This can definitely be true but here’s a few things to know about hypertrophy: 1. All other factors being equal, a muscle with a greater cross-sectional area is capable of generating MORE FORCE than one with less. 2. Even though strength and size are related in this sense and can increase simultaneously, they are different qualities that can be targeted separately through various training methods. 3. by avoiding hypertophy work and focus on heavy training we minimize the weight gain and maximize the strength gain This is the Paradox of muscle mass - All other factors being equal, if two bodies with different weights apply the same force into the ground while sprinting, the lighter one is going to move faster because the force is being applied back to a lighter body. These are differences in relative force! Images shown below is Harry Aikines-Aryeetey PR of 10.08 and Andre de Grasse PR 9.89 - they both reach the same top speed however, De Grasse has better speed endurance which explain why he is better at the 200m - Way 50 more pounds and runs relatively the same max speed. Would he run faster if he weighed less or does muscle help him in this case? - I believe everyone is built different and you have to find what works best for you

Peak strength is irrelevant because it takes too long to generate when ground reaction forces in sprinting are applied in under 1/10th of a second. - One area both camps(pro and against strength work) agree on is the importance of force in creating speed - When it comes to speed, force production is critical! - It is a well-documented phenomenon that force applied to the ground is a key distinction between elite and sub-elite sprinters - Ground reaction forces for elite sprinters can exceed six times bodyweight on ground contact once they reach top speed. - For a 170lb sprinter, that’s 1020lbs, or 4,500 Newtons of force!! - Many coaches who argue against heavy strength work make the case that since peak strength generally takes .3-.5 seconds to generate in most barbell movements—and these enormous ground reaction forces have to be applied during ground contacts that are less than .1 seconds - To use the weight room in the same time constraints as sprinting shows a misunderstanding on strength and speed - Raising max strength is to raise your “strength reserve” just like speed with distance running - so if my max strength I can achieve in .4 is 300lb then I might be able to achieve 120lb in .1 BUT If I can achieve 400lb in .3 then I might be able to achieve 200lb in .1 of a second, make sense??

- What this is referring to is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS DOMS impact on performance: 1. The soreness itself can lead to restricted movement and lower force production that alters sprint and jump mechanics, preventing near-maximal speed from being achieved. If you want to improve speed, max or near-max velocity must be trained in practice. On this point, it is true that soreness can prevent high speeds from being achieved. 2. The microtrauma that causes DOMS can be a precursor to a more severe injury when the high force and speed requirements of sprint training create tension that exceeds the muscles’ diminished structural capacity due to this damage. These are often the conditions that lead to perhaps the most common injury among sprinters and jumpers—pulled hamstrings. 3. What gets ignored is that it is unlikely to cause soreness if it isn’t a novel stimulus. Consistency in training and regular exposure to high intensity movements is critical to avoid the likelihood of recurring or poorly-timed soreness. - if some form of squatting or heavy lift is used year round, when it is reintroduced (are a reasonable volume) there will be minimal - no soreness!

4 common misconceptions for weight training - 1. Peak strength is irrelevant because it takes too long to generate when ground contacts during sprinting can be under .1 seconds. 2. The speed of heavy lifting is slow, so it trains your body to move slowly. If you lift, it should be light and fast. 3. Lifting heavy weights will add too much muscle, and the extra weight will slow you down. 4. Lifting weights makes you sore and tired, which prevents athletes from being able to achieve high speeds in practice. However , - Increasing absolute strength can also improve the amount of force athletes are able to apply during brief ground contact times. - Though heavy lifting is relatively slow, it can improve sprint performance by improving force production through increased motor unit recruitment. - You can lift heavy weights without gaining significant muscle mass, provided volume is kept low. - Muscle mass can often be a performance-enhancer for speed athletes. - Soreness can be avoided in-season with consistent exposure to relatively high-intensity movements, avoiding accentuated eccentric movements, and maintaining only small fluctuations in volume, intensity, and range of motion. Turn your notifications on because I will be posting in depth each day for the next 4 days with each topic^

1- The speed of heavy lifting is slow, so it trains your body to move slowly. If you lift, it should be light and fast. - max strength is normallly met around 0.3m/s - Lighter ballistics will have a peak velocity around 3m/s 2- “Lifting slow make you slow” This is because of the sequential nature of motor unit recruitment. - Motor units are recruited to perform work based on the work demand. This selection process differentiates between low-threshold motor units (LTMU), which are called upon for most daily activities and comprised of a higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers, and high-threshold motor units (HTMU), which are only called upon when the forces required for movement reach a certain force threshold - HTMU tend to be mostly fast twitch - Fast light weights have a deceleration component so you don’t loose the bar when you jump, this is where bands can assist - this is where heavy weights have a big impact on HTMU… if gives you time to grind it out and recruit them teaching your body how to apply more force more efficient However, if you perform heavy lifting year round then yes it can make you slow, it’s about teaching your body how to recruit HTMU and then translating it to the track!