According to my log, It had little to any negitive effect on my CNS. I was all amped up from the positive results from the test day and looking forward to the meet.

I usually dont get hit the day following a tough workout. I usually feel the impact 48 hours after according to my TRAC scores.

 I agree 100% with your last post Mike! Meets destroy my next couple of days but mock meets in the gym barely make me feel like I'm working out. That is the best explanation for it.

My report shows it was a low total stress the day after my test day.

Subjectively (don't use TRAC currently, or anything other than "gut"):  it's not the day after that's the issue for me - I feel pretty good the day after a comp.  The crash usually happens about 36 hours post-comp, and lasts for about 12-24 hours.

This is definitely true. My CNS on trac today was really great. I also know that when I wasn't using TRAC, I could just tell from my own feel that I was ready to go on days after max attempts.

It is the fatigue that causes the stress. For instance, I did a mock meet yesterday and after the workout I did not feel like I even worked out. I felt fresh and felt like I should have been doing a lot more. However, after a workout of 3s or 5s @ 9-10 w/ a 4+% fatigue, I crawl out of the gym like I was just in a death match with a silver back gorilla. And the next day I'm still feeling it. But the day after the mock meet yesterday, today I feel great like I could go in and max again and hit all the same numbers (which brings up the bulgarian training topic once again).

This topic has been a peak interest for some time so let's get some replies to this thread! TRAC users or even if you aren't using it, describe your experiences the day after a mock meet in the gym versus an actual workout. 

I just wanted to take a second and let you know about a new ebook available.  It's called Lift for Hope and you can find out more about the book by clicking here.  The cool thing about the book is that all the proceeds from the project go to charity.  I think this year, Phil (the organizer of Lift for Hope) is trying to sponsor some well-deserving Power athletes to go to a World Championship that otherwise wouldn't get the chance.  In the past, he has had benefits for other charities as well.

A full table of contents for the book is now up on his site and it's only a $10 donation.  I wrote a piece for it on Autoregulation and there are some other interesting pieces in it as well. If you get time, give it a look.

Thanks!

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon as of late.  Yesterday I did a mock-meet where I worked up to 100% on all three competition exercises.  Conventional wisdom states that this should be very taxing on my CNS.  "Fried" is the bro-term I think.  But oddly enough, my CNS tested better this morning than it has in a long time (several weeks).  This isn't the first time it's happened with me.  In fact, it seems to be a trend with me.  I've also had a friend of mine notice the same phenomenon, only he was testing with the OmegaWave, so he corroborated it using a different system.  So it's not a glitch with TRAC.

What I'm wondering now is whether or not this is an individual phenomenon or whether it seems to hold true for most people.  So if you use TRAC, could you look back through your data and let me know what you find?  Specifically, how did your CNS test the morning after a 100% workout or a meet?

I completely agree with you Mike and with regards to combining training aids like chains&bands, there's something else I would like to add to this discussion.

 I have been experimenting lately with the usage of reverse bands combined with weight releasers for very heavy singles. So far it felt very "satisfying" and has been productive as well.
I've always liked (modest) reverse banded variaties because of the postive effect of the heavy loads on the top part of the movement. It not only improves lockout but it tunes my CNS in a right way.
Having said that, the downside of this, is that the lightening effect in the bottom part of the movement drains my bottom strength very quick as well.

However, the combined weight releasers strongly compensates the normal deload effect at the bottom part.
 Doing it this way keeps much more tension whole the way down, only to be deloaded a fraction when the releasers drop off.
This build-up and quick release of kinetic energy, generates a VERY explosive reversal and "shooting" up, which is immediately slowed down by the fact that band "lightening" quickly diminishes on the way up. In this way there's no danger of overshooting (or something like that) and for the largest part of the concentric movement, you still have to fight your way up.

Very challenging!

First off, I really like that the focus of your question is "what kind of problems are they good for".

To answer that, let me start with outlining how each of them affect the body.  From a physiological standpoint, bands have an "overspeed" effect in that they pull the barbell down.  They don't just add weight to the bar -- they actively pull it down.  In addition, they also load the top of the range of motion.

Chains simply load the top without the "overspeed" effect.

So each has it's own merits and there are pros and cons to each in a wide variety of situations.  For example, I recently have used a modest amount of band tension on my power benching exercises to help enhance force production in the bottom.  I'm taking advantage of the overspeed effect to elicit greater force production in the amortization phase of the lift (the point where eccentric becomes concentric, aka the turn around).

In another example, I sometimes squat or pull with chains because I don't want the added stress that band work inherently brings to the table.  And I agree with jwzrd that bands and chains together is tough work indeed.  It's also a pretty interesting training effect that's worth a try sometime when you don't have a lot going on.

I prefer bands to teach myself to apply constant power in the right direction onto the bar in either movement. And chains to make a movement generally "top heavy". I think chains have a stabilizing effect where bands, atleast for me, have the opposite effect. They "try" to throw me off course.

Try the combo for something cruel and unusual.

Which do you guys prefer for squat/bench/dead? 

What kind of lifting problems are they good for? What do you profit from using them? 

These are very very informative and insightful, Mike!  

 I've noticed that for the most part, after you hit your top set, the fatigue stop, you do only one more set after dropping the weight a certain percentage.  Is that because the final set is usually the same RPE as the top set, therefore you've achieved the percent fatigue youre looking for, or is there something else going on?  If the final set was easier, would you have done another set with that fatigue percent dropped weight?

Deficit Deadlift Workout

Pin Press Workout

Power Benching

Deadlift + mini

I see where you're coming from now.

Try alternating BS and FS everyday.  Work up to x3 @8 (similar to what you've been doing) and cut it there.  That shouldn't be too stressful.  Also, take good notes on how you feel everyday (motivation, focus, energy, etc).  At the end of the week, see what the trends are and see how you feel.  At that point you can up or down regulate the workload to fit your needs.

Post back and let us know how it goes!

I typically like Titan's suits.  For you, specifically I think the Superior is a good all-around suit that isn't super-supportive, but it can give you something.  If you want something a little more aggressive, go with a Centurion.  I don't think you said that this was specifically for DL's, but if it is, then the Velocity is definitely the way to go.

That said, Dustin is right about the Z-suit as well.  It's tried and true and definitely suitable for what you're looking for.  I just prefer Titan's stuff.