The exercises in the weight room are not meant to replicate movements, they are meant to develop certain physical qualities that are transferrable to movements. Unilateral exercises limit the power output and force applied, which is why any decent strength coach only includes them as accessory work to iron out imbalances, and most of the time just to shut the physio up. The goal is to get them strong and powerful, then transfer that to the sporting movement. Throwing a punch isn't a unilateral movement either, as with any throwing motion what the front leg is doing is just as important as the back leg in order to halt the movement and transfer the stretch through the trunk. If you're replicating boxing speeds with a kettlebell you're going to have to be using something very light. May as well just do plyometrics. You can do ballistic anything in the weight room basically. Starting strength for the upper extremities? If you're doing those exercises right there should be minimal input from the upper extremities. How is a kettlebell anymore effective at timing lockout than a dumbbell? There was no rationale explained there. That sounds confident and gives the impression of someone who knows what they're talking about but they really don't.
To be honest I think you just say things to suit your own beliefs and dont actually listen to others ideas...so perhaps you need to heed your own advice.
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Yea I'm a junior S&C coach working in a football academy and am doing my MSc in sport science. I guess I get your point about people not doing under 6 reps and kettlebells are often used for aerobic conditioning rather than power development. I understand what you mean by proximal-to-distal sequencing although it's not a term I've heard or read before. There is research out there which has suggested that heavy kettlebells can be used as a means of developing power due to the levels of impulse and power output generated, whether or not it can be translated into improved punching power is another matter and I don't think there's a definitive answer at the moment.
Have to disagree you're comment on unilateral exercises as many athletic movements are performed unilaterally e.g. sprinting, changing direction. Not to mention their potential for improving proprioception and hip mobility/stability and like you say their potential for injury prevention. I would want to ensure that an athlete is able to maintain stability on one leg before I begin to do loaded bilateral exercises. I know many top S&C coaches who put a lot of emphasis on unilateral work. I would probably call punching a "semi-unilateral" movement because the emphasis is on one leg while the other is used for stability and so exercises which are semi-unilateral would be beneficial for boxing. Think about the position you're in when you throw a right hand to the body, and the position your in at the bottom of a split-leg-squat.
It's the dealt with way or no way how about that for an elite athlete trainer and PT? I don't know how he managed to learn anything cos he doesn't actually listen to anyone else so who knows where it all comes from. :huh
Science backs up common sense. Regardless of your knowledge you can't come onto a place like this and make the kind of sweeping statements chappie makes (which are there for all to see in his earlier posts), in the overly aggressive tones he uses, without antagonising people. He should know better. It's immature, distracting, and not very 'scientific'.
Do some research on the bilateral deficit and what unilateral training does to that.. Unilateral training is fine as accessory work, to say you can't do bilateral work until you're good on one leg is idiotic IMO. Mobility/stability at the hips isn't generally an issue, pelvic control is everything. The position of a split leg squat has nothing to do with the MOVEMENT of throwing a punch. The front leg is doing far more than just stabilizing, it's resisting the forward momentum to create separation between the hips and shoulders. It can strongly be argued that sprinting etc. isn't unilateral either considering all the contra-lateral activity and the movement/work being done by the non-stance leg. It'd be a good idea for your development to get some experience in a different sport than football/soccer, it's renowned for being behind the eight ball, similar to boxing. You still have some relatively high up people who don't even believe in weight training.
I've provided rationale for everything I've argued, and explained why I don't agree. I listen, but unfortunately I don't get to learn much at a place like this.
