I have been reading up on the topic, I need some help understanding this. Here’s my limited understanding (kind of):
The CNS sends impulses to from your spinal cord to the muscles. The CNS is responsible for telling the body to adapt to a certain stimulus (like exercise). High intensity exercises and training to failure deplete the CNS. Workouts that work the CNS should be balanced with less intense workouts. You can work the CNS more often if you cycle the lifts you do.?
Is upper body CNS work different than lower body CNS work? How do I know if I am taxing the CNS? Exactly what type of exercises do this? If the answer is any intensity 75% or more, how does that translate to the weight room? How many of these workouts can I do before I start to overtrain?
I have always lived by the “go until you can’t go anymore” rule, at least on the last set of whatever I was doing, lifting or running. This is obviously not the best way to train, at least not all the time. I am especially interested in this so I can most effectively train and set up programs for athletes both in season and out, while making them stronger, quicker and faster for the “basic” sports like football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.
To develop a better understanding of this concept search through Charlie’s posts. He’s got several brilliant ones about 100 posts back. The rule for the CNS is that you never sacrifice intensity for volume. In the weightroom, it’s okay to go higher on the intensity scale (in terms of %-1RM) but you have to consider your volumes. This includes the volume of sprints, strength work, conditioning, etc. and their effect on the CNS.
As said above, never sucrifice quality vs. quantity when CNS is targeted.
Also, intensity is not the only way to tax your CNS, but the motor units involved play a major role, too -biceps vs. dead-lift, as a simple example.
There should be a lot of info about CNS, if nothing else, on this site!
Let us know if you need anything in specific though!
I have one stupid question concerning CNS workouts.
So, we know that CNS need 48 to 72 hours to recover from a high stressed work and because of this, mostly of sprinters use to do 2 CNS works at same day ( weights & Speed work )
but, if you do high weights to touch CNS then in your speed session won´t you be the CNS empty ? I mean, even if you took some hours between those two workouts, wouldn´t be better do one high CNS work per day and then, after those 2 days in get one day out ?
What is wrong with this thoughts ?
Apologies!
Deleted, see below!
:o
Flying,
that’s why you should do track sessions first and weights afterwards with whatever’s left, if any (CF); if a track session has been brilliant, you might as well go home…
Tks Nik !!
Nik, do you know what i enjoy most in you ?
you´re always “online” answering and helping all the time.
How would a repetition effort workout compare to a max effort workout with the CNS?
Sorry if this is a stupid question. I am guessing both can tax the CNS, but the ME would be more stressful. If you do one ME lift (suppose bench) along with some assistance lifts at less than 100% intensity, will you hurt your track meet performance the next day? How much does this affect the performance of a HS athlete. I am wondering about how lifting during season might affect athletes. I probably wouldn’t change it anyway until the end of the season when we want to peak (state meet). I am dealing with 3 and 4 sport athletes whose major goal is to improve for another sport (EX: an athlete whose favorite sport is football, but is out for track).
Reps vs ME… it’s tough to say what would be more taxing. It depends on the % the reps are at.
Lifting the day before a meet is not the best option. You want your cns refreshed for the meet and that takes a minimum of 48hrs after a cns intensive session.
OK, I certainly see how lifting the day before a meet wouldn’t be ideal. What would you prescribe for a lifting routine for athletes who compete all year round in football, then basketball, then track, then soccer or baseball in the summer? It really gets tricky during basketball where at least 2 games a week are played, usually tuesday and friday nights here. Basketball practice can be a pretty high intensity workout itself. What is the best schedule for this season, knowing you are working with a 4 sport athlete.
Less is more. I’ll elaborate later but basically you don’t have optimal lifting conditions so you have to be flexible. Never sacrifice an athletes well-being for a workout that was written up that can only be performed in Never-neverland. Maintaining strength and power should be the primary focus. As such, 1 or 2 lifting workouts with very low volume will work well enough.
Imagine:
Bobsledder has 42 weeks a year to train for strength and power.
Baseball player has 12 weeks.
The priorities in training are based on the differences in training variables.
What is available?