Using data to manage training takes out the guesswork that a coach may deal with when trying to determine optimal load or rest time for an athlete. There are different types of data to help manage a program: external metrics and internal metrics. Velocity-based training is an external metric that I use daily to track bar velocity via Gymaware, and an internal metric I use daily is a Polar heart rate monitor. I am going to talk about how to integrate these tools in a training session simultaneously to autoregulate programming for an athlete. This means that from set to set, from day to day, or one training block to the next, I can manage load and rest time correctly to try and give the athlete optimal amounts of both.
Why Use Velocity-Based Training?
Velocity based training allows us to see external outputs of the athlete on a given day. An athlete’s output can change daily based on sleep, diet, physiological and psychological stress, so working off a %1RM that was tested 3 weeks ago may not be the most accurate loading strategy. Instead, we can use the Gymaware to determine how fast the athlete can move a given load based on their current state. If I want the athlete to move the bar at 1.0 m/s for a back squat, the Gymaware allows intra-set feedback to the athlete so he or she can understand what 1.0 m/s actually feels like, not to mention the added motivation to beat the previous rep’s velocity.
What Does Heart Rate Response Mean During Training?
Heart rate is an important metric to use in training because of what it can tell us. Based on the training goal and metabolic demands of that training goal, we can look at the athlete’s heart rate and know if they are actually training what we want them to train. If I want an athlete to train for power, they need adequate rest time so they are able to reproduce that power over multiple sets. The other way that we can utilize heart rate is to determine rest periods. How long does it take the athlete to go from a high heart rate back down to a heart rate where they are able to reproduce that same high effort again? To look at heart rate recovery, I normally look at how the heart rate drops in 60 seconds. Obviously with different sports, you can look at different time periods pertinent to that sport (a fighter gets 60 seconds between rounds, a football player during a 2-minute drill might get closer to 30 seconds, etc…). Heart rate is also athlete dependent. Two athletes in the same sport can have very different metabolic responses. Other things affect heart rate response such as ingesting caffeine/pre-workout, their heart rate may be slightly elevated had they not ingested anything.
How to Use GymAware
Velocity based training can be applied to any training goal that an athlete may need. Based on the training goal, a coach can then select a certain velocity for the athlete to move load at. If an athlete is developing max strength, they may train at a load that they can only move at or below .5m/s down to .3m/s or .15m/s with maximal intent depending on the exercise. In contrast, if an athlete is training for power or speed we want the velocity to be anywhere from .7-1.3m/s again, with maximal intent.
Let’s say that an athlete training power has been instructed to complete a bench press at a bar velocity of 1.1m/s. To truly take advantage of an autoregulated program, we have the option to use % drop offs to keep rep quality/maximal intent high. This means there may not be a pre-determined number of reps that they perform in a given set. With a % drop off, the athlete continues reps until they are fatigued to a point where they no longer move load at the desired velocity. I want my athlete bench pressing to work until we see a 10% drop off in velocity. This means that he can keep completing repetitions until he falls below .99m/s (this would be a 10% drop off from my original 1.1m/s velocity goal), ensuring maximal intent . This allows us to keep an athlete’s current state in mind. Maybe one day this athlete had a great night of sleep, had a great breakfast and they are ready to go, but next week they stayed up late and skipped breakfast before training. We know a well-rested and well fueled athlete will most likely perform more optimally than a sleep deprived and hungry athlete. The % drop off allows us to get out of the athlete what they are capable of for that day without overdoing it, or not stressing them enough.
Using Heart Rate During Training to Determine Rest Times
Scenario:
In the above scenario, there are two athletes both performing the back squat with a desired velocity of 1.2m/s. Athlete A was able to complete all 5 reps in each of the 4 sets while athlete B was only able to obtain 5 reps in the first 2 sets. When we look at the heart rate of each athlete we begin to understand why. Athlete A recovers to ±120 BPM after each set, where athlete B’s heart rate begins to creep up into the 130’s as they continue training. If the coach allows athlete B to enter the next set regardless of what his heart rate is, the athlete may experience a decrease in power output and possibly begin emphasizing the aerobic system which is contrary to the training goal. Having a plan for how much rest to give an athlete is always helpful, but we can use the heart rate to guide rest times more accurately per athlete.
Using external and internal metrics such as velocity-based training and heart rate give coaches the ability to autoregulate training programs. It is important to know A) that the athlete is working with maximal intent toward the adaptation goal in terms of velocity, and B) that the same athlete is getting appropriate rest, utilizing heart rate as a guide. Using this data over time is also advantageous to coaches because they can show their athletes tangible progress in strength, power, etc…, as well as track heart rate recovery over time after an intense bout of exercise which might be indicative of increased aerobic capabilities.
BIO
Evan Schaller, B.S., CSCS, USAW, is a Sports Performance Coach at Landow Performance, and Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Resilience Code.
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