Weightlifting under fatigue is a prime component of Functional Fitness. We often find ourselves staring down the WOD and seeing things like "30 Snatches For Time" or "3 Sets For Time" of a cyclical movement and a heavy lift. These workouts usually separate the "men from the boys" and can be really polarizing for anyone who has little to no experience lifting while under fatigue.
But we want to be capable of doing these WODs right? And we definitely don't want to find ourselves struggling to complete repetitions or failing to complete the workout.
There are two subjective things when it comes to weightlifting under fatigue:
1. Percentage of 1RM being used - Load on the bar
2. Fatigue - Fatigue generated from the barbell movement and other components in the workout
These two factors directly correlate to your ability to successfully perform workouts that require any sort of lifting when tired. Lucky for us, there are some really simple, progressive formats that we can use to help better prepare for some of the most challenging workouts Functional Fitness has to throw our way. Like all progressions, we want to start with less intensity/lower loads and work our way towards higher intensity/heavier loads.
To better understand what it takes to have great success with Strength Battery and any kind of weightlifting under fatigue we want to look at these 3 qualities:
1. Maximal Strength
- Ability to perform maximal contractions at or near 1 Rep Max loads
- Positional strength
2. Aerobic Capacity
- Ability to breathe and move under control
- Cardiac output
- Overall muscle endurance
3. Technical Prowess
- Ability to maintain technical positions under fatigue
- Movement patter resiliency
Owning these 3 qualities sets up the foundation for high quality weightlifting under fatigue and will allow you, the individual, to demonstrate successful Strength Battery.
If you're looking at any of these 3 things and thinking to yourself that you may need some more development in a single area or more that's ok! Spend some time building strength, practicing technical components of various lifts, and building your aerobic base.
Ready to see it all put into action?
Check out these 5 Progressive Workouts to Improve Your Weightlifting Under Fatigue
A quick note: For the following progression we'll be looking at using the Front Squat and Power Clean/Clean to develop our Strength Battery and improve our weightlifting under fatigue.
Workout #1:
EMOM x 8:00 Minutes; At Strength Effort
3 Power Clean; At 75% of 1RM Clean
Workout #2:
Every 3:00 Minutes x 5 Sets; At Strength Effort
8 Front Squat; At 75% of 1RM Front Squat
Workout #3:
Every 4:00 Minutes x 4 Sets; At Strength Effort
250/200m Row
9/7 Calories Airbike
1 Power Clean + 3 Front Squat; At 80% of 1RM Clean
Workout #4:
For 15:00 Minutes; At Strength Effort
Airbike
*At Minutes 3:00/6:00/9:00/12:00/15:00; Perform a Set of Max Unbroken Cleans At 75% of 1RM Clean
Workout #5:
Every 0:20 Seconds Until Failure or 30 Repetitions; At Strength Effort
1 Power Clean; At 80% of 1RM Clean
Each of the examples above demonstrates a proven, well thought out approach to building the capacity needed to successfully perform higher intensity weightlifting under fatigue. All 5 workouts as a whole, are just one way to progress weightlifting under fatigue and show how we go about building the needed Strength Battery for high intensity weightlifting on all TrainRx Performance Programs.
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