Programming: Speed/Power workouts?

[Aaron Griffin]

Does anyone here include periodic speed-strength or power work in their routines? My initial goal this SSC was to do 4 weeks normally, then 1 week with a focus on speed work. I'm currently in the middle of the speed work, and it's fairly miserable - I don't feel like I have enough time to know which exercises I should be doing for speed...

I probably won't repeat the speed experiment next cycle.... but I feel like I'd like to.

Anyone do anything similar? I'm interested in hearing your stories or comments

[Joshua Naterman]

Speed/power work belongs right after the warm up and should never ever be done to any measurable fatigue. Once power output drops below 95% you are done for the day. Explosive stuff can be done every day, rebounding/plyo work shouldn't be done more than 3x per week. Obviously volume per session will be low.

[Aaron Griffin]

So you're actually suggesting doing power/speed work in the same session as regular work?

You're suggestion sounds a lot like Chad Waterbury's NMD

[Joshua Naterman]

I'd hazard a guess that Waterbury did not invent the idea of neuromuscular development. This is all basic science as well as common sense.

Speed is 100% in the CNS and the CNS both adapts and detrains rather quickly. You want to have the highest possible frequency without damaging your tissues or depressing the CNS, and you never want to train your body to produce less than maximum force, at least if speed/power is the goal of the training session. That is pretty basic neuromuscular physiology + SAID principle.

His use of "ballistic" is not correct, but he's free to call it whatever he wants. What he means is explosive, aka no stretch-shortening cycle.

Edit: You would also want your speed session to be completely separate from your strength work. 3-5 hours in between sessions at least, to allow for separation of adaptations.