Altering the load lifted during exercises can enhance muscle power
Varying the Weights, Boosting the Gains:
A groundbreaking study reveals that tweaking the weights used in workouts can enhance athletic performance. Led by researchers from the University of Lincoln in the UK, the findings demonstrate that a technique known as velocity-based training (VBT) significantly outperforms traditional percentage-based training (PBT).
The study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, sheds light on the benefits of VBT for muscle strength, power output, and fatigue management in weightlifting.
Training Approaches Compared
Athletes should aim for muscle-strengthening exercises on at least two days a week. These activities, such as press-ups, sit-ups, or weightlifting, should ideally push their limits before they find it hard to complete another repetition.
Traditionally, PBT has been the go-to method for building muscle strength. It involves lifting a percentage of an individual's maximum weight capacity. In contrast, VBT is a more adaptive approach where trainers measure the time it takes the lifter to lift the weight and adjust it accordingly.
Trainers on the Move: VBT in Action
The researchers recruited sixteen male weightlifters between 18 and 29 years, each with at least two years of experience. They then divided them into two groups: one performed PBT, while the other used VBT over six weeks.
By determining each participant's maximum lift, the researchers tailored the weights lifted by the VBT group based on their performance relative to their maximum weight and previous warm-up measurements. If the weightlifter was less capable of lifting the weight that day, the team reduced the weight. Conversely, if the weightlifter could lift the weights quickly, demonstrating that they were at peak performance, they were given heavier weights.
As a result, the VBT group lifted less weight overall compared to the PBT group. However, the reduced weight lifting did not compromise the weightlifters' gains, and some athletes even surpassed the performance improvements of the PBT group.
Making Progress Without the Grind
According to Dr. Harry Dorrell from the University of Lincoln's School of Sport and Exercise Science, "VBT offers a data-driven approach to weightlifting, ensuring that athletes are training with the optimal load for their specific day. This approach helps prevent both under-lifting, which may stagnate progress, and over-lifting, which can increase the risk of injury."
A crucial finding is that the weightlifters who used VBT experienced performance increases similar to the PBT group while lifting less weight overall. As Dr. Dorrell puts it, "While some of these improvements may seem modest, the significance lies in achieving better results with lower weight, reducing muscle fatigue and shortening recovery times."
With the increasing popularity of apps and personal training devices, the benefits of VBT may also extend to individuals who do strength training exercises to maintain their health. This revolutionary approach to weightlifting could revolutionize the way athletes manage and enhance their performance, recovery, and safety.
- In contrast to traditional percentage-based training (PBT), velocity-based training (VBT) adjusts weights based on the time taken to lift, offering a data-driven approach that aims to prevent both under-lifting and over-lifting, thus potentially reducing muscle fatigue and shortening recovery times.
- The findings of the study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggest that while the VBT group lifted less weight overall compared to the PBT group, they experienced performance increases similar to the PBT group, indicating that better results can be achieved with lower weight.
- With the rising popularity of fitness apps and personal training devices, the benefits of velocity-based training (VBT) could extend to individuals who engage in strength training exercises for health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and weight-management, potentially revolutionizing the approach to sports performance, recovery, and safety.
