Getting Stronger without Bigger Muscles – The Nervous System

Joined
Apr 6, 2018
Messages
28
Reaction score
5
Points
0
amazing post, seems to be largely forgotten even by a lot of powerlifters who seem to have turned focus to "powerbuilding"
 

ATLRigger

Elite
Joined
Mar 10, 2020
Messages
1,339
Reaction score
773
Points
83
I hear a lot of ppl lately saying “don’t fry your CNS.”
Can you harm your CNS by doing too much low volume, high intensity lifting ?
 

Jin

Retired UG Staff
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
13,853
Reaction score
22,715
Points
441
I hear a lot of ppl lately saying “don’t fry your CNS.”
Can you harm your CNS by doing too much low volume, high intensity lifting ?

Pretty sure “you can’t”, maybe other people with bigger balls can though!!!! Bahahah. I kid, I kid.

Honest answer: harm? Unlikely. Fatigue/compromise, absolutely.
 
Joined
Jul 4, 2023
Messages
73
Reaction score
48
Points
8
Band work on speed strength and acceleration, and yes they utilize type II fibers as does all strength training, but not really to a greater extent. Unless you are doing prolonged aerobic exercise you are primarily using fast twitch regardless of your strength programming. It all goes back to the point of HOW MUCH of these fibers are you actually recruiting based on your volume/intesity/exercise selection. If I am doing 10x2 at 60% for speed work am I recruiting more type II than on ME effort day? They both have their place in your programming. Quick point: Aerobic exercise in strength training often gets confused with cardio respiratory fitness which is what you get from training with heavy weight. You can still do "cardio" and not interfere with strength...make sure it is the cardio respiratory kind. It draws from different energy sources and uses different fibers.

Bands are great to develop eccentric strength (bands pulling you down), explosiveness, rate of force development, and top end strength on the strength curve as the bands apply more tension at the top than the bottom. You can teach your body to constantly accelerate the weight through your ROM. This is particularly important to strength athletes and PLers. You always want to work on bar speed. The goal is to move a weight at the same speed regardless of the weight on the bar. Watch Derrick Kendall squat and you will see what I mean. Dynamic effort with accommodating resistance is a great way to do this but not the only way.

One can argue that for the raw lifter bands and chains are not as useful as they again develop top end force. RAW lifters usually miss out of the hole or a couple inches off the chest. Not to say that bands aren't good for raw lifters because they certainly are. But working things like pause squats, squat from pins, pause bench, ballistic bench and bench 1" off the chest might be a better focus. Works bands and chains in where you see fit and as needed based on your training needs.

Bottom line you are not necessarily recruiting more fast twitch through speed work. Always accelerate the bar in all sets, use heavy weight and low rep schemes with appropriate volume in your training as appropriate and you will be recruiting and or converting type II fibers.
Excellent good stuff man.
 

New Threads

Top