References

For more information, consult the following resources:

  1. Kelly Starrett’s Becoming a Supple Leopard (Amazon link) combines a wealth of accessible information about safe movement, joint positioning and biomechanics with practical exercise and mobility techniques to develop strength while preventing and recovering from injuries.

  2. Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength (Amazon link) is an accessible guide to beginning weight training, specifically focused on the compound “power” lifts discussed here and applicable to volleyball.

  3. Carl Paoli’s Free+Style (Amazon link) is an excellent guide to useful motor progressions for body weight exercises. It’s proven especially valuable in introducing larger groups of younger athletes to movement and mobility techniques.

  4. Gray Cook’s Movement (Amazon link) is the definitive guide to the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) as well as Selective Functional Movement Assessments. The FMS is an essential tool for preparing athletes of any age for strength training and intense physical activity, and is especially valuable in larger group settings to tailor instruction.

While Starrett’s and Rippetoe’s lifting techniques are similar, there are subtle differences. While some in the fitness community amplify these variations into a debate between crossfit and powerlifting, I look at these two authors as asking, and answering, two different questions.

Starrett’s general question is, “How do I complete a movement in the safest and most biomechanically advantageous way?”

Rippetoe’s general question is, “How can I lift the most weight without hurting myself?”

While those two questions will often give you the same answer, to the extent differences exist, I believe they reflect the authors answering different questions. Since we’re most interested in ingraining safe positioning and motor control habits, to the extent there are differences, I generally favor Starrett.

Below are some additional interesting references. The first two articles are especially worth reading.

  1. LaBella CR, Hennrikus W, Hewett TE et al. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention. Pediatrics. 2014;133:1437-1451. Full Text

  2. Cook G, Burton L, Hoogenboom B. Pre-Participation Screening: The Use of Fundamental Movements as an Assessment of Function – Part 1. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. May 2006; 1(2): 62–72. PubMed

  3. Arendt E, Dick R. Knee injury patterns among men and women in collegiate basketball and soccer. NCAA data and review of literature. Am J Sports Med. 1995;23:694-701. PubMed

  4. Agel J, Arendt EA, Bershadsky B. Anterior cruciate ligament injury in national collegiate athletic association basketball and soccer: a 13-year review. Am J Sports Med. 2005;33(4):524-530. PubMed

  5. Griffin LY, Agel J, Albohm MJ, et al. Noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries: risk factors and prevention strategies. J Am Acad Orthp Surg. 2000;8(3):141-150. PubMed

  6. Grindstaff TL, Hammill RR, Tuzson AE et al. Neuromuscular Control Training Programs and Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Rates in Female Athletes: A Numbers-Needed-to-Treat Analysis. J Athl Train. 2006;41(4):450-456. PubMed

  7. Niewiadomski W, Pilis W, Laskowska D et al. Effects of a brief Valsalva manoeuvre on hemodynamic response to strength exercises. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2012 Mar:32(2):145-157. PubMed

  8. Matos N, Winsley RJ. Trainability of young athletes and overtraining. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2007;6:353-367. Full Text

  9. Behringer M, vom Heede A, Mester J. Effects of Resistance Training in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2010;126(5):1199-1210. Full Text