Speed: The Next Frontier

We’ve viewed fitness from this work capacity biased mindset from the get go. I’d argue for good reason. Being able to do more work faster is, after all, the name of the game whether you’re clearing brush or crunching numbers.

Much of our work is quantified to allow for attention to this. In strength applications, however, we often set a range of motion, which leaves the load as the only other variable. In this way, comparing apples to apples, we’ll say that a 200 pound front squat is better than a 100 pound front squat.

The next frontier of our athletic development here is speed. Speed is, after all, a key variable in producing force. Front squatting 200 pounds is one thing, but producing force to move it faster is another thing.  How fast we can move the barbell adds a dimension to our training.

Training speed could be your ticket to unlimited strength gains free of plateau.

Today is a great day to think about developing strength, but also about developing speed strength. Speed is a devastatingly effective capacity to have and we’re here to develop it. Producing force at a faster rate of speed means bigger one rep maxes, more success at sub-maximal lifts, and skill transfer to no limit.

Keep a look out for bands, chains, and other forms of accommodating resistance. You may even experiment with our new ‘Tendo’ units that measure bar speed down to the hundredths of a meter per second. The good news is, we can learn to be fast!

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach

2/10/15 WOD

9×3
Speed Bench Press

 

EMOM 10
Even: 10 Unbroken Deadlifts [AHAP]
Odd: 10 Burpees