Fred Hatfield comments on the Supertraining Book

[Guest guest]

I found something funny on Fred Hatfield's( " DrSquat " ) own forum today

(www.drsquat.com).

I guess it soon will be deleted, so I included it here for others to read (only

the essentials).

Jim Bob asks:

<I work in a corporate fitness setting and want to get of copy of this book

- is there

any way I could justify its use in the environment that I am working in, from

what I have read it

sounds more like a sports performance type of book. It would be nice to be able

to put on the

corporate american express card, but i have to make it legit so my manager will

approve it,

anyone who has read this book have any suggestions?>

Fred Hatfield's response:

<<Actually, fellas, Yuri Verkoshansky told me that " Supertraining " is old

sicence (circa 1980 and earlier),

and that his new book is far more updated. Mel did NOT write Supertraining, it

was stuff from Yuri's files

primarily. Mel is an engineer by trade, not a sports expert. He does have a

passion for training (though

he doesn't train himself, as evidenced by his very slight physique), and he

apparently speaks Russian,

as well as the Queen's English very well, thank you! >>

Dr Mel C Siff commented:

<Actually, fellas, Fred needs to check his facts and the laws about defamation

before he goes too far in

this direction. Every single item that cites relevant aspects of Yuri's

excellent research has been fully

referenced, as is the case in all academic texts. Where Yuri's information has

been out of date, it has been

critiqued and counterbalanced with studies from other scientists and my own

research. Moreover,

" Supertraining " covers a considerable amount of material that Yuri did not cover

or covered very

cursorily, including weightlifting, powerlifting, injury mechanics, muscle

physiology, bodybuilding

methods, PNF, flexibility, applied biomechanics, circuit training, restoration,

isokinetics, functional

anatomy, sports management theory, nonlinear dynamics in sport, bioenergetics,

lifting comparison

formulae, band and chain training, cybernetic periodisation, visualisation,

physiological testing, and

non-impact plyometrics. Clearly, you haven't read the latest edition of this

book.

I am not an engineer by trade - I lectured applied mechanics, biomechanics and

professional communication

in the mechanical engineering dept at my university, but qualified with degrees

in physics and applied math,

then completed a Masters in Applied Math, specialising in brain research, and a

PhD in physiology,

specialising in sport biomechanics, plus I have done considerable research in

biomechanical analysis of

several sports, including weightlifting. In addition, I have addressed many

conferences on an extensive

variety of topics in sports science, biomechanics, injury mechanics, strength

training, and so on, so I am

not all that ignorant about the science and art of sports training. You should

really know better - you visited

me at my university in South Africa years ago while I was doing weightlifting

training (100kg division)

with the national team and you even complimented me on what I was doing in that

country. Or shall I refer

you to the SA powerlifters who were there with me at the time?

Your memory really must be failing to think that I don't train - I have done

Olympic lifting for close on

40 years, as well as martial arts and several other sports at national level. I

often placed in the first few

places in South African weightlifting and even received the Sportsman of the

Year trophy at my university.

I own my own gym in the USA and train religiously there at least 3 times a week.

Your remark about some

sort of correlation between bulk and lifting performance betrays a curious

ignorance about strength science -

do you remember the wiry and thin Baszanowski and others like the great

Vardanian, , Urrutia,

Nunes and many other lower division lifters who were world champions? Some

lifters are more interested

in great power developed by high levels of neuromuscular efficiency, not simply

adipose muscle bulk.

Fred, this uncalled for and very unprofessional character assassination does you

no credit. You enjoyed a great

reputation in powerlifting and through your ISSA courses, so don't ruin that

because of some strange private

agenda you may have. Let's stick to discussing the science and art of strength

training and stop wasting our very

brief time on this planet by playing demeaning personality games. I would think

that we (and Yuri) are above

that sort of negative, useless pursuit from which nobody gains anything.

Back to the original question - if anyone would like some information (Table of

Contents, Preface and Book Review)

on what the " Supertraining " book really is about, you can download a free PDF

file from:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/files/ST-Info.pdf >

------------

**** I find it amusing that Fred Hatfield will voluntarily post something like

this on his own website. He

must surely think highly of himself to talk in this manner about a respected

sport scientist like Dr Mel Siff.

I find his " witty " comment on Mel's language capabilities especially funny -

look at the kind of writing he resorts

to himself!

[incidentally, some years ago, both Fred Hatfield and his business partner, Sal

Arria, contacted me to see if I

would be willing to have my " Supertraining " book become part of their ISSA

course, but I hesitated for

various reasons of my own (I still have their correspondence somewhere in my

files). Many years ago, Fred

even sent me a copy of his entire ISSA course book for my comments and review,

along with the comments of

Dr Yessis (I still have that copy and my comments) - isn't it curious

that he should ask such a favour

of someone whom he apparently detests that much? Some character in Alice in

Wonderland said it all: " Curiouser

and curiouser! " Mel Siff]

Dan Hagen

Vigmostad, Norway