Tag: bret contreras

Post-Activation Potentiation

I got another question via email last week about post-activation potentiation (PAP). The writer mentioned he has been familiar with the practice and has benefited from integrating it into his own programs, but hasn’t seen a lot of other coaches use it.

If you’re not familiar, PAP is phenomenon that has implications for both performance in the presence of fatigue and high power/speed contractions. Essentially, ongoing or repeated stimulus of a neuromuscular pathway (think muscle contraction) results in any number of proposed consequences that prime that pathway for future force production. The proposed mechanisms included increased Ca2+ sensitivity of the involved actin/myosin chains and increased alpha motor neuron excitability. In both cases, the result is an increase in force production for the same “input” signal, although the former is at the muscular level and the latter is at the spinal cord/nervous system level. If you’re interested in reading deeper into this, I highly suggest reading this review article:

Hodgson, M., Docherty, D., & Robbins, D. (2005). Post-activation potentiation: underlying physiology and implications for motor performance. Sports Medicine, 35(7), 585-595.

The most common application of this principle in the strength and conditioning world is to pair a heavy resistance training exercise with a similar patterned explosive movement exercise. A few examples include:

Back Squat or Front Squat paired with a Vertical Jump
Deadlift or Stiff-Legged Deadlift paired with a Broad Jump
Reverse Lunge or RFE Split Squat paired with a Split Squat Jump
Bench Press paired with an Explosive Push-Up
Chin-Up paired with an Overhead Med Ball Slam
Forward Sled Drag paired with a Forward Sprint
Lateral Sled Drag paired with Lateral Start Sprint

These are just a few examples, but hopefully it provides a couple illustrations as to how this principle can be applied. This type of training method is known as “Contrast Training” and has been around for a LONG time. At Endeavor, we’ve used this method in various capacities, including using resisted and unresisted jumps with the Vertimax.

I view it as a method to unlock existing power potential within the nervous system. Naturally then, it’s a method that is appropriate for use within phases that power development is a primary or secondary goal. It’s also an effective method at maintaining maximum strength levels. There are a few important considerations in how this method is implemented:

The intensity of the resistance training load
The volume of the resistance training exercise
The pattern of both the resistance training and power training exercise
The duration of rest between the two

In general, the first two components here are fairly simple. The higher the intensity, the greater the potentiation. Volume should be kept low so as to induce activation, but not fatigue. Naturally a Back Squat performed at 90% 1-RM for 3-4 reps (or whatever is the individual’s max) would not be likely to improve subsequent power performance because the individual would be too fatigued. In contrast, if the individual performed 1-RM with perfect technique and an accelerated concentric phase (moving the weight up quickly), the “prime” for explosive movement would be more optimal with less risk of creating unnecessary fatigue. This view point is largely supported by the degree of time we have in real-world training situations to implement this method. Some research suggests that waiting as long as 8-12 minutes maximizes the benefits of potentiation (Gouvea, A., et al., 2012), whereas others suggest that 4 minutes may be optimal with values returning to baseline by 8 minutes (Lowery, R., et al., 2012). The discrepancies are inevitably in the employed methods and probably reflect longer rest for higher volumes of training. Unfortunately, in most situations it’s not realistic to wait 8 minutes between exercises, so minimizing the “conditioning stimulus” resistance training exercise volume is an effective strategy to capitalize on potentiation in a reasonable time frame.

With regards to to the selected exercises, it’s important to remember that, while there is certainly some carryover, neural activation networks are movement specific. The more directly the conditioning exercise can replicate the subsequent power exercise, the more profound of an impact the potentiation will have. Essentially you want to think of it as overloading a pattern, and then unloading a pattern. In the examples above, you’ll note that a back squat is paired with a vertical jump, but a deadlift is paired with a broad jump. The primary difference between a broad jump and a vertical jump is that there is a greater forward torso lean and posterior weight shift with a broad jump, which allows the individual to propel themselves forward more than upward. Similarly, a deadlift involves a greater posterior weight shift and more heavily loads the posterior chain compared to a back squat. These differences are slight, but notable.

Trap Bar Deadlift

Broad JumpHopefully this gives you some good ideas on how and when to implement this type of strategy. As with any training method, it’s important to keep the goal in mind so you can program this method into the appropriate phase of a training cycle. This fits very well into an off-season phase where power development is the primary target. It would not fit very well in an in-season environment where the players have a substantial amount of accumulated fatigue (you can’t maximize peak power from a diminished starting point). In contrast, it may fit well into a short in-season training cycle where the players have decreased practice and game loads, are fairly rested, and need to return to some max strength and power work, briefly. I’d also urge you to only use this method with exercises that are EXTREMELY familiar to the athlete. As I’ve said repeatedly in the past, you have to move well before you can move more or move faster. The athlete should be proficient in both the resistance training and power exercises. If you’re interested in more information on PAP, Bret Contreras wrote a great article on the topic a few years ago, which you can find here: Post-Activation Potentiation: Theory and Application

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

References:

Gouvea, A., et al. (2012). The effects of rest intervals on jumping performance: A meta-analysis on post-activation potentiation studies. Journal of Sports Science, Nov 9, epub.
Lowery, R., et al. (2012). The effects of potentiating stimuli intensity under varying rest periods on vertical jump performance and power. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(12), 3320-3325.

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Speed Training Research

In the past, I’ve proposed that speed (both on and off the ice) comes down to force application. In other words, the more force you put into the ice, the faster you skate. This understanding is important because it helps athletes (and parents and coaches) that are ONLY interested in speed understand the importance of strength training. Simply, using the transitive property of mathematics:

More Strength = More Force
More Force = More Speed
More Strength = More Speed

While there’s more to it than this, it really is THIS simple for many of the hockey players I work with. They’re simply not strong enough to skate faster than they are. They need to improve their capacity to develop speed before they can develop speed.

I recently came across a new study on sprinting performance that had some interesting results. Bret Contreras, who is about as well-read in strength and conditioning research as anyone I know, wrote a summary of the article here: Sprinting Performance is Not Solely About Force Put Into the Ground. Legendary ice hockey physiologist Jack Blatherwick wrote a more hockey-specific interpretation of the study here: Acceleration: It’s not just about strength; it’s about efficient application of strength .

You can read the abstract here: Technical Ability of Force Application as a Determinant Factor of Sprint Performance

Basically, the results of this study support the idea that the TOTAL amount of force put into the ground isn’t as important as the direction of the force. At first glance, this strikes me as one of those studies that people will misinterpret and inappropriately cite for years. “Force doesn’t matter!”. Force still matters. In fact, force is still the key; it just needs to be qualified.

In these studies, researchers can use force platforms to dissociate between force applied in vertical and horizontal orientations. Every ground-based athletic movement will involve both, but with certain movements it will be more desirable to shift a greater proportion of the force production in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. For example, a vertical jump would necessitate maximal vertical force production and minimal horizontal force production. Likewise, it is only logical that sprinting, an activity whose performance is quantified by the time it takes to cover a horizontal distance, would necessitate more force put forth in a horizontal direction than vertical.

Optimal acceleration positioning
As Blatherwick pointed out in his article, the primary finding of this study is one that track coaches (and the strength and conditioning coaches that put a premium on sprint technique) have known for years. Training to improve a player’s capacity to produce force (e.g. strength) is a necessary part of development. The important take home from this study is that movement quality cannot be overlooked, and in itself is a worthy training aim. Once QUALITY is established, then QUANTITY should be overlaid to improve capacity.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. You can get a free copy of my hockey speed training manual “Breakaway Hockey Speed”. Just enter your name and email below!

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Random Thoughts

I’ve had a lot of different things on my mind recently, so I want to break free of the typical “article-style” post and touch on a wide variety of topics, ranging from professional to personal, intellectual to comical. Let me know what you think of these types of posts and I’ll use them more or less in the future. Enjoy!

1. ZMA may be my favorite auxiliary supplement. I wouldn’t put it in my “essentials” list, but as busy/stressed as I get sometimes, nothing helps me sleep better.

2. Eric Cressey’s Show and Go Program is incredible. The entire Endeavor Coaching Staff has been following it for the last two weeks; it’s intense and exceptionally well written. Last week I front squatted 275 for 3 reps and trap bar deadlifted 405 for 5 reps. Nothing to write home about, but pretty good for me.

3. Every time Bon Jovi comes on our satellite radio, my blood pressure skyrockets. There is a time and a place for Bon Jovi. That time is never. That place is nowhere.

4. Last week on my drive to work I noticed that all of traffic slowed to 5 mph below the speed limit, because there was a cop driving in the right lane at that pace. She then proceeded to change lanes without signaling while talking on her cell phone. Nothing like leading by example.

5. A lot of people in the hockey world say that vision is one of those things a player either has or doesn’t. I couldn’t disagree more. As with any ability, some players will naturally excel in this department more than others, but everyone can improve. The key is to spend time ANALYTICALLY watching the game. It’s helpful to do this by watching players at the same age, but higher skill level, or older players at the same skill level.

6. I’m amazed at the number of parents that come into Endeavor wanting their kids to be faster yesterday. Getting EVERYONE in the fitness industry (fat loss clients, body builders, athletes, etc.) to understand that training is a continuous, progressive process would be the single greatest breakthrough in the history of the industry.

7. A former intern of ours said one of her teachers told her that she’d have to cut all carbs out by 3pm if she wanted to get lean. While I don’t necessarily disagree with the concept, I strongly disagree with the clear-cut dichotomy here. What if she wakes up at noon because of her work? What if she trains at 4pm? What if it’s a cheat meal? Nothing is ever this black and white, in training or nutrition.

8. Last week I met with Shoba Murali and Shaun Gagnon, the CEO & President and VP of Sales for Generation UCAN, respectively. I whole-heartedly endorse their product because it’s the best out there. The carb-only mix is a drastically healthier alternative to the more well-known sugar-laden Gatorade and Powerade alternatives. The protein-carb mix is the perfect post-workout/post-practice/post-game drink. Even more pleasing to me, Shoba and Shaun are both incredible people that really have the athletes’ best interest in mind. This is quite different from the sleezy approach of most supplement companies (e.g. spending all their money to put a colorful label around their shit product, having steroid-enhanced spokespeople make false claims about the effectiveness of their product, etc.).

Enter the code “KNHockey” to get a special discount!

9. Cristi Landrigan wins the hockey parent of the year award. Over the Summer, she drove her kids around 90 minutes to train with us three times a week at 8am! Now, every couple days she’ll email me a great article she found on some aspect of sports performance (training, mentality, etc.). I wish every parent could adopt 10% of her enthusiasm for helping her kids succeed as members of society, and as athletes.

10. For young professionals out there, nothing will help you more than finding a good mentor. Since I was young, I’ve frequently been complimented on my “drive”. I think having that has been an important ingredient in my success so far. With that said, I wouldn’t be anywhere without the guidance of Chris Boyko, Eric Cressey, and Michael Boyle. I’ve learned from a ton of people, but these three mentors have done more for me than I could ever describe. If you’re looking for internships, look to them first.

11. On internships, if you’re an intern, be realistic about your role. There is nothing more off-putting than hearing an intern talk about “their athletes”. As an intern, you don’t have athletes. You’re implementing someone else’s programs for their athletes. You have a long career to brag about all the great stuff you’re doing with your athletes; now is your time to learn/absorb.

12. I’m pretty good at blocking out distractions. In grad school, I frequently fell asleep with Avenged Sevenfold playing on my laptop next to me. But if there is a single fly in my office, my day is ruined.

Me…not getting any work done.

13. Lingo such as “can I get a spot” and “all you” is typical in the gym, but should not be used in a men’s room.

14. The growing popularity of Facebook continues to amaze me. My “Ultimate Ice Hockey Training” group now has over 4,025 fans!

15. We use the reverse lunge as one of our primary lower body lifts at Endeavor. We try to encourage our athletes to return to the top by “pulling through the heel of their front leg”. Inevitably, when the weights get heavy, there is a stronger push off the back leg. One way to eliminate this altogether is to have them perform the reverse lunge with their back foot on a slideboard. For the scientists out there, it may be interesting to test 3-RMs on ground, and on a slideboard to quantify how much that push/back-leg stability adds to the lift.

16. Speaking of scientists, my colleague Bret Contreras (who I believe has set up an EMG lab in his garage…awesome), mentioned me on his “Best Blogs” list: How I Learn. I’m flattered that someone with Bret’s intelligence would consider my site one of his top resources. I also read on Bret’s site that Jeff Cubos, an incredibly well-read professional from Canada, included this site as one of his go-to’s as well. If you guys are reading this, thank you!

17. In that post, Bret mentions that he wishes I wouldn’t “pigeon-hole” myself so much by just talking about hockey. I write mostly about hockey because that’s what I’m most passionate about, and why I got into training to begin with (to help hockey players develop and fulfill their potential). With that said, many of the training principles I write about in regards to hockey are directly applicable to most team sports and to training in general. My hope is that people that may work with athletes in other sports don’t write off the information simply because my site says ice hockey on it.

Check back in on Wednesday for more musings!

To your continued success,

Kevin Neeld

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