Power training quote - Shaun Pickering

[coolcolj]

CCJ-
Thanks, I will take a look on my HD of articles for it...

Have you ever read the book Explosive Power & Strength: Complex Training for Maximum Results by Don Chu? Wondering if it was any good or not. I have the plyo one, was a good intro, but I thought it was also kind of nebulous, wondering about this one....

Thanks.

I have the book - not worth getting, you get an intro and then 90% of it just exercise diagrams!!!!

ALl you need to know about complexing is this - by Yuri Verkhoshansky


Being a professional track & field coach in sprint and jumping (fiftieth -
sixtieth) I used weightlifting for development of explosive strength,
starting strength and reactive ability of the neuromuscular apparatus of the
sportsmen. The main task of this exercises was creating a strong training
influence on the CNS for the generalization of more power stream of the
nervous impulses on the motoneurons and synchronization them at the
moment of the muscle effort beginning.

My practical experience as a coach and results of the many years scientific
work have been published in some monographs in Russia and translated in
other countries ("Basis of the strength training" - 1970 and 1977;
"Programming of sport training" - 1987; "Basis of physical
preparation in the sport" - 1988). Principles of the special strength
training were formulated in this monographs including so-called
"supermethods" that are intended for top class athletes. One of them was
named as a "Stimulation method".

The idea of this method consist in the usage of the hyperexcitability of the
CNS crated by short-term power muscular strains, for rise of the vigor of
the subsequent specific work, aimed at the development of explosive
strength and reactive ability of the neuromuscular apparatus.

The stimulation method thus includes two successive muscle activities. The
first (tonic) is carried out slowly with major resistance and restricted
amount of repetition. The second activity (developing) is conducted with
extremely concentrated explosive effort with smaller weight of resistance
(30-40 % from the maximum) and considerably higher (optimum) amount of
repetitions. The activity with essentially increased power by tonic
influence at the CNS arises during the first (tonic) activity, exerts the
main training influence on the organism in the stimulation method.
The stimulation method has confirmed its extreme effectiveness for the
development of explosive strength and reactive ability of the neuromuscular
apparatus of sportsmen. Its value consists providing a fast and steady
accretion of this parameters at a small time expenditure and energy of
sportsmen.

For example, squat with the barbell on the shoulders (90% from maximum) used
in for tonic work. Two approach (sets) of 2-3 reps with the rest 3-4 minutes
are conducted. Then after rest 4-6 minutes follows the second (developing)
exercise - jumps up with the barbell on the shoulders (30% from maximum).
Three sets of 6-8 reps with maximum effort and with the rest between the
sets 3-4 minutes are carried out. This series are repeated for 2-3 times
with rest 8-10 minutes.

When the stimulation method is used, it is necessary to mean the following.
1. The form of the first (tonic) exercise movement has no principal value.
However, it is important, that those muscles groups which necessary for
training are activated and that they work with a major effort. As to the
second (developing) exercise, its motor structure should approximate
competitive exercise as much as possible and be conducted with extreme
effort.

2. Between the sets it is necessary to executes exercises on flexibility,
relaxation and stretching of muscles, and between series - work of moderate
intensity by the same muscle groups (for example, light jumping exercises on
relaxation and flexibility. The first (tonic) and especially second
(developing) exercises should be fulfilled with maximal effort.

3. During training it is necessary to rise gradually the force of the
stimulation influence of tonic work, not at expense of the augmentation of
its volume but of the weight of load. As to the second (developing)
exercise, it is not necessary to change the total amount of work (number of
repetitions, approaches, espies), the weight of load or intervals of rest
between the approaches and series.

4. The stimulation method should not be utilized at the end of the training
session or in fatigued state. The stimulation method should not de used in
addition to any other training activity. The method can be effective only in
case of the so-called «fresh» forces.

5. The stimulation method can expediently be utilized as a separate training
session with the duration of from 40 minutes to one hour and it should be
the first within the day (in case there are two tracings per day). The
interval between the following training session should not be less than four
hours.

I beg your pardon for my poor English.

Yuri Verkhoshansky

 

[coolcolj]

Thats interesting stuff CCJ, very interesting.

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesnt that mainly apply to athletes?

The reason I ask is this. Most of the examples used in the articles, the person that had more power ie, could throw the shot further, had less of a 1rm max on bench.

What I get from that is that the speed training would be great for an athlete...sprinters, shot putters, etc, but for a powerlifter, it really doesnt help any only because they care about their 1RM.

Is that a right assumption?

For those of you that dont understand what is meant by "power"

The definition of power, or the formula used in physics is...

power= work/time

Well you can generate more force with moderate loads moved fast than with heavier loads moved slowly. Plus you can do more pushes in a session at moderate loads without burning yourself up, so why would you need to go heavy all the time and beat yourself up?

some quotes from Dave Castor - A thrower strength coach - coaches daughter

Great questions! In Dr. Zatiorsky's book, "Science and Practice of Strength Training," he speaks about ESD (Explosive Strength Deficit). I'll get the specific page #s tomorrow for you. The Dr. claims that modest gains in absolute strength will result in large performance increases for young shotputters, who naturally lack absolute strength. He uses the benchpress as his test lift (curious choice), and he also claims that an experienced shot putter even when making huge jumps in absolute strength, may experience no increase in throwing performance. He then suggests that these experienced throwers should engage in training that increases explosiveness to overcome this "deficit" . One problem-he says very little about the nuances of dynamic training (page references to follow tomorrow).

This made Louie very curious, so he asked the Dr. about it. Louie's impression of the discussion mirrored his impression of the book-brilliant, but created more questions than answers. Where Louie fits into this whole mess is that he essentially operates from a very rudimentary understanding of Force (with Force equaling mass times acceleration). He has noted that most strength coaches and athletes attack the equation by moving a very heavy mass slowly. He has found moving a moderate mass very quickly to work wonders; not only can you perform more pushes per session, you can actually exert more force than your max lift (with the acceleration factor being the determinant). This is not a cycling strategy per se, but a standard practice used on the main lifts. With powerlifters and other strength athletes that are used to attacking the problem from the maximum mass angle, his concepts have been very liberating in that they are now able to increase force by slipping through the acceleration "door".

Here's how it all fits together. Louie feels that it is not necessary to periodize the main lifts; rather, periodize and cycle assistance movements. The assistance movements are chosen to specifically attack weakpoints. Yet, the "dynamic" work is always done.

I will use myself as an example. In 1990, I benched 310 at a meet. It took 4.5 seconds to lock out the lift (we video the meets for analysis purposes). The training before the meet was traditional prog. overload (8's, 5's, 3's and eventually working to a heavy double with 290, producing the snail-like 310 at the meet). Fast-forward to 1994 . . . after a few years of Louie's methods, I was able to bench 396 at a meet, and the lift took 1.6 seconds to lock out. Same bodyweight. The difference was in using the percent training. 245 for 8 sets of 3 was used exclusively to bench with for the WHOLE CYCLE; specific weaknesses were dealt with through incline benches, rack work, weight release work, etc. We bench by percents on Monday, and do the special work on Thursday. The special work is worked as follows: 3-4 weeks hypertrophy work; 3-4 weeks heavy rack singles (or board press, or floor press) work, then 2 weeks of weight release singles to get that stretch reflex snapping. In a nutshell, the main lift is trained dynamically ALWAYS, and the special exercises are cycled as necessary. Louie calls it "conjugarte training". Now-as far as building a base-yes and no is the "scientific" answer. Louie has one lifter he has trained since he was 14; all he has done is % training. He benches 700+ at 22. 620 or so without any of the lifting paraphernalia that is sometimes used. Our take on this? We mix the dynamic training with the standard repeated effort method for the younger ones. This builds the necessary coordination and hypertrophy, while teaching them to be real fast, and it doesn't hurt them and beat them up like heavy training-yet it takes advantage of one thing that all lifters have in common-a functioning nervous system. Once the hormones are popping as they get older, they easily slide into a more intense routine-but the dynamic "base" is always there. So Andy, the short answer to my long-winded explanation is that the physiological reason we do it is because that acceleration is, indeed, a part of the force equation, it is one that is often overlooked, and it is a major window of opportunity to increase force without burning the strength trainee out. Once you are used to this kind of training, you can play around with volumes of the dynamic work performed and really tailor-make whatever outcome you're striving for. While any chimp could tell you that yes, there is a limit to what a person can do, we have found it possible to retard that law of diminishing returns experienced due to ESD. This is essentially Louie's answer to the question/problem Zatsiorsky so succinctly outlines in his ESD equation. The ramifications for the thrower (specifically shot-putter)? They are quite obvious. A thrower who benches 400, and takes about 4 seconds to do so, may become a bit more effective in the circle when he's benching 500 in about 2 seconds. Well, hopefully, at least. I hope I have not caused too much confusion. Take care!

 

[Becoming]

CCJ-
Thanks bigtime for the advice on the book- I can spend my $20 on something much more useful... I suspected as the Plyo book is okay to take up shelf space, but not the depth I expected....

Also thanks for the Yuri Verkhoshansky quote- if I find my article, I will post it also, just in case anyones else wants it. It is a decent read.... I think I remember in a different article Yuri also pointed out specifically to only use 30% of TOTAL load max (bodyweight plus weight used) and not 30% of the weights....

Thanks again for the info.

 

[coolcolj]

Apparently there will be a new Yuri Verkhoshansky book, a rumour anyway. I have still yet to get his Fundamentals of Special Strength Training in Sports, but sounds good by the quotes of text from it by Kenny Croxdale. Real nerdy stuff here

-----------

Page 56 The EXPLOSIVE-ISOMETRIC type of muscular tension is inherent to movements in which significant resistance is overcome (for example, snatch or jerking…throwing a heavy projectile). A basic peculiarity of these movements is the necessity to develop a significant working-force: the MAXIMAL is achieved, advantageously, AT THE END OF THE MOVEMENT.

The EXPLOSIVE-BALLISTIC type of muscular tension is characteristic of movements in which maximal force is applied to a relatively small resistance (for example, the shot put, javelin…). Here the motive force reaches maximum quickly AT THE BEGINNING and MIDDLE ranges of the movement, then begins to diminish. …As the resistance increases, this type of muscular tension switches to EXPLOSIVE-Ballistic.

The EXPLOSIVE-REATIVE-BALLISTIC type of muscular 0% of PO their functional characteristics are changed. As it was in the previous instance, the beginning of the F (t) curve is determined by starting-strength, however, further on it is increasingly connected with the muscles' ability to quickly display the maximum possible strength, i.e., the acceleration-strength of muscle.

Page 62 Thus, the working-effect of an athletic movement, executed with maximal volitional tension, is determined to a greater or a lesser degree by the four qualitative special-strength abilities: absolute-strength (PO), starting-strength (Q), acceleration-strength (G) and the absolute speed of muscle contraction (Vo).

Page 65 Starting-strength (Q) and acceleration-strength (G) are weakly dependent upon each other. The general abilities to display explosive-strength (I) and acceleration-strength (G) are to a significant degree determined by an aggregate of causes. Starting-strength (Q) and the general ability to display explosive force (I) have little in common.

Page 65 …the lesser the external resistance of the movement (consequently, the faster and briefer its execution) the larger the role of such abilities as absolute speed: and especially, starting-strength. And, vice-versa, the larger the external resistance the greater the importance of acceleration and absolute-strength. In accordance with these criteria of componential abilities (which secure the working-effect of explosive force), one can arrange the following series: Vo-Q-G-PO; which can correlate concretely with the external resistance of the movement, as depicted on the abscissa in figure 30.

Page 66 It is obvious that when overcoming insignificant external resistance (20-40% of PO) man is simply unable to display his strength potential. In this instance, the impulse force producing the movement is developed chiefly by starting-strength. With a large resistance (more than 60% of PO) the impulse force securing the working movement is developed primarily by acceleration and absolute-strength. Starting-strength plays an assistive role here. Thus, in order for the working tension to reach a certain level as quickly as possible, starting-strength is the underlying mechanism crucial for the display of acceleration-strength. First, it follows that with an external resistance, starting-strength is displayed under isometric conditions of muscular tension (the greater the external resistance the larger it is expressed); and acceleration-strength is displayed in the dynamic regime; second, the higher the level to which starting-strength is developed, the faster the acceleration-strength can be realized. The latter circumstance should unconditionally be emphasized considering the limited time for the execution of a speed-strength movement in athletics.

Page 69 The regime, in which and external resistance is actively overcome after being preceded by a sharp preliminary muscular stretch, is the most effective for training explosive-strength.

Page 69-70/Bench Press Throws...I co-wrote this article prior to reading Fundamentals. Verkhoshansky figured it out 25 years ahead of me...lol. Plyometric Bench Press Training http://www.strengthcats.com/plyobenchpress.htm

Page 78/Effector vs Afferent Impulse

Page 90-91/Complex Training...same thing here...Verkhoshansky was 24 year ahead of me on this... Building Strength and Power with Complex Training http://www.strengthcats.com/complextraining.htm

Fundamentals is available at: THE RUSSIAN WEIGHTLIFTING LIBRARY http://www.dynamic-eleiko.com/sportivny/library/rwl.htm