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Improving power output by
increasing speed.
The concept of power is considered a component of
two variables: speed and strength. Strength is the ability to generate
maximum external force against a given resistance and speed, is basically
self-defined. The basic principle to increase power is to either increase
the weight of an object or increase the speed at which the object is
moved. Many athletes and
coaches emphasize the strength aspect of training, thereby losing the
speed component. Keep in mind
that the faster an object moves, the more power will be produced. Speed is generally the missing
link in becoming a more powerful athlete. When trying to attain a high
power output, the same questions often arise. These are not elementary questions
from the novice strength coach, but rather serious questions involving
specific answers. The
questions include the following: What are the most beneficial percentages
to train at? What sets and
repetitions keep power output high?
How does one achieve the greatest power output from different
percentages? These questions
will be addressed below as well as some basic concepts that will possibly
help in the application of more power in your programming.
What weights or percentages
should I train at to increase my power output?
The answer lies in
the power formula, WEIGHT X DISTANCE / TIME; weight being the weight on
the bar or the weight of any external object; distance, the length the
object or bar travels; and time being the duration of time spent moving
the object in a concentric manner.
You could do the testing yourself by selecting an exercise and
going through a series of tests in that particular exercise. By timing the speed of the bar,
how far the bar travels, and the weight of the bar, you could find out
what percentages produces the maximum power output. Once finding the power outputs,
you would have the optimal percentages to train at.
Expectedly, Dr. Frederick C.
Hatfield, a.k.a. Dr. Squat, has completed this long procedure. He refers to these percentages of
high power output as "The Training Zone." Obviously, "The Training Zone" is
for the athletes that are required to generate high power output during
competition, i.e. baseball pitchers, wrestlers, and shot-putters. Dr. Hatfield has demonstrated that
training within 55% to 85% is optimal for retaining the highest power
output of the bar. Dr.
Hatfield has done a great job of explaining this process in his book
"Power 89" or on his web page www.drsquat.com. The basic concept of his Inverted "U" Hypothesis
scale is as follows: if the weight drops below 55% percent of your 1-rm,
the speed of the bar remains high, but the weight on the bar is too low
for the power output to remain high. If the weight on the bar exceeds 85%
of your 1-rm, the speed is too slow to keep the power output high. Dr. Squat recommends that athletes
requiring strength at some moment in competition train within these
percentages for optimal results.
What repetitions provide
optimal results in power output?
Keep in mind that when training
between 55% and 85%, the key factor is once again speed. The number of
repetitions in a work sets will vary due to the work percentages; the
higher the weight, the fewer repetitions will be completed. Speed will be your guideline for
the optimal number of repetitions in a set particularly when training
between 80% and 92%. A
general guideline for strength athletes of all types is that their 80% of
1-rm could be used for a set of five maximum repetitions, four repetitions
at 85% and three repetitions at 92%.
These figures could vary by one or two repetitions depending on
individual athletes, but can be used as guidelines. If an athlete does a
true maximum set of five repetitions at 80%, the set should be five
individual repetitions within one set, not one set of five
repetitions. With this
perspective, a coach must look at each individual rep with the idea of
keeping the power output of each repetition high. Observing a set of 5
repetitions at 80% of an athlete's 1-rm, the key component of power output
is still speed. In the
quest for speed, the velocity of the bar decreases after the third
repetition, thereby decreasing the power output. When the speed decreases, the
quality of work and power decreases, causing the purpose of your training
to suffer, as speed is the parameter for high power output. When power
training, your goal must be the highest quality of work, not quantity or
work. Realizing that the
power suffers after the third repetition, the only sensible answer is to
end the set and save energy for a high quality second set. If the first set at 80% is
completed for five repetitions, then the quality of power output on your
second set would decrease even prior to the third rep. A sensible suggestion would be to
complete works sets at 80% for three repetitions. This would keep the power output
of your work sets high for the duration of three to five work sets. The alternative is to lose power
output after the first work set and never again reach that power level for
the duration of that workout. These concepts can be applied to the all
percentages. The heavier ones
are easier to notice a difference in the speed of the bar (power
output). A guideline for high
power output at 85% is approximately two repetitions, and 92% is
approximately one repetition.
For the percentages below 80% the power drop-off point will be
different for individual types of athletes. The same principles can be
used for the lower percentages with the emphasis always on the speed of
the bar.
Training for speed in your work
sets between 55% and 75%.
First establish the percentages and
repetitions for your training.
Then determine how the most power output (speed on the bar) can be
extracted from the work sets. Below are a couple of ideas that may help
coaches to increase the speed of the bar and therefore the quality of work
achieved in a training session. In the beginning of a training cycle, the
planned percentages of work sets are 60%. Even when a number of
athletes were in the "Training Zone," I found that they generally took
until the third set to notice the increase speed of the bar. Remember that the increased speed
of the bar is what produces more power output. This leads to the next question:
In the first couple of sets, how can the bar duplicate power output
similar to that of the third and fourth sets? Don't forget that if the first
sets are done to failure, the power of the following work sets will
suffer. When examining the
reasoning behind the increased speed of the bar in the latter sets, the
first thing that comes to mind is a proper muscular warm up. However, even
with numerous warm-up exercises and sets taking place prior to work sets,
the latter sets still appear to increase in speed. Disregarding the theory that the
muscles aren't warm leads me to believe that the neurological system is
finally adapted to the movement and/or warmed up after completing the
first couple of sets. The succeeding question is, how could adaptation
and/or stimulation of the neurological system occur prior to the work sets
without having to lift excessive amounts of volume. If high amounts of volume were
lifted, the quality of speed during your work sets would suffer, causing
the intensity of your target area in training to decrease.
This refers us back to the inverted
"U" Hypothesis scale. By
knowing the power formula and realizing that if the heaviest weight
possible can be lifted, the speed factor remains high to produce the
maximum power output. The ideal percentage/weight to train at prior to
beginning the work sets is proven by the inverted "U" hypothesis theory.
Ideally, the most adaptation/stimulation would take place at 78% of a 1-RM
where the optimal power is generated. When reaching this percentage (78%)
the neurological system becomes stimulated and several things take
place. First, the recruitment
of the motor units is optimal because of high tension in the muscles from
the combination of the high-speed factor and the heavy weight. Next, synchronization of the motor
units becomes unified in order to produce an efficient movement while
moving the heavy load.
Recognizing these concepts is the first part and applying them is
the second. Figure (1-a) is a
two-week example of how to apply this in programming. The second concept
in gaining speed in the weight training movement would be to combine
plyometric training of a similar movement, to that of your weight
training. An example would be to combine hurdle hops with back
squats. This type of training
has been labeled complex training.
Numerous articles have been written on the subject and if your
knowledge of this training is lacking, there is an extraordinary New World
in your training that must be discovered.
Following this suggestion of
applying complex training into the work sets, the next question is "What's
the most opportune time to combine this into the work sets for optimal
speed on the bar (high power output)?" The maximum result will come from
placing a set of plyometrics following the 78% singles, again due to
stimulation of the motor units.
Then, follow each individual work set with a set of
plyometrics. This means to an
end will result in more speed on the bar. The end being increased
synchronization and recruitment of the motor units with a coupling effect
for the increased rate of force development (speed) on the bar. An increased rate of force
development would be the principal reason for complex training in any
athlete that requires strength and power.
Work sets at 80% and
up
When training between 80-85% of your 1-rm, the power output
remains high as stated previously because the percentages are within the
Training Zone. However, as the weights get closer to the 1-rm, the speed
of the bar starts to decrease.
Remember when training outside the power zone (above 85 %)that the
maximum speed must always be reached within each work set. When training
athletes between 80 and 95%, the bar speed typically decreases after the
first set. The pattern between these percentages appears to be that the
power output drops immediately after the first work set there by causing
the latter sets to lose speed and therefore, power. How then, can the
athlete reach optimal speed in the second, third, and fourth work sets
with heavy weight? The answer
lies in contrast training. Contrast training in programming allows an
athlete to increase the speed of the bar in the higher percentages of the
training zone. This type of
training consists of completing the first work set, then waiting
approximately 2 to 3 minutes before lifting a down set between 55% and
60%of a 1-rm. After a two to
three minute rest, the next work set is above 80%. Completing down sets
between the top percentage results in optimal speed achievement while
maintaining a high power output. Examples of this type of programming can
be found in figure 1-B.
"Last set"
reflections
The key to success when programming for power is speed.
The quest for speed is a necessity in all levels of competition. There are
other basic concepts of training that need to be applied when training for
power. The concepts of ballistic movements and compensatory acceleration
should additionally be used when training for power. These concepts require all the
same key ingredient in successful power training - speed. |
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Copyright
© 2001 Fred Hatfield. All
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