Preferential Fast Twitch Training

Expert Discussion Strength Training
1

  1. Ok so weight movements with a high velocity compenent(65% and below of 1RM), supramaximal ecc.(125-150% of 1RM), plyometrics and ems are preferential in recruiting fast twitch motor units and stimulating fast twitch fibres, also rewiring the chain of command somewhat.

  2. So could one argue that the use of only these methods, of course in a more organized and periodized way, would produce optimal results?

  3. I was thinking this because then wouldnt there be a general neural carryover of preferential recruitment of fast twtich motor units and supierior stimulation of fast twtich fibres would be the specific adaptation?

2

As well, only two of the methods hit the CNS(high velocity lift and plyo) so only two exercises outside of sprinting would even hit the CNS.

3

CT, I pmed you back but I’ll put it up here in case you read this instead, so use limit strength movements in AA and GPP, then for SPP use the other methods?

4

To the best of my knowledge the only studies that show an increase in the high threshold type II muscle fibers utilize heavy and fast eccentrics. For just about any type of training, including sprinting, the general tendency is for a IIB/x/c------->IIA transformation. If one examines the differences between the fibers it becomes easier to understand. IIAs are more efficient and less metabolically demanding. They also contract with roughly the same force output. The main difference is speed of contraction. So if all you’re doing is exposing your muscles to extremely high forces, irrespective of time, such as in powerlifting, the adaptation still favors IIA. In order to boost or maintain the MHC content you need to expose the musculature to both high forces and fast forces at the same time. Plyometric weight training, ballistics, and maybe overload eccentrics are probably the best way to do this. - Submaximal eccentric training (using concentric loads for eccentric training) would probably be the worst thing you can do. So you’re on the right track.

Besides that though the limiting factor is the nervous system not the muscular system. This is because the time to peak power of the type II subtypes is still well within the time it takes to apply peak power in sprinting. Also most are not capable of recruiting a significant % of motor units in a time so short as 100-200 milliseconds…the time you have to apply peak power in sprinting. Until you have a very small explosive strength deficit maximizing recruitment will give the best rewards. Intentionally maximizing things at the metabolic level surely can’t hurt, but youd be better off trying to maximize the nervous system to recruit as many fibers as possible.

5

So basically what I listed above is what is found to have the best effect.

6

Yeah definitely.

Also Fred Hatfield used to be really big into maximizing things at the metabolic level. For loads in the more general training range of 65-85% he recommended a total de-emphasis of the eccentric while using concentric using compensatory acceleration.

7

Oh! Really? Very heavy weights (which by definition move slowly) don’t affect the CNS?
Isn’t this another form of the specificity arguement that favours only exercises and lifts that mimic the specific sport action?

8

  1. No, its not, I’m suggesting no lifts above 65%, not copying movements in sports, but the general carryover of changing the activation order towards fast twitch first

  2. and specific carryover through supierior development of fast twitch fibres because they are the ones hit first and throughout the movement.

  3. The intent is not to mimic sports specific movement, just push it more towards fast twitch fibres being called into action faster and before slow twitch

  4. In heavy lifts the activation ordering remains the same(slow first, then fast) whereas with the above mentioned methods(ems, supramaximal ecc, and high velocity lifting) fast twitch motor units and fibres are activated first and stimulated to a greater extent.

  5. While it may seem like a more sport specific appraoch, it is still a general one looking for general neural and muscular characteristics developed with training methods and exercises to carry over(carryover of fast twitch motor units activating first, carryover of higher fast twitch muscle innervation and stimulation).

  6. An added bonus is a very little hypertrophy effect so structural gains can be assumed to be functional.

9

So FT fibres are the ones hit first? Not exactly. Except with EMS, ST fibre is always recruited first in a feed-back response calling up FT- but it is surpassed earlier in the action by FT fibre due to its much faster Recruitment Velocity in explosive or very strong contractions. Work on all parts of the force/time curve are important and advances anywhere reflect in improvement everywhere. This is especially important when dealing with the sprints, where the sport action is at the extreme left of the curve. Ben Johnson and others have shown the value of the heavy lifts on performance in the sprints. You, in particular, need to use everything at your disposal to improve.
Perhaps David W or Christian T can explain this better than I can.

10

So FT fibres are the ones hit first? Not exactly. Except with EMS, ST fibre is always recruited first in a feed-back response calling up FT- but it is surpassed earlier in the action by FT fibre due to its much faster Recruitment Velocity in explosive or very strong contractions. Work on all parts of the force/time curve are important and advances anywhere reflect in improvement everywhere. This is especially important when dealing with the sprints, where the sport action is at the extreme left of the curve. Ben Johnson and others have shown the value of the heavy lifts on performance in the sprints. You, in particular, need to use everything at your disposal to improve.

So,
may i catch on
that if i do at the same weight work
heavy lifts and fast lifts ( in different sets of course )
would be better than do only one of this 2 kinds of lifts ?
Even to a begginer ?

11

This is where I read about it, in CT’s new book, I asked him about it and he said it was correct but in the early phases(AA and GPP) to use max lifts in order to build a base. Ill put in an excerpt from the book for you for each one, or if you have access to the book just look for yourself.

12

  1. In his book he states that there is some evidence that maximal ecc. preferentially recruit fast twitch muscle fibres and may cause an evolution towards a faster contractile profile.

  2. Under the dynamic effort method in his book he states that there is evidence that high acceleration exercise increases the rate of fast twitch fibre innervation which results in an inverted recruitment pattern because during the exercise the activation thresh hold for all motor units is equal and fast twitch motor unit activation rate is lower than slow twitch motor units

  3. This is also found in maximal/supramaximal eccentrics(supramaximal ecc=plyo’s)

13

You, in particular, need to use everything at your disposal to improve

Hmmmm not sure what you mean by that…?

14

Because you need to lean out quite a bit, based on some other posts I read- and the best way to accomplish your goals is to use all the tools at your disposal. I’ve sent some graphs over to Rupert so he can help me post them (I’m not very computer-literate, as you may have guessed). I think they’ll make the situation a little clearer.

15

  1. Got me there, I do need to lean out quite a bit. I thought 3-4 150m repeats after acc. work on one day, max v on another, and 4-6 150m repeats on a day for itself.

  2. Also without complete rest(5min?)

  3. then once I’m leaned out can focus more on the speed work(also I need to fix my diet, as its horrible).

  4. And the idea was to use the max strength lifts throughout GPP in order to build a base(6-9 weeks, probably 9)?

16

Have you thought about fitness and conditioning yet? Do you do any ab work? Any tempo? I can see some sore shins, spasmed psoas, killer lower back all about to happen in the Numba56 neighbourhood and no amount of “fast twitch fibres” is going to make you feel any better. :eek:

17

He’s going to be in the pool a fair bit (from another thread)

18

I am coming starting GPP soon. I dont plan on sprinting, nor running the 150’s very hard(22 sec). Tempo on days between along with the low volume of acc. and max v work. I thought Id add that in the third week, with hills on the second day of running. Light high rep med ball was also a though and Ive always done abs, I try to get to 200 reps on tues and thurs and 400 on mon wed and fri. Also light plyo’s added in week 2. Im starting slow…waving intensity, and using two-three GPP blocks, so the runs will start out light, then gradually move up in intensity. This plus the unloading week should bring good results I think. Also I thought that acc. could be done on grass and tempo in the pool(charlies idea) to cut down on impact. haha sure they will…

19

For AA and GPP yeh, then move to dry land.

20

Heres what I plan my strength training schedule to look like.
Day 1
Clean Move(always power version) a)From floor b)hang c)Blocks
DE Squat Move a)Box Squat b)Full Squat c)Parallel Squat
DE Press Move a)Bench Press b)Incline c)Push Press
Extra Work if I feel good, normally unweighted in a circuit fashion
Single Leg Hypers, Pull-Ups

Day 2
Near Max Ecc./Ballistic Iso(at bottom of movement weight is on saftey bars, relax, then try to explode up for 3-6 sec) Squat Move a)Full Squat b)Box Squat c)Parallel Squat
Ballistic Movement a)Jump Squat b)Dimel Deadlift c)Jumping RDL
Iso Ballistic Press a)Bench Press b)Incline Press
Extra Work
Hypers
Dips
Scissor Hip Extension

Day 3
Snatch Move (Always power version) a)from floor b)hang c)blocks
d)hip snatch(aka high hang)
Near Max Ecc./Ballistic Iso Deadlift a)Clean Grip b)Snatch Grip
Near Max Ecc./Ballistic Iso Press a)Bench b)Incline
Extra Work
Reverse Hypers
Pull a)DB Row b)BB Row c)Face Pull
G-H Raises

Set Rep Ranges
Oly Lifts-Auto-Regulatory Clustering, every 3 reps take 2.5min break, 1st week 20sec between reps to 15 reps, 2nd week 30sec between reps to 10 reps

Dynamic Effort-5-8x2-4(normally higher volume in week one) using 40-65% of max

Near Max Ecc/Ballistic Iso-4-6x1

Ballistic-4-8x3-6(again higher volume in week 1)

Extra Work
3x6, 3x5

I leave set and rep ranges so I can lift based on how Im feeling

Plyo
Block 1 Up Plyo-Box Jumps, Counter Movement Jumps, Jumping Box Squat
Sets and Reps-3-4x6-8, depends on the move and How I feel, again higher volume in week 1

Block 2 Horizontal Plyo-STJ, SLJ
Sets and Reps-5-6x1-3

Block 3 Down Plyo-Depth Jumps, Altitude Landings
Sets and Reps-3-4x5-10

Repeat

Hows this look?(CT…)