Bar speed has been of interest to me the last few years, and has really stood out to me the last eight days since I began this new training program that emphasizes bar speed. Most people I see training are completely oblivious to bar speed, and tempo in general. However, it is a variable that, when manipulated correctly, can be incredibly beneficial for both size and strength gains.
I'm not going to get super in-depth with this now; in fact, I won't even touch on the use of chains or bands. There is a ton of information out there--way too much for a single blog post--so I will be touching on this subject over the next few months or so as I develop a greater understanding regarding the physics of what's happening with the weight and the physiology of what's happening with the individual.
For just over a week now I have been using lighter weights (between 50-85% of 1RM) than I have for a long time. My reps have stayed low, though, with sets of 3 or less being the majority of my training. What has gone up is my bar speed. I move the bar as explosively as possible and control down on a 3 count. This is very taxing on the nervous system and targets the Type II fibers, as well.
The biggest difference between what I am doing now and what I have done before is that grinding reps are not allowed. By grinding reps I mean the reps where you fight through sticking points. As soon as bar speed slows down, the set is over, regardless if all the reps have been finished or not. This is a new concept to me, but one I am excited about working with over the next couple months.
If you are looking for a change to your training, consider manipulating bar speed before you mess with any of the other variables.
Also, while searching for a picture for this post, this is what Google images came up with for me:
Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.
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