Author: Harvey Newton
Explosive Lifting for Sports: by Harvey Newton, Human Kinetics Publishers, 191 pages.
The latest offering from Human Kinetics is a book titled Explosive Lifting for Sports by Harvey Newton. This 191-page instructional guide to dynamic lifting exercises is richly illustrated with photo sequences of many types of lifts including squats, front squats, cleans, snatches, etc... It contains the standard sections concerning the theory and principles of strength training but what separates this book from the rest are the extremely detailed learning progressions for the lifts. Performing a power clean or a snatch can be very intimidating to the uninitiated but the author provides a step-by-step process of drills to learn before attempting the actual lifts. These learning progressions not only create a safer lifting environment, but also permit the athlete to realize the greatest benefit from the exercises.
These power lifts are very beneficial for all track and field athletes but can be especially useful for sprinters, who must generate a great deal of force out of the blocks, and for throwers, who must coordinate power delivery by multiple muscle groups simultaneously. The effect is very similar to that of plyometrics, as the athlete must accelerate and decelerate the loads very quickly.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in incorporating dynamic strength training into his or her routine.
Peter Lord