The Velocity Zones: Deep Dive
Dr. Bryan Mann, , Phd, CSCS is an Assistant Professor of Sports Science at the University of Miami. He has been a strength and conditioning professional at the Division 1 level for the past 16 years. He originally created the general Velocity Zones based on the data he collected from Division 1 athletes.
Velocity Based Training (VBT) has been around for awhile, but with recent improvements in technology, it is becoming more available for use. VBT uses velocity of each rep to determine set correctness and if the load of an exercise is right for you. Over the past several years, Velocity Based Training (VBT) has been coming to the forefront as an innovative way to determine load for strength training. With that comes a new set of things that you must learn and care about, one being the velocity zones. We are going clear up any confusion and discuss in depth what this means and the numbers you should care about, all backed by science.
The Velocity Zones
As shown above, we can categorize the velocity zones as such, with their definitions as follows.
Absolute Strength is the ability to exert force maximally and moving towards increasing the 1RM. The 1RM is approached at around .3m/s for the squat and around .15m/s with the bench press. From this bottom range, absolute strength is developed until around .5m/s.
Accelerative Strength is defined as driving against a heavy load as fast as possible. It is the strength you would see that is used to succeed in sports similar to rugby. Accelerative strength velocities range from around .5m/s to .75m/s.
Strength-speed is defined as moving a moderately heavy weight as fast as possible (e.g., moderate loads at moderate velocities) and was found to exist at .75-1.0m/s.
Speed-Strength includes velocities ranging from about 1.0 to 1.3 m/s, depending on the amplitude of motion. Speed-strength can be best defined as speed in conditions of strength, or speed being the first priority and strength being the second. In essence, it is utilizing lighter loads at very fast velocities.
Starting Strength is the ability to rapidly overcome inertia from a dead stop. This means that it is an extremely high velocity with very light weights, and is what athletes learn first. Starting-strength is trained when the bar is moved from 1.3 to approximately 1.6 m/s, dependent upon amplitude of motion.
If you are powerlifting or adding bulk, you want to target the lower speed zones unless you are building in ways that are moving away from those goals. The reverse is true if you are leaning down or aiming to build endurance and you should target the faster speed zones. For an athlete, you should aim to match the velocity zone based on the loads you experience in game. For example, a defensive lineman should aim for absolute or accelerative strength while a point guard in basketball should be targeting strength-speed and speed-strength. By choosing the correct zones and training within them, you not only decrease injury but also maximize the results specific to you.
Intent is key to training.
All of this research leads us to conclude a powerful fact. You must be moving the appropriate load at the appropriate velocity to achieve your desired outcome.
The use of technologies, such as the FitLift, give you real-time feedback on if you’re reaching the correct velocity zones while adding intent to each rep. Additionally, FitLift will capture and collect all of the data for you and automatically sync it to the cloud for review by you or a strength trainer. This enables you to track progress in the loads lifted using various velocity zones over time, and make the necessary adjustments after each training session. When it comes to maximizing training performance while decreasing the chance of injury, why rely on luck. With using velocity zones to add intent to your training, this is now possible.
For more information on Velocity Based Training (VBT), checkout this blog post
Learn more on how FitLift enables VBT and allows you to hit your target velocity zones, every single rep: www.fitlift.com
Ref: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/5/20/velocity-based-training.aspx
