Lineman = Absolute Strength Athlete
Understanding the lineman as an absolute strength athlete who generates strength to block allows us to gain valuable insights from other absolute strength athletes and sports. These insights, in turn, enhance our training system for linemen. It's important to note that phenomena observed in other absolute strength sports often carry over into blocking and vice versa. One such recognized phenomenon, known as the 'peak contraction principle' in training science, frequently plays a role in the breakdowns of blocking mechanics, leading to ineffective blocking. This principle is relevant to understanding why blocking mechanics break down in many instances.
Often, when a powerlifter fails in a lift, it's analogous to a lineman failing to effectively block. The common phenomenon behind these breakdowns and failures is often the peak contraction principle at play.
Peak Contraction Principle: a Limiting Constraint in the Sport of Powerlifting
To illustrate the peak contraction principle, consider a powerlifter attempting a bench press. During the concentric pressing phase, they encounter a sticking point. At this point, the lifter's nervous system is activating the muscles to produce maximum force, but cannot output enough force in time, and the lift results in a failure. This situation exemplifies the peak contraction principle in action.
In essence, the term "peak" indicates that maximal muscular contraction occurs at that sticking point. This specific range of motion is often referred to as the "minimax."1 Understanding the peak contraction principle means recognizing that an athlete's strength is limited by their weakest point within the full range of joint motion, as succinctly put by Dr. Zatsiorsky: "The amount of weight that an athlete can lift in a given motion is limited by the strength attainable at the weakest point of the full range of joint motion."2 In other words, muscles are activated by the nervous system maximally only at the weakest point of motion.
Peak Contraction Principle: a Limiting Constraint in the Generation of Lineman Special Strength
When a lineman fails to execute a block, there are multiple contributing factors. Undoubtedly, one of these factors is the peak contraction principle. In the same manner, the amount of weight that an athlete can lift in a given motion is limited by the strength attainable at the weakest point; the ability of the lineman to effectively block will be limited by the strength attainable at the weakest point in the block. Meaning: the lineman mechanics break down at the weakest point in the block, leading to a failed block.
This breakdown in blocking can be compared to a failed lift. When we analyze game film (see video below), we often observe a pattern of consistent body positions where these failures occur, and these positions coincide with the lineman's weakest points.
The Peak Contraction Principle was a contributing factor for the LG's failed block on 91. LG is getting beat at his weakest point - that is the least amount of CNS output.
The Peak Contraction Principle allows the center to block the nose guard. At the nose guard's weakest point (the least amount of CNS output), he gets pancaked.
Verkhoshansky, Yuri Vitalievitch., and Mel Cunningham. Siff. Supertraining. Verkhoshansky, 2009.
Zatsiorsky, V. M., Kraemer, W. J., & Fry, A. C. (2021), The Science and Practice of Strength Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.