Using Velocity-Based Training (VBT)

Introduction

Programming and training practices have evolved tremendously over the last few decades. Now more than ever, there is a need to go beyond just improving performance. Coaches, athletes, military personnel, and fitness enthusiasts want and need to optimise recovery and minimize the risk of injury. It is this desire, ability, and technology that has pushed researchers and practitioners to develop and use varying methods to be more precise and targeted with movements, loads, and adaptations.

Typical strength training practices consist of prescribing loads, sets, and reps based on predicted or assumed maximal loads. These maximal loads are derived from either sub-maximal or maximal efforts. From these maximal effort/load numbers, coaches will calculate percentages that map to the specific adaptation desired. For example, >85% is typically used for maximizing strength gains, whereas ~30%-85% is for maximizing hypertrophy and power. The difference between hypertrophy and power with these percentages is power emphasises the speed/explosiveness of movement and hypertrophy emphasizes volume (sets and reps) and intention of the movements (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2004).

However, fatigue and day-to-day variances in performance are rarely taken into consideration. Whilst the relative percentages based on predicted maximal loads (1RM) in the programme stay the same, the lifter’s performance can and will vary both day-to-day as well as over the course of a few weeks. It is these factors that contribute to poor stress management and recovery, and increase the risk of injury (Zourdos et al., 2016).

Over the last 40 years, another form of training and programming, known as velocity-based training (VBT), has emerged. VBT has rapidly grown in popularity and effectiveness. There are now numerous research studies and technology-based applications supporting VBT (Weakley, 2021). One such product is Enode, whose app not only measures various aspects of lifting velocity (e.g., bar speed) but also provides bar path and programming recommendations, which helps to eliminate the guesswork.

What is VBT?

Velocity is a key determinant in how much force and power is being produced. The equation for force is mass x acceleration (F=m*a). Mass is the load being used and acceleration is the rate of change in velocity. Aside from changing the load (mass), we can alter the amount of force we produce by increasing or decreasing acceleration.

The simple equation for power is force x velocity (P= f*v). When we change velocity or acceleration, we change our power output. In short, velocity plays a major role in assessing and measuring our strength and power.

In simple terms, VBT is the use of velocity to organize and enhance training and programming strategies (Weakley, 2020). Velocity is typically shown in meters per second (m/s) and can be measured in a few ways that are uniquely different.

1. Mean Velocity: The average velocity/speed over the entire concentric phase of a lift. This includes the acceleration and deceleration parts within the concentric phase. This is a good measurement for typical strength training exercises like the squat, bench press, deadlift, shoulder press, etc.

2. Peak Velocity: The maximum speed/velocity achieved in the concentric phase. This is typically calculated every 5-milliseconds and is a measurement better suited for ballistic/explosive movements such as cleans, snatches, throws (bench press throw), and jumps (squat jumps). These exercises typically have very explosive movements and/or releases where the feet leave the ground or the equipment (bar) leaves the hands.

3. Mean Propulsive Velocity: The average speed primarily through the initial acceleration part of the lift. This is measured from the start of the concentric phase to the point where acceleration becomes less than gravity (9.81 m/s2). This measurement does not account for the whole concentric phase through the deceleration of a lift as mean velocity does.

The velocity of our squat, deadlift, bench press, or any exercise, is a representation of how heavy that load is for us. It has been shown that the velocity of movement changes with different loads and number of repetitions, which can influence the adaptations achieved (Jukic et al., 2022; Pareja-Blanco et al., 2020; Weakley, 2020; Zourdos et al., 2016). Heavier loads have slower velocities than lighter loads. For example, a 1RM (~100%) squat can have a mean velocity of .26 m/s whilst a moderate load squat (~80%) for 1 rep can have a mean velocity of .71 m/s (Weakley, 2020).

Why Use VBT?

A number of viable reasons exist for the use of VBT in our strength-training journey. These benefits will augment our performance as well as our readiness and wellbeing. Some include increased performance, daily stress and fatigue management, accounts for day-to-day fluctuations in strength, provides set-to-set consistency, individualized training even in groups, promotes recovery, and more.

Performance

The equation for enhancing performance, or achieving a desired adaptation is, stress (fatigue) + recovery. This requires that we induce the right amount of fatigue at the right time and allow for adequate recovery. To induce the right amount of fatigue in each training session, we must have a way to assess our current level of fatigue. Research has shown that assessing both internal and external fatigue (stress) is essential for optimal programming (Drew et al., 2016; Eckard et al., 2018; Hills et al., 2018; Saw et al., 2016). Internal measurements include subjective perceptions about sleep, physical readiness, mood, and nutrition/hydration. External measurements include strength and power performance.

As was previously mentioned, we all have:

• daily fluctuations in fatigue (strength/power output)

• the speed of our movement indicates how heavy the load we are lifting feels to us (how stressed/fatigued we are)

Collectively, these two statements mean that loads will feel heavier or lighter on some days versus others and that we can assess this both internally and externally. We can measure internal fatigue using Eleiko’s Readiness and Wellbeing (RAW) scoring process. Externally, we can measure the velocity of our lifts using the Eleiko Powerlifting Training bar. If we move slower with the same relative load, we are more fatigued. If we move faster, we are less fatigued.

With this internal information of the lifter’s perceived fatigue and external objective information of the velocity-based performance measurements, we can gauge a lifter’s readiness to train and develop more accurate and individualised programming strategies. This type of programming strategy will increase performance whilst promoting better recovery and decrease the risk of injury. This is because the programming strategy can be adjusted and tracked on a daily basis to match each lifter’s level of fatigue.

This type of auto-regulation programming can also be of extreme benefit for training groups. The daily programming is not based on a “one-size fits all” set and rep scheme. Rather, it can be based on subjective self-perception and/or objective performance velocity making the training session individualized to each lifter. This can also help promote better consistency from set-to-set and day-to-day training for each lifter, which in turn can increase motivation to train (Weakley, 2020).

Readiness and Wellbeing

Readiness is easily defined as, “how ready someone is physically, mentally, and emotionally to do what they need to do on a daily basis”. A good definition of wellbeing is, “a sense of health and vitality that arises from your thoughts, emotions, actions, and experiences” (Davis, 2022). The combination of a velocity-based assessment and the Eleiko RAW Scoring process provides a most valuable method for gaining insight into a our state of readiness and wellbeing.

A loss or gain in velocity indicates a loss or gain in our level of fatigue. Fatigue is an indication of how well, or not, we are managing our stress. It can affect physical, mental, and emotional performance. By measuring the velocity of our lifts, we can obtain an objective view into our level of readiness and wellbeing. As already alluded to, this information allows us to train more to the level most appropriate for where we are at on a daily basis. This, in turn, allows us to sustain more consistent increases in performance by optimising our recovery and minimising the risk of injury.

Conclusion

VBT allows us to use the velocity of our movement to assess, monitor, and train in a more personalised manner. It is exceedingly valuable for providing objective feedback on the degree of fatigue we are experiencing day-to-day, which represents our state of physical, mental, and emotional readiness to train on a daily basis. This in turn allows VBT to be used to develop individualised programming strategies that can increase performance whilst decreasing the potential risk of injury.

References

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