Posted on April 29, 2013 by Jenny Cromack
Strength work is well documented for improving athletic performance particularly for sports requiring sprinting, jumping and throwing. However it does not develop rate of force, this refers to the speed at which the force is achieved.
For example a back squat takes around 400msec to develop maximum force however for sprinting the foot ground contact time is 90msec so the time to achieve maximum force through squat training is not as efficient as possible for effective performance. Therefore developing the rate at which the force can be applied is extremely important to make the training functional.
How then do we transfer the benefits of strength training more effectively into functional performance??? Complex training is the answer.
What exercises improve force development?
We need to focus the type2b muscle fibres as these are the fibres that produce the most force explosively. Appropriate exercises include:
- Strength exercises (3-5 reps)
- Speed strength exercises (Olympic lifts, weighted squat jumps)
- Plyometric exercises
What is Complex training?
Complex training combines strength exercises with a matched Plyometric exercise for example:
- Front squats 3x 3-5 tempo (xxxx) followed by 3 x 8 contacts box jumps
- Bench press 3x 3-5 tempo (10×0) followed by 3x 10 clap push ups
Combining the exercises in such a format has bee shown to develop the rate of force production significantly. This form of training is all about quality not quantity, the type 2b fibres aren’t recruited magically the workout needs to be as explosive as possible; therefore the volume has to be low.
Static stretching must be avoided during these sessions as this will relax the muscles too much and hinder performance during the workout. Opt for dynamic stretching and a functional warm up where you mimic the exercises you will do in the session.