Welcome to part 1 of 3 from the “Beat the Curve” series.
In this series, we are looking at weight training and answering the commonly asked questions, what weight should I use, and how heavy should it be? Using the force-velocity curve principle, we will cover all aspects of weight training and what you should be lifting.
What is your goal?
The first question you should ask yourself is, what is your goal and desired outcome? Do you want to become stronger, build up your speed, or generate more power when performing? Every answer has a different outcome and approach when it comes to your training, and this can be seen using the principle known as the force-velocity curve.
Force-velocity curve
As we can see, both metrics (force and velocity) form a relationship in this graph, both playing a part when it comes to the exercise being executed. An increase in force generation leads to a decrease in velocity. A greater increase in velocity leads to a decrease in force output.
The main point is that this graph showcases the relationship between the outcome of your exercise or weight selection, and how easy it should be to execute. This doesn’t mean that you should never lift big weights and push yourself, it all comes back to the main question. What is your goal?
In this first instalment, we’re focussing on those with the goal of building their maxes when it comes to strength training.
With strength training, the main goal is to build up to peak power output in the muscle fibres, creating a greater yield of fast-twitch muscle fibres, allowing the body to move against resistance. For this to occur, the body has to be met with a large load of resistance to push or pull against. This allows for the recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibres leading to increased power output to break past their resistance.
This is why typically in strength training programmes, the approach is a lower volume in reps and higher volume in load when it comes to the weight being lifted. This correlates back to the force-velocity curve because a heavier load is being moved, which in turn leads to a greater force generation. As more force is generated the lower the velocity output will be.
For strength adaptations to occur, we have to cause a stimulus. A heavy resistance to push against (increased force), causing a higher intensity, making the exercise harder to perform (decreased velocity.) This causes the body to recruit and use its fast-twitch muscle fibres, building that overall power output, leading to greater adaptation to strength gains.
How do we help?
At the journey, we know how to implement and execute all aspects of this curve when it comes to programming and training in relation to your goals. So if we know you aren’t pushing yourself hard enough, we are there to give you that push to conquer your limits and beat the curve to smash your goals.
Read Part 2 of the “Beat The Curve” series here.