Danny O’Dell’s
Explosivelyfit Training News
Strength and power knowledge
01-June-2009
ISSN:
1550-2643: Library Of Congress,
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Topic discussed:
Attacking the sticking points
The speed of the bar is
vital to lifting success. Rapidly pushing past the sticking point in the lift
with a fast traveling bar can contribute to a higher total load. Yes, I am
talking momentum here. To get this blazing speed, train using your known
strengths to develop it. Of course, you will still have to work on your weaker
areas but not exclusively. If you are not training fast, you are missing the
boat.
Remember the mind-muscle
connections mentioned last time?
You must concentrate on
developing a faster bar speed at all times during the concentric portion of the
lift. Bar speed will give you that all important momentum; yes, I said momentum
and it is not a bad thing to have in a bench press, contrary to what many may
believe. Developing and maintaining fast bar speed will move you into and past
the common sticking points in the bench press. Imagine starting the bar upward
rapidly. Now as it approaches the sticking point with the deltoids and
pectoralis transitioning the lift to the triceps the speed is high enough that
this point is moved upward into the triceps alone.
There are many ways to
increase bar speed but thinking speed is essential in all cases. Make use of the
mind muscle connections by constantly thinking of pushing the bar faster and
faster every second of the lift. Developing this over speed or fast bar through
training teaches the body how it feels to move this fast.
This in turn is
transferred to the competition phase. "The faster movement allows all systems of
the body to gain experience in how to function under a faster condition. When
the faster than normal exercise is removed and the athlete once again trains at
a normal unassisted maximal speed, the body remembers the previous feeling of
fastness and applies it to normal conditions." [2]
As with any training
method, the increases in speed "should be gradual to allow the body time to
adjust to the new levels of stress, it should provide a continual over load
stimulation to improve performance and should involve systematic adjustments in
parameters that influence the desired end of the progression."[3]
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
I hope you have enjoyed this issue of the Explosivelyfit Training News. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding these articles, or any other aspect of the web site, please feel free to contact me at Danny@explosivelyfit.com
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