Moving

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm moving this blog to a new website, www.dougberninger.com. Hope to see you all there!

Qualitative Characteristics of Strength

Hey, all! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I've been crazy busy with my Master's project and training (I just went to Columbus and trained with Mark Cannella again this past weekend).  Anyway, I would like to discuss something interesting I've just come across in Supertraining. It has changed my thinking on the development and application of strength. This is going to be a harder read for most of you casual exercise readers...just a warning!  :)

Siff and Verkhoshansky discuss the different qualitative characteristics of strength, based on the different muscular actions (Isotonic, Isometric, auxotonic, Isokinetic, and quasi-isometric). Namely, they state that the basis for the production of all sporting movements involves explosive strength and strength-endurance. Explosive strength depends on the load the body has to overcome (external resistance) and the absolute strength that the athlete may possess.

However, explosive force also depends on starting-strength, which is the ability to quickly develop the greatest force possible at the initial moment of muscular tension. They mention that this is true with all loads, but especially lighter loads (i.e., 20-40% 1RM).

As the load becomes heavier (60-80%+ 1RM) acceleration-strength comes into play. Acceleration-strength is the ability to produce force as rapidly as possible once the contraction begins (immediately after, and alongside, starting-strength). This is important as the load gets heavier because the muscles in use must be able to overcome the inertia of the weight and quickly produce the maximum strength possible, or the weight will not move at the necessary velocity.

Excuse me for being biased, but a very easy example would be a snatch or clean, where the weightlifter must possess the strength necessary to overcome the barbell's inertia (starting-strength), but must also be able to accelerate the bar quickly with that strength (acceleration-strength) to get underneath.

Siff and Verkhoshansky also go on to say that "the working effect of a sporting movement, executed with maximum voluntary muscle tension, is determined to a greater or lesser degree by the four special strength abilities: absolute strength, starting strength, acceleration strength, and absolute speed of muscular contraction" (p.127).

These abilities are independent of each other and are developed along different timelines, so to speak. They do not have direct effects on each other, and the greater one ability is developed, the less impact it will have on another. If your training revolves around explosive, lighter movements, than your ability to express tension/strength quickly (starting strength, acceleration strength) will be more developed than absolute strength. The opposite would be true if your training was based more on slower, heavier movements (i.e., your absolute strength would be more developed).

The abilities become more independent of each other as the athlete/exerciser's fitness level increases. This is obvious if you look at high-level athletes at the Olympic level, where the athletes are highly specialized. Therefore, a sprinter would not be readily suited to express strength characteristics that are not related to sprinting. This is where the general term 'specificity' comes into play. Also, the differing abilities require different amounts of training, as acceleration strength and absolute strength are "easier to perfect" than absolute speed and starting strength (p. 129).

This is just my take on what I have read at this point. You can take these comments with a grain of salt if you choose, but I believe this to be a good understanding of what Siff and Verkhoshansky originally meant. I will definitely look at the development and expression of strength in a whole new light now that I have this information available to me. Strength is not just one encompassing term as I had thought; it is a multitude of functional characteristics that can, and should, be trained differently/specifically.

I hope this shed some new light on strength development for you too! Train hard, train smart!

References

Siff, M. & Verkhoshansky, Y. Supertraining (4th ed.). 1999. 

Book!

Today marks the day that I begin writing my book. Since I am right in the middle of finishing my Master's project, I doubt I'll get very far before I finish my degree, but at least it will be started. That's all for now...just keeping you all informed!

For your reading pleasure, here is a great blog post by Ben Bruno with MANY articles and such to expand your knowledge!

The Specifics of Meet Preparation

Meet preparation has been done countless different ways. I'm sure everyone reading this article has their own ideas about which way is better, and has their own opinion as to why. This is completely fine...as we all know; everyone reacts to training differently physiologically and psychologically. Of course, there are better ways to prepare depending on which strength sport we are talking about. You would not prepare in the same manner for a weightlifting meet as you would for a strongman meet. These are two completely different sports when it comes to their physiological profiles. So, you see where the dilemma begins?

I had a GREAT idea the other day and I want to see it through. I would like to write a book on the specifics of meet preparation for all of the strength sports. This would be a great resource for a beginner to a seasoned veteran, covering all aspects of competition. I would make it as detailed as possible, making sure I do all my homework for each sport. What do you all think? Any advice you could give me? Anything specific you would like to see in the book?

Beyond the TRACK: Athlete Spotlight - Amanda Kaverman

This is the inaugural edition of my "Athlete Spotlight", in which I will interview athletes that I have trained, trained with, or have just come across in my career.

I have interviewed Amanda Kaverman, a senior sprinter from the University of Toledo, for the first of the series. Her accomplishments can be seen in detail HERE. I have had the pleasure to train with Amanda and she is easily one of the most determined athletes I have ever seen train. When given advice on training technique, she pays close attention and puts her pride aside to better herself, as should any athlete of her level. Her hard work in training has definitely shown on the track. ENJOY!

DB: What are your biggest achievements to date?
AK: Some of my biggest achievements to date are earning a full scholarship for college after walking onto the UT track team and being the MAC conference champion indoor and outdoor in the 200m dash. Also, having school records in the 100m and 300m top my list as well as having one of the Top 50 200m indoor times in the country. Making regionals is also an accomplishment I am proud of.

DB: Favorite event?
AK: My favorite event is the 300m dash even though it is not a conference event. My favorite conference event would have to be the 200m dash because it's not as long as the 400m but not as short as the 100m. You may think, "Duh, that is logical since it is in-between" but to me it's the simplest way I can explain it. Since it is not as long as 400m, I do not have time to think and sometimes over-think which parts of my body are becoming sore or tired. Being longer than 200m helps me because I am mainly a strength runner, my strength helps me pull past other girls who may get tired around 150m or so. This quality also helps me run the curves efficiently, which are my favorite part of the track.

DB: Favorite activity outside of track?
AK: Outside of track I love to weight-lift. If I am in a terrible or great mood, I usually find myself wanting to head to the gym and throw some weights around. Non-athletic wise I love to paint, draw or read. During the summer I'll read upwards of 20 books or so. My life is so exciting haha.

DB: Favorite lift in the gym?
AK: My favorite lift shifts between squats and deadlifts. At the moment deadlifts are my pick because I'm correcting my form. There is also something satisfying about dropping the weight after succesfully lifting it that squats don't't have.

DB: Most inspiring moment in your athletic career?
AK: Hmmm that's a tough one. Winning my first MAC title would have to be it. I remember being so nervous that whole weekend, even after running in the final race. People told me I won and I just could not believe it. I felt uneasy, shy even standing on the podium getting my medal. Afterward, I went up to the stands where my mom was sitting, I gave her a hug and just began crying. It proved to me that my hard work pays off, that moment let me know I could contend with some of the best in college athletics and left me hungry for more.

DB: What do you do to get psyched up for a meet?
AK: I get extremely nervous before my events so I listen to techno or reggaeton music to displace my nervous energy by distracting myself with singing, sometimes dancing, during my warm-up laps. I listen to the same play list every time I do warm-up drills because it helps focus my energy and gets me excited to run.

DB: Your greatest strength (in running AND training)?
AK: My greatest strength in running would be my ability to not slow down as much as other people on the curves, if at all. Training, deadlifts would be number one.

DB: Your greatest weakness (in running AND training)?
AK: My greatest weakness, which I am overcoming, is that my head will sometimes get in the way. It's not that I can't do what I am attempting but that I'll get bored and put more focus on what is 'tired or sore' and not want to complete what I am doing. This was my old method, it's not fun and won't get you anywhere.

DB: What is the next step in your athletic career?
AK: This is my last year of competing collegiately. I would love to keep training after I graduate and compete at a few meets and just see what I can do. I'm already in pretty good shape so why let it go to waste? Also, people are implanting the idea of Olympic lifting so I may give that a try too.


There you have it! Amanda has quite an inspiring story and many accomplishments to prove she has worked hard over the years. I have no doubt she will continue to work just as hard after she has completed her collegiate athletic career.

Stay tuned for my next edition of Athlete Spotlight! Train hard, train smart!

Programming Via Energy Systems

There are many ways to develop a program. The main thing is to be as specific as possible in your training to achieve the goals you have set. Namely, if your goals involve developing "explosiveness" (power), you will be working on being able to create a larger force, submit force in a shorter amount of time (increased rate of force development), or both. So, you have many things to think about!

For this area of program development, focusing on which energy system is the most dominant, you must think about how long the movements last in the sport. This will tell you what type of training and energy systems must be utilized to elicit the best results. Also, within the sport, examine the different positions as well. For example, a quarterback needs to train a little differently than a lineman or a defensive back. I'm sure you all knew that though ;)

There are three main energy systems that the human body relies on to restore energy for subsequent movement. I will briefly go over them, as I'm not an expert in Bioenergetics and all the mechanisms that go into each. One of the key things that I can tell you is that the body is always using a certain mixture of all three; never only one. The quicker and more intense the movement, the less oxygen needed and the more ATP/CP or glycogen needed. The deciding factors of what percent of each system will be utilized is what level of intensity and duration of time the training movement requires.You must also be aware that the rest between repeated bouts of activity within each of these systems is different. More elaboration on this follows....

1) ATP/CP System (Phosphagen System)  

This system is the first that comes into play. This system is required for shorter bursts of movement, so all the power type movements utilize this system the most. This system is dominant for powerful movements that last up to around 20 seconds. The percentage of maximum power used is 90-100%. Complete rest for these movements will fall between 1:12 to 1:20 (work to rest). An example of this would be a Snatch performed by a weightlifter (I know, I'm a little biased with my example!). This movement starts and ends in less than a second!

Think Kendrick Farris needs oxygen for a heavy clean? Think again!

2) Glycolytic System

This is the next system that comes into play. Intermediate length movements use this system the most. This system becomes more dominant if the movement continues beyond 20 seconds and lasts up to around 2-3 minutes. The percentage of maximum power used is about 35-90%, again, depending on the duration of the movement. Complete rest for these types of movements is 1:3 to 1:5. An example of this would be a 200m because an average time for this distance would be around 20 seconds, give or take a few seconds (depending on the level of the athlete).

Usain Bolt uses his glycolytic system fairly well; Wouldn't you agree?

3) Oxidative System

This is the last system used for activity. The movements that require this system the most are those movements that are very long in duration and very low intensity. More specifically, these movements last longer than 3 minutes and only require <35% of the maximal power that can be produced. Complete rest for these movements would be 1:1 to 1:3. An easy example of this would be a marathon runner. This activity lasts much longer than 3 minutes, so it is apparent that the primary energy system used would be the oxidative system.

Keep running! Only a few hours left!

Note

While the science is indisputable, the practicality of training for these systems is a different story. If there is one thing I've learned in the first few years of my coaching career, it is that time is money and sometimes these systems cannot be trained 100% as they should be. Many times you may have to cut rest periods shorter for power-type activities that need longer rest periods because the kids you are training have to leave at a certain time, or their parents may just be impatient. Whatever the case, try to stick close to the work/rest ratios outlined above for the best results.

Wrap Up

There you have it! A few more kernels of knowledge to store in the "Training Methods Tool Box". I'd hope that, with this new information, you will all think differently about how you approach the development of your next training cycle. Train hard, train smart!

Be Practical!

Today's topic: Practicality. The following is simply my take on the topic at hand. Let the rant begin!

In our world, we have mainly two routes to go when we have to make a decision. We can go the practical route, meaning what makes sense in that specific situation, at that very moment in time. If the same thing happened again, but slightly different, you might make a different decision based on the slight difference. Then we have the second option, book knowledge or "book smarts". This would be using the same decision making skills in all similar situations, without adapting to the specifics of these situations.

You might think I'm just rambling about nonsense, but there are people in this world that are solely one or the other. There is no meshing of the two; no blending together of options in how to react to the situation. Some people react to situations based on what they have read from a book without looking at the little things that have caused, or come from, this specific situation. They believe the problem can be solved so easily, not having the practical knowledge to examine all of the external and internal factors to the problem. Thinking "outside the box" does not come from a book! The knowledge, skills, and abilities that come from a book can only get you so far. They are a stepping stone to an ultimate way to solve problems, where one uses that book knowledge with his practical knowledge and skills.

Alternatively, one cannot purely rely on practical knowledge either. There should be some base knowledge from those books. If for nothing else, than to just be learned for later application to their already stellar practical knowledge!

Alright, my rant is over! Basically, use your common sense! I know many smart people who have absolutely no clue how to live in the "real" world. Next time you have to react to a situation, think about how you handle it and what type of person you are in this regard.

Training 12/21/10 - 1/9/11

Sorry for the delay in my training log updates.

12/21

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1/2, 82.5x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x5x1
CG RDL - 120x6, straps-->140x3x5
Press - 50x4, 64x5, 72x3, 80xmiss,miss

12/22

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x1/2, 72.5x0/2, 77.5x1/2, 82.5xmiss,1,1,1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x4x1
Squat - 92.5x2, 107.5x2, 122.5x2, 130x3x2
Ring Shoulder Flexion - 3x12x3s holds

12/23 (@ Gorilla Pit) - Used wrongly marked bumpers...went heavier than originally thought for snatch before realizing bumpers were marked wrong

Snatch - 110#x3, 175x1/2, 195x0/2, 175x1/2, 135x1/2, 155x2
C&J - 135x2, 155x2, 185x2, 195x1, 210x1 -->cleans only 210x4x1
T-bar Row - 45#x lost count, 90#x3x8

12/24

Snatch - 50x2x2, 61x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82x1, 88.5x1,miss,1,1, 61x2x2
C&J - 61x2x2, 72.5x2, 84x2, 91x1, 97.5x1, 102.3 (225#) x 5x1
Squat - 135#x5, 225x2, 245x2, 265x2, 285x3x2
RDL - 60x6, 125x3x3

12/27

Snatch - 50x2x2, 61x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82xmiss,1, 88x1, 93xmiss, 1, 60x2
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 84x2, 93x1, 97.5x1, 102.3x1, 111x1, 116x1, 123xmissJ, missC  (Tied PR clean)
Squat - 135#x5, 205x2, 240x2, 275x2, 285x2, 300x2x2

12/28

Snatch - 50x2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 84x2, 91x1, 97.5x5x1
WG Pull-ups - 3x10

12/29

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x0/2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 86x1, 91x1, 97.5xmiss,miss, 102x2 <--Pulls
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 84x2, 91x1, 97.5x1, 102x1, 111x1<--no jerk
Squat - 61x4, 84x2, 107x2, 120x2, 130x2, belt-->137x2x2

Compound Set:
BB walking lunges - 61x5,5+3 R only, 5+3 R only
Good Morning - 61x3x5
BB Row - 61x3x8

12/31 (@ Titan's)

Hang PS - 95#x3, 135x4x2
PC&J - 135#x3, 185x2x2, 195x2x2
DL - 225#x3, 275x2, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1, belt-->425x1
Press - 95#x5, 135x3, 155x2, 165x2, 175x1, 180x1<--PR, 1
WG Pull-ups - Bwt x 8, 25#x8,6,6,6
Ab Wheel RO - 3x12

2011

1/3

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1,1,miss,1

C&J - 70x2x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x4x1

Squat - 92.5x2, 107.5x2, 122.5x2, 130x3x2

Ring Pull-ups - 10, 3x8

1/4

Snatch - 50x3, 1/2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x5x1, 60x1/2

C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x5x1

RDL - 90x6, straps-->120x6,6,5

Ab Circuit

1/5

Conditioning Circuit (3 sets)

A - Prowler 2 + 90# Push (L) x 20yds

B - Push-ups x 10

C - Sprint x 20yds

D - Prowler Rope Pull x 20yds

KB Windshield Wipers - 12kgx2x lost count

Flx Add - Gray band x 10 ea. way

1/6

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x4x1

C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x4x1

Squat - 92.5x2, 107.5x2, 122.5x2, 130x3x2

Ab Wheel RO - 3x15

1/8 - Columbus w/ Mark Cannella

Snatch - 50x5x3, 60x2, 4, 70x2, 80x1, 85x1, 70x1, 90x1, 95x1, 100xmiss,miss <--L elbow

C&J - 70x2, 80x2, 90x2, 100x2, 110x1, 115x2x1

A bunch of technique work after this! 

1/9 - Active Recovery Day

Squat - 60x2x3, 135#x3, 225x2x2, 245x2

SL Reverse Hypers - 90x3x10 (R only), Lx10

Flx Add. - Gray band x 2 x12

Rack Pulls w/ orange band - 135#x3, 225x2x3

Conditioning

A Trip for Improved Motor Patterns

It's January 8th and I'm driving down I-75, on my way to Columbus. Disturbed's new CD, Asylum, is blasting and the only thing on my mind if lifting. Got the picture? Are you following me? Excellent! Why, you ask, am I on my way to Columbus? I am headed down to train with Ohio's great weightlifting coach, Mark Cannella. He invited me down to train with him, so I took him up on the offer. After all, I'm at the point in my lifting "career" when I need to improve on all the little things to keep my weights going in the right direction. I'm not too proud to admit when I need to change some things and I'm glad that I made the trip because there's a lot to change!

As soon as we started I could tell that I was in for a marathon session of technique work, which was fine by me. It wasn't long before I had already snatched 50kg for five triples. This day just happened to be the last day of my Pendragon 5-week cycle. I was supposed to go heavy, but wasn't feeling the zing a day like that calls for. Especially after doing many sets of triples and technique work with the bar or just my body. Mark had me performing a slap and drop type technique to work on my timing. I'm not sure what it's actually called, but I like to call it the "pop-pop" technique. This refers to the sound of the bar brushing, followed by the feet landing. I worked this many times throughout the session.

The main thing I needed fixing was my timing (The bar crashes on me too hard) and my leg drive (I don't drive through the floor with my legs long or hard enough). We used the pop-pop technique to help with my timing. Another thing that helped me was visualizing catching the bar and riding it into the hole. I had always thought that you were supposed to catch it in the bottom for each lift (for cleans, I thought you just time it to use the stretch-reflex of the quads to bounce out of the hole). Chalk this thinking up to years of misinformation. This is surprising considering the fact that I breathe weightlifting every day and didn't learn this earlier. Of course, this is one of the reasons I love this sport so much...you learn new things all the time!

                  Timing is Everything

As for the need to fix my leg drive, I had been (and probably will continue until I re-groove my motor patterns) using my hips too much. According to Mark, there is a point where the hips have to stop coming forward and the legs continue the drive vertically. If you can visualize this, it makes a great deal of sense. If the hips come forward too much, the bar path becomes obstructed and a loop is created. As we all know, this is NOT a good thing. This can cause many lifts missed behind the lifter (exactly what I always used to do). While in the power position, I have learned that I need to drive through the floor with my feet as long as possible, keeping contact with the floor as long as possible.

 Think Fred had decent leg drive?

Mark also told me that there is a point in which the bar is traveling upward, while the lifter is going downward. He calls this "unweighting" of the bar, which I was NOT doing. As the session went on, I was starting to get the feel for this. This is a part of the timing issue I've had. Motor patterns are hard to change once they have been continually grooved into someone's movement. This is one of the reasons it is better to start learning sport skills at a young age, when the motor patterns are more able to be molded. Trying to change motor patterns after repeating the same movements year after year at an older age, not so easy. And, unfortunately in real life, there is no easy button (Thanks for nothing, Staples!).

I will continue to work on fixing these flaws to improve in the lifts. If you, or anyone you know, is having issues with their technique, I recommend having Mark evaluate you. He is a genius in the lifts! As frustrating as the session was (I've been training for 3.5 years and I felt like it was my first day), I was glad I made the trip down. Many thanks go to Mark for his help and patience with my faulty motor patterns!

My 2011 Goals

Since I just posted a blog on how to set goals, I wanted to share my goals. And HERE....WE....GO!

Current known Numbers:

Snatch - 100kg
C&J - 121kg (123kg clean)
Squat - 152.5kg
Press - 82kg
Deadlift - 205kg (best of 215kg)
Bodyweight - @ 77kg
Master's Project - Data collection almost complete

Goals	Date to Accomplish
105kg Snatch	4/1/2011
125kg C&J	4/1/2011
227.5kg Deadlift	4/1/2011
87kg Press	4/1/2011
162kg Squat	4/1/2011
78kg Bodyweight	4/1/2011
Master's Project - Completed	4/1/2011
110kg Snatch	8/15/2011
132kg C&J	8/15/2011
235kg Deadlift	8/15/2011
90kg Press	8/15/2011
170kg Squat	8/15/2011
80kg Bodyweight	8/15/2011
Master's Program - Completed	8/15/2011
112kg Snatch	12/31/2011
135kg C&J	12/31/2011
240kg Deadlift	12/31/2011
93kg Press	12/31/2011
175kg Squat	12/31/2011
82kg Bodyweight	12/31/2011
Master's study published in JSCR	12/31/2011

Now that I've shared mine, what are some of your goals? Please share!

What's Your Goal?

As we all say hello to a new year, we should each take a time-out and think about where we are going within the next year. This could be with our training (as it should be), our career, our family life, etc. We should be thinking of all aspects of our life and what steps need to be taken to reach our goals. Wait, what's that?! You haven't set your goals yet?! Why not??

I'm sure you have all heard of S.M.A.R.T. before, right? If not, it pertains to goal setting and stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time oriented. You might be asking yourself, "what does this all mean". Don't worry, I'm going to tell you!

Specific

Just as it should be...goals need to be very specific. Saying "I want to lose weight" is not specific. A better way of stating the same goal, but making it specific, is saying "I want to lose five pounds". Answering who, what, where, when, and how can help make goals more specific. Now we're getting somewhere, but we're not quite done.


Measurable

This serves as a way to realize if a goal has been achieved. Many times the 'measurable' part of a goal might be a number such as reaching a certain body fat percentage. For most of you reading this, it may likely be the number of training session per day/week/month or hitting a certain weight in your favorite (or worst) lift.

Attainable 

We all want to accomplish our goals. Therefore, we would not want to sabotage ourselves by thinking negatively. Focusing on the activities that will produce the goals desired will lead you in the right direction. If you wanted to lose body fat, you would not eat at McDonald's, right? Set sentences for each goal that will lead you down the right path. Also, start each sentence with words that are positive. For example, "I will condition three days per week for twenty minutes". This statement includes a positive start (I will), includes an activity (conditioning), and is specific for frequency (3 days per week) and duration (20 minutes).


Realistic

This relates to the possibility of achieving the goals you set. If you want to add 100 pounds to your squat in a month, this isn't really a realistic goal. Goals have to be challenging, but not so challenging that there is no possible way to achieve them. Sure, you should always be optimistic, but you should also be a realist. Hard work and determination can only go so far before you start regressing, so don't push it. Plan your training and deloads accordingly and watch yourself progress better than ever.

Time Oriented

This allows a certain time point to be established in which the goal should be accomplished. Goals that are too easy to accomplish may be reached too soon, which often leads to a loss of motivation. Goals that are too challenging, and are not accomplished in the set time frame, often lead to a loss of interest. This leads to the person feeling like a failure and ultimately giving up on the goal.

Resources

Let's say you have a friend who is a very knowledgeable strength coach or personal trainer. You're going to use their expertise to help you reach your goals, right? Use the resources you have available to you to reach all of your goals! If your friends have similar goals, make it a competition for added motivation. You can also work with each other to reach your goals. Believe me, it's always easier to reach goals if you have someone helping you along the way. It's as simple as that! This is one of those things that seems simple, but is often overlooked.

Wrap Up

There you have it! All the tools you need to start walking the path to a better you! Follow these simple guidelines to set your goals and you'll be there in no time. Good luck in your endeavors! Train hard, train smart! 

Evolution: Thoughts on Training

I've been thinking lately about how my perspective on training has changed over the years. I started as a high school athlete trying to just "pump some iron" to get big and strong, while trying to learn as much as I could about general health.

I then moved to bodybuilding once my athletic career had ended and I went on to college.This is when I started learning through course work, personal reading, and actual training, how the body responds and is stimulated by training. However, because I only trained with the usual moderate to high repetition, one day per week for each muscle group mentality, I didn't see the whole picture of training. And so the learning continued...

I moved to weightlifting, a.k.a. Olympic weightlifting, after completing a practicum for college credit with a local sports performance center which used this style of lifting as the main focus of their program. I figured that in order to properly coach the athletes how to perform the lifts, I would have to be able to perform them correctly myself. And, as they say, the rest is history. As many of you know, this is the style of training I use for myself as a means of competition (and breathing).



Now I am more focused on my career. As I continue to wade through informational overload on a daily basis, I continue to learn what to trust and what is just plain ignorant and misguided. There are those sources that should not be trusted and those that should be checked regularly because of the wealth of information that is provided. I have been very mindful within the past year of where I read my information. It would be a HUGE waste of time to read something and find it to be complete garbage. So, be wary of where you get your information. Don't believe everything you read just because the author has a few letters behind their name. Always ask "who", "what", and "why" when you are reading new information. If these answers check out, you have a good start for learning new, useful information.

It is interesting to look back on where I started and where I am now within my own training. As my thoughts on what it is to be big and strong have changed over the years, I have come to realize that these have meant very different things. I once thought that big and strong was a professional bodybuilder strutting around at 285lbs with 2% body fat. Through the years I've learned that some bodybuilders are strong, but they cannot compare to strength athletes. If we're talking relative or absolute strength, strength athletes will win out nearly 100% of the time. I won't get into the physiology behind it, but suffice it to say that there are two types of hypertrophy adaptations in training and strength athletes get the better end of the deal.

I will continue my relentless pursuit for every detail within the realm of strength training. I know this is something that cannot be accomplished realistically, but my dad had always said that I am stubborn (and a smart-ass). Therefore, I put my head down and keep pushing for more! I suggest you do the same. Train hard, train smart!

Training 12/1 - 12/20

12/1

DL - 70x5,4, 110x3, 132x5, 140x5, Belt -->150x10, 175x3x1
Hang Power Snatch - 40x4x4
Snatch RDL (straps) - 80x6, 90x6, 95x6, 100x2x6
SL Rev. Hypers - 90x12, 140x2x10

12/3

P Snatch - 50x3x3
P Clean - 60x3, 65x2x3
Bench (lbs) - 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 205x1, 225x1, 235x1, 250xmiss

12/4

Snatch - 60x2x2, 70x2, 84x3x1, 88x3x1
C&J - 60x2x2, 84x2, 102x6x1

12/6 (Start of new Pendragon program)

Snatch - 50x2,1/2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1,missJ,1, 110x1
Squat - 90x3, 110x3, 115x3, Belt-->120x8, 130x3x2
WG Pull-ups - 2x12

12/7

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x5x1
CG RDL - 110x6, 120x3x6
Press - 50x3, 67.5x3, 72x3, 76x2
Ring Shoulder Flx - 3x12+3s hold
Hang Rope Leg-lift holds - 3x10s

12/8

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5xmissF, 1,1,1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x4x1
DL - 120x3, 140x3, 148x3, belt-->157.5x9, 180x1
KB Ring Pull-ups - 10, 16x3x8, 10

12/10

Snatch - 40x2, 50x2, 60x1/2, 72x0/2, 77x1, 82x5x1
C&J - 70x2, 80x2, 90x1, 97x5x1

12/11

Snatch - 50x2, 60x2, 72x2, 77x1, 82x1, 87x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72x2, 85x2, 92x1, 97x1, 102x4x1
Squat - 70x3, 90x2, 107x2, 122x2, 130x3x2

12/13

Snatch - 50x3,2, 60x1/2, 72.5x2, 77.5xmiss, 82.5x1, 87.5xmiss,miss, 80x2x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x2x1, 110x3x1
Squat - 60x3, 100x5, 115x3, belt-->127.5x5 <--ugly...felt shitty

12/14

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x5x1
CG RDL - 90x6, straps-->120x5, 140x3x3

12/15

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x1/2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x1, 92.5x1,missF,1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1, 110x3x1
Squat - 92.5x2, 107.5x2, 120x2, belt-->130x2, 135x2, 137.5x2
Rope Hangs - 3x15s
BH Sit-up holds - 3xALAP

12/16

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5xmissF,1, -->DL Pause to PS - 60x3x2
P C&J - 60x2, 75x2, -->only PC no jerks -->85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 90x3x1
Ab wheel RO - 3x12

12/17
SESSION 1
Snatch - 50x2, 60x2/3, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5xmissF, 87.5xmissB,missF, 92.5xmissF,missF,missB, 60x2
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1, 110x3x1
SESSION 2
DL - 70x4, 100x3, 130x5, 150x3, belt-->165x7, 190x2x1
WG Pull-ups - 12, 25#x3x6

12/18

Conditioning
       8 Sledge slams, 3 tire flips, 6 sledge slams, 3 tire flips x 6

12/20

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1,1,1,missJ
Squat - 92.5x3, 107.5x2, 122.5x2, 137.5x2, belt-->145x1, 152.5x1<--ties my PR to date
NG Pull-ups - 12,12,9+3

Lazy or Smart?

It is 5:49pm EST. I'm sitting in my living room watching TV as I write this blog. I haven't done much since yesterday morning, when I conditioned at 8:30am. Sure, you could call me lazy, but do you know what I did during the week? I busted my ass! I deserve to be lazy!

We all get so wrapped up in our training programs that sometimes we forget how important rest and recovery can be. I know this all too well, having just embarked on a hellish training program. Don't forget that recovery is just as important to the overall plan as training and nutrition are. I won't get into all the scientific jargon, but I will send you to an excellent article written by my friend, Ryan van Asten. Check out his article on RECOVERY.

I should have my previous training sessions up by tomorrow morning if I find the motivation to post them  :)
Ah! Motivation, another topic for another blog. Soon to come!

New Training

This week I started a new training plan. I got the template from Mark Cannella when I went through the USAW level 1 course. It is actually from Pendragon weightlifting out of Youngstown, OH. It's a very simple program, but I believe I will make great gains from it. It is very weightlifting specific...5 weeks/6 days per week. Mostly snatch, clean and jerk, and squats. I'm adding a few things to it, but it is very simple. I haven't followed a program with this much frequency, so I plan on easing into the 6 straight days of training. I'll get there eventually...no need to rush.

On another note, I will post my training sessions from the past couple weeks with this new plan soon. Train hard, train smart!

USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Course

Hello, All! I just attended the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Course this past weekend in Mentor, OH. It was held at The Gorilla Pit and led by Mark Cannella, with help from Dan Bell, Chelsea Kyle, and Mike Cerbus. I have been lifting in the style of weightlifting for over three years now and, while I knew I didn't know EVERYTHING on the subject, I thought I would come into this with little else to learn because of the level of the course. I was definitely wrong! The course started with some lecture, where we learned specific warm-ups and biomechanics of the lifts. After each section, we moved to the practical side of the course. This is an excellent method...learning the material in lecture format and then IMMEDIATELY putting that information into practice. As we all know, there are three styles of learning: tactile, auditory, and visual. The format of the course puts each individual in the best advantage possible to absorb the information through all three styles of learning.

We broke for lunch and I stayed behind to train with Mike Cerbus and Chelsea Kyle, who were there to help Mark with demonstrations and coaching for the course. I haven't been exposed to this level of lifter while training myself too many times, so it was pretty cool. I only worked up to about 88kg in the Snatch and 102kg in the Clean and Jerk, but this was a very helpful session. Mark came in at the tale end of my Snatches and quickly corrected my technique. I am quick under the bar, but do not use my arms enough to pull myself under. He believes if I can fix this I will ad a few kilos to both lifts instantly! I believe him and will definitely start working on this fix!

After lunch, we went through the basics of the lifts and sequences of each. Again, we practiced what we learned in the lecture. We did these for the rest of Saturday's session. Sunday's session focused on strength movements, including squats, pulls, and presses. We also went over program design generalities, such as exercises to include, exercise order, volume, intensity, and progression. Mike and Chelsea commented on their programs, which was most intriguing to me. Mostly this is because, while nearly the same age as them, but of a different experience level, they train completely different than I do. I would like to start training similar (if time permits). Although, I know myself and the volume I can handle right now id nowhere near their volume. I think I could probably handle somewhere in the 5-7 sessions/week range, where they are around 10-12 sessions/week.

A special thanks to Mark, Dan, Chelsea, and Mike for all the fine work you did!

I will be working to increase my training volume/frequency until I am around 10 sessions/week. I think that is a good goal to hit within the next few months. Until then...train hard, train smart!

Effects of Training Methodologies on Power Development

The following is a review article I wrote for my graduate Exercise Physiology course last year. It's long, but a good read none-the-less. Maybe you can be as powerful as Superman when you're done absorbing the information. Enjoy!

Abstract

The development and output of muscular power is very important in the training of athletes, no matter what the level of play. Mechanical power can be described as the rate of doing work, or how much work is done in a specific amount of time (16). There are many studies that have looked at power production during different activities, but many of them do not compare the activities or methods to each other for their abilities to cause such adaptations in power. The goal of this review paper was to look into the research that has been done on power development to find what training methods are the best for producing the most gains in this area of muscle physiology/performance, and how these variables affect power development. The review of the literature shows that there are many training variables to consider and they should all be taken into account when developing a program. These variables can be combined to develop a maximal amount of power in athletes of all levels. The most important thing a coach can do is to find what works best for the specific population in question and fit that “best” program into the time available. Future research should compare as many differing methods as possible and try to match the best variables that produce the most power. This is a continuing area of research that can only improve as technology and training methods become more advanced.

           

Introduction

The amount of force generated in the smallest amount of time possible is becoming greater and greater as training methods become more advanced. The development of muscular power is very important in the training of athletes, no matter what the level of play. Mechanical power can be described as the rate of doing work, or how much work is done in a specific amount of time (16). Power includes two components, force production and velocity of movement (12).

Crewther et al. referenced that in order to adequately train for power, movements producing high power outputs with high contractile velocities are thought to be important (6). Kawamori and Haff’s work concurred with Crewther et al., stating that because power is the product of force and velocity, both components must be addressed in a program to develop power (12). The higher an athlete’s force production or velocity of movement, the more power that athlete can produce. Using these two components, a strength coach can develop an effective program to increase power output.

The importance of program development is often overlooked as a factor of improving athletic performance. Correct programming sets the stage for an athlete’s development on all levels. It is the author’s belief that training methods involving Olympic weightlifting movements and other movements involving the stretch shortening cycle; high force, low velocity strength movements (i.e., back squats and deadlifts); hypertrophy periods; sufficient rest periods between sets and between training sessions; the use of optimal training loads and velocity of movement for the specific training outcomes desired (increasing force development or velocity of movement), and using the proper amount of repetitions per set will induce the biggest performance gains in power development/output.

Research has shown that Olympic weightlifting movements are an effective means of training when the outcome desired is increased power (9, 10, 12). There have been many studies done on heavy resistance exercises and their effect on power development that have reported positive outcomes (5, 19, 26). Squats are an effective heavy resistance exercise for increasing power (5, 26). These examples may be effective because they both require the use of type II muscle fibers, which are known to produce higher forces than type I muscle fibers (24). Resting for sufficient lengths of time is needed in order to recover adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine (PCr) stores (23). If rest is too short, the energy systems will not recover and the muscle’s force production will be markedly decreased, especially if using higher loads.

The load used in each training set is one of the most important variables that can be investigated. If too much load is used, the force-velocity curve will be shifted too far on the force side. If too little load is used, the curve will shift too far towards the velocity side. There has to be an optimal load that allows for maximal power production. Also, the optimal load really depends on the exercise being performed. This optimal load training is called maximal power training (15).

Lastly, while performing an exercise, one has to perform the proper amount of repetitions in order to gain the desired benefits. If too many repetitions are performed, the wrong energy systems (oxidative over PCr) and muscle fiber types (type I over type II) will be utilized, which will not allow the proper adaptations to take place. Therefore, the best range of repetitions for increasing muscular power is between one and five repetitions (3). However, there have been studies that have used higher than normal repetition schemes for power development (6+ reps) (18).

There are some researchers who believe that plyometric programming along with heavy resistance training is enough to elicit muscular power development (10, 19, 26). Others believe that there are optimal loads to develop power that fall in the range of 30-70% of 1RM (15), while others believe it is higher (>80%), or lower (10%) (12).

The purpose of this review paper is to look into what research has been done on different variables of power development and bring these variables together. With the most important variables brought together in one review, we can look at how they affect power development. We can also see which variables are more important to the development of power and which variables are still being debated. Consequently, all of this information will show us what program variables need to be used together to develop the most power in the athletes we train.

Olympic Weightlifting

The Olympic weightlifting (referred to as weightlifting from here) movements are thought, by many coaches, to be highly transferable to various athletic skills. This is especially true of any sport requiring a vertical jump (9) because of the similar joint kinematics involved, or any sport requiring the simultaneous extension of the hip, ankle, and knee (triple extension). Some background on the weightlifting movements is warranted.

Garhammer has found weightlifting to involve very high power outputs for both men and women (9). The relative power output (watts per kg body mass) has been recorded at about 34.3 W/Kg during the entire snatch or clean pulling movements (10). That is a great deal of power, considering that the relative power outputs for the deadlift (similar to the pull in weightlifting) and bench press have only been measured at about 12 W/Kg and 4 W/Kg, respectively (10). The competition lifts (Snatch and Clean and Jerk) and their component lifts (Snatch Pull, Hang Clean, Box Jerks, etc.) are often used for power development because the required combination of strength and velocity of movement is unmatched compared to other lifting movements. However, Kawamori and Haff (12) claim that very few studies have actually measured the power outputs of differing loads during the weightlifting exercises.

The snatch starts with a wide grip on the bar in a deadlift-type stance. In one fluid motion the bar is lifted from the floor straight overhead, as the athlete pulls himself/herself under the bar into a squat position, locking out the elbows. Then, once steady, the athlete rises from the squat position and returns the bar to the floor.

The clean and jerk begins in the same position as the snatch, except the hands are moved in closer to each other. From the starting position, the bar is lifted to the clavicle, where the athlete pulls himself/herself under the bar into the squat position. The athlete then rises from the squat, takes a breath, dips the hips and knees, and then violently explodes upward and jerks the bar overhead, locking out the elbows at the top.

There are six phases of the snatch and clean: Pre-lift-off, Preliminary acceleration, Adjustment, Final acceleration, Unsupported squat under, and Supported squat under. The jerk also has six phases. They include the Start, the Dip, the Braking phase, the Thrust or Explosion, the Unsupported squat under, and the Supported squat under (7).

Tricoli et al. compared a weightlifting group and a vertical jump training group, which included different plyometric exercises, in the effectiveness of the training styles to elicit power production and found that the weightlifting group produced more performance improvements than the vertical jump group in physically active subjects (18). This is an excellent example of why it is beneficial to use the weightlifting movements, rather than just plyometric movements (vertical jump training), to elicit power output. The movements are very similar, but the weightlifting movements have the added benefit of increasing both factors, force and velocity, of the power equation.

Unless an athlete would be carrying an extra load while performing plyometrics, they are only going to be working towards enhancing their velocity of movement. More research should be done to examine the best loads to use during weightlifting, depending on the sport and time of season.

Stretch Shortening Cycle

Elastic energy use, also known as plyometrics, have been known to be a large contributor to power production (4, 15, 25). After a muscle is stretched, using the mechanical energy stored as elastic energy is very important to increased force output (4). The stretch shortening cycle (SSC) uses elastic energy, much like a rubber band, to create rapid force after being stretched. Wilson and Flanagan defined elasticity as “a measure of how readily a body will reform after it has been deformed by being stretched, compressed, or twisted” (25). So, after a muscle is lengthened (stretched) it has the ability to shorten or contract (reform) back to normal length. This creates a large, quick production of force, which we all know as power.

A successful SSC requires three critical elements, including “a well timed preactivation of the muscle(s) before the eccentric phase, a short and fast eccentric phase, and an immediate transition (short delay) between stretch (eccentric) and shortening (concentric phase)” (25). Blakey and Southard describe this SSC process in greater detail:

The first phase is called amortization and occurs as a result of yielding work forcing a rapid stretch of the lower body extensor muscles. In the second phase, muscles perform a reactive switch from yielding work to overcoming work to initiate a positive vertical velocity. The third phase is the phase of active take-off. The extensor muscles contract to perform the jump. The first phase stretches the extensor muscle groups, the second is a reactive recovery, and the third uses the benefit of a reciprocal increase of force during contraction (4).

There have been many studies on the outcomes of power development, including groups combining resistance training and plyometrics, resistance training alone, and plyometrics alone. Blakey and Southard did an 8-week study on the effects of depth drops, a plyometric exercise, combined with resistance training on lower body power development (4). They found that the combined programming of these modes (resistance training + plyometrics) improved leg strength and power. They also found that the height of the drop jumps did not alter the resultant training effects. This finding, in itself, is helpful to know because this could save athletes from taking the beating of increasing ground reaction forces (GRF) when a coach increases the height from which they have to drop.

Lyttle, Wilson, and Ostrowski performed a similar 8-week study, comparing a maximal power training group with a combined resistance and plyometric training group (15). They found that both groups were equally effective in improving a variety of performance measures such as jumping, throwing, cycling, and lifting. In contrast, Kubo et al. (13) investigated the effects of plyometric and weight training protocols on jumping performances. The study lasted 12 weeks, training four days per week. Each subject performed plyometric training on one leg and weight training on the other. They compared baseline measures to the results at the end of the study in both legs to find which training method worked best to improve performance in several jumping-related tasks. Their results show that jump performance was improved only by plyometric training, with no changes from weight training.

Plyometrics are shown to be an effective way of using the stretch-shortening cycle for enhanced power output, but more research is needed in this area to find the benefits over resistance training alone. While some studies (4) show a significant benefit to combining these two modes, others show no difference (15) or even a benefit to just performing plyometric training (13).

High Force, Low Velocity Movements for Increased Power

Because power is the product of force and velocity, it is quite obvious that strength movements of high force and low velocity would help, in some way, to increase the development power. Several studies have looked into this theory and there are contradicting results.

Wenzel and Perfetto quoted Verkoshansky, stating “it has been established that absolute muscle strength has a negative effect on movement speed and on the ability of a muscle to display explosive effort” (20). However, Young, Jenner, and Griffiths found that performing a set of squats with a 5-RM load prior to a set of loaded countermovement jumps dramatically improved power (26). This contrasting of heavy and light loaded movements is called postactivation potentiation (PAP). PAP is defined as “referring to the enhanced neuromuscular state observed immediately after a bout of heavy resistance exercise” (19).

Weber et al. performed a study similar to Young, Jenner, and Griffiths, looking into the effects of PAP on squat jump performance (19). They found that performing heavy-load back squats before a set of consecutive squat jumps may enhance acute performance in average and peak jump height, as well as peak GRF. Chatzopoulos et al. investigated the PAP effects after a heavy resistance stimulus (back squats) on running speed. They found that the heavy back squats improved 10 and 30 meter sprint performance when performed five minutes after the squat set (5).

In contrast, Wenzel and Perfetto studied the effect of a speed group (speed of lifting) versus a non-speed group (traditional repetition velocity) in developing power and found that there were no differences between the two groups on any performance measures (20). This means that the low velocity group/non-speed group did not gain any significant edge in power or strength compared to the speed group.

Kawamori and Haff claimed a study by McBride et al. found Olympic lifters who used heavy training (low velocity, high intensity) and explosive-type (high velocity, low intensity) training gained greater results in jump height and muscular power measures than power-lifters who only used heavy resistance training (12). The majority of studies have documented increased performance in power with increasing levels of maximal strength, but there is still much research needed in this area of performance.

 

Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the enlargement of the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) of a muscle or, simply put, the growth of muscle fibers. The ability of a muscle to produce force is directly related to its physiological cross-sectional area (1) regardless of age (2). Because power involves a strength component, strength gain from hypertrophy could lead to a gain in power production (12). However, there has been discussion on how much this relationship really does affect force production.

Akagi et al. established a new index of muscle cross-sectional area with its relationship to isometric muscle strength (1). They discovered that muscle thickness (MT) multiplied by circumference (C) reflects muscle cross-sectional area and can be used as an index for determining muscle cross-sectional area. They also found that when this index was measured at maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) it was more closely related to force production than when measured at rest. This would indicate that muscles tend to be more closely related to their force production capabilities when they are examined in their fully contracted state.

Another study by Akagi et al. (2) looked at similar cross-sectional characteristics in older individuals (age range 51-77 years) and found the same results: muscle cross-sectional is more closely related to muscle force production when examined at MVC than at rest. This is helpful to know because of age-related changes in muscle performance. We now know, at least from a PCSA point, that force production relationships do not change with age.  

Type II muscle fiber proportion has been significantly correlated with training-induced hypertrophy and increases in strength. It has been suggested that type II fibers have a greater specific tension and combining that with their greater hypertrophy response would likely contribute to increases in whole-muscle specific tension (8). This means that type II fibers have a greater potential to contract harder (greater specific tension) and they are able to hypertrophy at a greater rate than type I fibers.

More research is needed in this area to find how muscle size and strength compare in different movements, within individual muscles, and within different sports. It is well-known that more muscle leads to more strength, but sometimes getting bigger is too much of an expense to an athlete because of weight classes. If researchers can find how to improve strength at a greater rate without too much hypertrophy, it will help athletes in all sports with weight categories involved.

Sufficient Rest

It is a problem in the strength and conditioning world when a coach has a group of athletes and a limited amount of time to train. The goal is to get the best results in the shortest amount of time, but to also be able to let the athletes have the proper rest periods as well. This has been a double-edged sword in the strength and conditioning world for quite some time and much research has been done to find answers to this problem.

Willardson states that since blood flow to the muscle is occluded at intensities as low as 20% of maximal strength, a rest period is essential to reestablish intramuscular blood flow and oxygen delivery that allows for the replenishment of phosphocreatine stores, restoration of intramuscular pH, removal of metabolic end products, and return of muscle membrane potential to resting levels. He also goes on to say “the selection of appropriate rest intervals becomes crucial to maintain high velocity, rate of force production, and power throughout a set” (22). Resting for sufficient lengths of time is needed in order to recover adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stores as well (24). If this rest does not take place, there won’t be enough recovery of these muscular energy components, which means that there will not be enough intramuscular stores to produce the required force/power necessary for the remaining sets of a training session.

Larson Jr. and Potteiger compared three different rest intervals between several sessions of squats (14). They mentioned that, as a general guideline, rest intervals between sets are progressively reduced as the body adapts to certain training loads, and lengthened as training loads increase. The three rest intervals they used were a fixed three minute time interval, achieving a specific postexercise recovery heart rate (post-HR) of 60% age-predicted maximum, and a fixed work : rest ratio of 1:3. During the three exercise sessions, the subjects performed four sets of squats to voluntary exhaustion with 85% of their 10-RM (10 repetition maximum). This study found no significant differences between repetitions to exhaustion, blood lactate concentrations, or RPE among the three rest conditions.

Willardson and Burkett also did a study on three rest interval components (21). They compared rest intervals of 30-seconds, one minute, or two minutes on five consecutive sets of the squat and the bench press (15RM for both). The purpose was to find which rest length had the best sustainability on the number of repetitions performed. They found that that, for each exercise, the number of repetitions performed on the first set was not sustained throughout all five sets, no matter which rest interval was used. They thought that the intensity (weight) should be lowered with each subsequent set to be able to sustain the desired amount of repetitions.

While both of these studies do well on questioning which rest intervals are best to improve performance, neither of them found any significant results. Also, they are not exactly comparable to training for power results because of the load and repetitions that were used. Nevertheless, they do give us knowledge into specifications about rest intervals for strength gains in secondary exercises such as back extensions, reverse hyperextensions, and abdominal training that use higher repetitions per set.

Studies with heavier loads and fewer repetitions are needed in order to apply results to power-type training. One such study focused on comparing squat strength gains and volume components with rest intervals of two and four minutes between sets over several mesocycles (23). In this study, 15 trained men were randomly assigned to either the two minute group or the four minute group. Both groups performed the same training program, with the only difference being the rest interval. Each week had two sessions, a heavy session (70-90% 1RM) and a light session (60% 1RM). The groups made significant strength gains, but there were no differences between groups. However, the four minute group did demonstrate significantly higher total volume for the heavy workouts. This finding is noteworthy because if higher volumes of high intensity (heavier weight) can be obtained, this will lead to continued increases in strength gains. The primary finding of this article was that large strength gains can be achieved with a minimum of two minutes rest between sets, and little additional gains are made from resting four minutes between sets. Coaches can use this information for their programs and significantly cut the amount of rest time between sets, which will give them more time to add extra exercises into the program for increased volume.

Again, significant rest must be allowed in order for the best adaptations to take place. However, coaches have limited time to make these adaptations occur with training because most athletes do not have all the time in the day to train. Thus, rest research and findings should be followed heavily when trying to train athletes toward a certain goal. Without resting enough or resting too long, the desired adaptations will not take place and training will be a waste of time.

Optimal Training Loads

It cannot be stressed enough how important using proper loads is on training results. This training variable has a direct impact on both components of power development (force and velocity of movement). Mentioned earlier was the fact that certain loads elicit the best results for power (maximal power training/loads). This is where a person produces the most power in a certain movement. Once this load is figured out, a coach can use this load as a baseline to start training.

Harris et al. declared that some researchers claim the use of 80% of 1RM is recommended to improve power characteristics, while others suggest 50-60% of 1RM and below (11). Kawamori and Haff (12) agreed with Harris et al., stating that there is inconsistency in the optimal load to produce the highest power. They claimed that some studies that used untrained subjects, single joint exercises, and upper-body exercises reported 30-45% of 1RM, while others using trained subjects, multi-joint exercises, and lower-body exercises reported 30-70% of 1RM.

It appears that trained subjects and lower-body exercises produce the greatest power outputs at higher percentages of 1RM than untrained subjects and upper-body exercises. More research is needed in this area because of the large range of percentages still being used at this current point in time.

Because of the similar kinetics and kinematics, Tricoli et al. (18) compared vertical jump training and Olympic-style weightlifting and their affect on power output. Although they did not measure percent of 1RM used, the weightlifting group improved on all of the performance tests (10- and 30-meter sprint, agility test, and clean and jerk) except one (1RM half squat). This shows that using an external load is more beneficial than just using body weight in improving power output.

There is much controversy surrounding this area of training among strength and conditioning coaches. That is why it is so important that researchers find definitive values for what training loads improve power output the best. At this point in the literature, there is a large range of percentages that is being tested on power output. Once the correct load parameters are discovered, coaches can put research into practice.

Conclusions

            Athletes must possess the ability to produce large forces in short amounts of time to plateau at their highest potentials. This is why power is so important in sports. Strength and conditioning coaches need information at their disposal to invoke the best adaptations to power training in their athletes as possible.

            There are many training variables to consider when developing a program and much controversy surrounding these training variables. The development of a program should question whether all aspects are being considered. Most importantly, what types of lifts are being done in the program; is there any use of the stretch-shortening cycle; are there high-force, low-velocity movements to develop maximal strength; is there a hypertrophy period; are the athletes resting the appropriate amount of time; and are the athletes using the optimal loads to develop power?

            These variables can be combined to develop a maximal amount of power in athletes of all levels. As mentioned throughout this review, a program that utilizes the weightlifting movements, squats, and plyometrics, with the proper loads and rest periods, as well as some hypertrophy exercises could lead to a superior amount of power development. Thus, leading to superior athletes thanks to the proper combination of training variables in a program.

            Coaches can get carried away with all of the training methods at their disposal. The most important thing is to find what will work best for the specific population in question and being able to fit that “best” program into the time available. Working smart is just as important, if not more important, than working hard. Remember, there are certain things that are hard to get wrong in training, but there are even more things that are easy to get wrong. It is a waste of everyone’s time if things are being done wrong in a program. Programs should be developed so that every aspect can be backed by peer-reviewed research.

Practical Applications

            It is the author’s recommendation that all strength and conditioning coaches review the current research material on all of the aspects of training that are available to them. It is better that a coach have the research to back up what he is doing if their methods are questioned. They could be blindly developing programs, not knowing what or why they are doing certain things with their athletes. Education is always going to be a crucial part of a coaches’ repertoire.

Future research should compare as many differing variables as possible and try to match the best variables that produce the most power. This is a continuing area of research that can only improve as technology and training methods become more advanced, but it will only improve if strength and conditioning coaches allow their methods to change with time.

  References

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3.      Baechle, T.R., and R.W. Earle (2000). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2^nd Ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

4.      Blakey, J.B., and D. Southard. The combined effects of weight training and plyometrics on dynamic leg strength and leg power. J. Appl. Sport Sci. Res. 1(1):14-16. 1987.

5.      Chatzopoulos, D.E., C.J. Michailidis, A.K. Giannakos, K.C. Alexiou, D.A. Patikas, C.B. Antonopoulos, and C.M. Kotzamanidis. Postactivation potentiation effects after heavy resistance exercise on running speed.  J. Strength and Cond. Res. 21(4):1278-1281. 2007.

6.      Crewther, B., J. Cronin, and J. Keogh. Possible stimuli for strength and power adaptation: acute metabolic responses. J. Sports Med. 36(1):65-78. 2006.

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8.      Folland, J. and A.G. Williams. The adaptations to strength training: Morphological and neurological contributions to increased strength. J. Sports Med. 37(2):145-168. 2007.

9.      Garhammer, J. and R. Gregor. Propulsion forces as a function of intensity for weightlifting and vertical jumping. J. Appl. Sport Sci. Res. 6(3):129-134. 1992.

10.  Garhammer, J. A review of power output studies of Olympic and Powerlifting: Methodology, performance prediction, and evaluation tests. J. Strength and Cond. Res. 7(2):76-89. 1993.

11.  Harris, N.K., Cronin, J.B., Hopkins, W.G., and Hansen, K.T. Squat jump training at maximal power loads vs. heavy loads: Effect on sprint ability. J. Strength and Cond. Res. 22(6):1742-1749. 2008.

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Training Methodology

Do you have one? Basically, do you have specific ideas that you adhere to while training/programming? Many of us train blindly, even if we have the most immaculate program mapped out. From one cycle to the next we may focus on certain areas of the program, while ignoring others. It would benefit every one of us to have a specific methodology on training that we follow.

Methodologies include many areas related to training, but are not limited to ideas that only focus on training. They may also include thoughts on recovery and nutrition as well. My understanding on what makes a good methodology is that everything it may include are based on solid findings. You may follow specific 'rules', but each component must be back up by evidence. This evidence could be from scientific studies you have read/performed, or through trial and error in your own training. If they are not based on evidence, there is no point in using that idea/method.

You can play around with variables to program one hell of a cycle. Many methods come to mind when I think of HOW to program a training cycle. These include high reps, lower intensity; low reps, higher intensity; ascending waves; descending waves; accomodating resistance (chains or bands); post-activation potentiation (follow a heavier movement with a lighter, similar movement); and many, many more.

My point is that you can use many different methods of training, but you should be consistent with your beliefs in HOW training and programming should be handled, and what works well together. There should not be a huge discrepancy in methods from one cycle to the next, otherwise certain performance characteristics may be lost. A good example would be doing extremely high repetitions, using only unilateral movements, while being performed on unstable surfaces for one cycle. Then, after completing this cycle, performing heavy singles with the 'big three' movements (squat, bench, and deadlift). My problem with an example like this is simple. WHY would you follow an unstable, lighter cycle with an extremely heavy cycle? What's the reason? What are you trying to accomplish? You might believe that using unstable surfaces has proven implications for increasing joint stability. Is that stability supposed to be transferred to the 'big three'? What strength have you built to help with this new, heavier cycle? What does the research say? Is it beneficial to do an entire cycle on unstable surfaces, or would it be better to just do a few exercises within a cycle using this method? Only you can be the judge of your training and how you program your cycles...just be smart about it.

Sorry for the rant, but I really believe that everything within a program should be backed up by evidence in some way or another. I'm sure Mariusz followed through with his methods and stuck to his beliefs without straying off course to delve into the new fad workout.

Be attentive to everything you do and results will surely follow.