Month: June 2014

Having gone over some more physics, looking at the Olympic lifts, and then looking at ways to potentially modify traditional weight training movements for power training, I finished Categories of Weight Training: Part 13 by explaining that, more often than not, power training is done with methods that allow the implement to be released or thrown into the air as this avoids the issues inherent in most traditional weight room movements.

This usually means exercise where the athlete’s body is being “thrown” into the air (i.e. jumping type exercises) or an implement such as a medicine ball is used.  Of course, the Olympic lifts are commonly used for higher load power training but even that assumes the athlete has sufficient competency to do them with loads that generate a training effect.

Before looking at some specific loading parameters and methods in a couple of different sports (every sport has it’s own traditional exercises to train different parts of the force-velocity curve), I need to talk about a few more practical issues and finishing will take two more parts. … Keep Reading

In Categories of Weight Training: Part 12 I went through a bunch of attempts to explain the physics of power production, gave the inevitable car analogy, drew a Pacman for no real reason, and sort of tried to show why most traditional weight training movements aren’t actually ideal for power training.

The basic issue has to do with the fact that most traditional weight training movements start and end at a zero velocity, preventing the weight/implement from being accelerated (and thus allowing the individual to generate maximal power) through the entire range of motion.

I used as an example a car being accelerated til it hits a ramp and flies into the air, attempting to show that in movements where the bar/implement can be thrown or released (then flying ballistically through the air), the deceleration phase can be avoided/eliminated.

So today I want to look at some of the ways that traditional weight training movements can be used for power training, either due to their inherent nature or through some form of modification to allow maximum acceleration throughout the range of motion.… Keep Reading

Continuing from Categories of Weight Training: Part 11, I’m going to forge ahead and get further into the different “types” of power training methods that I outlined in the Force-Velocity curve that I presented last time.  I won’t reproduce the graphic but it presented pure speed training, speed-strength training, power training, strengths-speed training and maximal strength training on the continuum from highest speed/lowest force to highest force/slowest speed.

But before getting into the actual methods and means of training those different ranges, I first need to talk a little bit more about power and the physics of what happens in the weight room a bit; this will lead into the Inevitable Car Analogy.   Hang on for what I’m sure will be a compelling and exciting ride..

The Important of High Power Outputs

When it comes to different types of training, it’s usually assumed that the best way to increase a given capacity is to apply a maximal (or at least optimal) stress. … Keep Reading

Ok, continuing from Categories of Weight Training: Part 10, I want to continue to talk about power training methods.  I should probably mention that a big part of the adaptations from power training methods have to do with the nervous system (of course the muscles are always involved), primarily in “teaching” it to generate force quickly through various mechanisms that I won’t bore you with. It will probably also turn out that there are long term adaptations in the muscle (to connective tissue, or titin or whatever) that also occur but for now, it’s easiest to just think of it as a primary neural effect.

So last time I looked at some basic definitions of Rate of Force Development (RFD), talked about what power means and where it is maximally expressed (somewhere in the middle of the two extremes of high force/slow speed and low force/high speed).

Intensity Revisited

I finished by touching on the first loading parameter for power training, intensity, discussing that studies had found a range of roughly 30-70% of maximum for being the place where maximal power is produced/required.… Keep Reading

Having finished the discussion of maximal strength training methods in Categories of Weight Training: Part 9, I want to move into a topic that may not have much relevance to many of my readers.  That topic is power training, exercises meant to increase muscular power.

To discuss power training methods, I’m going to first need to bore you with a few concepts that you may or may not be familiar with (depending on your background and what kinds of things you generally read) including Rate of Force Development and the physics definition of power. I’ll wind up today by looking at the first loading parameter for power training which is intensity as that will set me up to (hopefully) finish up in the next piece.

What is Power?

So let’s move on to actual power training methods, what types of training actually improves power, RFD, etc.  To deal with that I need to bore you with a return to high school physics since I first need to define power in at least general terms (if for no other reason than to distinguish it from Real Ultimate Power). … Keep Reading