Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods
Modern methods of attaining super-strength
By Coach Christian Thibaudeau Edited by Tony Schwartz Foreword by Thomas J. Myslinski, Jr.
About the editor Tony Schwartz is a strength and conditioning coach based out of the Midwest-region of the United States. Tony specializes in program design for strength and power athletes. His methods and modalities for increasing strength and power have been described as both unorthodox and unusually effective. He is currently working towards perfecting synergistic training, nutrition, and supplementation systems that can be used by elite and amateur athletes alike. In addition to his work in the strength and conditioning field, Tony is also a research assistant in the field of exercise physiology. Tony is available for private training in the Chicago, IL area, as well as in the Bloomington, IN area. In addition, he also designs personalized training, nutrition, and supplementation programs online. If you would like more information on Tony’s methodologies and programs please contact him at
[email protected]
Foreword “Let the truth be told, the veil of secrecy has been raised!” In the “Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods,” Christian Thibaudeau creates a self-explanatory training masterpiece that encompasses specific research and applications of the world’s grandest strength coaches. From the practical experiences of the “father of pliometrics,” Yuri Verkhoshancki, and Germany’s Jurgen Weineck, to the more recent work of France’s Gilles Commetti and Christian’s own personal coach, Canada’s Jean Boutet, evolves a simplified, straightforward approach to understanding the complexities of the Conjugate Sequence System. Methodically and systematically constructed, this manuscript is fully referenced and packed with current scientific evidence, which in turn sheds light on previously guarded training systems. Quite often, as teachers, we try to improve an athlete’s total performance, creating a state of paralysis through over-analysis, which confuses those who are trying to learn. Understanding that time is of the essence, we have to utilize our athlete’s time wisely and invest it to the fullest extent. Using the part-whole motor skill developmental approach adopted from the former Eastern Bloc countries, Christian identifies and breaks down a variety of means, methods, and systems into easily learnable components. Then, after each independent skill is thoroughly explained, the whole is reassembled and integrated into a new, complete, superior operating motor program and applied in a functionalspecific training regime. This part-whole process allows complex procedures to be broken down into controllable segments, which ensures that the time invested is time well spent. Furthermore, as a veteran the National Football League, I whole-heartedly understand the personal accountability that accompanies that earned position. In order to perform at an elite intensity, day in and day out, year in and year out, one’s performance level always has to be within an optimal range. Since every athlete is unique, possessing his/her own strengths and weaknesses, the programs must be individualized depending upon personal needs and the motor demands of their sport. Ultimately, the final burden of preparation resides with the athlete. Shouldering