COREY TWINE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STRENGTH COACH AND TOUGHNESS

As I mentioned in our last post, we are searching for what toughness is?  Corey Twine Assistant Strength Coach at the University of Michigan shares his thoughts about what toughness means to him.  Thanks a lot Coach Twine!

In materials science and metallurgy, toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing; “Material” toughness is defined as the amount of energy per volume that a material can absorb before rupturing. It is also defined as the resistance to fracture of a material when stressed.”
When I was young I use to have a lot of toys, but the one I liked the most was the “Tonka Truck”.  The reason that I liked my Tonka truck is because it never broke like all my other toys.   No matter what I did to that truck or how much stress/adversity I put that truck thru the wheels stayed on (e.g. standing on it, rolling it off high steps, ramming it into a wall).  Therefore, I always classified that truck as “physically” tough.  That Tonka truck took a lot of abuse but did not break!!!
Thus, in regards to people we could rewrite this material science definition and still have it reign TRUE.   Toughness is the ability of a person to absorb adversity (physical or mental stress) without compromising their purpose.  Adversity can come from many different avenues, and it does not always have to be physical as in the form of strenuous activity.   This type of avenues usually just reveals it instead of developing it. 

Corey Twine
University of Michigan
Assistant Strength Coach

CAN YOU DEFINE WHAT "TOUGHNESS" IS?

I have tried to define what toughness means to me.  I have asked strength coaches from the University of New Mexico, West Virginia University, University of Michigan, and San Diego State what they consider toughness to be.  All of them said it is not an easy term to define.  It may seem easy to define on the surface, but after looking at all factors there is more there than just saying he/she has a high pain tolerance, so they are tough.  This is Darl Bauer's, Asst. Strength Coach at WVU, definition of "Toughness".  Thanks Darl for your help on this. Check him out on Push the Ground!

I think there is a certain amount of toughness that is seen and dictated by attitude.  A person that is more committed to their endeavor will be less likely to tap out compared to someone who doesn't really care as much in the first place.  "Commitment" is where toughness can be learned I believe because the greater investment they make can make it harder for them to surrender to discomfort.  Also, the greater condition the athlete is in the less effort they will need to give to get through workouts, this is why you see way more "emotional days" at the beginning of an off season because fatigue is sorting them all out.  On the contrary though, it seems that there is always one kid in the group that no matter how great of shape they get in they always have some weakness in them.  But I think that is our job as Strength coaches to find that and cut it out of them through a "tempering," process.   I would consider someone tough when they have proven it in every area.  There are plenty of weight room warriors that turn into cowards during conditioning.  I would like to say that toughness is "trainable" or "learnable" but just like teaching a class, there are always going to be the 3 kids in the back that didn't care during all the lectures and never actually grasp the concept of pain accommodation.  Those are your weak ones and those are the ones that I like to expose, because when everyone else sees that the weak are getting exposed they not only realize that they don't want to be in that position, but they solidify the fact that they have done enough to not be in that position. 

Darl Bauer

Assitant Strength and Conditioning Coach

West Virginia University

SQUAT DEPTH AND APPROPRIATE WEIGHT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Have you ever evaluated how your athletes squat?  In many regards this is the eternal fight when you have a wide diversity of High School students.   There are younger students, older students, and a variety of body types.  
The biggest problem occurs when younger students feel preasure to try to perform with more weight than their technique will allow. This mindset leads to depth issues and the potential for injury.  
As coaches we need to demand  that the technique comes before increases in weight.  This will dismiss insecurities students may have about how much weight is being lifted. It will also put the emphasis on taking great pride in performing exercises with perfect technique. 
By not creating this atmosphere in our facilities, injury is sure to happen.  When injury occurs in the weight room we run the risk of losing the trust of the sport coaches that are promoting the strength and conditioning program.