Question and Answer Session with Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk

[Guest guest]

Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk has kindly offered members of the group the

opportunity to ask him questions related to his training methods.

Please submit questions to the group for Dr Bondarchuk to answer.

For members unfamiliar with Dr Bondarchuk:

Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk is renowned as an athlete (1972 Olympic

Champion and European Champion in the hammer throw as well as a

former World Record Holder), Mr. Bondarchuk's coaching credentials

are virtually unprecedented in the sport of Athletics.

Dr. Bondarchuk is a Doctor of Pedagogical Science ( University of

Kiev ) and his research into technique and high-performance training

methods formed the basis for many of the common techniques and

practices used by the world's top athletes today. Mr. Bondarchuk

developed the USSR National Team throws program from 1976 to 1992

from which he produced numerous World and Olympic Champions in the

Hammer, Discus and Shot Put. He has authored 11 books and 195

articles in his areas of expertise. A common focus is training to

maintain performance and technique. Since 1992 he has been coaching

for Portugal and Kuwait. Mr. Bondarchuk will start his duties with

the KTFC in March of 2005. Below is a brief summary of his athletes'

accomplishments.

For the City of Kamloops this is an unprecedented opportunity for the

coaches and athletes of the sport of athletics to learn and excel

under one of the greatest coaches in the sport's history. With the

City's new 37.5 million dollar upgrade to its current athletics

facilities, which include a fully competitive throws competition and

training venue, this great news ensures that the athletes of Kamloops

and its surrounding region are going to be in one of the most

enriching and productive athletic environments in the entire world.

It is the goal of the Kamloops Track and Field Club to ensure that

all athletes in the sport of Athletics locally, provincially, and

nationally thrive under Mr. Bondarchuk's guidance. To this end we are

fully committed.

Major Championship Victories (men's hammer throwers only, all

performances achieved by athletes under Mr. Bondarchuk's direction):

1976 Olympic Games, Montreal – Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

1978 European Championships, Prague - Gold medallist

1979 World Cup, Montreal - Gold medallist

1980 Olympic Games, Moscow - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

1982 European Champ., Athens - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

1983 World Championship, Helsinki - Gold and Silver medallists.

1984 World Cup, Belgrade - Gold medallist

1985 European and World Cup, Canberra - Gold medallist

1986 European Champs, furt - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

1987 World Championships, Rome - Gold and Silver medallists.

1988 Olympic Games, Seoul - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

1989 European Champs, Yugoslavia - Gold and Silver medallists.

1991 World Championships, Tokyo - Gold and Silver medallists.

1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona - Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists.

Mr. Bondarchuk's athletes, while members of the USSR National Team,

broke 12 World Records. His athletes won all hammer throw medals in 4

consecutive non-boycotted Olympic Games.

In addition to the above, the following are examples of results that

his athletes have achieved:

HAMMER THROW:

Yuri Sedych - Olympic Champion (1976, 1980), Silver Medal Olympic

Games (Seoul), World Champion (1991), European Champion (1978, 1982,

1986). 6 Time World Record Holder (still current record holder –

86.74m set in 1986), best result: 86.74m.

Sergey Litvinov - Olympic Champion (1988), Silver Medal Olympic Games

(Moscow), World Champion (1983, 1987). 3 Time World Record Holder,

best result: 86.14m.

Andrey Abduvalyev - Olympic Champion (1992), World Champion (1993,

1994) best result – 83.60m.

Yuri Tamm - Bronze medal Olympic Games (Moscow, Seoul), World Cup

Champion (1985) and European Cup Champion (1985). Former World Record

Holder, best result – 84.40m.

A. Krykun - Bronze Medal Olympic Games (Atlanta), best result-80.46m.

A. Debely - World Junior Champion (1989, Athens). Best result -

79.98m.

In total Mr. Bondarchuk has coached 17 athletes over 80m in the

hammer throw

SHOT PUT:

A. Baryshnikov - Silver Medal Olympic Games 1980, 22.00m World Record

B. Stepansky - Champion of Ukraine (1989), 20.89m.

A. Samolik - Champion of Ukraine (1990), best result - 20.52m.

D. Kovzun - Champion of Ukraine (1987), best result - 19.35m.

E. Koslova - Champion of Europe 1987 (junior), 19.99m.

S. Butova -18.56m.

DISCUS THROW:

Men:

D. Kovzun - Champion of USSR, 68.62m.

A. Mandyk - Champion of Ukraine, 62.84m.

Women:

C. Savinkova - Silver Medal European Championship (1982), Silver

Medal in World Cup (1985), Former World Record Holder, 73.26m.

S. Suchova - Champion of Ukraine, 66.50m.

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Here are a few of my notes regarding Dr Bondarchuk's training methods:

Some of the key points that I have collated reading A.Bondarchuk's

articles:

* Development of strength-flexibility through full range of motion

exercises (kettlebells, hurdles, Olympic lifts derivatives)

*Technique `work' precedes power, sprints, throws activities etc

*The volume of work has increased dramatically over the years

(increase in number of sessions)

*Low intensity exercise has also increased

*During the general physical training periods it is necessary to

practice a definite set of exercises

*Active restoration methods are vital for elite athletes (nutritional

supplements, massage, saunas, hydrotherapeutics)

*Specialised exercises must be completed (esp. advanced athletes)

*It is important to make changes to the structure of periodization

from year to year, as the organism would otherwise adjust itself to a

certain format.

* Use of functional isometrics during the warm-up.

*The Soviets were the first to utilise complexes / combined methods

(throws, technique, weights and or jumps etc) – it is inadvisable to

split up workouts into strength, speed, technical for elite athletes

*GPP and SPP are not rigidly separated especially for advanced

athletes (perfection of technique helps a great deal in minimising

the risk of injury and inefficient use of the muscles)

*Improvement in the gym doesn't mean improvement in performance -

optimal strength and speed will produce the greatest effect on the

performance. Bigger, stronger, faster does not equate to better

performance.

*Loads of different intensities should be used in the workouts of

highly qualified athletes in each session during the preparatory and

competitive periods.

*Use of heavier or lighter competition objects (javelin, shot) needs

careful implementation depending on the level of the athlete

*Overtraining can cause `deautomisation' of motor skills

*Matveyev `model' is valid for beginning athletes but is considered

outdated for the preparation of the elite athlete.

*There are no `sporting Mcs' - all athletes progress at

different rates – `it depends on the characteristics of the athlete'

*Understand your athletes – use of psychological questionnaires

*Strength is easy to develop, but speed of movement is not. Enhances

strength is not always accompanied by enhanced speed.

*Emphasised the importance of feeling the movement. Temporary

exclusion of various senses, for example, closing your eyes.

" Throwing with eyes closed is also widely used at this stage to

develop coordination and a " feel " of the hammer. In the second part

of the preparation phase, underweight hammers replace the overweight

implements and at the beginning of March the volume of throwing

standard weight hammers is sharply decreased. "

*Many variations of alteration of exercises exist. However,

predominately technique work precedes power, jumps and sprints. Even

if training twice a day.

*The fundamental principle of all training and rehabilitation is that

the latter depends on nervous processes.

*There is no direct relationship between the ability of moving in a

straight line and rotational movements.

*The time spent on the whole method forms 70-80% of the total

training as technique development is in the program all year your.

*Best result of young hammer throwers aged 18 years of age: snatch

125kg, clean 170kg, squat 270kg.

*Integration of general and sport specific training is completed at

an early age (conjugation?). The development is monitored closely

and matched to suit the individual.

*Beware the " specific evil " – the response to repeadtely using a

given set of training effects.

*The changes in the functional condition of the body's systems are

always specific – but the degree of transfer may also depend on the

level of qualification of the athlete.

*There are three types of learners all with different characteristics

of learning. All athletes should learn the same thing but all arrive

at the result in different ways and different time scales.

*A relationship between phases of developing form and periods of

training; they must not be ignored, thereby interrupting the normal

course of sporting improvement.

*Adaptation is part and parcel of the existence of every living thing

on earth.

*According to Bondarchuk (3), changing training methods

will " encourage a situation where performance will improve at each

stage of sporting development. "

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From " Long Term Training for Throwers "

" The amount of fulfilled training work is one of the main factors in

the growth of sports results. An analysis of various theoretical and

practical works shows that the volumes of training loads increases

from one Olympic cycle to the next. The tables show the volumes of

work being done by athletes in the first 60-70 years of this century

and at present. The increasing volume of training loads occurs

because of the increase in the number of training sessions in the

competitive, weekly and monthly cycles of the preparatory periods.

But it should be mentioned here that the volume of training loads

being done by athletes at present during a single training session

has become somewhat lower. "

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Bondarchuk, A. Modern trends in hammer throwing. [book Analytic] In,

Jarver, J. (ed.), The throws: contemporary theory, technique and

training,.

During the preparation phase a lot of throwing is performed at an

average speed, using overweight hammers (9-16kgf20-331b). Throwing

with eyes closed is also widely used at this stage to develop

coordination and a " feel " of the hammer. In the second part of the

preparation phase, underweight hammers replace the overweight

implements and at the beginning of March the volume of throwing

standard weight hammers is sharply decreased. The relation at this

stage is 60% underweight to 40% normal-weight hammer throwing. At the

beginning of the competition period the volume

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK