Velocity-Based Training for Effective Youth Strength Assessment

Velocity-Based Training (VBT) offers a safer and more efficient approach to strength assessment for youth athletes, reducing the risks of traditional 1RM testing. This method allows coaches to track performance and adjust training loads with precision, ensuring effective and personalized strength development.

By Coach Joey Wannouch

Content menu:

• Introduction
• Risks of Traditional 1RM Testing in Youth Athletes
• The Role of VBT in Estimating 1RM in Youth Athletes
• Practical insights
• Conclusion

Introduction to Velocity Based Training for Youth Athletes

As a coach, understanding and applying Velocity-Based Training (VBT) for estimating one-repetition maximum (1RM) in youth athletes is crucial for effective strength training. This method enhances training efficiency and safety, reducing the need for frequent, exhaustive 1RM assessments to adjust and monitor training loads and prescription. 

Risks of Traditional 1RM Testing in Youth Athletes

the traditional method for calculating maximal strength through a 1RM assessment has its limitations, such as; 

• Risk of Injury: Performing a 1RM test, especially with improper form/technique, increases the risk of injuries. 
• Time-Consuming: The test is lengthy to complete and can cause fatigue, affecting subsequent workouts. Additionally, you would need to do a 1RM test for each exercise tested.  
• Not Suitable for All: It may not be appropriate for individuals in rehabilitation, absolute beginners, or those with certain medical conditions. 

The Role of VBT in Estimating 1RM in Youth Athletes

Youth athletes experience significant physiological and biomechanical changes throughout their development, making a one-size-fits-all approach to resistance training ineffective [1, 2]. VBT addresses these individual differences, adapting to various stages of maturation and training experiences [3, 4]. Unlike adult athletes, youth athletes can show greater variability between sessions due to these unavoidable maturation effects and therefore would benefit from the objective tracking of stable metrics such as velocity [4, 5]. Additionally, 1RM predictions allow naturally overzealous youth athletes to estimate their maximal dynamic strength without having to lift maximal loads or perform submaximal repetitions to failure frequently. This means, 1RM predictions can be a highly beneficial and time efficient method of monitoring youth athlete’s maximal strength in multiple exercises on a regular basis.

Practical Insights 

Incorporating VBT with GymAware’s valid and reliable devices, coaches can track and adjust training loads more precisely. This method is particularly beneficial in managing the fluctuating neurological states and performance levels of youth athletes, who may experience disruptions in motor coordination during growth spurts [1, 2]. Real-time VBT feedback can help in identifying and rectifying these issues, enhancing movement quality, and reducing injury risks. However, coaches need to ensure they are using valid and reliable velocity monitoring devices when recording velocities for the purpose of estimating maximal strength levels [6]. Additionally, there are multiple methods available for estimating maximal strength using the load velocity profile, these methods may only be valid and reliable for specific exercises [7-9]. Coaches need to stay up to date with current research on the most valid and reliable methods for estimating maximal strength in various exercises and populations.  

Conclusion 

Implementing VBT in youth training programs not only refines performance but also fosters a balanced approach to strength development. Coaches utilising GymAware’s devices can leverage VBT’s adaptability and real-time feedback to create effective, age-appropriate training programs, leading to safer and more productive training for young athletes.

References 

1. Meylan CM, Cronin JB, Oliver JL, Hopkins WG, Contreras B. The effect of maturation on adaptations to strength training and detraining in 11-15-year-olds. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2014;24(3):e156-64. 
2. Romeo RD, McEwen BS. Stress and the adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2006;1094(1):202-14. 
3. Abbott S, Ibarcena D, Gwinn T, Struzik A, Halaki M, Kaloti G, et al. Longitudinal changing relationships between growth tempo and vertical stiffness in movement across maturation. Human Movement Science. 2023;87:103039. 
4. Davies PL, Rose JD. Motor skills of typically developing adolescents: Awkwardness or improvement? Physical & occupational therapy in pediatrics. 2000;20(1):19-42. 
5. Meylan CM, Cronin JB, Oliver JL, Hughes MM, Jidovtseff B, Pinder S. The reliability of isoinertial force–velocity–power profiling and maximal strength assessment in youth. Sports biomechanics. 2015;14(1):68-80. 
6. Weakley J, Morrison M, García-Ramos A, Johnston R, James L, Cole MH. The validity and reliability of commercially available resistance training monitoring devices: A systematic review. Sports Med. 2021;51(3):443-502. 
7. Picerno P, Iannetta D, Comotto S, Donati M, Pecoraro F, Zok M, et al. 1rm prediction: A novel methodology based on the force–velocity and load–velocity relationships. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016;116(10):2035-43. 
8. Thompson SW, Rogerson D, Ruddock A, Greig L, Dorrell HF, Barnes A. A novel approach to 1rm prediction using the load-velocity profile: A comparison of models. Sports. 2021;9(7). 
9. García-Ramos A, Barboza-González P, Ulloa-Díaz D, Rodriguez-Perea A, Martinez-Garcia D, Guede-Rojas F, et al. Reliability and validity of different methods of estimating the one-repetition maximum during the free-weight prone bench pull exercise. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(19):2205-12. 

Joey Wannouch

Joey Wannouch is a sport scientist at Precision Sport Science in California, USA. He is currently completing his PhD in Velocity Based Training in Youth Athletes and works as a sessional academic at Swinburne University of Technology. He is passionate about improving the application of performance training and monitoring methods in youth athletes.