Simply, VBT is monitoring the speed of the weight moved during the exercise in the gym.
Classically, weights programs in the gym are based on %’s of Rep Max or %RM.
Come in lift Xkg for so many reps, for however many sets and well get this result from the exercise prescribed.
The problem with this for fighters is, that you do not know how ready your athlete is to move that set weight, that many times for that amount of time.
Fighters inherently over-reach, over-train and are exhausted or aren’t far off burning out.
This is due to high work loads, high intensity, poor rest, low recovery and poor nutritional practices in many combat sports.
Now, if that fighters comes into the gym to perform a set weight, for a given reason. Let’s say we want our fighter to be faster.
Under the above conditions your effort against the weight will be decreased, the bar will slower to begin and slow further over the set as you induce peripheral (muscle) and central (neurological) fatigue.
This now goes against your main aim of the building speed in your fighter.
Instead as the bar speed reduces, the stimulus changes and so does the physiological adaptation in the athlete.
The slower the speed of the bar gets, the more it stimulates slow twitch muscle fibres, stimulates hypertrophy, lengthens the time of the set influencing a change in energy system demands and metabolic response.
Effectively giving you a completely different response to what you were looking for in the first place.
Do this for too long and it reinforces the belief that: “Lifting weight puts on weight” and “Too much bulk makes me slow”
Its not the gym’s fault, it’s the programming and monitoring.
You are using the wrong metric (weight) to measure improvements in performance.
