Bondarchuck SPE and SDE work

1st Official Post

    BONDARCHUK AND SPECIAL DEVELOPMENTAL EXERCISESTo identify special strength exercises, Anatoliy Bondarchuk categorizes exercises based on the muscles, movements, and energy systems used. The end result is four categories of exercises that move from general to specific:General Preparatory Exercises (GE) – exercises that use different systems and movements as the competition movements;
    Special Preparatory Exercises (SPE) – exercises that use the same muscles and systems but different movements;
    Special Developmental Exercises (SDE) – exercises that use the same muscles, same systems, and parts of the competitive movement; and
    Competitive Exercise (CE) – the competitive movement itself.
    For example, a discus thrower would consider jogging a GE, power cleans an SPE, rotational medicine balls throws as an SDE and throwing the discus as the CE. What most people would call special strength exercises falls into the SDE category since it mimics the movement of the competitive exercise in order to strengthen the movements and muscles used in the sport. For more information about Bondarchuk’s classification system, see chapter one of his book Transfer of Training in Sports Volume 2.
    - On a practical level coaches are usually trying to find examples of this SPE and SDE. I've compiled some examples of both on this webpage.
    Bondarchuk-SDE-Work

    Originally we drove the hand down with the hand back like a shot was in it and then pushed through like a throw. Now we stick it straight down and work it back and forth as far as possible. It is very good for shot putters who sometimes have hand problems from the shot bending their fingers back too far. We do 50 twice a day both hands. It's originally from martial arts and I used it when I had hand problems.

    Great stuff. I tried the Bondarchuk system for my pre-season and early season of my senior year before going back to a more general lifting program. I like the principal of specific strength but at the time I felt that my general/global strength was too weak, and that I would be better served doing heavier work in the weight room. It would be interesting to see what a hybrid specific strength/general heavy strength program would do for a thrower. Learning Bondarchuk's systems is something that i've wanted to do for awhile. Thanks again for posting this!!!

    • Official Post

    I know that this kind of a system for doing different categories of exercises is used in Germany as well. For example during the rest between reps at weight sessions [articledefinition=2]Schult[/articledefinition] always made his athletes do single turns of parts of the full turn discus throw in front of a big mirror. It was just to keep the athletes busy and concentrating technical aspects even though weights were on the training plan.
    And right after every weight sessions med ball throws and Butterfly's with dumbbell are scheduled.

    All of the video examples of the SPE and SDE exercises on the Bondarchuk site
    Bondarchuk-SDE-Work
    are my throwers. I have done parts of what Dr. B advocates and missed many other parts because I wasn't exposed to it. This year I am following a great deal of it in these ways:
    - I quit having my throwers do partial throws ie. South Africans, Pivots, etc because he feels there is little carryover to real throws.
    - I am doing a morning session of 25 minutes of SDE work before school with my best throwers instead of tacking it on after an hour and a half of throwing and two hours of lifting.
    - With my best senior thrower ( 17 ) who already has high strength levels ( 117.5 snatch, 162.5 clean, 235 kg full squat we will end the cycles ( realization phase ) with 70% weight work instead of the 95% I previously did.
    - We use variable weight everyday. We throw 4 stands with a 12 kg kettlebell, 4 stands with a 16 lb. then six throws with a 14 lb, six with a 12 lb, six with a 10 lb and six with a 12 lb typically. So far I have a senior throwing 59' 10.5, another senior throwing 53' 3 and a freshman throwing 56' 3 so I think it is going well.

    @Bill Pendleton that is really interesting that you have dropped South Africans. Have you stopped standing throw as well? In my opinion the South African helps the drive however I have notice at the moment my son is over rotating so not turning the full rotation into a South African. We do 6 standing throws, 6 South Africans and 6 full rotations for a practice session.
    Also have a lack of speed in full rotation for shot put so have increased this by doing some South African drills. Seems to have worked but need to make sure that it works for the full throws.
    Have a problem with a floppy arm for shot put as well. So I am thinking that the BONDARCHUK video you have on the hand in the rice could help. We are using a big bag of chicken feed instead.

    I still use South Africans but only as a corrective drill for throwers who don't understand getting across the ring. I think it helps then understand the linear component. I just don't have everybody do it. We just got into real throws sooner and our progress has been faster although it's hard to say exactly why. We used to do 5 stands, 3-5 South Africans, 3 - 5 pivots etc. Now it's just a few stands and all fulls. I try to get more speed by telling them to turn the right hip over as fast as they can after they unseat ( leave the back ). But for it to work they have to have their chest up. Godina is a good video model. I'm sure chicken feed works well. I used to use sand but rice is better.

    To be honest I'm just trying to follow Bondarchuck's model this year and see how we do. As far as special throws as a whole group ( if I understand your question ) we just do stand throws and those are primarily SDE work. We throw 25 lb kettlebells standing and 16 lb shots standing. I know some coaches also use overhead throws but I haven't. I think it comes down to the 10,000 throws a year idea ( Danek?) or Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours requirement for greatness. We'll never reach that but every partial throw we take is one less full throw.
    As far as fine sand I'm sure it would work. We used sand I stole from the long jump pit for many years.

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