Subject: Triple gear military press protocol—an experimental case-study

Lifting speed is or can be a controversial topic. The interwebs have been flooded with messages about how if you lift slowly, you will be slow. Or they focus on a slower eccentric or lower phase while still having a quick concentric or lifting phase. The focus of these strategies is typically on hypertrophy.


So, is there a “correct” lifting speed, or should we vary our speed?

Pavel provided an answer to this in a 2023 article and program that sparked an idea for StrongFirst Certified SFG II, SFB Instructor Lars Schönemann. How would using different lifting speeds work to achieve the half-bodyweight military press standard?


Lars lays out the results:

In conclusion, three 5-week cycles of intentionally pressing fast and slow increased my 1RM military press from 36kg to 44kg. That is an increase of 22%, achieved in only 15 weeks of training. Additionally, my bodyweight went from ~82kg up to ~87kg over the course of five months (my body fat percentage did not change).

Impressive results! Click here to read the article and detailed triple gear military press protocol training plan.

 

Keep us posted on the StrongFirst Forum if you take on a triple gear experiment in your training.

 

And remember…Metal Tuesday is coming.