In Part 1, Christian covered the contraction speed continuum. Now he'll be tackling the power continuum. Get your thinking caps on!
The Power Continuum
While the contraction speed continuum is based on the external outcome of the exercise (the speed of the movement), the power continuum is based on the involved physical capacity of the strength-power continuum, which looks something like this:
| Eccentric strength work | Isometric strength work | Concentric strength work | Concentric strength-speed work | Concentric speed-strength work | Reactive work |
As you can see, we work our way from the methods with the highest force output but the lowest acceleration, down to those with the highest acceleration factor and the lowest force production. You could say that we work from limit strength work to explosive work.
Eccentric Strength Work
Most people are significantly stronger during the eccentric (lowering/yielding/negative) portion of an exercise. While the ratio between eccentric and concentric strength varies widely from one athlete to the next, it's generally agreed upon that eccentric strength is between 120-140% of concentric strength.
So working limit strength in the eccentric regimen will place a significant overload on the muscles and nervous system, providing a very powerful growth stimulus. Furthermore, eccentric training preferentially recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers, making it a very good method to increase strength, power, speed, and size.
To perform a proper eccentric overload, there are three training techniques I recommend:
1) Weight releasers
This is a great tool for the development of maximum strength. It consists of a pair of hooks which can be attached to the bar. You add extra weight on the releasers providing an overload during the eccentric portion. As you lower the bar, the hooks are "released" from the bar as they hit the floor, thus unloading the extra weight and allowing you to complete the concentric (lifting) portion on your own.
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The weight on the bar should be around 80-85% of your maximum. You can increase the weight on the releasers as long as you can execute the eccentric portion in no less than five seconds. If you can't, the weight is too heavy.
2) Added eccentric manual resistance
This is the poor man's weight releaser! You simply substitute the releasers for a sadistic training partner. His job will be to push down on the bar during the eccentric portion of the exercise. He adds as much resistance as possible, provided the athlete can lower the bar in five seconds.
What's interesting with this method is that you can perform sets of more than one rep (as opposed to the weight releasers), and your partner can modulate the added resistance depending on your fatigue state.
Sets of 3-5 reps are recommended and the bar weight should once again be around 80-85% of your maximum.
3) Negative overload
This is your good ol' negative technique. You load the bar with a weight that's above your maximum. You lower it under control (again, no less than five seconds) and your partner helps you execute the concentric (lifting) portion of the movement.
With this technique you can also use more than one repetition (or you can do singles as well). Let the movement prescribe the weight: if you can't control the load for five seconds on the way down, it's too heavy.
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Isometric strength work
We covered this in Part 1.
Concentric strength work
This refers to the maximal effort method of performing sets in the 90-100% range. So the reps per set should be 1-3 (sometimes working up to five if using methods such as clusters and rest-pauses).
The best techniques to use when performing concentric strength work are:
1) Regular max effort lifting: Performing sets with 90 to 100% of your maximum on an exercise.
2) Cluster training: Refers to performing sets of five reps with a weight that's 87 to 92% of your maximum while taking short pauses between each rep. The training parameters look something like this:
Intensity level: 87-92% of your 1RM
Number of reps per cluster set: 5
Total number of cluster reps: 15-25 (so 3-5 sets)
Rest between reps: 7-12 seconds
Rest between sets: 120-180 seconds
Tempo: Always try to lift the bar as fast as possible and lower it slowly (4-6 seconds)
Note that between each rep you rack (or let go of) the weight. So a good partner might be useful.
A workout might look something like this:
Set no.1 | Set no.2 | Set no.3 | Set no.4 | Set no.5 |
1 rep at 87% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 92% | 1 rep at 92% |
7 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 12 sec. rest |
1 rep at 87% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 92% | 1 rep at 92% |
7 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 12 sec. rest |
1 rep at 87% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 92% | 1 rep at 92% |
7 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 12 sec. rest |
1 rep at 87% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 92% | 1 rep at 92% |
7 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 10 sec. rest | 12 sec. rest |
1 rep at 87% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 90% | 1 rep at 92% | 1 rep at 92% |
3) Rest-pause: Similar to cluster training in that you take short pauses during a set to extend it, only you don't perform only single reps. With rest-pause training, you start with a number of reps falling in your desired training zone (limit strength: 3-5 reps; functional hypertrophy: 6-8; hypertrophy 8-12) and when you reach the point of failure you take a 7-12 second pause and perform a few more reps with the same weight. One or two pauses (so two or three mini-sets) can be used per set, but no more than that.
Concentric strength-speed work
Strength-speed is the first type of power training. It refers to the capacity to accelerate a relatively heavy load. The best examples of this method are the Olympic lifts and traditional exercises performed with max speed at 45-55% of your maximum (preferably with added band resistance). Both of these techniques have already been described earlier in the article.
Concentric speed-strength work
This is the second type of power training. Once again the aim is to impart maximum acceleration to a source of resistance, but now we're talking about the capacity to accelerate a small load. Good examples of this technique are ballistic lifts (jump squats, jump lunges, ballistic bench, medicine ball throws) and loaded sport movements (e.g. sprinting with a speed chute or sled).
Reactive work
Reactive work is also called plyometric work. It refers to exercises in which there's a powerful and rapid loaded stretch of the muscle and tendon structures immediately preceding an explosive concentric action. When performing reactive work, the delay between the eccentric stretch and concentric propulsion (also called "coupling time") should be minimal.
When talking about reactive work we'll often refer to basic plyometric drills such as the depth jump and depth push-ups. Depth jumping, also known as shock training, was developed by Yuri Verkhoshansky in 1977. The objective of this method is to increase concentric power and force output by stimulating the muscles and reflexes via a "shock stretching" action preceding the overcoming portion of the movement.
This is accomplished by dropping from a certain height (typically 0.4m to 0.7m, although heights of up to 1.1m have been used by very advanced athletes) to elicit a powerful stretch activation, then jumping up as high as possible immediately upon landing.
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It's been well-established in both Eastern and Western studies that depth jumping, or shock training, can significantly increase power production and vertical jump height. This is mostly due to the following factors:
1. An increase in reactive strength. Reactive strength refers to the capacity to rapidly switch from an eccentric/yielding action to a concentric/overcoming action. Lack of reactive strength will lead to a longer coupling time and, consequently, lower force and power production during the overcoming portion of the movement (Kurz 2001).
2. Neural adaptations. Viitasalo et al. (1998) found a different neural response between athletes doing a lot of jumping and regular individuals when doing a depth jump. Jumpers were able to activate more motor units during the movement (greater EMG), and plan the motor command faster (higher and more rapid pre-action EMG).
Kyröläinen et al. (1991) also found that 16 weeks of depth jump training led to better jumping efficiency. Schmidtbleicher (1987 and 1982) found that trained subjects were able to use the kinetic energy produced during the eccentric portion of a depth jump, while in untrained subjects this eccentric period was actually inhibiting instead of potentiating!
Finally, Walshe et al. (1998) concluded that the superiority of depth jump training over regular jump training was due to "the attainment of a higher active muscle state," meaning that the fast eccentric portion of the movement increased muscle activation.
3. Structural adaptations. Depth jumps have been reported to cause some muscle soreness and muscle damage (Horita et al. 1999). This is understandable since the eccentric force produced is very high, albeit rapid. This may indicate that depth jumps are a powerful stimulus to stimulate structural adaptations. However, depth jumps don't lead to significant hypertrophy. So the nature of the structural adaptations following depth jumping isn't quantitative in nature, but qualitative: an improvement of the strength and contractile capacity of each muscle fiber.
Soviet literature gives the following guidelines when practicing depth jumps:
Guideline #1: The joint position upon landing should be as close as possible to that of an important sport action (Laputin and Oleshko 1982).
Guideline #2: The amortization phase should be short enough to avoid losing the elastic energy produced, but long enough to allow for the shock stretching to occur (Laputin and Oleshko 1982). Research indicates that the elastic energy from landing is stored for up to two seconds. So, in theory, you have a window of two seconds between the landing and take-off phase. However, to maximize the training effect you shouldn't spend more than a second on the floor.
Guideline #3: The height of the drop should be regulated by the preparedness of the athlete. The heels shouldn't touch the ground during the landing phase. If they do, then the height of the drop is too high (Laputin and Oleshko 1982). A height varying from 0.5m to 0.7m appears to be ideal for most strength and power athletes (Roman 1986).
Guideline #4: Depth jumps have a very powerful training effect, so the volume of work should be low, i.e. no more than 4 sets of 10 repetitions (or 40 total jumps spread over more sets), 2-3 times per week for advanced athletes and 3 sets of 5-8 repetitions (or 15-24 total jumps spread over more sets), 1-2 times per week for lower classes of athletes (Laputin and Oleshko 1982).
The problem with many coaches and athletes is that they don't feel that depth jumping is hard; it's not very tiring compared to other means of training. Because of this, they do too high a volume of depth jumps.
Guideline #5: Because of the very powerful training effect of depth jumping, it's idiotic to perform this type of training systematically throughout the year. The shock method should be used in blocks of 3-4 weeks with at least four weeks between blocks (Roman 1986). In fact, some coaches recommend no more than 2-3 such blocks per year (Medvedyev 1996), and only when a rapid rise in power and reactive strength is needed to further performance gains.
Remember that every training method, regardless of how effective it is, will lose its effectiveness over time. Shock training is no different. If you use it year-round there comes a point where you'll get no added benefits from it. However, by using short "shock" blocks, you can give a quick boost to your performance. Since you only use depth jumps for a short period, you'll get the same performance boost every time you use such a shock block.
Training Organization with the Power Continuum
Power continuum training is best suited for athletes, and not powerlifters or bodybuilders since the main objective is to build power. Depending on the training phase the athlete is in, we'll want to include anywhere from four to six of these methods within the same training unit (week of training/microcycle).
Conjugated
An athlete needs to maximize all the portions of the power continuum if he wants maximum gains in performance. You must see the continuum as a chain which will break at its weakest link. Also, remember that each method is a stepping stone for the next method in line.
However, you can't focus on all six methods at the same time during the whole season. This is due to the important demands imposed by other athletic activities such as track work and sport practices. So most of the time we'll want to work on three or four of these capacities at a time.
General preparation phase: Early in the off-season training. The goal is to build a foundation of strength
1. Eccentric strength work
2. Isometric strength work
3. Concentric strength work
4. Strength-speed work
Specific preparation phase: Mid-portion of the off-season training. The goal is to maximize the capacities required in the given sport.
1. Concentric strength work
2. Strength-speed work
3. Speed-strength work
4. Reactive work
Pre-competition phase: The last period (4-6 week) before a big event or the start of the season. The objective is to be in top form at the given event.
1. Concentric strength work
2. Strength-speed work
3. Speed-strength work
Note: Reactive work is dropped to avoid CNS burnout and allow the delayed effect to take place.
When using a conjugated system we'll want to divide the capacities to be worked into several workouts. For example:
General Preparation
Day 1: Lower body eccentric and isometric strength
Day 2: OFF/restorative measures
Day 3: Upper body eccentric and isometric strength
Day 4: OFF/restorative measures
Day 5: Lower body concentric strength and strength-speed
Day 6: Upper body concentric strength and strength-speed
Day 7: OFF/restorative measures
Specific Preparation
Day 1: Lower body concentric strength and strength-speed
Day 2: OFF/restorative measures
Day 3: Upper body concentric strength and strength-speed
Day 4: OFF/restorative measures
Day 5: Lower body speed-strength and reactive
Day 6: Upper body speed-strength and reactive
Day 7: OFF/restorative measures
Pre-competition
Day 1: Whole body strength-speed
Day 2: OFF/restorative measures
Day 3: Whole body concentric strength
Day 4: OFF/restorative measures
Day 5: Whole body speed-strength
Day 6: OFF/restorative measures
Day 7: OFF/restorative measures
Complex
If we use complex training we still want to focus on the same capacities during the same training phases. But this time we'll use a complex (circuit) system, working all the selected capacities within the same workout. We'll use the following split:
Workout 1: Lower body, quads dominant
Workout 2: Upper body, push dominant
Workout 3: Lower body, pull dominant
Workout 4: Upper body, pull dominant
For example:
General Preparation Phase
Workout 1: Lower body, quads dominant
A1. Back squat with weight releasers
1 rep with 80-85% on the bar and an extra 20-30% on the releasers (eccentric total of 105-110%)
Lower the bar in 5 seconds
Rest 2 minutes before A2
A2. Squat structure functional isometrics (mid and high positions only)
3-6 seconds per position, lifted 2-3'' from the starting point of that position
90 seconds of rest before A3
A3. Back squat
3-5 reps at 85-90%
2 minutes before A4
A4. Speed squat (with bands if available)
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 2:Upper body, push dominant
A1. Bench press with weight releasers
1 rep with 80-85% on the bar and an extra 20-30% on the releasers (eccentric total of 105-110%)
Lower the bar in 5 seconds
Rest 2 minutes before A2
A2. Bench structure functional isometrics (mid and high positions only)
3-6 seconds per position, lifted 2-3'' from the starting point of that position
90 seconds of rest before A3
A3. Bench press
3-5 reps at 85-90%
2 minutes before A4
A4. Speed bench (with bands if available)
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 3: Lower body, pull dominant
A1. Eccentrics-only Romanian deadlift
1 rep with 105-115% of your max
Lower the bar in 5 seconds
Rest 2 minutes before A2
A2. Pull (deadlift) structure functional isometrics (low and mid positions only)
3-6 seconds per position, lifted 2-3'' from the starting point of that position
90 seconds of rest before A3
A3. Romanian deadlift
3-5 reps at 85-90%
2 minutes before A4
A4. Power clean from the hang
3-5 reps at 70-80%
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 4: Upper body, pull dominant
A1. Eccentric manual overload seated rowing (partner pushes down on weight stack)
3-5 reps
Lower the bar in 5 seconds
Rest 2 minutes before A2
A2. Rowing structure functional isometrics (mid and high positions only)
3-6 seconds per position, lifted 2-3'' from the starting point of that position
90 seconds of rest before A3
A3. Bentover barbell rowing
3-5 reps at 85-90%
2 minutes before A4
A4. Speed barbell rowing
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Specific Preparation Phase
Workout 1: Lower body, quads dominant
A1. Front squat
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Speed squat (with bands if available)
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Jump squat
10 reps at 20-30% of max squat
2 minutes before A4
A4. Depth jumps
10 reps
3 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 2: Upper body, push dominant
A1. Incline bench press
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Speed bench (with bands if available)
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Ballistic bench
10 reps at 15-25% of max bench
2 minutes before A4
A4. Depth push-ups
10 reps
3 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 3: Lower body, pull dominant
A1. Good morning
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Power clean from blocks
3-5 reps at 70-80%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Light power snatch from hang
3-5 reps at 50-60%
2 minutes before A4
A4. Jump lunges (no weight)
10 reps
Minimal ground contact time
3 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 4: Upper body, pull dominant
A1. Bentover barbell rowing
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Weighted chins
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Speed rowing
3 reps at 45-55%
3 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 6 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 7 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 4 times
Pre-competition
Workout 1: Lower body, quads dominant
A1. Back squat
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Speed squat (with bands if available)
3 reps at 45-55%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Jump squat
10 reps at 20-30% of max squat
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 2: Upper body, push dominant
A1. Incline bench press
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Push press
3-5 reps at 70-80%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Ballistic bench
10 reps at 15-25% of max bench
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 3: Lower body, pull dominant
A1. Romanian deadlift
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Power clean from hang
3-5 reps at 70-80%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Jump lunges
3-5 reps per leg at 20-30% of bodyweight
2 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Workout 4: Upper body, pull dominant
A1. Bentover barbell rowing
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A2
A2. Weighted chins
3-5 reps at 80-85%
2 minutes before A3
A3. Speed rowing
3 reps at 45-55%
3 minutes before starting a new circuit
Week 1: Perform circuit 3 times
Week 2: Perform circuit 4 times
Week 3: Perform circuit 5 times
Week 4: Perform circuit 3 times
Conclusion
This series should've given you a good insight at what can be accomplished with continuum training. And I only scratched the surface here! There are other types of continuums; for example, the resistance continuum:
| Eccentric strength work | Isometric strength work | Concentric strength work | Concentric strength-endurance work | Concentric endurance-strength work |
And there are several other ways of organizing training. But hopefully these articles will spark some interest in the possibilities of this novel training approach. It's very effective and powerful and those who take the time to understand it will be rewarded with super gains!
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