The 2-time Olympic medal shot putter discusses the secret to longevity 

Martin: Before we get to talk about training and throwing, I am very interested to hear what you are up to in your non-throwing life. In the past I’ve seen you involved with the Workout Source, a frozen yogurt venture, in addition to being a father. Have you been working on any new projects this year?

Adam: Yes, I recently accepted a position as Director of Sports Performance for a new training center in Athens, Georgia. The facility is part of an expansion by team of surgeons, physical therapists, physician assistants, and athletic trainers. The sports performance center will offer elite athletes a complete offering of performance enhancing services and access to world class coaches like Don Babbitt at the University of Georgia. The Athens Orthopedic Sports Performance Center will open in the fall of this year.

Martin: You often say different training systems work for different throwers and compare your training to that of Reese Hoffa or Dylan Armstrong. All three of you have different talents and different training methods. You’re basically saying that no one method works for everyone; but I know you also are not saying that there anything can work. How do you think throwers can find what works best for them?

Basically, it’s just experience – trial and error. I suggest all athletes start with basic, well-known programs. There are plenty of resources online that offer outlines of training programs. Use those programs designed by experts to start your own experimentation in the world of strength and conditioning. Over time, you’ll find what works for you.

A bit of caution though: big doesn’t equal strong or athletic. And a bit of advice: maximum strength training is addictive, but you’re better off achieving minimum thresholds of strength and, then, focusing on improving your relative strength levels (unless you are a strongman or powerlifter, then go crazy).

Martin: You’ve also worked with nearly every top coach in America over the past two decades including guys like Robert Wier and now Don Babbitt again. Are there some universal truths of training that you’ve come away with?

Adam: Yes.

  • It’s better to be 10% undertrained than overtrained.
  • If you don’t start right, it’s very difficult to finish right.
  • Success is the result of a lot of small victories over a long period of time.
  • Always know your goal – or as they say in Alice in Wonderland,”If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

Martin: I’ve obviously been heavily influenced by Bondarchuk, so my next questions relate to idea of transfer of training between exercises. A common misconception of Bondarchuk is that he thinks strength is not important just because it doesn’t transfer as well as some other exercises. It is he just does not believe in the “if you squat 10 kilograms more you’ll throw one meter more” philosophy. What is your take on that?

Adam: I agree with Dr. B. Strength gains do not equal performance gains. And I don’t think any reasonable or experienced athlete or coach believes that improved weight room numbers result in improved performance (at least not indefinitely). Also, I don’t believe Dr. B doesn’t recognize the importance of absolute strength. Dylan is one of the strongest human beings on the planet and if he trained in a system that judged ability by the weight room the world would know this.

There are two sides of the training continuum: specialized training and generalized training. Over the past 10 years in the US we’ve seen a major shift towards the specialized training – aka “functional” training. Specialized training coaches the movement. Generalized training focuses on strengthening the engine. Specialized training is intended to build the whole machine all at once through a layering process, whereas generalized training says we’ll build the engine first and, then, figure out what we can attach it to later. Both methods still produce pretty amazing vehicles.

In general, I believe that strict adherence to specialized program over a long period of time will yield consistent and more predictable and permanent results. On the other hand, a traditional program will yield better short-term results and likely yield equivalent long-term results. Though the results from a traditional program will be less predictable and will largely depend on the ability to understand and execute a peaking protocol.

Martin: I know core strength is important for you and the first time I talked to you it was to write an article on the topic for Hammerthrow.org . Do you also utilize any “special strength” exercises in your training (e.g. heavy shots, other exercises that emulate the release motion, etc.).

Adam: Yes, I have several specific exercises I use. The specialized work should emulate a similar sequence as the throw. However, heavy shots seem to have a negative correlation on my technique over time. All of my additional specialized training is done outside the circle – keep in mind that a throwing workout is a specialized program.

Martin: How does your typical offseason look and rest period look? Has that evolved over the years?

Adam: I used to take two or three months off. Now, I might take a week or two off after the season before starting my general preparation phase. As I age, I spend more time in general prep and accumulation phases and less time in intensification phases. So you might say my training is – general prep followed by an extended peaking program.

Martin: What do you find is the most helpful exercise for the shot put, both for you personally and for shot putters generally?

Adam: It’s hard to say. It depends on the training phase and what I need to do. I would say the snatch and the jerk seem to have a high correlation to performance. The snatch is great because it’s a long explosion. The jerk helps to transfer the “pull” strength developed by cleans and snatches into something relevant to throwing.

Martin: I was speaking with Shaun Pickering in the Fall and he mentioned that both he and Dylan found more success in the shot put than their original event (hammer) because neither had the “hammer thrower’s mentality.” How would you describe the shot putter mentality and how is it different from the other throwing events?

Adam: Shot putters generate power through action. Hammer throwers generate power through patience.