TRAINING METHODS
As told to Powerlifting USA
by Louie Simmons

One must learn many methods to develop special strength and, of course, when to use them. You must also know your sports goals. In some sports, speed is foremost and absolute strength is secondary. My articles pertain to powerlifting and Olympic lifting. Both are more closely related than you think.
Explosive strength training requires one to be fast in the initial phase of a lift or activity, such as sprinting or jumping. This is primarily the ability to display intense motive force resulting from a rapid switch from yielding to overcoming the instant a maximal dynamic load occurs. How is this developed? The reactive methods. I will outline some of the more common ones.
One reactive method is heavy-light sets. First lift a heavy barbell for 1-3 reps. Take a short rest, 10-20 seconds, reduce the weight 20%, and repeat for 1-3 reps.
The best method is to use two sets of Jump-Stretch bands. Perform a set of bench, squats, or pulls. Rest 10-20 seconds, and remove a set of bands. Then do a second set. Bands work best when used with bar weight. The accomplish several objectives: (1) accommodating resistance and (2) almost eliminating the deceleration phase that exists with bar weight alone, as well as (3) providing added kinetic energy by the accelerated eccentric phase, providing extra elastic excitatory deformation in the muscle and connective tissue. Using the bands to increase the speed considerably in the eccentric phase causes a greater amount of kinetic energy, through which a maximal dynamic force is developed quickly. The loads can be made greater by using a combination of bands plus bar weight. If only bar weight is used, It would be too heavy in the bottom, and if only bands are used, the weight at the bottom would be too light. By using strong bands to increase the rate of fall, or eccentric speed, greater kinetic energy is developed, producing even greater muscular force development at the instant of switching from eccentric to concentric work, plus a shorter amortization transition.
Another method for developing explosive strength is weight releasers. Hook chains or bands to the weight releasers (we welded bar attachments to ours) to accommodate resistance while lowering the bar. A key point to remember is not to lower the bar slowly. This diminishes the effect of added kinetic energy production.
The shock method, commonly known as plyometrics, invented by Verkhoshansky, is also a reactive method. This method, of course, uses only the speed of gravity.
When using barbells for the reactive method effect, it is best to use a large amount of band tension, or a large amount of chains on the weight releasers, and a small amount of bar weight.
While discussing the reactive method, we must also look at the contrast method.
The lightened method is used often at Westside. Place a set of Jump Stretch bands over the top of a power rack. Hanging at 7 feet, a 155 pound barbell will weigh zero at your chest with blue bands, but after locking It out, it returns to 155 pounds. With submaximal weight, this does not seem to be productive, but when max or near-max weights are used, it teaches one to accelerate to the top. It will develop acceleration, or strength speed. If done as recommended, it will duplicate your top bench with a bench shirt. If less band tension is used (purple band), it is very close to your shirtless best. Do pressing without gear. This will also work for overhead press and push jerks.
Use the same process for deadlifting or power cleans. While the bar is on the floor, 135 pounds is deloaded. For squatting attach the bands to the top of the rack to deload the weight in the bottom.
One more reactive method is the ballistic method. This is described as a rapid stretching movement. At Westside we use it for bench pressing with submaximal weights on speed day. Basically, drop or lower the bar as fast as possible and catch it 1-4 inches off your chest. Reverse to the concentric phase as fast as possible. This is great for building reversal strength. Never, I repeat, never pause the bar on the chest in training. Kinetic energy is lost to some extent. A pause is just a powerlifting rule. The stretch reflex will remain up to 4 seconds in high skilled lifters and 2 seconds for less skilled athletes, as noted by Wilson’s studies. If you pause longer than your normal reflex time, potential energy is lost. Didn’t someone say, an object at rest tends to stay at rest? Remember, Newton’s first through third laws act in someway during all phases of a lift: eccentric, static, and concentric.
Let’s move on to two methods that develop explosive and absolute strength. The first is static-overcome-by-dynamic work. Static means iso-metric, and dynamic can refer to concentric, eccentric, or what I am going to address -- reversal strength.
Reversal strength is developed, for example, by floor press, board press, and box squats. The value of these exercises is also a second means of strength development: relaxed-overcome-by-dynamic work. When doing the three exercises noted above, both of these methods occur simultaneously. Some muscles and connective tissue are held relaxed, while other muscles are held static.
Box squatting is an example. By sitting back, not down, on a box of any height, the squatting muscles are stretched maximally. Relaxing the hip flexors, glutes, and obliques for 1/2 to 11/2 seconds and flexing off the box dynamically in a box squat will also increase your pulls of f the floor, A bar on the floor is static, and this position must be overcome dynamically. You can use a box height that duplicates the position of the second pull, relative to the hip position. Rest the bar on the thighs and execute the second pull.
For the floor press, lower the bar until the elbows are in contact with the floor. Relax the triceps and other pressing muscles, then flex dynamically and press upward.
For the board press, we use two 2 x 6’s attached together. Lower the bar quickly onto the boards, relax, and then explode concentrically.
If one does a pause squat or bench press, the bar’s eccentric speed will be gradually reduced to zero. By using a box, a board, or the floor, the bar has speed as it reaches any level, creating kinetic energy that greatly contributes to the concentric phase. Remember, lower, relax, and then contract dynamically. Don’t forget, the stretch reflex lasts up to, at least, 2 seconds.
All this illustrates that we have combined two proven methods of strength development, both used during each week.
Now we will look at the relationship between force and velocity. We know that while using light loads, an increase in speed has little effect. An example is throwing a whiffle ball. The load is so light that even throwing it twice as fast will propel it no farther. In contrast, strength becomes much more important when the load or external resistance is increased. When doing a barbell lift, the bar speed at the beginning is zero, and, of course, at its completion it is reduced to zero again. After accelerating to top speed, it will decelerate as completion is reached. If too much weight is used, the start may be too hard for the lift to be completed. If too light a weight is used, although the start will be quick, it will be much too light at its completion to produce a beneficial effect. In either case, an unsatisfactory result wilt occur.
This brings us to a solution: accommodating resistance. One way of achieving this is with isokinetic devices with variable speeds. They can be set for fast speed for speed strength or slow speed for strength speed. But there are drawbacks to these machines. Most don’t have eccentric motion, and because they are machines, they will not increase one’s stability. However, by using rubber bands with barbell weight, many things can be accomplished.
When training with bar weight alone, the weight is too heavy at the start or too light at the top. If only bands are used, the weight is too light in the bottom and too heavy at the top. With a combination of bands and bar weight, you can truly accommodate resistance. Whether you are training for speed strength or strength speed, the ratio between band tension and weight can be altered to accomplish your goal.
When implementing the theory of accommodating resistance, one must look at the relationship between force and posture. At different joint angle positions, the amount of weight lifted will differ because of one’s mini max, or sticking point. At some joint angles great force can be generated. For example, the deadlift is a fairly simple task. Yet one lifter will experience a hard start and an easy finish and another will blast the bar off the floor but have difficulty locking it out. The combination of band tension and bar weight will allow maximal tension throughout the entire range of motion, not just at the weakest point. This is the peak contraction principle at its best.
The bands may not out-accelerate gravity, but will greatly increase the eccentric phase, as illustrated by our experiments with one of our 950 squatters, Matt Smith. With 550 pounds of only weight on the bar, the eccentric portion took 0.9 seconds and the concentric 1.35 seconds. With a combination of weight and bands (375 + 175 550 at the top and 375 at the bottom) the eccentric phase was 0.55 seconds and the concentric 0.76 seconds. When only bands were used (750 at the top and 550 at the bottom), the eccentric phase was 0.53 seconds and the concentric 0.57. Bands work like muscle and connective tissue; they lengthen and contract in addition to absorbing kinetic energy.
These are just a few methods used at Westside. Many methods can coexist in one training period. A great fighter must employ good combinations, as does the successful strength athlete.
Suggested Reading - The Science and Practice of Strength Training by VladImir M. Zatsiorsky.

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