comment about tudor bompa

[airforcerob]

After a passing comment in rip's podcast "a clarification" i found myself digging into tudor bompa a bit. specifically: A Talk with Tudor Bompa

I can see how influential his mark was on training programs, as he seemed to advocate for strengthening specific sporting movements, compared to the 2 factor model. Rip's argument that "how easy is it to coach a genetic freak?" sticks out.
He even seemed to have stumbled into the answer in 1963:
T: How did you first begin coaching the things you learned as an athlete?

TB: The most critical innovations in the approach to strength training came in 1963 when I was asked to train a nationally ranked javelin thrower. Her coach had moved to another city and I was the only person who could train her. I have to mention that at that time, as is the case today in many sports, athletes were training year-round only for power, using some free weights but also a great deal of medicine ball training. Before I started to train this athlete in early 1963, I'd logically concluded that power is a function of maximum strength [he highest force one can display in one attempt or 1RM], as well as speed and quickness of action. While speed has more genetic limitations than strength, I had decided to look for improved power by increasing maximum strength to the highest possible levels.

As I continued to train this thrower, I also continuously monitored and tested both speed and quickness and maximum strength. After a year and a half of training her, I found out that gains in power come 95% from gains in maximum strength, and only 5% from speed. That year represented the year when I created periodization of strength. Using this strength training strategy, my javelin thrower improved by 15 meters within a year and a half. She became the Olympic champion in 1964 and set a new world record as well.


...but he seemed to think that hypertrophy was not necessary for most sports (except linebackers and shot putters), and he really dug into training the athlete specifically what physiological traits they needed for their sport. Maybe i'm missing the point, but to give him the benefit of the doubt he might be using strength training only in one of his off season cycles, then getting more specific for the sport.

I guess i'm trying to figure out if he was a pioneer that moved training in the right direction, or generally causes coaches to focus on the wrong thing as they can't properly interpret his 'brilliant' work. Heck, many people can't even interpret rip's 'brilliant' work of 3x5, add weight, eat correctly and don't worry about abs! Bompa's work has intricate levels of complexity. Perhaps that is necessary for the world class athlete...but i can't help wonder how many judo players would benefit from being stronger.

per Bompa: "The Olympic lifting exercises are rigidly targeting only certain muscle groups, often not very important for many sports.

T: Give us an example of what you mean.

TB: Take judo for instance. Once I listened to a presentation regarding strength training for judo. The speaker was your typical Olympic lifting coach. He went over snatches and the clean and jerk! When the organizers asked my opinion, I simply said that the whole idea is wrong because judo involves primarily the flexor muscles of the hips, abdominals, and trunk, not the extensors normally targeted by Olympic lifting moves. The lifting coach became very upset when he heard me say this and left the room!"

So....this confuses me; as bompa should realize the benefit of power for judo....but i bet he would rather have the judo player do some sort of resisted single leg knee to chest.

anyway, as a physical therapist and exercise science major who never had to deadlift, squat or press during school (which still pisses me off), bompa's principles seemed to have prevailed in my education as the 'accepted' norm, which is why starting strength intrigued me so much.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Wikipedia lists 17 books for Dr. Bompa. Do any of them inform us about how to increase the deadlift?

[airforcerob]

Likely not, though I'd like to look if all his books are just variations of programming different cycles of training for sporting events. To say a judo player doesn't need extension exercises is crazy.... They need explosive power for every movement. Photos of Olympic lifts seem a great way to train explosive power.
On another note why don't I get feeds for clickbait from starting strength instead of this crap: How To Force Muscle Growth - 5 Best Scientific Methods | BOXROX

.... Increase your sets from three sets of eight to four sets of eight.... Keep adding weight to the bar and work your way up to 30 reps cuz you still gain strength,according to a meta-analysis; just a regurge of the same crappy information.... Why isn't the starting strength more mainstream? .... The first sentence was somewhat promising when it said just because you got a good pump and your shirt was sweaty doesn't mean you got a great workout.... But then went downhill from there