Overload is mostly neural factors, as well as psychological. When you unrack the bar and it feels like you are getting crushed it is hard to imagine sitting down and standing back up with it, there is definitely some neural inhibition going on. A few years ago anytime I had about 385+ on the bar I used to get all shaky and nervous, now there is something I like about the feeling of a big weight on my back. In my last two meets I was so psyched up for my 3rd squat attempts that it felt like I was unracking an empty bar.
Super fast lifts and super heavy holds to get max results on competition lifts? That seems relevant.
Do you have a good source for info on the program?
As for CAT, it’s not just submaximal work but a technique that you can apply to all lifts. For example, if you do a lot of high rep work it is normal that you will lose explosiveness, your body learns to conserve energy for the following reps since the weight is easy at the beginning of the set. The way to work around that is to still try to move the weight as fast as possible, you might not be able to get as many reps but if you are training for PL that doesn’t matter as high reps are just a means to an end.
You can find Hatfield’s program online and it is also in Josh Bryant’s book Built to the Hilt Strength and Power edition.
At the weekend I read quite a few articles by Mike Tuchscherer. I have to say that seven of the ten articles are interestingly written. If Tuchscherer didn’t have his training method in principle so primitively and irrationally created, he would be an solid counterpart to Boris Sheiko. However, I was surprised.
1 Like
The only thing I really don’t like is using RPE to determine working weights every single time. If it was @8 last week then you should be safe to add 5-10lbs this time or adjust if reps are higher or lower. If you are doing a new exercise, or one you haven’t done for some time, it makes sense to work up until the weight feels appropriate and then go from there but every exercise every week it seems like too much. That said, it works for him and the people he coaches and they have plenty of records and medals to show for it.
I think Sheiko is probably a better coach overall because he has so much more experience, but it’s kind of hard to compare their methods because they are so different. With Sheiko it’s all submaximal work and mostly between 70-80%, with Mike T you will be pushing closer to failure most of the time (as in 8-9RPE) and doing singles over 90% regularly, although he also does include submaximal work for some people. At one time it he was really pushing volume to the limit for everyone, I knew a guy who was working with another RTS coach and they had to change up his program because he was getting too beat up and his lifts were going down. I signed up for “Project Momentum” in 2016 and I had to quit after two and a half weeks, I didn’t know you could overreach so fast. I was dying and there was no deload in sight, it’s no wonder that only something like 25% of people who signed up actually finished the program. I haven’t seen any of his recent programs but based on what he has been saying it appears that he has changed his ways. Give him another 10 years and he could well be the best coach out there.
Bold Prediction.
In 10 years, Mike T will be doing Westside. Just like everyone else.
2 Likes
There is no doubt about it. Sheiko trained several dozen world champions in the IPF. Sheiko as a coach has over 100 medals (mostly gold medals)… No one his can’t overcome in 10-20 years.
@gaelic - Sheiko’s latest Instagram post:
The speed bench press is a special-preparatory exercise which I prescribe for my students to increase the power of the bench press. The speed off of the chest in the bench press plays an important role. The greater the acceleration of the barbell off the chest, the higher the chance to complete the lift.
I’m not going to copy and paste the whole thing, see it here:https://www.instagram.com/p/BgOe3Bcl2Ux/?taken-by=borissheiko
Rapid lowering allows for development of explosive force.
Quote, Boris
Faster lowering = greater stretch of serial elastic component = greater use stretch reflex especially if you can achieve a fast stretch shortening cycle.
1 Like
That is true, but I’m not sure how much benefit you get from doing that in training if you can’t lower a maximal load at the same speed while maintaining control. Also, 40-60% sounds pretty light unless you use accommodating resistance on top of that. Here’s what Josh Bryant (who has produced numerous lifters with 600+ benches) says about this sort of training:
“To reiterate: Compensatory Acceleration Training, or CAT, is nothing more than explosive training. CAT is best done in the 55-82.5 percent range where the amount of power generated is greatest. In order to perform CAT, you must eccentrically lower the weight in a normal controlled fashion. Once you hit the bottom of the lift, very quickly change directions and explosively move the weight upward as rapidly as possible.”
So heavier weights and a controlled descent (from what I have seen he usually programs submaximal work at 70-80% unless it’s a light squat day or you are doing 10 sets of 4 or something like that).
That’s why we also lift Heavy weights. They lower slower, automatically.
Don’t slow down your fast benches, do some heavy-slow benches, also.
There isn’t one best way to move the barbell. The best way is to move it many ways.
Cool Co-incedence
Sheiko 40-60% speed bench + Louie 25% accomidatting resistance = awful close to Bryant’s 55-82.5%
Are these 3 dudes telling you 3 different things, or telling you the same thing 3 slightly different ways?
I noticed his contribution yesterday. His contribution merely confirms my assumption that she modifies and adapts her training programs to today’s period.
This is known for “100 years”. Nothing new under the sun. The best example is the bench press by Olympic athletes (throwers) or American football players.
If you knew about it this whole time,
Why did you say touch and go benching was worthless so many times?
1 Like
Because for the raw lifter is T&G virtually useless in raw strength. The raw lifter doesn’t need explosive strength. The powerlifting isn’t a sport about explosive strength. For this sport, you need adequate hypertrophy and giant patience. Write it down behind your ears. 
I think you are completely wrong. Producing explosive force at points in the lift where you are stronger will increase the speed of the bar when you reach the sticking point and increase the chances of completing the lift. I’m not going to cut and paste everything from Josh Bryant’s book because I don’t want to get sued for copyright infringement, go and buy “Bench Press: The Science”, I paid $10 (Canadian) on Amazon for the kindle version. It is by far the best book I have read about building the bench press, I’m sure Sheiko’s book is good too but so far it’s only available in Russian. Training nothing but the competition lifts can work for a while, but when it stops working you need to change the way you approach your training. If Josh is wrong then how come he has so many guys benching 600+? James Strickland was trying to bench 600 for several years (and failing) until he started working with Josh, now he’s on the way to 700. Results don’t lie.
So, we all agree that speed work with sub maximal loads performed with maximum intent can build explosive strength.
Specificity states that training a speed bench press with submaximal load will give the greatest improvements at speed bench pressing with submaximal loads. However, the increase in explosive strength gained through this training may increase the speed of the bar when using maximal loads which could help press through the sticking point.
BUT the question is: how much carryover is there from this type of training to maximal lifting for raw powerlifters?
1 Like
Yes, that is a good question.
Another good question is how much carry over do You (like, the lifter) get? Kaz loved it so much, he did nearly all his benching fast. Boris says it’s “special,” so it should be done in blocks, maybe? I’m sure there is some dude out there on the explosive end of the spectrum who only makes progress going extra slow.
Where does everyone fit on the spectrum?
1 Like
Sheiko never said that he doesn’t also use accommodating resistance, in the sample programs on his site there is bench and deadlift with chains and that would make more sense considering the low percentages. Josh Bryant is talking about doing it with straight weight but he also has people use accommodating resistance at times, of course you are going to have to adjust numbers if you add a whole bunch of bands and chains or 75% will be a hard triple instead.
And heavy weights don’t lower slower automatically, it’s harder to control a heavier weight but some people do lower maximal weights fast like people who dive bomb their squats or the way Yuri Belkin benches. I just don’t see the reason to lower the bar so fast for speed work, if you want a faster descent then you should aim to descend slower on all reps regardless of weight.