CNS Fatigue

Check this out:

I think its cool for a couple of reasons:

1. This, from way out of left field –

It takes about 190 milliseconds for us to see, to process, and to react to a visual stimulus.

Our auditory processing is a little faster, and reflex reactions (no conscious thought involved) are faster still, but even these pathways take time.

So you could say: everything that you are aware of, or are experiencing right now, at this instant…isn’t happening at this instant. It has already happened.

You can make the argument that the present doesn’t exist.

Past and future is all there is.

Which is an Anti-Zen philosophy of sorts.

2. This one is a little more practical  –

Providing there’s enough of a training stress to provoke an adaption, managing an athlete’s Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue is one of the most important factors determining their progress.

Among other things, the CNS is responsible for coordinating muscle activity, recruiting motor units, and controlling the firing rate of muscles.

It often takes longer for your brain (CNS) to recover from an intense workout than it does for your musculature.  Some say up to 5-6 times longer.  For an elite lifter (lifting close to their absolute potential) it can take whole month for their CNS to recover from that maximal squat day, while their legs might feel ready to go after only 3-4 days.

CNS fatigue can be subtle in its early stages.  It doesn’t feel like muscular or cardio respiratory fatigue, but it definitely effects skill development, speed, coordination and power.

Decades ago, Soviets sport-scientists discovered measuring an athlete’s reaction-time partway through a training block (against a fully rested baseline) is a practical way to check in on the state of their CNS.

The ruler drill in the above video could used as a similar assessment tool:

• Take a few baseline tests when you are fully rested (like after a vacation).
• Retest occasionally. A 10% drop off the established base line should be considered significant.
• Adjust training load/volume and recovery strategies as needed. 

Food for thought.

Andy

Friday’s Workout:

Warm Up:

20 Glute march

10/10 Table tops

10 Squat and reach x 2

10 Cuban press

(:15) Like Sunday Class

Snatch 2-2-2-2-2-2 (90-95% of 1 rm)

-Do 1 rm Snatch if not done yet

-Do 5rm front squat if haven’t done yet

9 min AMRAP for quality

20s strict toe bar

10s rest

20s ring dip

10s rest

30s burpee

30s rest

20s ring dip

10s rest

20s strict toes to bar

10s rest

Saturday Workout:

Warm Up: Coach’s Choice

(:10) Reverse Tabata Lsit

(:15) Practice walking on hands

(:30) Tabata This with 2 minutes rest b/w

Tabata Squats

2 minutes rest

Tabata Pull Ups

2 minutes rest

Tabata Sit Ups

2 minutes rest

Tabata Push Ups

2 minutes rest

Tabata Row (cal)

Score is total of Tabatas

Optional Finisher: Miler then 10/10 Tea Party then 2 minutes each leg deep quad stretch

That’s it for me folks! Hope you are feeling stronger, more knowledgeable and fitter than 6 weeks ago. Chesty has the next 6 weeks. We’ll get a look on Monday.

Cheers!

The Shepherd