Strength and Conditioning Knowledge Center

Velocity Based Training and VBT Devices Velocity Based Training (VBT) is a method of training that allows us to know with high precision the relative intensity and degree of fatigue that occurs in each training session.  With various devices on the market, choosing the right one can be daunting. This guide explores different types of …

History of oscillatory training Oscillatory training is a method that emerged based on Sherrington’s law of reciprocal inhibition which states that for one muscle to contract, another must relax (Johnson, 1960). Several decades ago, Matveyev, one of the most influential Russian scientists in the field of training, found that one of the main differences between …

What’s RIR in Weightlifting? Repetitions in Reserve (RIR) is a reliable tool for prescribing strength training load (Lovegrove et al., 2022). As the name suggests, RIR refers to the number of repetitions you leave undone before reaching muscle failure. This tool was originally created in “The Reactive Training Manual” in 2008 for use in prescribing …

We know you’ve come this far because you’re interested in learning how to train in the most efficient way, achieving the best results, and enhancing your performance as an athlete. That’s why we’ve created the world’s largest Velocity Based Training guide. In this guide, you’ll find all the information you need to reach your goals. …

Strength training has been one of the main resources that coaches have used in their athletes with the aim of increasing their sports performance. In the sports field, the vast majority of disciplines have a common categorical component: to be faster than the rival. Both in team sports and individual sports, being faster will help …

Every training session should start with a dynamic warm-up, no matter the goal, the ability level, or the sport. By developing an athlete’s/lifter’s mental and physical readiness to train at higher intensities with improved injury resilience, the dynamic warm-up will enhance their mental and physical readiness to train at higher intensities. In this article, we …

A bit of history of the 1×20 training method Dr. Michael Yessis popularized the 1×20 method, and his is the original method. Since he exposed it to the sports community many adaptations have been made by coaches for different sports and athletes. Dr. Yessis is a biomechanical and athletic performance coach who has worked with …

To effectively incorporate VBT (Velocity-Based Training) into your workouts, minimizing measurement errors is crucial! Coaches and athletes looking to enhance their training with VBT often wonder which tool best suits their needs. In this article, I’ll explore this question from a Sports Science researcher’s and a Strength and Conditioning coach’s perspective. When I first encountered …

Velocity loss (VL) within the set has been established as a method to control and quantify the level of effort induced during resistance training (RT). Considering that, to serve as a valid fatigue indicator, the execution intent must be maximal. The formula to calculate it would be as follows, taking into account the highest velocity …

Introduction The effectiveness of resistance training (RT) in achieving specific goals relies on the appropriate manipulation of various variables that significantly affect both acute responses and subsequent physiological adaptations (Bird et al., 2005; Kraemer et al., 2002; Spiering et al., 2008). Training prescriptions must consider each variable based on the intended objective, with exercise intensity …

Velocity-Based Training (VBT) has become increasingly popular in the strength and conditioning community over the past few decades and is starting to be looked at now as a must-have training tool for serious programs.  By using velocity as a key metric, VBT offers a more individualized & data-driven approach to training than traditional methods. This …

Why is it Important for Coaches to Monitor Acute Training Load Updated coaches aim to pinpoint risk factors leading athletes to get injured while keeping an eye on and managing training variables to optimize sports performance. Training load stands as the crucial factor in boosting athletic performance, yet its imprecision can skyrocket injury risk. This …