For my college basketball team, we are now unofficially mandated to play in our team open gyms, which are 4 days a week, 2-3 hours each time. Regardless if we were playing as a team or not, I would be practicing but at varying intensities and for different durations.
Before these open gyms were implemented, I had been practicing ball HI 3 days a week and LI 2 days a week, along with lifting 3 days a week (ME Upper, Me Lower, Re Upper). But the last couple weeks I have seen a dropoff in my performance on the court, and is undoubtedly related to CNS fatigue, with the recent additions to my workload. Since this is the offseason, I know I need to be doing the things that will have the greatest effect come season time, and that, for me, is getting stronger, especially in the lower body, so i need to keep up the lifting while still performing on thre court in front of the coaches. To remedy the situation, I’m thinking, on my ME days, instead of working my way up to a 2-5rm, I could work my way up to a heavy 6-8 reps for a few sets instead and induce less neural fatigue. Will this work? help? And more importantly, will I continue to really improve my strength enough lifting in this rep range? Thanks.
No, keep your ME days in the rep range you have had them at previously. You’ll need to get a lot more recovery in (more sleep, more hot bathes, stretching) and keep your caloric intake high and your nutrition in tip top shape. It’s your off season so you’ll have to devote more time to it but adjusting your max effort to 6-8 reps is not going to build as much strength as you would like to.
Either keep your volume of your max effort lift the same as you mentioned or drop the intensity slightly and raise the volume a bit. For example work up to 4x5 at a weight that is very challenging for you but not complete failure or 5x3 with the same principal. I have found this keep the CNS much more fresh and still allows athlete to make strength gains. Another idea for you would be to take a look at what else you are doing during that lifting sessions and adjust accordingly. Perhaps keep the max effort lift heavy and dropping either volume of the rest of the workout or playing with the intensity and rest periods may be another option.
On a similar/side note, is there a difference between, for instance squatting 4x6 or 6x4 at the same weight in terms of strength gains and/or it’s effect on the cns.
From a CNS standpoint not really but it may also depend on what percentage of your max you were using… For example if the 4x6 was failure on the last rep wheras on the 6x4 you were keeping 2-3 in the tank. Number of warmup sets and intensity of warmup sets would be a factor as well which would be increasing the volume. That would play a part on strength gains as would training age/experience.
if its at the same weight i would say the 6x4 would be easier on cns, strength gains would depend on your progression. Just my opinion.
when you say depending on your progression, do you literally mean that its effect on strength would be answered over time, based on my progression?
I mean your progression in terms or rep/set scheme that is already in place and that you plan in the future, not progession of weight lifted tho that will have something to do with it i am sure.
It will depend where you are now in terms of lifting scheme and where you plan to go from there, as well as the demands of your current system.
So if your stressin the cns already a lot or hittin the upper leg a lot already with exercises/sprints/plyos its going to have an effect on which works better. Also where it is placed in your workout will have an effect, though I would assume it is upfront on a leg day and after sprinting if you sprint.