The Training Zone

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TweetTHE TRAINING ZONE


Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D., MSS
Y’know that cute little graph that aerobic dance folks always look at when they want to know how high to take their heart rate? They call it the “training heart rate zone” chart. They calculate their heart rate by going 220 minus your age times .6 to .8 or so. It’s useful. It’s no panacea though. Lots of folk nowadays use a “perceived exertion” scale in determining when their training heart rate is high enough. But that chart has always made me wonder whether one of similar ilk could be developed for lifting.I’ve been playing with this project now for over 10 years. Here’s what I’ve found.

Well, they don’t call me “Dr. Squat” for nuthin’! I’ve been a student of that particular lift for more than a few years. I needed to know precisely how much weight to train with because I didn’t want to leave ANYTHING to chance. But there were no guidelines back in those days that I cared tpo hang my hat on. The old timers all trained by “feel” or by what their experience told them was best. Mostly they were right, but I didn’t want to take that chance. Sometimes they WEREN’T! Let me show you how my squat looks at different levels of training load:



AN EXAMPLE OF THE INVERTED “U” HYPOTHESIS

1600 I
I
1400 I 1400
I 1333
1200 I 1231
P I
O 1000 I
W I 952
E 800 I
R I 750
600 I
I
400 I 400
I_________________________________________________ __________________________
Weight 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

% Max 11 22 33 44 55 67 78 89 100 111

Time/sec .5 .63 .75 1.0 1.3 2.4
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________


Power equals force times distance per unit of time (P = f X d / t). This is high school science stuff. So, since my squat goes through a 2 foot stroke, all I had to do was measure the amount of time it took me to squat at any given percentage of my max (which, at the time, was around 900 pounds) at maximum speed. This, I did. The graph above shows quite clearly that I’m generating the greatest amount of power when the weight is between approximately 55 and 85 percent of my max.

This, fellow iron freaks, approximates the recommended training zone! Where the inverted “U” asymptotes is the training zone for all exercises. All the time. For everyone.

Big statement? Yes, but not without support. Let’s explore the 55-85 recommendation before discarding it as another of Dr. Squat’s “Arthuresque” diatribes. First, I tested the theory in the deadlift, bench press, curl and military press with several elite athletes I was training at the time. The theory was supported in each and every case. Over the past ten years I’ve been observing weight trainees from every walk of life -- detrained couch potatoes, elite athletes and everyone in between -- and it’s been supported without fail. The numbers 55 and 85 may fluctuate up or down a bit from lift to lift or person to person, but not much. The inverted “U” appears to be virtually ubiquitous.

I believe that the reason for staying within this training zone lies in discerning the amount of time you spend under maximum tension. If the weight is too light, you simply cannot recruit enough motor units to approach your muscles’ maximum tension producing capabilities. And, if the weight is too heavy, you can’t spend enough time under maximum tension due to fatigue.




CHOOSING YOUR OPTIMAL TRAINING LOAD
This inverted “U” hypothesis raises another question of major importance. Where in the 55-85 percent range should you spend most of your training time? After all, there’s a big difference between the training effects one can expect from training at 55 percent of max as opposed to 85 percent of max. The answer lies in carefully identifying your training goals, and then constructing a plan or “blueprint” of how to go about realizing them. This is called your training cycle, and it will always require that you first build your foundation (strengthen all of your muscles generally), and then progress on to more sport-specific or lifestyle-specific objectives . The most noteworthy training goals that a majority of you will ever encounter are listed in the accompanying sidebar.

Here are some general guidelines that may apply to you. Remember though, that the precise construction of your training cycle -- where on the 55 - 85 zone you’ll find it most fruitful to train -- will vary considerably from person to person. We’re all unique.




When you’re training for limit strength and explosive strength, most of your time will be spent most effectively closer to the 85 percent end of the zone (examples: powerlifters, Olympic lifters and all other athletes in the “foundation” training period of their cycle);



When you’re training for starting strength or reactive strength, your objective will be best served by staying closer to the 55 percent end of the zone (examples: ballistic athletes like baseball players, high jumpers, long jumpers, golfers or other athletes from a host of sports requiring occasional ballistic force output);



When you’re training for anaerobic strength endurance, explosive strength, or for a sport which requires a combination of limit strength, explosive strength and starting / reactive strength movements while in a highly fatigued state, you’ll find that most of your training should be conducted in the 65-75 percent range of the zone (examples: most glycolytic (lactacid) sports such as football, tennis, longer sprints and boxing / martial arts);



When your training objectives are either to get all of your muscles’ subcellular elements and structures to adapt to stress, you will have greatest success by training at a variety of intensity levels ranging across the entire training zone -- fast movements, slow movements, heavy weights light weights, high reps and low reps, and everything in between (example: holistic bodybuilding or general fitness training).



SIDEBAR: THE MOST COMMON WEIGHT TRAINING OBJECTIVES
Bodybuilding, Fat Reduction Or “Trim ‘n’ Tone” Training:

These three goals are by far the most common reasons people go to the gym. They are realized through the application of a strength training programs (the components of which are outlined below). In other words, while of paramount importance to all of you, these body composition changes simply “happen” through strength training, and are part-and-parcel to the entire concept of periodized -- planned -- weight training.

Limit Strength:

How much musculoskeletal force you can generate for one all-out effort. Limit strength is your bodybuilding "foundation." All of your muscles should have a good level of limit strength. It's like building your house on a rock instead of in the sand. While it's important for bodybuilders and other athletes, only powerlifters need to maximize their limit strength for competition. There are three kinds of limit strength:
1. eccentric strength: how much weight you can lower without losing control.
2. static strength: how much weight you can hold stationary without losing control
3. concentric strength: how much weight you can lift one time with an all-out muscle contraction.

Absolute Strength:

Absolute strength is the same as limit strength with one important distinction. Limit strength is achieved while "under the influence" of some form of work-producing aid (supplements, hypnosis, therapeutic techniques, etc.), while absolute strength is achieved through training alone -- "Au natural." That makes "limit" strength more important for your purposes. All athletes should take every available advantage science has to offer, short of using drugs or other illegal techniques or strategies which are against the rules. "Absolute" strength is still an important concept for fitness enthusiasts, kids, and weekend warriors however. Usually, they aren't as "scientific" or as "dedicated to excellence" as are competitive athletes, and may wish to train "au natural" for their fitness or sports goals.

Speed-Strength:

You may have heard this kind of strength referred to as "power." Speed-strength, however, is a more descriptive term. There are two types of strength under the general heading of Speed-Strength: 1) starting strength and 2) explosive strength (explained below). "Speed-strength" is how well you apply force with speed. It's importance in most sports cannot be overemphasized, as this kind of movement is what it takes to stimulate your fast-twitch muscle fibers to respond. Some sports scientists add a third type of strength to the general description of speed-strength, called “reactive strength” (described below).

Starting Strength:

Your ability to "turn on" as many muscle fibers (muscle cells) as possible instantaneously. Firing a 100 mph fastball requires tremendous starting strength. So does each footfall in a 100 meter sprint, or throwing a quick knockout punch in boxing.

Explosive Strength:

Once your muscle fibers are turned on, your ability to LEAVE them turned on for a measurable period is referred to as "explosiveness." A football lineman pushing his opponent, or a shot putter "putting" the shot as far as possible are examples of explosive strength in action. Olympic-style weightlifting (snatch and clean & jerk) is perhaps the best example of maximum explosive strength in action. The ultimate form in which explosive strength is displayed is called "acceleration."

Anaerobic Strength:

The word "anaerobic" means "without oxygen." So, if your activity is performed without your muscles having to be supplied with oxygen in order to allow them to perform that activity, it's "anaerobic." Of course, you need oxygen to stay alive, and you'll have to "repay" your muscles the oxygen "debt" you owe after performing anaerobically. You do this by breathing hard once you stop. Scientists classify movements in sports as being "driven" by the "ATP/CP" energy pathway, the "glycolytic" pathway or the "oxidative" pathway. The first two do not involve oxygen and are therefore considered "anaerobic." ATP/CP refer to the biochemicals inside your muscles that produce energy for your muscles to work (adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate). Glycolytic refers to the sugar stored inside your muscles called glycogen. When you run out of ATP and CP, you have to begin using that glycogen to re-synthesize the ATP and CP so work can continue. Neither of these two muscle energy processes need oxygen for them to work. So, we can have either anaerobic strength with energy derived from the ATP/CP pathway of muscle energetics or anaerobic strength with energy coming from the glycolytic pathway.



Traditional Strength Classifications:
Over the years many different classification schemes have been devised in order that we may better understand strength and the best methods of acquiring it. Here are a few of the more enduring terms used to differentiate strength classifications. You will see that they are either incomplete or too general.

“General Strength” is a term that many coaches use to describe limit strength in all of your muscle groups and body movements. In this category, you train all the muscle groups without concentrating on the muscles that assist your particular sport skills. Training for general strength will give you a foundation (a "base") for your sport. Once you have developed general (overall) body strength, you should then work on the limit strength of the particular muscle groups that will be most involved when you perform the event in which you compete. Traditionally, this has been called specific strength.

Each sport skill requires a specialized type of strength, or "special strength." Shot putters, for example, need explosive strength and starting strength, while wrestlers need anaerobic strength endurance to be able to apply limit strength or speed-strength in their movements throughout the match. Many sports -- tennis and golf being two examples -- require the application of starting strength ("ballistic force") with perfect control.

“Optimal Strength” is a reference to the fact that one's "limit" or "absolute" strength level is not necessarily as important as it is for powerlifters. Indeed, to train exclusively for limit or absolute strength will invariably detract from performance ability in most sports because one's Fmax -- the level of force output in any given sport skill -- will be retarded. Remember, in all the world of sport, SPEED is king. Speed is not necessarily improved by concentrating exclusively on maximizing one's limit strength. The optimal strength level of limit or absolute strength, then, for each sport will vary, and is defined as that level where one's Fmax (force output in any given movement), Tmax (the time it takes to get to Fmax) and explosive strength are also maximized.

Some coaches schooled in the old Soviet approach to training separately refer to "reactive strength" or one's ability to switch from eccentric to concentric during the “stretch shortening cycle.”

It's often considered a third component of speed-strength. It is alternately called the “amortization” phase or the “transition” phase. It is the application of great muscle force being applied to “put the breaks on” the eccentric phase -- static contraction -- in preparation for the initiation of maximum fiber recruitment (starting strength).

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TweetTHE INVERTED “U” HYPOTHESIS CHART FUKKED UP WHEN I POSTED IT, SORRY