Thread: Olympic lifting and the CNS?

I believe olympic lifting is not as strenuous on the CNS as powerlifting, as you are always lifting submaximal loads.

And I don't think they do more unilateral work than other weightlifters. The olympic lifts are done with a barbell.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

I believe olympic lifting is not as strenuous on the CNS as powerlifting, as you are always lifting submaximal loads.

And I don't think they do more unilateral work than other weightlifters. The olympic lifts are done with a barbell.

A 1RM clean is a 1RM clean. It is just as stressful as hitting a 1RM in anything else. Even if the weight is less than a deadlift might be. If someone can deadlift 700lbs and squat 580lbs, does that make the squat any less neurologically fatiguing? They are both still maximal loads. They both still require full output.

i respectively disagree. 1RM of clean and press=1RM of military press. someone may deadlift 700, power clean 500, but in an oly lift, say, clean and press, is it the weakest movement that limits how much you lift. So an oly lifter lift a lot less (thus, work on submaximal weight) than he/she can on powerlifting movements.

having said that, i do agree oly lifts are as demanding becaue of the explosive and coordination required

the clean and press is not a contested lift any more, nor has it been for 20+ years.

a 1RM clean is still a 1RM clean.

I believe funky.

Originally Posted by P-funk

the clean and press is not a contested lift any more, nor has it been for 20+ years.

a 1RM clean is still a 1RM clean.

I have a question, would a 3RM attempt be just as fatiguing as a 1RM attempt? Or maybe more or less? Or, is there no way to quantify that?

Originally Posted by fufu

I have a question, would a 3RM attempt be just as fatiguing as a 1RM attempt? Or maybe more or less? Or, is there no way to quantify that?

Depends on the intensity. I you do your actual 3RM for all three reps, then yes. If you do a load that is more around 80%, then probably not as much. But again, it will be as fatiguing as an 80% deadlift.

80% is still 80%. 95% is still 95%, no matter what the exercise.

If I do a 1RM on my close grip bench press (or a 3RM), is it less fatiguing than a 1Rm or a 3RM on my normal bench press because it is less load? No....it is still 100% or 92.5% for that given exercise.

Wait, even 6RM isolation exercises are as stressful as 1RM deadlifts?!

huh? Who said anything about 6RM isolation exercises?

Who does isolation exercises? For only 6 reps none the less?

Cleaning, deadlifting, close grip bench, etc. 1 RM are equal in rate of fatigue. => Exercise and load are irrelevant to the level of fatigue of the CNS.

1RM or 3RM bench is the same. => Load and RM don't matter either.

So any given exercise, say calf raises, done to failure (reaching your true 1 or 3 or 8 or, say 6, RM) is as stressful to the CNS as a 1RM deadlift.

That's the logic, right?

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Cleaning, deadlifting, close grip bench, etc. 1 RM are equal in rate of fatigue. => Exercise and load are irrelevant to the level of fatigue of the CNS.

1RM or 3RM bench is the same. => Load and RM don't matter either.

So any given exercise, say calf raises, done to failure (reaching your true 1 or 3 or 8 or, say 6, RM) is as stressful to the CNS as a 1RM deadlift.

That's the logic, right?

a) to do anything to a 1RM is going to illicit some sort of fatigue. That is you absolute maximum.

b) a 3 rep max is still fatiguing in that you are failing at 3 reps. How that compares to a 1RM, I don't know. I don't even know how you could quantify it?

c) I don't think doing something like a calf raise is going to produce the same amount of fatigue as a gross movement like a squat, deadlift, clean or snatch or bench press for that matter. You are recruiting a huge amount of motor units to perform a maximum effort in any of those lifts. The calves are such a small amount of muscle mass. But, who knows. Again, I don't know how you would quantify it.