer throwing should be the central element of training almost year round.
The precise amount of time you should take off is extremely individual because it involves looking at each individual’s physical and psychological needs. However, barring any injury that requires prolonged rest, I would say that taking off more than four weeks is usually too much for an elite thrower. Your body can heal itself quickly. In a week or two, most of your aches and pains from a long season will disappear. After that, the distance starts fading away and you’ll lose ground against others. The days of taking off three months in the summer are over and the same is true in every sport. Baseball players used to sit on their ass in the off season and use spring training to get back into shape. Now players train hard year round and use spring training to battle for a position in the lineup. Hopefully, my telling you that you need to start throwing soon is getting you excited, since I think that is one of the true signs of success in the future.
Most of the throwers in Bondarchuk’s training group fall into this range and take about two weeks of rest in the offseason. Some take off a week more and others, like myself, tend to be given less time off. I’m not sure if Bondarchuk tells me not to take time off because he knows that’s what I want to hear, or because it’s what he thinks is best for me, but either way I haven’t had an offseason break in a few years.
The mind also needs rest, even when your body is saying it is ready to go. All throwers get burnt out at one time or another and just need some time to reset their focus. U.S. Olympian Loree Smith did some travelling after her season ended this year and did a great job of explaining the need for a mental break from the sport:
It was the first time, in a long time, that I actually [travelled] for me. I’ve given so much to hammer, I really needed to give something back to myself. I needed time to breathe, to think, to remind myself of who I am and why I do what I do. It has nothing to do with quitting, but everything to do with continuing.
Surprisingly, I find that the mind needs more offseason rest than the body for most people.
4 Responses to “Ask Martin Vol. 6: Offseason Training”
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Name: Mémorial Kops, Ludivig & Reuter
Date: 19 May 2012
Location: Ettelbruck, Luxembourg
That makes a lot of sense. I think you should still throw in the off season. You can have a break from the weightroom, a break from logging your best attempts of the day, a break from careful planning and video taking, a break from boring drills or specific technical goals and still throw. Just get out once or twice a week for 2-3 weeks to remember that throwing is fun. If you have fun throwing light, throw light, if you only take 10 throws, take 10 throws. I think you can give yourself a break without losing feel for the ball and wire and handle. When I look back at the July-December or January hammer hiatus I took in college (not counting weight, which would start in October), I just feel so dumb. I don’t know what I was thinking, only a few training years under my belt and I’m making myself basically re-learn hammer every spring? How many meters did I lose doing that?!
Definitely. I remember one of my offseason favorites was to pick up the 4k hammer and throw that a few times a week during my break for fun. Like you said, it helps you remember why you throw once you see that thing sailing through the air.
I just started following your blog and you have given me some very insightful information regarding training and how your coach coaches you. As a coach at a small school I am constantly looking for what is going to help my throwers get better. As a young coach (only been coaching at the college level 4 year and I threw all through college)it is hard to know what the correct recipe is to produce a very successful thrower. What is the right mix of weight room time, technique/drills, and throwing time? I know everyone has a different opinion on this subject. I know that as you have stated in many of your blog topics that as an elite thrower you rarely do drills and I know that your coach has mostly worked with throwers that already know what they are doing in the ring (as in footwork). But what do you suggest for those that have NO IDEA what they are doing yet (Freshmen)? I can’t start them with a 3 spin when they have no idea what a 3 spin even is…What are your suggestions? I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me on this subject matter!
It may seem hard to have a new thrower do a 3-turn throw, but I have seen kids do three turn throws after just a practice or a few practices. I think it can be difficult for most beginners to do three turns because they overthink it and take it too slowly. When you are so focused on footwork and positions, you paralyze yourself. That’s why you see some kids that have been throwing for a year and still do one turn throws (that was me when I was young). Just force them to do three turns and they will get it right quickly. It’s trial by fire. It will be ugly at first, but they will gain confidence that they can do it and then you can tweak it from there. I just wrote an article about this with a training partner and should be posting it in the next month or two. Stay tuned.