Why Volume and Reps Are CRUCIAL For Athletic Development and Future Achievement
Nov 20, 2024
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This discussion dives deep into the intricacies of training volume and reps crucial for athletic growth. It emphasizes a personalized approach, critiquing traditional models and highlighting effective reps. The hosts explore phasic volume's impact based on athlete experience and advocate for youth training tailored to individual development stages. They examine how plyometric thresholds can balance stimulus and overtraining risks, calling for clear periodization in training strategies.
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Quick takeaways
Current volume models in strength training are too simplistic and fail to address the nuanced needs of progressing athletes.
The Effective Reps Model emphasizes high-threshold motor unit recruitment, underscoring the importance of performing repetitions close to failure.
Future training models must incorporate sport specificity and fatigue management to better tailor athlete development and optimize performance.
Deep dives
Understanding Current Volume Models
Current volume models in strength training primarily revolve around the classic equation of multiplying sets by reps to quantify work done in a training session. The drawback of this approach is a lack of clarity on when to start measuring volume, whether at 60%, 70%, or 80% of an athlete's capacity. The author emphasizes that this model is overly simplistic and does not cater to the nuanced needs of athletes as they progress. To enhance training efficacy, it is essential to consider individualized variables such as training age and skill level in future models.
The Effective Reps Model
The Effective Reps Model introduces a more sophisticated way of defining effective training volume by focusing on performing repetitions within five reps of failure and identifying slower concentric actions in each set. This model highlights the importance of high-threshold motor unit recruitment for hypertrophy, suggesting that only sets hitting this threshold count towards effective training volume. However, the reliance on athlete self-assessment for fatigue and movement speed introduces variability that can complicate its application, especially among beginners. Thus, the model may not accurately represent the volume and intensity needed for all types of strength training, especially for athletes engaged in non-hypertrophy focused exercises.
Phasic Volume Approach
The phasic volume model divides athletes into levels based on their experience and performance, adjusting training focus as they progress through stages. For athletes at a beginner level, volume is monitored purely through repetitions without focusing on percentages, allowing them to develop fundamental skills. As athletes mature, the volume tracking shifts to include sets at specified percentages of their maximum capacity, thereby fostering a more structured approach to progress tracking. This model advocates for the importance of tailored training regimens that evolve along with the athlete's abilities, ensuring that training remains effective and relevant.
Limitations of Classic Volume Models
The classic volume models do not account for the differing impacts of various types of exercise or the varied responses of athletes at different training stages. For example, performing a maximal lift does not exert the same fatigue and stress as lower-intensity, higher-volume work; hence, a one-size-fits-all model naturally falls short. Moreover, the conversation addresses how established training models often overlook nuanced aspects of performance that can significantly hinder the development of athletes. Recognizing these limitations is essential for developing a more effective framework that includes diverse training modalities and athlete-specific factors.
Future Considerations for Training Models
Future training models need to incorporate a range of variables such as sport specificity, fatigue management, and the blending of different training modalities to truly optimize athlete development. The discussion suggests adding multipliers to certain training sessions based on their intensity and recovery needs to better assess their cumulative impact. This nuanced approach aims to establish a system that not only measures quantitative variables but also aligns them with athlete goals and performance data. The necessity for a dynamic model that recognizes the complexities of training regimens is a focal point for ongoing development within strength and conditioning practices.
Dane speaks at length around calculating, planning, and prescribing volume and reps in a training system to have an incredible impact on athletic development in the immediate and long term timeframes.
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