A Hierarchy of Movement Intervention

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Introduction

At Kabuki Power, our approach to building an athlete's program is multifaceted and carefully considered. One of the frameworks we employ is a hierarchy of movement intervention. This strategy helps us prioritize and implement various training methodologies based on their impact on performance and technique. By applying this heuristic, we provide a structured path that maximizes the efficacy of our training programs, ensuring that athletes receive targeted interventions tailored to their unique needs and goals.

However, it's essential to recognize that this approach is robust, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. This intervention hierarchy serves as a valuable guide rather than a rigid formula. Each athlete is distinct, and their responses to different interventions can vary. As such, this guide offers a solid starting point, but ongoing observation and feedback from athletes are crucial to adjust and refine the program to better suit individual requirements and optimize performance.

Our specialty bars, including the Transformer Bar, the Kadillac Bar, the Duffalo Bar, and the Trap Bar, are integral to our methodology. While these bars might seem to shape our approach, it's important to note that correlation does not imply causation. These bars are exceptional tools—versatile and designed for practical application—but their success within our system stems from their quality and adaptability. They fit seamlessly into our methodology because they enhance the effectiveness of our training interventions, not because they define them.

Skill and technique development can, and arguably should, be broken down into manageable segments. Just as in learning a complex dance routine where a dancer practices individual steps before putting them all together, strength training techniques can be dissected into smaller, more achievable components. This principle allows us to use specialty bars and movement prescriptions to teach and refine specific skill chunks, minimizing overall stress and maximizing effectiveness. This approach ensures that athletes can focus on mastering each part of their training without being overwhelmed by the complexity of the entire skill.

The strategic selection and prioritization of interventions are essential in the pursuit of peak performance and effective strength training. Coaches and athletes are often tasked with discerning which training methodologies will most profoundly and positively influence key performance indicators (KPIs). A structured approach to the prioritization of these interventions offers a clear developmental pathway, ensuring that the most impactful methods are implemented at optimal points within an athlete’s training regimen.

Grounded in both biomechanical research and empirical evidence from athletic performance studies, the methodology for choosing the right training interventions categorizes these techniques based on their direct impact on performance. This approach prioritizes refining techniques, addressing specific weaknesses, and enhancing muscle function, aiming to establish a solid foundation of correct technique before advancing to more targeted exercises designed to tackle identified performance bottlenecks.

By methodically applying these prioritized interventions, training programs can be tailored to not only optimize performance but also minimize injury risks. This strategy ensures that each training phase builds upon the previous one, cumulatively enhancing overall capability. Such a systematic approach streamlines the training process and equips athletes with the necessary tools to exceed their performance goals.

As we delve deeper into how we craft and implement training programs, it's really important to understand that this methodology is built on a foundation of analysis and practical application. The hierarchical approach we employ here is designed to navigate the complexities of athletic development by providing a clear framework for selecting and prioritizing interventions. This framework is not just a theoretical construct; it is grounded in research and real-world performance data. By following this structured pathway, we ensure that each phase of training is strategically aligned to enhance performance while addressing specific weaknesses and refining techniques. This systematic approach helps coaches and athletes focus on interventions that have the highest potential to positively impact key performance indicators (KPIs) and optimize overall athletic capability.

Transition to Specific Intervention Priorities

Transitioning from a broad understanding of strategic training methodologies to the focused application of specific interventions involves a detailed examination of each method's impact on athletic performance. A broad understanding encompasses general training principles, such as the importance of progressive overload, the role,if any, of periodization, and the balance between strength, hypertrophy, skill development, or any other physical qualities you’re training. This overarching view provides a foundational grasp of how different training strategies can enhance overall athletic capacity.

However, moving from this general perspective to a more focused application requires evaluating the specific efficacy and relevance of each intervention. This process involves assessing how different techniques—such as technique refinement, partials, or isometrics—affect performance metrics. By categorizing interventions based on their effectiveness, coaches can implement a nuanced strategy that aligns with measurable performance improvements, thereby crafting a sound training regimen that supports an athlete’s unique developmental needs and performance objectives.

To delve deeper, it is critical to clearly outline the hierarchy of interventions, beginning with fundamental technique adjustments and extending to specialized exercises such as isolation movements. Prioritizing interventions in this way ensures that the foundational aspects of strength and technique are firmly established before introducing more complex or highly targeted training methods. Structuring training programs in this hierarchical manner allows coaches and athletes to effectively address the most significant factors contributing to performance. This logical progression of interventions lays a solid foundation for exploring detailed intervention options and their respective priorities, meticulously crafted to enhance key performance indicators in strength training.

Intervention Options and Priorities

The systematic categorization of intervention options and priorities is structured to sequentially enhance an athlete's performance through a graduated series of methodologies, each tailored to address specific elements of strength training. The lower numbers represent an intervention that will be more reliably effective for the most people the most time. This isn’t to say higher numbered inventions cannot be effective only that the reliability for that intervention is lower. 

1. Technique

Technique could, justifiably, be considered the cornerstone of all strength training programs; serving as a key focus before optimal technique is established and should be revisited periodically as a training block focus and continually as day-to-day feedback. The emphasis on technique involves detailed adjustments to fundamental movements, including foot positions, stance width, and overall execution. These adjustments are heavily influenced by biomechanical factors such as joint structure, muscle mass, and the position of the load. For beginners, or people returning after anabolic steroid (AAS) cycles, refining technique is potentially the most crucial aspect of training, as it directly impacts performance and injury prevention. Proper technique ensures that exercises are performed efficiently and safely, laying a solid foundation for all subsequent training interventions. Given its importance we cannot overstate that technique refinement is an ongoing process that must be continually assessed and adjusted to accommodate changes in the athlete’s physique and training goals.

2a. Partials

Partials are ranked as the second priority but are distinguished by their specific application at 'sticking points'—phases during a lift where athletes are most likely to fail or find difficulty. Partials are a theoretically sound intervention that focuses on enhancing strength at specific lift phases or skills. Unlike the commonly misunderstood "sticking point," the actual weak point is often where deceleration begins rather than where the lift becomes most challenging. Research,  by Kompf and Arandjelović (2016), highlights that addressing the phase of deceleration is crucial for improving performance. Partials for strengthening specific portion of movement must then involve performing the lift from this point of deceleration, effectively targeting and strengthening the specific phase where force output diminishes.

In addition to their impact on strength, partials can also be used to develop specific "chunks" of skill related to movement or performance. By isolating and working on these partial points, athletes can enhance their proficiency in particular segments of a lift or movement. This targeted approach allows for the refinement of distinct elements of skill, contributing to overall improved execution and performance. Consequently, partials not only address weaknesses in force production but also facilitate the development of critical skill components within the movement.

However, even with all the benefits of partials, both in skill and strength, the partial reliable efficacy still falls below technique. This is partly because disparate portions of movement, and skills, need practice to integrate together into a seamless, better, movement.

2b. Isometrics

Isometrics are categorized under the second priority and focuses on, mostly, static muscle contractions at predetermined points within a lift’s range of motion. Similar to the Partials category the common misconception regarding  the “weak point” targeted in isometric training is not necessarily the sticking point where the lift becomes most challenging. According to research by Kompf and Arandjelović (2016), the critical phase for isometric training is, again, often where deceleration begins rather than the traditional sticking point.

Below are several types of isometric training and their primary adaptations that can be employed to enhance performance. Whilst it’s outside of the scope of this article to elaborate in depth upon each, it is important to understand the options available and be able to infer the opportunities to develop strength, or to develop control, skills within each prescription method:

Overcoming Isometrics involve pushing or pulling against an immovable object to develop maximum force production at a specific joint angle.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Increases in muscle tissue recruitment and hypertrophy of the contractile fibers, specifically Type II fast-twitch fibers, which are responsible for high-force production. These adaptations enhance the muscle's ability to produce and resist high forces.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Improved motor unit activation and central nervous system drive, increasing the force output capabilities of the muscle.

Yielding Isometrics focus on maintaining a static position under a submaximal load, such as holding a weight in a fixed position to resist movement.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Enhanced capacity of the muscle's connective tissues, including tendons and ligaments, due to prolonged static tension. This adaptation improves the tissue's ability to absorb and resist continuous forces over time.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Improved motor control and proprioception, facilitating better stability and joint control during static holds.

Isometric Holds* require holding a position during an exercise, which enhances endurance and muscle control at that specific joint angle.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Increased local muscle endurance and hypertrophy in the targeted muscle fibers, particularly in Type I slow-twitch fibers. This adaptation supports sustained contractions and improves the muscle's ability to manage and maintain forces over extended periods.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Development of joint stability and coordination, with improvements in neuromuscular efficiency specific to the muscle's engagement during the hold.

Isometric Pauses* involve pausing at critical points within a lift to improve motor learning and control.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Focused strengthening of muscle fibers and connective tissues at the specific joint angle where the pause occurs. This enhances the muscle’s ability to handle forces at critical phases of movement.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Enhanced motor learning and control at critical lift phases, improving the ability to manage and direct force effectively during complex movements.

Isometric Contractions with Resistance Bands use bands to create elastic tension in a static position. The bands provide pseudo-dynamic resistance because the tension increases as the band is stretched. This variable resistance creates a dynamic-like force that adapts to the length of the stretch, offering a unique training stimulus compared to constant static weights.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Improved muscle and connective tissue strength through the adaptation to variable resistance. This helps in both force production and absorption, as the bands increase resistance as they are stretched, challenging the muscle across different lengths.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Enhanced ability to adapt to variable forces and resistances, improving neuromuscular coordination and control across a range of motion.

Drop-Isometrics combine a dynamic drop or movement with an immediate static hold at a specific position. The exercise begins with a rapid descent or drop, followed by a quick transition into a static hold at the bottom position. This approach enhances both explosive strength and static control, improving muscle coordination and plyometric potential. For example, dropping from a box into a squat and holding the position can develop powerful and controlled muscle contractions, blending dynamic and isometric training benefits.

• Primary Tissue Adaptation: Increased force absorption and explosive strength in both muscle fibers and connective tissues due to the combination of dynamic and static stresses. The muscles adapt to handle rapid changes in force and maintain control at high intensity.
• Primary Neurological Adaptation: Enhanced rapid force development and plyometric response, improving the ability to transition smoothly between dynamic and static phases of movement.

In isometric training, the pause for motor learning and control is not the same as pausing at the sticking point. The purpose of these pauses is to develop stability and control at specific points in the movement, which can be crucial for improving overall performance. Isometric exercises are theoretically sound and provide significant benefits by allowing athletes to practice maintaining strength and stability.

However, despite their advantages, the reliable efficacy of isometric training for integrating complete movement skills remains below that of technique-focused interventions. This is because the effective execution of movements requires the seamless integration of various skills, which is more comprehensively addressed through technique refinement. Thus, while isometric training can effectively target specific phases of movement and improve muscle function, it should complement rather than replace foundational technique training.

* A hold and a pause sound very similar. Within this context, we are utilising different names to denote different intentions. Holds for strength, Pause for motor control.

3a. CAT (Compensatory Acceleration Training)

CAT (Compensatory Acceleration Training) is categorized as a third-tier intervention and involves deliberately accelerating the weight through the range of motion as quickly as possible, particularly during the concentric phase of the lift when the muscle shortens. This training method is especially effective for athletes who experience significant deceleration at certain points in the lift, particularly in the late phase where sticking points often occur. CAT trains the neuromuscular system to generate higher forces throughout the entire lift, thereby enhancing overall power output.

This approach is particularly beneficial for those using equipped lifting techniques, as the added resistance from lifting gear can highlight and address strength curves more effectively. However, CAT is also useful in raw lifting contexts, offering improvements in explosive strength and force production even if it doesn’t directly translate into lifting heavier loads. It's important to note that the impulse generated through CAT doesn't always correspond to the maximum weight lifted; instead, it focuses on accelerating through the movement to overcome deceleration and improve power output.

In summary, CAT enhances the ability to maintain force production throughout the lift by training the neuromuscular system to accelerate more effectively. This method is crucial for overcoming late-phase sticking points and can be adapted to both equipped and raw lifting scenarios to boost overall strength and power.

3b. Speed Work

Speed Work is positioned as another third-tier intervention and focuses on developing speed and explosive power through dynamic efforts with sub-maximal loads. This method aims to improve the rate of force development, a critical component for rapid power generation in athletic performance. Speed Work involves performing exercises at high velocities with lighter weights, which trains the muscles and nervous system to exert maximal force quickly.

Research, such as Peltonen H. (2018), indicates that Speed Work tends to be effective for only a minority of individuals. This method is most beneficial for athletes who have early-phase sticking points, where force production in the initial stages of the lift is critical. While Speed Work can enhance explosive strength and improve overall power, it faces similar challenges to Compensatory Acceleration Training (CAT) in that the impulse generated with lighter weights does not always translate to heavier lifting scenarios. Additionally, the skill required to move light weights quickly differs from the technique and force production needed for heavy lifting, which can limit the direct application of improvements to maximal strength lifts.

In essence, Speed Work enhances the ability to generate force rapidly by training with lighter weights at high speeds. However, its benefits are most evident in those with early-phase sticking points, and the transferability of speed work to heavy lifting is affected by the difference in skill and force demands between light and heavy weights.

4. Isolation Exercises

Isolation Exercises are positioned as the lowest priority within the hierarchy of interventions and focus on targeting specific muscle groups to strengthen individual muscles that may not be optimally engaged during compound movements. These exercises are designed to isolate and develop particular muscles or muscle groups, addressing imbalances or weaknesses that could hinder performance in more complex lifts.

While isolation exercises can effectively enhance muscle strength and correct specific deficiencies, they tend to have the least direct impact on overall lifting performance compared to other interventions. Their primary benefit lies in their ability to target specific muscles or muscle groups, potentially improving performance indirectly by correcting imbalances. Research indicates that these exercises are most useful for addressing specific muscle weaknesses rather than enhancing overall strength or power. They are generally most effective for individuals who have isolated weaknesses that need addressing to support their broader training goals.

Additionally, the improvements gained from isolation exercises may not always directly translate into significant gains in compound movements or overall lifting performance. The primary adaptation is often in muscle hypertrophy and endurance rather than in the capacity to lift heavier weights or improve explosive strength. As a result, isolation exercises should be seen as supplementary tools to address specific issues rather than primary methods for enhancing overall strength or performance.

In summary, while isolation exercises play a role in strengthening individual muscles and addressing specific weaknesses, their impact on overall lifting performance is less pronounced compared to other interventions. They are most beneficial for correcting imbalances and providing targeted muscle development but should be integrated into a broader training regimen that includes more foundational strength and power training methods.

Efficacy and Application

The strategic selection of interventions in strength training relies on their direct and measurable impact on performance. Each method in the hierarchy—technique, partials, isometrics, CAT, and Speed Work—offers unique benefits and addresses different aspects of performance enhancement. The efficacy of these interventions is assessed based on their ability to improve key performance indicators (KPIs) and their alignment with an athlete's specific needs.

Technique is universally prioritized due to its foundational role in ensuring proper movement execution, which directly influences all subsequent abilities in strength training. It is especially crucial for beginners and those resuming training after significant breaks or intensive cycles. Partials and isometrics, while also highly effective, cater to more specific performance needs and weaknesses. Partials focus on strengthening particular phases of a lift, addressing the point of deceleration, while isometrics enhance muscle control and endurance at specific joint angles.

Compensatory Acceleration Training (CAT) and Speed Work, both falling under the third tier of priorities, are designed to enhance explosive power and rate of force development. CAT is particularly useful for those with late-phase sticking points and is most effective with equipped lifting techniques. Speed Work, on the other hand, benefits those with early-phase sticking points but may face limitations in translating improvements from lighter to heavier weights due to the different skill requirements.

Isolation exercises, though often considered less impactful on overall performance, serve an essential role in targeting specific muscle weaknesses and imbalances. Their primary benefit is in addressing isolated issues rather than contributing directly to overall strength or power improvements.

In practice, the application of these interventions should be tailored to the athlete's individual needs and performance goals. By focusing on interventions in their specified order of priority, training programs can be methodically designed to address the most influential aspects of performance, optimize gains, and minimize injury risks. This structured approach ensures that each phase of training builds upon the previous one, ultimately enhancing overall athletic capability and supporting the achievement of performance goals.