38 Clusters, RIR, and VBT

In this long episode, Chris and Rob start out by comparing fast concentric-only movements (especially with assistance to maximize speed) with plyometrics. As the episode progresses, they cover sprinting biomechanics and the role of attentional focus cues before finishing up talking about some of the common mistakes and errors made by researchers and strength and conditioning coaches. This is the perfect episode for you if you have already listened to most of this podcast because it ties many threads together. 

Since Rob has just spent 2 weeks away on vacation, this podcast episode was dedicated to talking around the challenges and options for training while it is difficult to get access to a proper gym. Not so much physiology this week, just discussing which muscles are easier to train and which muscles are more difficult.

Chris and Rob respond to the popular trend in strength and conditioning for coaches to program changes in the main exercises every couple of weeks rather than just sticking with the same exercise for meaningful periods of time. 

Responding to a listener's question, Chris and Rob explain how to organize a training week that includes two strength training sessions (in accordance with the High Performance Physiology Method) in addition to either two sports practices or one sports practice plus a game or competition. They also comment on how to add cardio on top of those training sessions where desired.

In this episode, Chris and Rob first describe how clusters, repetitions in reserve (RIR), and velocity-based training (VBT) work from a physiological perspective. Secondly, they talk about how to make use of these techniques in practice during strength training programs.

Chris and Rob tackle the topic of warm-ups, starting with the basic exercise science concept of increasing muscle temperature before moving on to tackle the additional rationales proposed in the fitness industry, such as [1] potentiation, [2] changing psychological state to one that helps maximize adaptations, [3] practicing form or technique, and [4] making sure that the main set of the exercise is safe and comfortable to perform.

In this episode, Chris and Rob describe how to program for contact team sports (like rugby and American football) within the context of the High Performance Physiology method four-part workout structure (high-velocity, heavy strength training, plyometrics, and supramaximal eccentrics).

In this episode, Chris and Rob explain [1] what adaptations isometrics are best suited to stimulating, and [2] how to include isometrics in a standard strength training program for stimulating those adaptations. They also talk briefly about some common misunderstandings and misapplications of isometrics in the fitness industry.

In this episode, Chris and Rob analyze the strength training program used in the study: "Exploring the Upper Limits of Resistance Training Volume for Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength in Trained Athletes" by Räntilä and Ahtiainen, which was published in 2026. The reason for the review is that the subjects were national-level track and field athletes, so the training program reflects what many S&C coaches are currently programming for this population. The paper is currently open access and table 1 shows the training program that we talk about.

Finally, Chris and Rob tackle block periodization, explaining why it makes very little sense for athletes in any strength or power sport. This episode references material covered in previous conversations, especially the preceding two (31 dose-response of adaptations and 32 supercompensation) as well as frequent discussions about the rate of loss of adaptations during detraining and fatigue accumulation.