Getting Faster Using Weights

TheAmazingOti · Post by **TheAmazingOti** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 6:10 pm

I was just wondering what you people had to say about getting faster by using weights.

For example, for more explosive power in the lower body, squat heavy. When you go down, do it slowly and controlled, as always, but when you come back up, explode as hard as you can and get back to the standing position as quickly as possible. This will develop strength as well as explosive power, provided the load is heavy enough.

So, yeah, things like that.

Fighters will sometimes punch with dumbbells in their hands to develop more speed with their punches. This sort of builds on that idea.

Like, take the still-legged dead lift. If you explosively pull the weight up, provided you don't injure yourself, that work out should help you develop more explosive power when you perform the motion. Therefore, doing this exercise explosively like this could help you jump higher (your back will be stronger and faster, resulting in a more violent straightening motion when you jump, resulting in more force and, thus, more height).

Think it would work? It seems to make sense.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:01 pm

depends what sort of power you're talking about...people refer to reps done for 1 - 3 to be training power but it isn;t...power is mass x acceleration meaning you still lift a wt but it moves quickly...1 - 3 type resp aren't lifted quickly...anyway...

wts build a strength base where you build power off...from there i'm not totally convinced by using wts for power development but again what is the power for? for athletic performance it;s not so great as you always have to decelerate the bar and only a fraction (at best) of each rep is accelerating the bb...mb's, plyometric bodyweight stuff is best for this

if powelifting and you simply need more bar speed to get through sticking pints etc then bb stuff is the way to go

I was just wondering what you people had to say about getting faster by using weights.

For example, for more explosive power in the lower body, squat heavy. When you go down, do it slowly and controlled, as always, but when you come back up, explode as hard as you can and get back to the standing position as quickly as possible. This will develop strength as well as explosive power, provided the load is heavy enough.

So, yeah, things like that.

Fighters will sometimes punch with dumbbells in their hands to develop more speed with their punches. This sort of builds on that idea.

Like, take the still-legged dead lift. If you explosively pull the weight up, provided you don't injure yourself, that work out should help you develop more explosive power when you perform the motion. Therefore, doing this exercise explosively like this could help you jump higher (your back will be stronger and faster, resulting in a more violent straightening motion when you jump, resulting in more force and, thus, more height).

Think it would work? It seems to make sense.

TheAmazingOti · Post by **TheAmazingOti** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:38 pm

for athletic performance it;s not so great

I disagree with this. Once you adjust to your own bodyweight, plyometrics no longer build strength and don't really build power that well. You can use weights to develop your explosive power further, then continue to use plyometrics for the stretch-reflex.

as you always have to decelerate the bar and only a fraction (at best) of each rep is accelerating the bb...mb's

I already perform explosive bench presses, squats and deadlifts and I have plenty of time to accelerate and decelerate the barbell.

if powelifting and you simply need more bar speed to get through sticking pints etc then bb stuff is the way to go

I lift slowly to get the most out of exercises. Doing things quickly when power isn't the goal is just cheating in eyes.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:24 pm

1 - dynamic effort training for performance is not as good as medicine ball work becasue in sport the implement is released from the hands or wherever and jumping is the same...you don't spring up for a rebound and not leave the ground...no plyo's don;t build strength but i think it was you who said some weeks ago they do (i might be confused with someone else there)..like i said if powerlifting is ytour game then speed work with wts perfect, for performance there are other ways to go

2 - that's point...when jumping for a rebound do you spring up then try and put the brakes on? i hope not...dynamic effort squats to some degree and even more so dynamic effort bench presses have you acclerating the bar off the chest then the rest of the time you're trying to slow the bar down so your arms don;t rip off...so your attempt at training power/acceleration is thwarted

3 - lift slow and you'll be slow...when you get out out of a chair do you get out of it quickly so you don;t fall back or do you slowly lift yourslef out of it? sitting down and getting wasn;t a power exercise last time i looked it up...your intenet should always be to lift as quick as you can, even if bar speed (say for max effort work) isn't

don't ask for an opnio0n then try and argue against it

TheAmazingOti · Post by **TheAmazingOti** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:41 pm

I asked for your opinion but I disagree with it.

Just wanted to see what you people would say.

And slow lifting does not make you slow. That's just like the myth that lifting weights will make you big, bulky and slow. Only the neglect of speed training will make you slower.

Joesportstalk · Post by **Joesportstalk** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:30 am

TheAmazingOti wrote:I asked for your opinion but I disagree with it.

Just wanted to see what you people would say.

And slow lifting does not make you slow. That's just like the myth that lifting weights will make you big, bulky and slow. Only the neglect of speed training will make you slower.

I think What Swanso is trying to convey is that there is a thing called Muscle Memory. Function follows form

This theory says that although you are correct ( you will not get slow by lifting slow physically) You phycological aspects of training will be to work things slow...therefore you will not have the quick reaction time while you train your body to lift slow. this is a mind thing and can be overcome with a variety of training. With that said if you only work strength and you lift slow, you will have bad results and will perform slow.

I also do not agree that people should lift fast at all times.

I think Plyo's do help strength as well.

Function follows form is a method that will have you train for sports specific improvements.

To get the best out of your strength training you should lift slow and heavy, to get eh most out of your speed training you need to use the resistance to cause your body to work harder, However you should always work it at full speed and with max acceleration.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:19 pm

lifting slow is good for hypertrophy, for making you faster and a better athlete it's the complete opposite...how can do something slow make you faster? it can't

lifting fast means that the concentric portion is performed quickly or with the intenet to move it quickly...the neg is performed under control so could be fast, medium or slow depending on ahost of factors

juan92 · Post by **juan92** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:16 pm

so for example bent over barbaell rows, you would pull fast, but when you bring down the BB would you do it slowly ?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:17 pm

that's the one

lower "under control" which may fast, medium lor slow depending on your strength etc

HOUSTON TEXAN · Post by **HOUSTON TEXAN** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:01 pm

Go to a boxing gym, let me know if you see anyone punching with the dumbells haha.

TheAmazingOti · Post by **TheAmazingOti** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:44 am

Lifting weights period, slowly or quickly, can increase your power. Anything that builds strength can increase your power.

It's not like boxing gyms know everything about training. I doubt they do it much anymore, but Bruce Lee used to use that method to develop his speed. We all see how well it worked.

And yes, he had the strength to put serious force behind his blows, too.

HoustonTexan · Post by **HoustonTexan** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:57 am

Well it is a boxing gym with boxing coaches, I would hope that they knew a lot about training for their sport.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:26 pm

1 - punching with db's will do nothing for power but rather train shoulder endurance...if anything it will wreck your mechanics as you're teaching your nervous sytem to punch slower

2 - again how can doing something slow make you fast?

3 - brucey was a freak, he could have masturbated twice a day as his only form of exercise and done most of the stuff he could do

4 - strength and power are 2 completely different strength qualitites and thus should be trained a ssuch

TheAmazingOti · Post by **TheAmazingOti** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:32 pm

Ugh. I give up on you.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:55 pm

don't worry about me i'm fine