On Why Training for Endurance is Important for Power Athletes

If you've strolled around in the iron game long enough, you probably have brief knowledge on the benefits and hindrances of the different rep ranges. But do you know how to manipulate your training regimen to fit all rep ranges AND make you more powerful?! Let's scrutinize on the subject a bit today.

If you have not read my previous articles on CNS efficiency, I strongly suggest you to do so. In the mentioned article, I outlined out how lifting heavy loads with low volume provides great stimulation for your strength. But is that the only way to gain power? Please remember that Power is affected by two factors, force and time. 

You can lower the time aspect many ways, which results in a higher power output. You can do this by doing rate of force development work, which increases the speed of which muscular cells contract. But this is not what the article is about. The sweet thing that I'm going to point out here is the use of endurance(aerobic) work to improve contraction speed and contraction force.

How?

When you do aerobic work, you generate more heat around your motor neurons. Your ability to do so increases as you become better, therefore generating more heat. When more heat surrounds the motor neurons, electrical resistance is lowered. So, more current is now transferred through the motor neurons, allowing the contraction signal becoming STRONGER and FASTER! Talk about hitting two birds with one stone; striking both the FORCE and TIME aspect of power.

Another Tip:

The rep range that is associated with endurance is most popularly seen as 20 reps or more. Any mindless power athlete would not even look into this kind of training. They are right in a sense. The information out there states that high reps with endurance causes fast twitch muscle fibre to be transitioned into slow or slower  

twitch muscle fibre. There is some truth to that too. Let's not worry about the don'ts right now, and start worrying about the do's.

How does lifting in the 20's rep range help me get more powerful?

Whenever you are doing an exercise, think barbell bench press, your weight is mainly limited by 3 things.

- Technique/Form

- Muscular Cross-Sectional Area

- CNS efficiency

When your technique/form is not good, your exercise weight is limited. In a nutshell, bad technique starts to breakdown not letting you do another rep when your muscles are still intact and barely fatigued. 

A way to get rid of faulty habits in technique for exercise is the introduction of high reps with low weight. They strengthen your technique. So it means that anyone with bad form can benefit greatly from high reps, in particular beginners.

Summary:

Do aerobic work in the sake of improving the time aspect of Power.

Do high rep work(endurance) to improve technique so that it does not limit how much weight for the exercise you can do. Therefore stressing other factors without technique being a burden.