Dynamic Effort Instead of ME/RE Work?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
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(not (necessarily) for powerlifting purposes; say, for maintenance purposes when ME and RE are not feasible)

<bear with me, I have no one knowledgeable in exercise science to talk to around here - i.e. where I live>

Firstly, NO, I’m not suggesting or thinking dynamic work can be used to (completely) replace ME or RE work…

Now:
Since
Tension = Force = mass * acceleration.

Common sense would say that a lighter weight (say 60%…80% 1 RM) lifted with the maximum possible acceleration would create the same tension in a muscle of a much heavier weight (85…90%, or more).
Yes, high speeds means (almost) no Type I fiber stimulation. But, since Type II fibers have a lot more potential for hypertrophy and strength…

Done instead of ME (when, say, you don’t have access to a gym): singles…triples
Done instead of RE: triples…up to, say, 8 reps (so one can still stay in the ~15 second interval in which your type IIB fibers work), for many sets.

Personal experience:

Doing unweighted, explosive chins took me to the following:

  1. about a year ago, after a long lay-off (some years), got me back to doing >35 kg (1RM) without doing one weighted chin-up in those months, or doing any more difficult variations (I just did chins and pull-ups with a completely tense body, for ~5 reps/set, as often as possible)
  2. after more than a month of no weighted chins, just explosive chins, lever work, and rows, I got to easily do 45 kg (100 lbs) for 5 singles. Some months ago, 40 kg meant a 15 second grind…

Also, mr. Bolton can work with ~50% or less of his 1RM and keep his strength, because, he says, he’s very explosive (again… F= m * a)

So…
What is your experience with this? Or, if you’re knowledgeable in exercise science, does this work as well as it should?

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I was kind of thinking the same thing too (with the F=MA), just in passing though.

This is basically the “Force Spectrum” that CT Mentions. I remember him saying somewhere (can’t remember where), mass will contribute more to force than acceleration. It’s kind of a sketchy comparison seeing as mass is KG and Acceleration is m/s^2, so it isn’t really apples to apples. Bottom line is that More Weight= More force.

Either way, this is more or less theory. My personal opinion is that you’re overthinking things.

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<My solution to a stalling DL was to begin DLing twice a week until it started going up and then keep going like this until I reach 550. Nope, I’m not overthinking. :slight_smile: Now, returning to the topic >

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[quote]Sterneneisen wrote:
<My solution to a stalling DL was to begin DLing twice a week until it started going up and then keep going like this until I reach 550. Nope, I’m not overthinking. :slight_smile: Now, returning to the topic >[/quote]

In responding to your op, yes dynamic work could be used alone with results, to a point. Meaning, the dynamic method would not work as well as the dynamic method combined with the max effort method.

What is the reason for this? If Force = mass x acceleration, why wouldnt compensating the difference in weight with an increase in acceleration result in the same gains?

2 Reasons:

1- the difference in mass can only be made up with acceleration to a certain point. That is, the most effective way to increase force will eventually become increasing mass, at some point on the force spectrum. For example, If someone benches 500, can they bench 250 twice as fast? Probably. What about 100? can they bench it 5 times as fast? How about 50 pounds 10 times as fast? I think you can see my point

2- the body gets better at what is does, meaning if you lift light loads with high speeds, you will get better at lfting light loads at high speeds. This is fine if this is your goal, but as you said in your post above, your goal is increasing your max deadlift, which this method would not be as effective in doing.

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DE work can definitely be substituted for ME work once in a while. Both need methods need to be utilized for a successful strength program. ME work needs to be done to increase the weights you use for DE work. If you are going on percentage of max for DE work, then your max has to increase in order to increase the weight that can be used with maximal speed and acceleration.

Also, the only way to increase intra/intermuscular coordination is with maximal weights. When you really start getting into this, you have to start considering relative training volumes and intensities as well as the actuals but that is kinda beyond the scope of your question.

The problem with your question is, you did not really identify what phase/block/cycle of training you are talking about. Obviously, earlier on in a training cycle in a rational training scheme, volumes will be higher, exercises will be general, and speed of movement will be a pretty low priority because the maximum residual training effect for maximal speed only exists for a short period of time.

As training continues and competition nears, then you can shift from higher volume lactate tolerance/strength speed training to more specific speed strength work with lower training volumes.

As far as fiber Typing, you are overthinking it way too much. Type II fibers are bigger than Type I’s but there are significantly less of them in most people. Fiber Types can’t switch back and forth between I’s to II’s or vice versa. What they can do is take on characteristics of other fibers based on the stimulus they are introduced to.

Using my above example, obviously early on in training, Type I fibers will recieve much of the stimulus, thus, hypertrophy ensues. As competition nears and volumes drop, speed and maximum force become priority. These now developed Type I fibers will then take on characterisitics of Type II fibers while the Type II fibers themselves are being developed, make sense?

Most weightlifters and powerlifters have very low Type II fiber areas basically because any physical stimulus requires aerobic systems for recovery. This stimulates growth of aerobic mechanisms in order to adapt. So, more Type I fiber areas.

You know what populations have the highest distribution of Type II fiber areas? High level sprinters, people who take a shitload of Clenbuterol, people in wheelchairs, and highly undertrained people. Crazy stuff.