Welcome to the official www.PssAthletics.com Newsletter!!!

It is once again time for another cutting edge training newsletter from Progressive Sporting Systems, Inc.

In this edition you will find out about the biggest news to ever hit

Progressive Sporting Systems Inc. You will also find an informative

article on force curves and strength training, 5 killer exercises you

can do with the speed sled, and a very very big surprise.

Please enjoy...and feel free to pass this on to your friends.

BIG News

I wanted to start this edition with a “little” personal news. On June first my wife

FINALLY gave birth to our son Hayden. It has been absolutely amazing to watch

him grow and develop of the last 7 weeks. I have definitely found a renewed

value, focus, and excitement in life in a way I never would have imagined.

At the first Annual Midwest Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation Symposium,

Brian Grasso and I hung out and smoked stogies in celebration. However, it made

me a little ill and I really don’t condone smoking. So rather than sending out stogies to all of you I wanted to find a different way to celebrate. I have found it and I will tell you more at the end of the newsletter.

Vertical Jump Manual Give Away

Since being a full time daddy and trying to run a business has been somewhat

overwhelming, I was not able to get my newsletter out last month. Therefore I

am going to post 4 Vertical Jump Manual Winners this month. They are:

bigplay29@hotmail.com

ruby@sandcreektelco.com

bek@informhealth.com

premierjkd@sbcglobal.net

If you are on this list, please email me back and I will send you your

download information.

Feature Article

Advanced Methods in Force Training

Tony Reynolds, MS, CSCS, YCS Level II

Understanding Force Curves

What is a force curve (FC)? A FC is a graphical representation of the relationship between the external expression of instantaneous maximal force production and muscle length (muscle length is sometimes represented by joint configuration).

When we discuss force production, we must start by classifying force as either

internal or external with relationship to the muscular system. An example of internal forces would be those that are created by the muscles acting on the bones. Conversely, an external force would be the force of a 10lb dumbbell acting against the biceps during a curl or gravity acting against the body as a whole.

Internal force production is strongly influenced by muscles length and the concurrent joint configuration. We know that a muscles ability to produce force is the greatest when it is slightly longer than resting length. It is at this length that the maximum number of contractile mechanisms are available to perform work.

This gives the muscle its greatest potential to pull. Furthermore, at this length the parallel elastic components of the musculo-tendon units are still within optimal performance boundaries. This creates a harmonious combination that results in amplified performance.

Typically, when we test for internal force production, we do it by measuring its

external expression. If you have ever performed a quad/ham ratio test, you have performed a test that compares the external expression of the internal force capabilities of the quadriceps and the hamstrings. (Note: there are other muscles at work during these tests, but these are the prime movers, so they are usually the only ones discussed.)

The interesting part is that the ratio between internal force production and external expression does not stay constant. This is apparent the first time you discover your sticking point. This is primarily due to the complex system of levers that comprise the body.

Basic levers are made up of two opposing forces and an axis or fulcrum. For

instance, during a biceps curl, the forearm creates a lever that involves the elbow joint. The center of rotation in the elbow joint is what is known as the axis, or pivot point of the lever mechanism. The biceps are going to create an effort force, or a force that is going to move the arm concentrically. The dumbbell is going to create a load force, or a force that is going to move the arm eccentrically.

Since gravity only works in a purely vertical plane, you must be able to visualize the force that the dumbbell is producing as a vector (line) perpendicular to the ground. As you visualize this vector, try to visualize another that runs vertically through the axis (elbow) and a third that runs vertically through the biceps attachments on the radius and ulna (forearm).

You should now see three lines running parallel. The axis and muscle insertion

lines should be close together, and the dumbbell line will be a good distance away. The important element here is the distance between these lines.

This distance that is representative of the horizontal distance the dumbbell is from the muscle attachment is known as the resistance arm. The horizontal distance of the muscle attachment from the axis is known as the effort arm. If you place the effort arm (length) over the resistance arm (length), you get a ratio called the mechanical advantage.

Seeing as we know that the dumbbell is not changing its weight as we curl it, why does it feel heavier during that certain range of motion (our sticking point)?

Typically, it is at this time that the dumbbell is the furthest away (horizontally) from the elbow joint. It is at this time that the length ratio between the resistance arm and the effort arm is the greatest. Since the ratio is high, the mechanical advantage is low.

This is one reason why people with longer arms and legs are normally not as strong as people with shorter limbs. They have to deal with a bigger ratio and thus, a lower mechanical advantage.

Now that you understand that the further (horizontally) a weight is from its joint axis the heavier it is going to feel, it should make since that during a typically range of motion, the distance the weight is going to be from the axis is going to change. This change is going to dramatically influence the mechanical advantage. Concurrently, the amount of internal force required to move that dumbbell through a full range of motion is going to change with that mechanical advantage.

This is how the term force curve (or strength curve) got its name. If you were to plot the mechanical advantage at several joint angles throughout a range of motion, it would form a curve. This curve would consequently represent your different strength capabilities at those points.

Once we look at the interaction of these force curves during multi-joint activities, we start to see a composite force curve. Since the interaction of each lever is completely distinctive, this curve tends to be dissimilar to the individual curves.

Figure 1. Composite Force Curve: From Science and

Practice of Strength Training. Zatsiorsky, 1995

In this curve you will notice a rapid drop off. It is at this point the force production ceases and momentum takes over. It is important to note that the first half of the graph is representative of the force application characteristics we previously discussed. The second half should be ignored due to the scope of this article.

Force Curves and Weight Training

Now that you understand force curves, let’s discuss some methods of weight

training that we typically use and their true relationship to the force curve.

Free weights have been the training method of choice for many years now.

Since training with free weights has so many functional advantages, it has made

training with machines obsolete (in some coaches opinion). When you look at the load curve of a free weight you will notice, that one it is not really a curve, and two it is completely flat (figure 2). Since time and displacement have not effect on the load of a free weight (a ten-pound db is always going to be a ten-pound db), the load over displacement graph is flat.

We can change the feel of this graph by changing the velocity for which we move the dumbbell. Moving a weight faster is going to require more work, so the muscle activity will elevate. The only problem with this is that it typically creates a greater deceleration phase, which means that the end range of motion is not getting adequate loading.

Many years ago, Nautilus decided to fight back and offer the world of strength

training something that free weights could not. They developed and elliptical cam that would change the external load expression throughout the range of motion. Nautilus defined what the typical strength curve would look like, and designed the pulley to match this curve. This was quite innovative, but still fell short by performance standards.

Not only were people losing the degrees of freedom associated with free weights, they were training on equipment that was not designed for their strength characteristics. Not many people fit the “typical” profile used to design the pulleys. Since so many people are different, the average tends to lye between what truly exists. This made the flair of the elliptical cam fall by the way side and the free weights once again prevailed.

Louie Simmons, owner of Westside barbell, and completive powerlifter, had been

searching for an answer to this problem for some time. Through his research and practical application, Louie began to tread into unfamiliar territory by adding heavy chains to the bar during free weight training. He noticed that his lifters were starting to experience huge gains in their strength.

As time went by, and the popularity of chain training grew, the need to push the

barrier a little farther once again presented itself. Lou had heard from a colleague we had mentioned a new product known as Jumpstretch Bands. Lou decided to try adding these bands to the training system, and once again, noticed huge gains in performance.

Finally, the ability to apply accommodative resistance to three-dimensional training was here. We could have the benefits (tenfold) of the principles behind the elliptical pulley, yet maintain the obvious benefits of training with free weights.

Figure 2

Exercises of the Month-Speed Sled

Complements of www.TrainerClipart.com

Here lately I have been getting more and more questions about how we use speed sleds for upper body strength and recovery days. For this reason, I thought I would share 5 of my favorite sled drills with you.

Sled Set-Up-Attach a somewhat lengthy rope to your sled. Tie a secure 6-8 inch loop on the distal end of the rope. Tie another 6-8 inch loop on each end of a second rope that is 6 to 8 feet long. Feed the second rope through the loop of the first rope. You should be able to freely slide the second rope through the loop of the first rope.

Perform all of the exercises while walking at a constant pace. Move the weight slow enough not to cause the sled to slide excessively due to momentum.


	Start with the arms extended in front of the body at chest height. Walk backwards and pull back into a T position.

	Step forward into a lunge under tension. While holding the lunge, press the handles forward. Step back up and forward, take a couple steps and repeat with the other foot forward.

	Hold the ropes overhead. While walking perform triceps extension.

	Start with the arm across the chest at the contralateral hip. While walking laterally perform a lateral raise.

	Start with the arms extended in front of the body at chest height. Walk backwards and pull overhead into a “I: position.

The Proverbial Stogie

In celebration of my son Hayden’s birth I have 2 big surprises.

My first surprise is a 50% sale on all of my products. This is just for the faithful

members of my newsletter so you must go to http://www.pssathletics.com/sale.htm and enter the code ‘251608’ into the box. The discount will be applied when you get to the payment page.

My second surprise is that I am giving away a free copy of Alwyn Cosgrove’s new book: “Strength Coach Interrogations- Interviews with 21 of the top names in the fitness industry” with your order. Once again, this offer is only for my members.

Yours in strength and prosperity

Tony

Tony Reynolds MS, CSCS, YCS Level II