Dynamic Effort Training: Training Speed In The Weight Room
WEIGHT ISN’T ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO BE HEAVY.
Yes, you read that right. No matter who you are, chances are that the moment you hear the words “weight room,” you automatically think of bars bending, plates clanging together, and loud screams of agony and strain.
For years and years, the weight room has always been a place you went to get STRONG, and this still remains true. But what if I told you it was also a place you went to get FAST?
A large part of being fast is all about how you train or stress the body, specifically the central nervous system (CNS). While this is typically done in the form of sprinting on the field, it can also be done through resistance training in the weight room by way of the Dynamic Effort Method.
While sprinting is still widely regarded as the best way to become fast, moving sub-maximal or lighter loads in the weight room at high velocities can also train the body to yield high power outputs and can create incredible results!
HISTORY AND DEFINITION OF THE DYNAMIC EFFORT METHOD.
The Dynamic Effort Method has been around for quite some time, believe it or not! It was introduced by a man by the name of Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky, and was made popular by well-known strength and conditioning coach Louie Simmons by the way he incorporated the method with his powerlifters.
The main purpose of the Dynamic Effort Method is to increase the rate of force production. In other words, the goal is for an individual to develop force faster. This is done by the recruitment of Type IIA, or fast twitch, muscle fibers.
When an athlete performs a lift with heavy weight, most of the time, that weight is going to be moving slow. Muscles will be contracting, but not with high speed. Through this, the athlete is building strength, but is not training the body or muscles to contract fast.
Most all athletes are currently doing Dynamic Effort Training at their school or in their respective training program. How? SPRINTING! Their muscles are contracting rapidly and most likely with a large amount of force, depending on the individual. But how can this be done in the weight room?
DYNAMIC EFFORT TRAINING IN THE WEIGHT ROOM
Dynamic Effort Training in the weight room does not have to be fancy, and in my opinion, is more effective the simpler you keep it. It also is a great way to polish and master technique, due to the athlete using either bodyweight or lighter loads.
Great movements to use when training for Dynamic Effort include jumps, “clap” or ballistic push ups, medicine ball slams and throws, and kettlebell/dumbbell swings to name a few. You can also perform dynamic movement with your squat movements, as well as your olympic lifts.
No matter what movement you choose to use in your training program, INTENT IS EVERYTHING. Every repetition must have one single purpose, TO MOVE FAST while maintaining great technique. If the body or weight is not moving as fast as possible, it is just wasted movement. Remember, the goal is to create force faster. You must go fast to do this!
Everyone always says that “speed kills”, yet they only want to work it one way. No matter if it’s sprinting or lifting weight fast in the weight room, the secret to speed is training your body to go full speed, and doing it as often as possible. If this is the case, why not give your athletes a different stress in the weight room?
Lifting heavy weight is not something you must completely get away from. You can train heavy and train for speed all in the same training session. As simple as it sounds, if we want our athletes to be fast, then we need to train like it. GO FAST!
