ABSTRACT
Worldwide, specialized companies continuously develop new sports technologies to help athletes improve their athletic performance, break personal records, and assist coaches during training and competitions. Several devices are available with different embedded technologies to collect kinetic and kinematic data in resistance training settings, including linear velocity/position transducers or three-dimensional motion analysis systems. Monitoring the lifting velocity using specific technology is of interest because it enables coaches to determine the load-velocity profile, individualize the training load, and control the degree of fatigue induced during training sessions. This chapter summarizes the different technologies and methodological procedures used to measure the athlete's performance in a velocity-controlled resistance training setting. Firstly, we introduce several devices currently available in the market for measuring lifting velocity, emphasizing their validity and reliability. We then focus on methodological procedures, describing (i) the protocols to conduct a test based on tracking the lifting velocity in resistance exercises, (ii) the main velocity variables that can be measured, and (iii) the statistics used to model the load-velocity relationship. Finally, we provide a practical application example of how velocity-controlled resistance training can be implemented following specific steps while using a reference device and respective software for measuring lifting velocity.
