speed, speed speed! Increasing RSI with Paler Descending: Year 6 Block 8

Paler Descending: Year 6 Block 8

The main idea is we do 3x7 at a specific weight, increase the weight, and do 3x5. We are going to use a 2/0/X/0 tempo, so Total Time Under Tension per set will be 10-15seconds. This will work more neural focus instead of increasing the size of a muscle. 

The set and rep scheme is not the major focal point of this training block, it is the speed and the intent to move that is the focal point. Our testing shows that we are making progress in the amount of force we can create. We have seen across the board increase in force output in nordics, higher impulse during counter movement jump, and increased reps in relative strength assessment. This is largely the product of getting strong and increasing lean muscle mass. 

But an area we are not seeing as much improvement in is Reactive Strength Index (RSI). This is a metric that looks at time on the ground versus time in the air. The more time we spend in the air relative to the ground, the higher the RSI. Higher RSI means we are producing force in a faster manner. Since we are producing more force, we want to see us express that force in a faster manner. 

There are a couple of methods we want to use to change this. One is plyometrics/ ballistic exercises. A critical piece of this is to give as much effort as possible towards each rep. Unless we are required to, most have a hard time giving maximal intent during any exercise. This makes plyometrics less effective. Using external load relative to body mass can help with giving more intent. We are going to use a load relative to body mass (30%) over the course of the block to encourage intent more so. 

The other big aspect is bar speed. For the most part we focus on ‘Absolute Strength’ or .3-.5m/s. The reason is because this is a sweet spot for creating tension during a repetition. Tension is a central piece of creating hypertrophy or increase of the muscle size. We have done this at a high level, represented by our increased force, impulse, and relative strength. We can leverage other speeds to change the rate of force development. 

There is a relationship between force and velocity, they are inversely proportional. As force goes up, velocity decreases, and vice versa. So if we only use Absolute Strength Velocity, we potentially underdevelop Velocity. The way to fix this is to focus attention on faster velocities, which will be a byproduct of lowering the intensity (external load). 

The zone we are going to use for Paler Descending will be Accelerative Strength (.5-.75m/s). This will take some getting used to since we spend so much time within Absolute Strength Velocity. The way we can work this in is using accommodating resistance with chains. This allows us to continuously accelerate the bar through the midpoint without having to slow down. Longer acceleration leads to increased velocity. 

The reason we track so much is because we can readily fall into the trap of doing obvious things. Occam's Razor is the most obvious answer is probably the correct answer. However, the Principle of Specificity is that we will be good at what we repeatedly do. If all we do is focus on tension, and we reduce our ability to produce force rapidly we potentially limit our training potential. When you plateau it’s usually because one aspect of training is too prioritized. Focusing on velocity improves our ability to produce tension later because we are developed in other areas that will lead to downstream positive effects.