Transfer of Training

Recently, I have been on a lazy man’s training program.  Since my retirement from throwing, I have wondered aimlessly around the weight room.  For a while I was just focusing on my Olympic weightlifting, but my arthritic elbow (caused by shot putting and lyme disease) continued to haunt me.  It got to be too much pain.  After I push pressed 180k/396lbs, I couldn’t sleep for 4 days, and that was while I was taking pain relief medication!! Lately, my training has been random bench press sessions, a fair amount of pull ups, lots of bicep curl variants and once or twice a week I will squat heavy. 

Where am I going?  Well, today I deadlifted 600lbs.  I know, I know, that’s not a huge amount for the powerlifting world, but I have never been great at deadlifting. I am not a great grinder and in reality, I have deadlifted about 5 times total over the last 4 years.  So how was I able to hit a big PR without actually training the movement?  Transfer of training!!!

While training with Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk, one of the most important things I learned as an athlete that I have since applied to my coaching, is the analysis of the transfer of training.  What exercises transfer best to other exercises and what exercises in turn transfer best to the competition world?  In my case, it helps that I have a relatively good front squat (210K/464lbs) and I have a fairly strong paused back squat (230k pause for 3 seconds).  I believe simply by hitting pause squats and having a good rowing/pull up ability, I have been able to hit a 600lb deadlift with ease!  Now, the deadlift bug may have bit me…we will see if I can hit the much sought after 700lb pull all while analyzing each movements transfer of training!