Paul W Winwood

• PhD
• Senior Academic Staff Member at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand

Background: Weight training sports including weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, Highland Games and CrossFit are weight training sports that have separate divisions for males and females of a variety of ages, competitive standards and bodyweight classes. These sports may be considered dangerous due to the heavy loads commonly used...

This study examined the acute potentiating effects of heavy sprint-style sled pulls on sprint performance. Twenty-two experienced resistance-trained rugby athletes performed two heavy sprint-style sled pull training protocols on separate occasions using a randomised, crossover, and counterbalanced design. The protocols consisted of 2-baseline 15 m...

Currently, no evidence exists as to the effectiveness of strongman training programs for performance enhancement. This study compared the effects of seven weeks of strongman resistance training versus traditional resistance training on body composition, strength, power, and speed measures. Thirty experienced resistance-trained rugby players were ra...

This study provides the first empirical evidence of strongman training and competition injury epidemiology. Strongman athletes (n=213) (mean ±SD: 31.7 ±8.8 y, 181.3 ±7.4 cm, 113.0 ±20.3 kg, 12.8 ±8.1 y general resistance training, 4.4 ±3.4 y strongman implement training) completed a self-reported 4-page 1-year retrospective survey of physical injur...

This study describes the results of a survey of the strength and conditioning practices of strongman competitors. A 65-item online survey was completed by 167 strongman competitors. The subject group included 83 local, 65 national, and 19 international strongman competitors. The survey comprised 3 main areas of enquiry: (a) exercise selection, (b)...

This study provides the first empirical evidence of how Highland Games heavy event athletes train and taper for Highland Games competitions. Athletes (n = 169) (mean ± SD: age 40.8 ± 10.7 years, height 181.2 ± 9.5 cm, weight 107.2 ± 23.0 kg, 18.8 ± 10.3 years of general resistance training, and 8.1 ± 6.9 years of competitive Highland Games experien...

Determining resting metabolic rate (RMR) is an important aspect when calculating energy requirements for professional rugby union players. Prediction equations are often used for convenience to estimate RMR. However, the accuracy of current prediction equations for professional rugby union players remains unclear. The aims of this study were to exa...

The purpose of this literature review is to critique training studies that have examined the effects of jump-landing programmes on bone health parameters in premenopausal women. Activities such as jumping and hopping have been proposed to achieve the desired unusual or atypical strain distributions on the skeleton for women who are habitually inact...

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a reduction in the density and quality of bone leading to a weakness of the skeleton and associated increased risk of fracture [1]. The most common type of osteoporosis is termed primary osteoporosis and includes both postmenopausal and age-related osteoporosis, which involves the structural deterioration...

In professional rugby union, it is common for players to switch between catered and non-catered dietary environments throughout a season. However, little is known about the difference in dietary intake between these two settings. Twelve elite male professional rugby union players (28.3 ± 2.9 y, 188.9 ± 9.5 cm, 104.1 ± 13.3 kg) from the New Zealand...

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-component nutrition, sleep, and physical activity (PA) program on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and health behaviors in overweight airline pilots. (2) Methods: A parallel group study was conducted amongst 125 airline pilots. The intervention group part...

The purpose of this study was to quantify ground reaction forces across all planes of motion and determine the influence of instruction associated with vertical, forward and lateral hop landings in premenopausal women. Bilateral jump-landings have previously been the focus in this population with forces quantified primarily in the vertical directio...

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 12-month quantified jump-landing program at clinically relevant bone sites in premenopausal women. Secondary measures of interest included; lower body explosive power, muscle reactivity, balance performance parameters and body composition. A longitudinal controlled trial was implem...

Background Jump landings have been quantified as a stimulus for bone health programs, however they may not be suitable for some populations. Currently, studies quantifying alternative types of lower body exercises are limited and no studies have quantified upper body exercises for inclusion in bone health programs. This study sought to quantify and...

Abstract: The aim of this study was to perform a 12-month follow-up of health parameters after a 17-week lifestyle intervention in overweight airline pilots. A parallel-group (intervention and control) study was conducted amongst 72 overweight airline pilots (body mass index > 25) over a 12-month period following the emergence of COVID-19. The inte...

Background The atlas stone lift is a popular strongman exercise where athletes are required to pick up a large, spherical, concrete stone and pass it over a bar or place it on to a ledge. The aim of this study was to use ecologically realistic training loads and set formats to (1) establish the preliminary biomechanical characteristics of athletes...

Performing jump-landings may not be suitable for some individuals when programming for bone health. This study quantified a stomp exercise to determine its magnitude (body weight’s [BW’s]) and rate (body weights per second [BW∙s-1]) of strain among premenopausal women. Twenty healthy premenopausal women [Mean ±SD: 41.7±5.6y; 68.2±10.6kg; 165±5.5cm;...

Thirty-four elite male professional rugby union players from the New Zealand Super Rugby championship completed dietary intakes via the Snap-N-Send method during a seven-day competition week. Mean seven-day absolute energy intake was significantly higher for forwards (4606 ± 719 kcal·day−1) compared to backs (3761 ± 618 kcal·day−1; p < 0.01; d = 1....

Citation: Ryan CMC, Clissold TL, Winwood PW (2021) The Quantification, Autoregulation and Reliability of the Stomp as an Osteogenic Exercise. Sports Injr Med: 5: 168. Abstract Performing jump-landings may not be suitable for some individuals when programming for bone health. This study quantified a stomp exercise to determine its magnitude (body we...

The yoke walk is a popular strongman exercise where athletes carry a heavily loaded frame balanced across the back of their shoulders over a set distance as quickly as possible. The aim of this study was to use ecologically realistic training loads and carry distances to (1) establish the preliminary biomechanical characteristics of the yoke walk;...

This study explored the anthropometric and body composition characteristics of elite female rugby union players, comparing between and within different playing positions. Thirty elite female rugby union players (25.6 ± 4.3 y, 171.3 ± 7.7 cm, 83.5 ± 13.9 kg) from New Zealand participated in this study. Physical characteristics were assessed using an...

This is the first study to document the training and tapering practices of elite CrossFit athletes. Seventy-two CrossFit athletes (39 females, 33 males) (mean ±SD; 26.5 ± 3.6 y, 167.1 ± 9.5 cm, 74.5 ± 12.7 kg, 12.8 ± 6.5 y general training, 5.4 ± 1.7 y CrossFit training) who competed at the “Regionals” level or higher in the 2018 CrossFit Games sea...

This study explored the physical and fitness characteristics of elite professional rugby union players and examined the relationships between these characteristics within forwards and backs. Thirty-nine elite professional rugby union players from the New Zealand Super Rugby Championship participated in this study. Body composition was measured usin...

The original article [1] contained an error whereby the symbol '☼' originally included in and below Tables 2-5 did not display properly.

Background: The sport of strongman is becoming increasingly popular, catering for females, lightweight, and Masters competitors, with strongman exercises also being used by strength and conditioning coaches for a range of athletic groups. Thus, a systematic review was conducted to examine researchers' current understanding of the biomechanics of s...

Background: Currently jump-landing ground reaction forces have only been quantified in the vertical direction as a stimulus for bone development. This study quantified the full-spectrum of jump-landing force magnitudes (body weight's) and rates of strain (body weights per second) of bilateral multidirectional jumps (star jump and stride jump) with...

Winwood, PW, Pritchard, HJ, Wilson, D, Dudson, M, and Keogh, JWL. The competition-day preparation strategies of strongman athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2019-This study provides the first empirical evidence of the competition-day preparation strategies used by strongman athletes. Strongman athletes (n = 132) (mean ± SD: 33.7 ± 8.1 ye...

As the sport of strongman is becoming increasingly popular, and such exercises are being commonly used by strength and conditioning coaches for a wide range of athletic groups, a greater understanding of the biomechanics of strongman exercises is warranted. To improve the quality of research, this systematic review summarised the research methodolo...

Uthoff, A, Oliver, J, Cronin, J, Winwood, P, Harrison, C, and Lee, JE. Resisted sprint training in youth: the effectiveness of backward vs. forward sled towing on speed, jumping, and leg compliance measures in high-school athletes. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2205-2212, 2021-Resisted sprinting (RS) is a popular training method used to enhance sprint...

BACKWARD RUNNING (BR) IS A COMMON LOCOMOTIVE TECHNIQUE BY MOST OVERGROUND ATHLETES DURING BOTH COMPETITION AND TRAINING, YET THERE ARE LIMITED EMPIRICALLY BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING BR TRAINING FOR ATHLETES. THIS ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF BR IN SPORTS CONTEXT, PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO WHY BR MAY BENEFIT ATHLETES, AND RECOMMENDS HOW TO INTEG...

Uthoff, A, Oliver, J, Cronin, J, Harrison, C, and Winwood, P. Sprint-specific training in youth: Backward running vs. forward running training on speed and power measures in adolescent male athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-This study compared the effects of 2 sprint-specific training programs against the natural development of spe...

Target running intensities are prescribed to enhance sprint-running performance and progress injured athletes back into competition, yet is unknown whether running speed can be achieved using autoregulation. This study investigated the consistency of running intensities in adolescent athletes using autoregulation to self-select velocity. Thirty-fou...

Backward running (BR) is a form of locomotion that occurs in short bursts during many overground field and court sports. It has also traditionally been used in clinical settings as a method to rehabilitate lower body injuries. Comparisons between BR and forward running (FR) have led to the discovery that both may be generated by the same neural cir...

This study provides the first empirical evidence of how strongman athletes taper for strongman competitions. Strongman athletes (n=454) (mean ±SD: 33.2 ±8.0y, 178.1 ±10.6cm, 108.6 ±27.9kg, 12.6 ±8.9y general resistance training, 5.3 ±5.0y strongman implement training) completed a self-reported 4-page internet survey on tapering practices. Analysis...

Jumps have been investigated as a stimulus for bone development, however effects of instruction, jump type and jump-landing techniques need investigation. This study sought to identify whether ground reaction forces (GRF’s) for bilateral vertical jumps (countermovement jumps and drop jumps) with reactive jump landings (i.e. jumping immediately afte...

Background: Currently, little is known about the tapering practices of strongman athletes. We have developed an Internet comprehensive self-report questionnaire examining the training and tapering practices of strongman athletes. Objective: The objective of this study was to document the test-retest reliability of questions associated with the Inte...

This study compared the effects of seven weeks of bodyweight, mobility and resistance training programs on strength, power, and sprint times. Thirty-nine male adolescents (aged 14-15 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups; bodyweight and mobility training (BMT) (n=25) or combined bodyweight, mobility and free weights training (CBT) (n=1...

This study compared the biomechanical characteristics of the log lift and clean and jerk. Six experienced male strongman athletes performed log lifts and clean and jerks at 70% of their 1RM clean and jerk. Significant (p<0.05) between-exercise kinematic differences were observed throughout all the lifting phases, except at lift completion. The log...

This study compared the biomechanical characteristics of the farmers walk, deadlift and unloaded walk. Six experienced male strongman athletes performed farmers' walks and deadlifts at 70% of their 1RM deadlift. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were apparent at knees passing with the farmers lift demonstrating greater trunk extension, thigh angle...

This article describes how strongman implements, which we defined as “any non-traditional implement integrated into strength and conditioning practice” are currently utilised by coaches to enhance athletic performance. Coaches (mean ±SD 34.0 ±8.2 y old, 9.8 ±6.7 y general strength and conditioning coaching experience) completed a self-reported 4-pa...

This study compared the biomechanical characteristics of the heavy sprint-style sled pull and squat. Six experienced male strongman athletes performed sled pulls and squats at 70% of their 1RM squat. Significant kinematic and kinetic differences were observed between the sled pull start and squat at the start of the concentric phase and at maximum...

The sport of strongman is relatively new; hence, specific research investigating this sport is currently very limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between anthropometric dimensions and maximal isoinertial strength to strongman performance in novice strongman athletes. Twenty-three semiprofessional rugby union player...