>Bridge the Gap Between Strength and Power

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by CHAD WATERBURY on FEBRUARY 15, 2011

Every guy wants to be strong. There’s no better way to get strong than to lift heavy loads for a few sets of a few reps a few times per week. You can’t go wrong with 3×3 (3 sets of 3 reps) every 3-4 days to build strength. Research is clear that building maximal strength will improve your speed and explosiveness – at first, anyway.

However, there comes a time when simply lifting heavy won’t get the job done. This is especially if you’re an athlete who needs high levels of explosive strength.

After you have a few years of heavy lifting under your belt it’s important to improve your explosive strength with fast lifts. Maximal strength training builds your force capacity, but that newfound strength won’t necessarily make you punch or kick harder, or sprint faster. You must bridge the gap between the force your muscles can produce and your ability generate high levels of force very quickly.

Let’s say you’re a trainer who’s working with a MMA fighter, and let’s say you use a standing one-arm cable chest press to boost his punching power. If you increase his strength in that exercise from, say, 90 pounds to 160 pounds it’s easy to think that he’ll be able to punch harder.

In the outstanding text, Strength and Power in Sport (2nd Edition), Zatsiorsky states that “it takes usually in excess of 0.3-0.4 sec to generate maximum force.” However, many fast movements such as a punch or kick usually occur in approximately 0.1 sec.

So how do you train your muscles to develop force more quickly? By enhancing rate of force development (RFD). The benefits of improving RFD are vast, however, here are three of the primary benefits:

1. Earlier recruitment of high-threshold motor units: By recruiting your largest motor units earlier, you’ll be able to reach your peak levels of force more quickly.

2. Enhanced maximal discharge rate of motor units: A muscle boosts its force by recruiting more motor units. Once those motor units have been recruited the nervous system sends a signal to the motor units to fire faster (this is known as rate coding). A motor unit can increase its force 10-fold when it reaches its maximum firing rate.

3. Increased incidence of “doublets” during contractions: A doublet is defined as a motor unit firing twice in a very short interval (5-20 ms). Doublets allow a muscle to reach peak levels of force faster.

To enhance RFD you must train with relatively light loads and apply maximum acceleration to each lift. With heavy loads, the actual velocity of movement is slow. However, to boost RFD the actual velocity must be fast so the load must be light. Loads that vary between 20-60% of your 1RM typically work well. Movements with light loads and high velocities are known in research as ballistic exercises.

Now, where trainers often screw up with ballistic exercises is with time under tension. To keep acceleration high and fatigue in check you should stop each set once the lifting speed slows down noticeably. Merging your sets into slow grind reps won’t boost RFD as effectively as keeping the reps fast. As a gross generalization, sets of ballistic exercises should terminate within 10 seconds. After 10 seconds your speed will slow down because the largest motor units that will start dropping out.

Put another way, if your speed doesn’t slow down within 10 seconds you didn’t recruit the high-threshold motor units to begin with. It’s imperative to tap into your largest motor units because they produce the most power. How? The largest motor units contain the largest bundle of your strongest muscle fibers. If you leave these motor units untapped your RFD will suffer.

There’s one limitation, however, with applying maximum acceleration to a standard exercise such as a squat or bench press. As you approach lockout the nervous system will decelerate the lift to protect your joints. Research (Elliot et al 1989) demonstrates that 52% of the total duration of a bench press with 80% of 1RM is deceleration. This is bad news since deceleration forces motor units to drop out. Therefore, enhancing RFD requires exercise modifications.

The key is to perform exercises that continue past lockout in order to short-circuit deceleration.

Two of my favorite exercises to boost RFD are jump squats with 25% of 1RM across the upper back and clap push-ups. Here’s a simple workout to enhance RFD.

1a Jump squat with 25% of 1RM for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds
1b Clap push-up for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds, repeat 1a/1b pairing seven more times (8 rounds total)

Perform this short workout twice per week at the beginning of your regular workouts and you’ll bridge the gap between strength and power.

Stay Focused,
CW   

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Faster is Better

by CHAD WATERBURY on JANUARY 27, 2011

Faster is better.

That’s one thing I’ve learned over the years. When physical prowess is the goal, moving faster is better than anything slower, provided you can maintain perfect technique. Now, an old person might be wise, but it’s likely he doesn’t move fast. Indeed, one of the tell-tale signs of aging is slowness.

Think about it. Boxers who lose their speed are relegated to a record with more losses and knockouts, as evident by Roy Jones Jr. When a basketball player is reaching the end of his career, it’s often said that he’s “losing his first step.” This is just another way of saying that he lost his speed. You can think of speed as being reactive ability, explosiveness, and the like.

One of the most important elements to building, and keeping, a youthful body is to move quickly. There’s plenty of research that supports the benefit of lifting fast, whether it’s for getting leaner, bigger, or stronger. And for strength and power development, research (Behm & Sale, 1993) shows that even the intent to move fast will make you a faster athlete.

In the gym, one of the simplest ways to get bigger, faster, or stronger is by accelerating your lifts as I explain in this video.

Speaking of what I’ve learned, this week the fitness world lost one of its pioneers, Jack LaLanne. I can’t say that I wholeheartedly agree with all of his mantras, but the guy maintained a youthful physique well into his 80s. You can’t argue with that. So out of respect for the man, here are three of my favorite pieces of wisdom from Mr. LaLanne.

“If man makes it, don’t eat it.”

“Scales lie! You lose thirty pounds of muscle and gain thirty pounds of fat, and you weigh the same, right? Take that tape measure out. That won’t lie. Your waistline is your lifeline. It should be the same as it was when you were a young person.”

“Go on, have a glass of wine with dinner. What is wine, anyway? Pure grapes. A glass of wine is much better for you than a Coke.”

Stay focused,
CW

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3 Reasons to Lift Explosively Using Speed to Build Size and Strength by Chad Waterbury

Over the last few years, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of lifting fast. I’ve thrown around some research, I’ve given anecdotes, and I’ve spent time in seminars doing a lot of hand waving and chaotic laser pointing, all to demonstrate that you’ll recruit more motor units when you lift explosively, and this will better serve your workouts.
Heck, I’ve even offered up TC’s home, complete with freshly imported European princesses, for those who could prove otherwise.

Nevertheless, there’s still work to be done. So, I’ve outlined three more reasons why you should perform explosive lifts in the gym. If this list can’t convince you to include at least a bit of fast lifting in your routine, you might want to seek professional help to discuss why you’re avoiding maximum success.

Reason #1 — You’ll Burn More Fat

I’m about to discuss some groundbreaking research with regard to explosive contractions and energy expenditure. But before I do that, let me explain why the research in question really is worth getting excited about.
Ever since commercial gyms, like Bally’s and 24 Hour Fitness, became popular, people have been training with slow tempos. The reasons are numerous, but at the top of the list is that noticeable “muscle burn” feeling that people get when they lift slowly for long, drawn out sets.
This burning sensation makes people feel good. It makes them feel like they really worked their muscles. And if muscles feel like they’re burning, that means fat loss is just around the corner, right? Heck, that’s probably how the terms “burn” and “fat loss” got associated with each other.
Eventually, exercise physiologists pointed to increased lactate levels from the “muscle burn” as being a catalyst for fat loss. The theory goes like this:
Training with a lot of slow reps and long sets releases high amounts of lactate. That lactate, in turn, is purported to increase the production of growth hormone. The increased level of growth hormone induces fat burning and muscle growth — the two key effects that have made Growth hormone a household name.
The lactate and Growth hormone connection is nothing new. It’s been mentioned by everyone from Christian Thibaudeau and Don Alessi to Charles Poliquin and Paul Chek.
Indeed, quite a few experts have pointed to the relationship between high levels of lactate and the subsequent fat burning from Growth hormone as being the primary goal of an effective fat loss training plan. (I was as guilty of this as any.)

Science Says, “Lift Fast!”

This brings me to a recent study where two human performance laboratories analyzed the effects of explosive lifting versus slow contractions, with regard to energy expenditure. (1)
The researchers looked at three different training protocols, but I’m going to focus on only two. Why? Because the two protocols perfectly mirror each other, except forone variable: the speed of the lift.
Here are the parameters the two groups followed:
Slow Group

Exercise: Squat
Sets: 4
Reps: 8
Load: 60% of one-rep max (1RM)
Rest: 90 seconds
Tempo: two seconds down, two seconds up (This tempo is referred to as 202.)

Explosive Group

Exercise: Squat
Sets: 4
Reps: 8
Load: 60% of 1RM
Rest: 90 seconds
Tempo: two seconds down, lift as fast as possible (20X)

The research team demonstrated that the explosive group had a higher rate of energy expenditure during and after the workouts, compared to the slow group.
Here’s a statement from the paper:
“… Explosive concentric muscle contractions may be more effective than slow contractions for enhancing energy-expenditure responses for weight loss when using resistance exercise.”
So if you’ re trying to lose fat, it makes scientific sense to lift explosively. This is exactly what I’ve seen with my clients.

Finally… Proof

Years ago, when I started training my clients to lift loads as fast as possible, I observed three things.

• They got stronger.

• They got bigger.

• They lost fat more quickly than they did with slower tempos.

These performance and body composition changes, of course, really piqued my interest. In fact, the observations with my clients in the weight room are what led me to pursue a graduate degree in neurophysiology.
When you look at what limited exercise-based research there is, between lifting speed and motor unit recruitment, it made sense that faster lifts would lead to better results in the gym, regardless of your goal.
But there was one big problem — pertinent research to support what I was saying was nowhere to be found. That’s why this recent study was such a breath of fresh air. It’s the first of its kind. No other research team has ever used exactly the same parameters to compare slow and explosive contractions.

Should We Still Care About Lactate?

There’s another element of this study that will surely leave body composition coaches scratching their head, and it brings us back to the lactate and fat burning relationship.
These researchers compared blood lactate levels between the slow and explosive groups immediately after exercise and at various post-workout time intervals. Guess what?
The slow contraction group produced significantly higher levels of lactate, yet the total energy expenditure (during the workout and at 5, 10, and 15 minutes post-workout) was significantly greater for the explosive group. The total oxidative energy expenditure and anaerobic energy expenditure were also significantly greater for the explosive group.
This research demonstrates that explosive lifts are better for fat burning even thoughlower levels of lactate were produced. That’s some exciting research!
The take-home point is that, not only are explosive lifts good for building strength and muscle, but you’ll also burn more fat than slower lifting.

Reason #2 — You’ll Recruit More Muscle Groups

Imagine that you’re holding a moderately-heavy dumbbell in your right hand. I tell you to curl it for a count of three, and you have to give me feedback based on what you feel throughout your entire body.

So, you curl it up slowly before lowering it back down. The task was a cinch, and you give me a look to say, “What in the hell was the purpose of that?” Don’t fret, I’m getting to my point.
Next, I ask you to use the exact same dumbbell, but this time curl it up as fast as you possibly can. I mean, curl it up hard! But… before you do it… I ask you to really thinkabout what you’re feeling throughout your entire body.
So you get your mind ready, and then, bam! That sucker moves at top speed. Whenever I have my clients do this test, and I ask what feels different, most people respond, “I felt it more in my core, especially on the right side.”
Before I explain what just happened, let me outline one more scenario to drive the point home. Let’s say you’re standing in line at the movies, when a little snot-nosed, Pilates-practicing kid decides to tug on your right arm so he can ask you for your girlfriend’s digits. The tug didn’t do much, it was just enough to get your attention.
Now let’s say a big, hulking douchebag wearing Armani sunglasses wanted to get your attention for the same reason. Since he can obviously hold his own in the weight room, he gives your right arm more than a tug… he yanks it so hard that you fall over, spill your drink, and lose your girl.

What’s the difference between these two scenarios? In the first case, the opposing force from the little kid was small so your core and lower body had no problem counteracting the force.
In the second situation, the tug was excessive so your core and lower body muscles weren’t ready for the large opposing force. Because of this, you lost your balance and ended up licking his boots.
This analogy is what separates explosive contractions from slow contractions. When the opposing force is great (analogous to when you curl a dumbbell as fast as possible), your core, hip, and lower body muscles have to fire hard to stabilize your torso.
What’s the take-home point in this case? Lifting explosively requires the recruitment of many additional muscles to stabilize your body. This builds total body stability and strength. The same type of strength that any badass dude should possess; one-trick (or one-lift) ponies need not apply.
There’s no need to stand on a Bosu ball and look like a dweeb. Just lift fast! Also, be sure to incorporate single-limb exercises into your training plan in order to really reap the benefits of enhancing stability strength.

You wanna do this? Or you wanna do a one-arm snatch?

It’s important to remember that your nervous and muscular systems can’t maintain high levels of force for long, before they peter out. As a general rule, you should limit the duration of each set to 15 seconds or less.
By doing so, you’ll maximize motor unit recruitment and you’ll be able to train with heavier loads. Of course, there are exceptions. And that brings up the next point.

Reason #3 — You’ll Build More Strength Endurance

Some people, especially athletes, should perform longer sets because they need to maintain their efforts for more 10 or 15 seconds. Basketball players, soccer players, wide receivers, and 400-meter sprinters are just a few examples. Keep in mind, though, that the positive correlation between lifting speed and motor unit recruitment doesn’t change. Faster lifting is still more effective.
Let’s say you’re training a guy to run the 400-meter race. In most cases, this event will take around a minute to complete. So you have him perform squat and deadlift variations with sets that last approximately one minute, as a means of strength-specific training.
However, this is where trainers often fall short. Since the set is longer than normal, they allow (or even instruct) their athletes to lift with a slow, smooth pace. A much more effective option would be to perform each rep as fast as possible, even though endurance is the goal. This brings us three benefits.
First, you’ll recruit more motor units with each repetition. Secondly, you’ll be less likely to convert your intermediate (type IIa) fibers into the puny, type I endurance fibers. Third, you’ll build more strength endurance instead of endurance strength.
The difference between strength endurance and endurance strength isn’t just semantics. When training for the former, your primary objective is to build strength using endurance protocols; with endurance strength, your predominant focus is endurance without regard to how much strength you can build.

Top priority – endurance. Distant second priority – strength.

Marty Gallagher likes to refer to strength endurance as “sustained strength.” This is the ability to maintain a high level of power for an extended period of time, and you simply can’t build it by lifting slowly with light weights, no matter how much you “feel the burn.”

Final Words

Now you’ve learned three more reasons why you should consider incorporating explosive lifts into your training plan. Remember, though, that the actual speed of the lift is going to be relatively slow due to the heavy loads. It’s the intent to move the weight fast that matters.
Instead of following a super-slow training protocol at your local YMCA, stick to training with the IMCA — intended maximum concentric acceleration.

About The Author

For more of Waterbury’s information, pick up his e-book The 10/10 Transformationhere. His book Muscle Revolution can be purchased here.

1: Mazzetti S, et al. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc, Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 1291-1301, 2007.

© 1998 — 2008 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Anything Can Be Explosive

by Joe DeFranco

Most people say they perform the Olympic lifts because they’re “explosive.” The truth of the matter is that any lift can be explosive! By incorporating the dynamic-effort method with sub-maximal weights into your program, you can turn any lift into an “explosive” lift.

For example, if a guy who box squats 500 pounds were to train with 275 and focus on accelerating the weight, the box squat would then become an “explosive” lift. This example can hold true for many other exercises as well. By training with weights that represent 50-60% of your 1RM, science has proven that the weight is heavy enough to produce adequate force, yet light enough to produce adequate speed. And we should all know that speed times strength = power.

Another reason I feel the Olympic lifts are overrated is that they take a long time to teach and most athletes are horrible at them. After all, Olympic lifting is a sport in and of itself! Olympic weightlifters spend their entire lives practicing these lifts and some of these athletes still never perfect them.

The reason that most non-Olympic weightlifters aren’t great at the Olympic lifts is usually because they aren’t strong enough in the right places. After assessing an athlete’s power clean or power snatch form, I usually conclude that their technique flaws are due to a lack of hamstring, glute, and low back strength. This assessment usually means that I end up prescribing more deadlift variations, reverse hyperextensions, glute-ham raises, pull-throughs, etc.

This is called the “training economy.” Getting stronger in the deadlift, reverse hyperextension, and glute-ham raise will improve your power clean, but it doesn’t work the other way around. Basically, I choose the exercises that give my athletes the best “bang for their buck.” Another benefit of economical exercises is that they’re much less stressful on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, compared to the Olympic lifts.

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