Danny O’Dell’s

Explosivelyfit Training News

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Topic discussed:

01037 Strength training methods-Dynamic effort

Dynamic strength training methods increase the rate of force development and explosive strength. Whereas maximal strength training will increase the total amount lifted this strength is not is not available in rapid order. In most sporting events the maximum strength is not generated fast enough to make full use of it.

The dynamic method trains the athlete to develop this force faster. This is accomplished by lifting a nonmaximal weight with high accelerative speed placed on the bar during the lift. Smith machine and medicine balls throws performed with low percentages of the one repetition maximum are used in these exercises. Some coaches advocate loads in the vicinity of 30-55% 1RM as best suited for this type of training. For bodyweight training this percentage would be within 50-70% of the athlete’s body mass.

Smith machine throws are an effective way to dynamic train. A non cable counterweighted smith machine that is loaded with 30-55% 1RM seems to be the most effective when training with a machine. The cable operated machines are not fast enough to keep up with the movement necessary to produce results. The cables will get tangled up trying to keep up with the high speed bar motion.

Executing this exercise requires the athlete to be thoroughly warmed up before beginning. Once warmed up the trainee takes a normal position on the bench under the smith machine. The bar is loaded with 30-55% of a one repetition maximum and lowered to the chest. Once at the chest the bar is thrown upward with as much effort and speed as it possible.

At the top of the movement the bar is let loose to continue on its path higher up the rails. Essentially the athlete is trying to move the bar faster and faster and trying to toss it higher and higher each time. The critical part of this exercise comes when the bar comes back down. It is crucial that it is not allowed to crash onto the chest; instead the bar is caught at the bottom of this eccentric phase and immediately tossed as hard, and as fast, and as high as possible. This is where the dynamic training effect produces the greatest results; with this extremely fast amortization during the change from eccentric to concentric muscle action. Similar muscle action occurs when chest tossing a medicine ball double and single handed. The ball drops are also useful in training in this manner.

Ball drops are performed with an athlete supine on the floor. A heavy medicine ball is dropped straight down from various heights and then immediately thrown back upward again. As usual careful attention must be paid to safety issues while doing these exercises to avoid injury.

Other methods are useful in training the dynamic method way and the use of barbells is currently favored by many athletes and coaches today. In this training layout the barbell is loaded to 30-55% 1RM and three reps are performed for six to nine sets. These repetitions are done as fast as possible with two to three minutes rest between sets to ensure adequate recovery.

A timer is a valuable asset when speed training. It can alert the coach to diminishing power output when the time of each repetition increases.

Summary of the strength training methods.

The maximal effort method improves neuromuscular coordination in the following four areas: Motor unit recruitment, rate coding, motor unit synchronization and the entire patterns of coordination between all participating systems of the organism.

Repeated effort training stimulates muscle size (hypertrophy) growth through complete fatigue of the fibers and the recruitment of high threshold fibers. This growth comes from lifting the weight the maximum amount of times, i.e. until failure. At this time the motor units are innervated by the strongest and fastest motor neurons and superior growth takes place. At the end of these sets the maximal numbers of high threshold motor units are recruited to finish the final repetitions until fatigue finally stops any further lifting of the load.

Submaximal training on the other hand is not as effective in training the motor units that are higher in the recruitment order or in helping to develop specific intermuscular coordination for the particular activity being trained.

That’s all for this time. I hope your training is going well and wish you happiness in your life.

Stay strong, and remain passionately committed to your hearts chosen path.

By Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS*D

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