Considerations For Velocity-Based Training: The Instruction To Move "As Fast As Possible" Is Less Effective Than A Target Velocity

In addition to the potential benefits with monitoring training intensity with velocity-measuring tools during exercise, these devices also provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to provide feedback and instruction to performers in a new way. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of instructing athletes with a target velocity vs. instructing them to move "as fast as possible" during a free-weight bench press. In addition, the effects of each instruction on future repetition maximum (RM) test performance was compared. Thirteen male powerlifters were recruited and performed 4 sets of 5 repetitions with 45% 1RM while being instructed to attain a target velocity of 1.0 m.s(-1) or to move as fast as possible. The maximum mean velocity attained in each set was compared with a repeated measures analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test. After these 4 sets of 5 repetitions, the number of repetitions performed during an RM test with 75% 1RM was compared with a Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. Participants moved faster when they received the target velocity instruction (0.84 +/- 0.10 m.s(-1)) than when they received the "move as fast as possible" instruction (0.82 +/- 0.09 m.s(-1)) (p < 0.001) with no differences in the number of repetitions performed in the following RM test between the 2 testing sessions (p = 0.43). An instruction to attain a challenging velocity target may be a more effective strategy to use when attempting to elicit maximum barbell velocities during training relative to the traditional instruction to move as fast as possible.