ME, RE, DE.......and More?

If you are familiar with the work of Louie Simmons one of the most insightful parts of his programming at Westside Barbell was the implementation of training specifically based on energy systems. This was implemented for the purpose of creating the strongest powerlifters possible. For those of us not interested in

pursuing that mountaintop what we can still take away from his teachings is that in order to display competency in specific physical domains you have to train specifically and non specifically for those adaptations to occur.

First let's understand that ME or MAXIMUM EFFORT(for you Deadpool fans out there) is a method that requires considerable strain against heavy weights. If you read the texts by Laputin and Oleshko you would learn that the Maximal Effort Method was defined as

"Overcoming maximal resistance in lifting a limit weight"

-Managing the Training of Weightlifters

That is all well and good but a translation may be in order here. A limit weight refers to a weight that is the heaviest possible weight you can manage to lift not 3 times or 2 times but 1 time only. Otherwise defined as a 1 repetition maximum or a 1RM. Like lifting a car off of a loved one in a state of pure adrenal fueled focus. You only have one shot at it so you have to make it count!

This method is very stressful and demanding. Once again according to the text of R.A. Roman

"The assimilation of large loadings is associated with prolonged reconstruction of the organism"

-The Training of the Weightlifter

Yet again, a slight translation may be helpful here. The heavier you lift or the more ME training you do the greater the demand for recovery will be from this training because it is profoundly stressful to the body/organism. So what we learn is that we can not recovery swiftly from ME training and because of this it needs to be spaced out along a longer developmental timeline.

Second, the repetition effort or RE method is by definition sub maximal training. This is where skill of strength is developed. Repetitions of 2 or more are technically used to develop the skill and proprioceptive mechanics of the body under stress in order to help prepare for subsequent ME or Maximal Effort attempts. According to Laputin and Oleshko.......

"Usually weights of 70% and more are used for the repetition effort method. The maximal number of repetitions is between 6-8"

-Managing the Training of Weightlifters

Thirdly, the dynamic effort method or DE is often the method that confuses people the most. Most people can readily understand lifting a very heavy weight or a slightly lighter weight for more repetitions. However, barbell speed and it's causal dynamic in improving strength can be more enigmatic to comprehend without objective feedback. Since most people have never tracked how fast they are lifting the bar what becomes important to understand is that faster/greater velocities are important to achieve if you are going to lift heavier ME weights.

If we are to go back even farther to Isaac Newton.......

Newtons Second Law of Motion

Force=Mass X Acceleration or F=ma

If we think of the amount of energy(velocity/force) that is necessary to move a 20kg barbell compared to what is necessary to move a 200kg barbell what we know is that it takes more force/velocity to move the lighter 20kg bar than it does to move a 200kg bar. Consider that you can estimate how much force you are creating by watching for velocity changes at lighter weights. If you become capable of creating greater force because your velocity changes at the lighter weights eventually what occurs is that your maximal force output also increases. This is another way to increase strengh without lifting maximal weights as frequently. Instead you lift with maximal intent or in other words move sub-maximal weights as fast as possible in order to increase rate of force development.

With the big three strength and muscular endurance training methods spoken for what we need to also consider is that this is only a portion of the story. The endurance capacities need to be spoken for as well if we are going to be strong for a long time and not just a good time. So while there are not specific energy system dynamics here because it is all aerobic function training it does bear considering the specific modes for training and their benefits. Each one of these modes carries with it a high volume/low intensity paradigm in order to train the heart and lungs in zone 1/2. The higher in intensity you are performing aerobic activity then by default the less it trains the aerobic system and the more glycolitic it becomes. Since the repetition method already covers the glycolytic system adding more interval style work remains just more glycolitic work to balance for the individual with other energetic systems work.

Here are some modes to consider for aerobic system work.

Sled Dragging/Pool Walking/Rucking/Hiking

Lap Swimming/Running/Cycling/Cross Country Skiing

Stair Climbing/Rowing/Elliptical and many others

Notice what is not included here

KB Swings, KB Snatches, Sled Pushes, Sprint Intervals, Box Jumps, Plyometrics, Battle Ropes, Mace Swings, Indian Club Swings, Downhill Skiing and many others

This is not to say that they are necessarily terrible exercises as that always depends on the person engaging with them. However, what can be said is that they necessitate engaging the body with higher levels of motor recruitment than is useful for aerobic system training. Engaging with these exercises will too quickly increase your HR into Zone 3/4/5 and what we know from intensity increases is that volume drops. It is going to be nearly impossible to increase the adaptation of the aerobic system if you can only stay engaged for 6 seconds or less. This fundamentally puts you back into the anaerobic system domain and misses the point of aerobic training in the first place!

To put it in a more simplistic/concise/silly way.

"If your cardio is too hardio you won't go too fardio!"

-Brandon Shewbert

Stop for a bit and consider that your training needs to involve more than just the lifting of maximal weights or taking excessively longer walks at the park. Since fitness is composed of interdependent energetic systems what becomes important is to engage intentionally with all of them consistently enough to see sustainable adaptations across the board. Long term engagement with training in a lop sided manner only gives you back what you have put in and it's important to be strong AND have considerably robust aerobic endurance qualities. Very rarely does our physiology allow us just to function for long periods of time with restricted capacities and remain healthy. Something eventually gets sacrificed through limited approaches with training and the last thing you want to struggle with is your own body in this process.