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Feedback vs Feedforward: Plyometrics

Plyometrics: A Unique Exercise

Plyometrics are fast, require coordination, involve large spikes in force, and cannot be matched with traditional resistance training.

Plyometrics (feedback vs feedforward) notes from supertraining (slight typo, the ground contact time written on the paper should be 0.250 seconds).

One often understated aspect of plyometric training, when done correctly, is the movement is reflexive in nature. Because it’s reflexive, you rely on feedforward mechanisms, not feedback. You must determine your motor program before the action occurs (feedforward), unlike a barbell where you can actively change its directory based on your external sense (feedback).

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Jump Profiling – Optimizing Your Athlete

 Understanding a Balance Profile

Athlete performing loaded jumps on dual force plates

How it Plays a Role In Movement

Loaded jumps have a unique stimulus compared to a depth jump due to the fact you are loaded eccentrically and concentrically with an additional mass (bar on your back). This is quit different than a depth jump where eccentrically you are overcoming momentum (mass*velocity) and the velocity being derived from the decent. Once these eccentric landing forces are zeroed, you only have to accelerate your own body weight vertically without the additional mass a barbell would otherwise provide.

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Are You Ready to Train?

 

Being Fit is Never Bad

Research by Tim Gabbett has highlighted the significant correlation between acute workloads and chronic workloads in regards to injury rates in Australian football. Essentially, spikes in acute workloads (in relation to chronic loads) the athlete has experienced over the past will lead to greater injury.

However, exposing athletes to higher workloads makes them more injury resistant in season. Thus, an interesting conflict arises between understanding what is too much or too little (too little of work is significantly related to injury).

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Are All Powers Created Equal?

Power Velocity Curve

The “power-velocity curve” is one of the most useful visuals (IMO). It gives you a clear understanding of what you are emphasizing when developing a specific strength quality.

Power is Not Power

Power = force *  velocity, which means the same power can be produced in one of two fashions (unless you’re talking about max power, this is the peak of the graph and can only be produced when force and velocity are at optimal levels, see above graph).

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Creative Ways To Train Rotational Power

 Coach: Bill Miller

Baseball, golf, tennis, track & field…the list goes on and on of sports that rely heavily rotational power. It has been well-documented how important strength is for all athletic movement. After all, Power (Force/Time) requires Force in order to be displayed. The issue for many athletes and coaches may become the application of that strength through higher speed movements, especially in the right planes of motion. Rotational power (Transverse Plane) requires kinetic energy built up from the lower body and transferred to the upper body and through the hands.

Rotational movement pattern in most athletic scenarios:

  1. Static energy built up on rear leg
  2. Kinetic energy transfers through the front leg (front side bracing mechanic)
  3. Torque is created between the rotating pelvis and torso (hip/trunk separation)
  4. Energy is dispelled through the upper body as the torso and arms continue rotation

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Integration of Velocity-Based Training and Heart Rate in Training

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.

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Case Report (Bench Press)

Design

Perform 8 sets (only last 6 recorded) of 4 reps at 80% of my 1rm. Perform each rep with maximal effort. Record velocity of each set.

Analysis:

Calculate the rate of velocity drop-off in each set (as determined by the slope of the 4 reps). Record the Min and Max velocity of each rep in the given set. Report the raw velocities of each rep and each set.

Data

Graph 1 is the raw data of each rep’s velocity in each set. There is an obvious drop off in velocity between reps.

GRAPH 1

 

Graph 2 is a lot more interesting than Graph 1. What we have here is the slope of velocity drop-off between reps in each set (blue line and left vertical axis). There is also Max velocity and Min velocity (orange line and right vertical axis).

GRAPH 2

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Something To Share

Motor Unit Recruitment Deficit and  Accessible Strength (PDF HERE)

 

Attached to this post is a pdf. of one of my first attempts at writing anything related to this field of sport science/ S & C. I remembering pouring in hours to it and not getting anywhere (It had remained on my computer for years). Anyway, I tried to leave it as untouched as I possibly could. Yes, there are some typos and it need edits, but I felt by touching it up I would ruin its original content. I cannot say that it is scientifically prefect, but I hope it gets you thinking

As you will see, there are some undertones of westside barbell and Science and Practice of Strength Training, which are two of the main sources that sparked my interest in this area.

I always think it is good to share this kind of stuff. Plus, I would be doing my younger self a disservice  to never follow through and actually share this content.

 

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6 great exercises you’re probably not doing

Coach: Bill Miller

I’m a washed up meat head ex-baseball player who loves to train. As lame as this sounds, one of the few advantages is that I get to experiment with my training on a very consistent basis without fear of failure. Sometimes these exercise experiments turn out awesome. Try these if you’re looking for something new to add to your training arsenal!

 

AntiRotational Sled Shuffles/Walks

This exercise is a real ass-kicker that will definitely expose your weaknesses. If you lack core stability, hip strength, knee or shoulder stability, the sled won’t budge a whole lot. All these areas are extremely important for an athlete’s health and performance.

Tips

  • Take out all the slack in the tether before beginning the exercise. Start in a perfect position and don’t “yank” the sled.
  • Take your time. I’m often all for shuffling/lateral running with the sled as fast as possible, but this exercise is meant to be slow and controlled! Add weight if necessary to make it more difficult.
  • Keep a neutral spine. The initial response to get the sled to move is by leaning to the side with the torso. Don’t do that. Keep a perfect posture and engage the hips to allow the shuffle motion to move the sled.
  • Use it for conditioning when needed! This exercise is relatively low taxing on the spine. It’s also, as stated before, a real ass-kicker! It’s fairly simple to perform as well. For those reasons, I think it can fit into a conditioning circuit well.

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