Winter 2024 - 24

More With Less
Making the best of the equipment
around you
By Evan Simon, Director of Sports Performance at Davidson College
T
here are times when all of us want more
options available for our athletes' training
programs. Sometimes those options we are
looking for may come in the way of various
machines, attachments/tools to place on bars or a
rack, technology, etc. All those things can enhance
what we can do for our athletes and have their
place and time for program implementation.
If you have a training max on your main
movements, you perform. Access to a velocity
encoder to determine working loads. Use Rate of
Perceived Exertion (RPE) to determine training
numbers all the below are great options to
implement into your training when the time is right.
THESE OPTIONS CENTER AROUND THE
REPS WITHIN A SET OR THE SET ITSELF
TUT (Time Under Tension): This is a great way
to increase muscle hypertrophy and or strength
depending on how you utilize it. To simplify the
words and methods of Coach Charles Poliquin,
if you perform a set that lasts 20 seconds to 45
seconds in length, you will have an impact on
muscle size. If you perform a set of 20 seconds
or less, you will have an impact on strength.
The way to have your sets equal these time
parameters is to utilize sub-max eccentrics and or
isometric pauses. Using either one or both with
each rep of a set will allow you to hit those times
to reach your training goals. You could also just
24 | Tactical Training & Conditioning | Winter 2024
find a good training load and perform traditional
reps for set times. Let's give some examples
that cover the above. The following is a 5-week
progression we use in our current training during
certain blocks on our top auxiliary movements.
* Week #1- 3-5 sets x 8 reps (5 seconds
lower/rep)
* Week #2- 3-5 sets x 8 reps (3-second IsoHold
@ the bottom of each rep)
* Week #3- 3-5 sets x 8 reps (3 seconds
lower/2 second bottom pause/rep)
* Week #4- 3-5 sets x 8 reps (performed in 1 &
½ rep fashion)
* Week #5- 3-5 sets x 8 reps (regular eccentric/
concentric reps)
The reality and best part is your imagination is
the only thing holding you back with how you'd
like to set up your TUT work if you follow the
basic rules listed above.
Set Structures: How you choose to carry out
your work sets can provide great variety and
variation as well. Here are some examples:
* Ascending Sets - Weight goes up each
work set (example- 5 work sets: 77.5 % x 6,
80% x 5, 82.5% x 4, 85% x 3, 87.5% x 2)
* Descending Sets - Warm up to your
heaviest load, then carry out the rest of your
work sets from there (example- 5 work sets:
87.5% x 3, 85% x 4, 82.5% x 5, 80% x 6,
77.5% x 7)
Winter 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winter 2024
