Old Forum Hight tension no rest

[Matt]

Once a week (today) I'll have a free-day of training (came from having a 4 day split with only 3 main lifts) where I do something lighter but then that allows me to go ultra heavy (over 2.5 bw) with some partial reps.  I'll do partial squats (about a range of motion of 10cm) and a hip lift (a conventional dead with a mixed grip but from pins for about a 5cm lift).  The squats 5 reps, 3 on the heavier, and just singles with the hip-lift.  The idea is just to play with some tension/getting tight etc.

The interesting or odd thing I notice is that I basically do them with normally under 10sec rest in between sets (enough to change the plates or walk out, turn around, walk back).  It actually feels BETTER if I do it this way - once I got distracted and had over a minute in between, and the squats felt worse (like starting cold).

I've noticed this effect for a while now (maybe years) when I am training and can't work it out.  It's high tension with full IAP (intra-abdominal) but no real oxygen deficit for my muscles.  Compared to a lighter but full range of motion deadlift where I can be out of breath after 5, (or squats too) - here I am hardly out of breath, just a deep breath because I've been holding the IAP.

Doesn't fit the conventional long-rest between sets which you might expect for heavy lifts.  The partial range of motion obviously a factor, but still I am curious what's going on.  Thinking maybe it is connected to slow fibres? after reading Pavel's latest work on that training.

 

[Matt]

Surprised no one has a comment/interest/experience with this.  High tension, energy pathways , breathing...?  Thanks if anyone does or knows where I might be able to investigate further.

 

 

[Steve Freides]

Matt, pick a single lift to discuss and post a video if you can.

What you call a hip lift is what we usually call a health lift, a partial-range DL.  Another variant is the hand and thigh lift, again a partial-range DL, this time with the bar allowed to rest on your thighs.  A hip lift is usually done with a hip belt, starting from the floor and with a very short range of motion, just breaking the bar off the ground.

I do the hip lift and find it a great warmup for regular deadlifts, strangely enough - I wasn't expecting that.

-S-

 

[Pavel]

Matt, a couple of 2" lifts do not even come to exhausting CP.  Consider how little mechanical work is done and how brief the effort is.  Not much energy used=no need for much rest.

 

[Matt]

Steve, you were my inspiration for my partial DL (health lift).  I was surprised how much I liked it - till it gave me trigger finger in my RH when I maxed out (that and accumulated long-term kayaking wrist over-mis-use).  You're right - not technically a hip-lift.  I can see how it would be a great warmup.

Sorry I can't post a vid. but I'll try and give a bit more detail.  You are right Pavel, it is seemingly trivial, but its the best I can do at the moment (to get some heavy weight/tension) so I am treating it as a total-tension day.

Well, a little more detail - the range of motion for the partial DL is about that of a swing, and the squat is about 1/3 full range of motion.  I start with squats (I used to be able to hold the bar for a full DL so didn't do it with DL) and will do 5reps, up the weight, 5more, etc, with no rest, and then after about 4 sets, do 2 sets of triples, then finish with a 5.  All cold, dead-weight lifts.

I thought it odd that I am using a lot of static tension (high tension, less 10sec so thought it may be alactic-esque - but like I said, with little oxygen deficit as like Pavel said, small ROM little work) and was wondering what energy system might be involved.  Random thought - then was thinking about slow-twitch fibres after reading Pavel's first articles on that.

The thing is it feels better NOT to rest - that I guess stood out.  Just dialling up tension and then just increasing the tension.  I understand things like this aren't necessarily linear, yet it is hard to analyse things nonlinearly...

With the squats, I've noticed the same thing with a fuller range of motion (so to about 2/3 full ROM) - yet with lighter weight (the max about 1 plate per side less per hole lower on my squat rack).  Still, getting off the pins for a dead start takes all the effort, full tension.  Do that for reps of 5, etc.  Then I get a bit general and wonder - all the effort getting out of the hole, then the rest is "light" - wonder how much of a full lift actually involved work and tension.