At Donskov Strength and Conditioning we are always trying to find ways to improve our current programming. Our Athletic Development Programs run year round (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring) and cater to the competitive high school athlete. Many times our programs are a mix of returning/new athletes, which can pose to be an arduous task for accurately proving loading parameters for athletes with varying training experience. Our programs incorporate undulating stress levels that are manipulated every three weeks (ex. 4/week split program: Athlete gets 6 exposures to the stress, than it is changed). Below are several of the many loading choices that coaches can incorporate into their programs dependant upon training status.

In a recent StrengthCoach.com forum the question was recently posed: “Are Olympic Lifts the Key to Collegiate Sports?” Although I don’t believe that one lift is the key to athletic success, it was interesting to read the responses. I have also learned in this profession to avoid acute angles. It seems that many disagree for the sake of being different and argue over the minutia.Hopefully this article avoids those angles! Still the question remains, are Olympic lifts worth the hype? I know several very well respected coaches who do not program these lifts. Hopefully this article explains differing points of view and allows the reader a better understanding of why we program Olympic lifts at Donskov Strength and Conditioning.

I miss the competition! I miss the weight room filled with my teammates, adrenaline, sweat, chalk and enough testosterone to start a small revolution! I miss the only two concerns I ever had in life back in those days, school and hockey! My how things have changed. The game has taken its toll on me and I have the scars to prove it. Cuts, pulls, multiple shoulder surgeries and enough time spent in rehab to start my own PT clinic. 

I received plenty of feedback on the first installment of this article called “Three Tips to Help Your Athletes Master the Hang Clean.” It seems that many Olympic lifting purists didn’t like a few of the coaching cue’s we give our athletes’ at Donskov Strength and Conditioning. One particular cue/technical aspect of the lift came under heavy scrutiny. The hip rock! In defense of our use of the hang clean and its application to athletic development, I have come up with the following list. Below is a list of why we do what we do: defending the Hang Clean for Athletic Development.

There is a reason the Vegas strip is plush with multi-million dollar Casinos. The house wins! More often than not the few lucky individuals that “hit it big” are overshadowed by individuals that have lost a great deal! To steal a metaphor from the great Coach Dan John in his book “Easy Strength”: strength and conditioning is a lot like Blackjack. Knowing when to “hit” and when to stay/stand is both an art and a science. Lets take a deeper look at the similarities.