Unlock your Power Potential with Compensatory Acceleration Training

Power is the ability to generate force quickly, and it plays a critical role in almost every sport and strenuous activity. Whether you want to jump higher, sprint faster, punch harder, or throw further, increasing muscle power will invariably improve your performance.

There are a couple of ways to develop power, with the main ones being plyometric training and Olympic lifting. Plyometric training mostly involves jumps and throws and Olympic lifting revolves around the clean, jerk, and snatch.

While athletes from all sports use plyometrics and the Olympic lifts to increase muscle power, these training methods may not be the best option for everyone.

The Olympic lifts are highly technical and, when performed incorrectly, have the potential to cause severe injuries. Plyometrics involve a lot of impact. This means they too can be dangerous and are unsuitable for heavier exercisers, older lifters, and anyone with pre-existing lower limb or back issues.  

The good news is that you don’t have to master the snatch or do high-impact hops and jumps to develop muscle power. In fact, there is a technique you can apply to many conventional strength training exercises to turn them into power builders.

I’m a veteran personal trainer and former powerlifter and in this article, I discuss compensatory acceleration training, a power training method developed by Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield, the first man to ever squat 1000 pounds.

Fred Hatfield and Compensatory Acceleration Training

In 1987, powerlifter Fred Hatfield became the first man to break the 1,000-pound squat barrier. In fact, he achieved this feat twice in the space of a couple of months, first hitting 1,008 and then, a few weeks later, 1,014 pounds. Hatfield’s achievement was all the more impressive because he only weighed 255 pounds and was 45 years old.

Known affectionately as Dr. Squat, Hatfield had a very scientific approach to powerlifting and was always researching new training methods, often discovered by deciphering old Russian training texts. He also used some unique assistance exercises to boost his performance, including the famous Hatfield squat.

One of the methods popularized by Fred Hatfield is called compensatory acceleration training or CAT for short. CAT is a style of lifting designed to increase muscle power.

What is Compensatory Acceleration Training?  

Most exercises have a clearly defined strength curve. This describes how the leverage changes throughout each rep, and some parts of the lift are more difficult than others. We even have a name for the hardest part of a lift – the sticking point.

Therefore, the amount of force you need to generate during an exercise depends on where you are in the rep. For example, squats are hardest as you start to stand up, and then become easier as your knees straighten.  

As a result, your muscles generate different amounts of force throughout your range of motion. However, your sticking point determines the maximum load you can lift.

Consequently, most lifters only generate maximal force for a brief period during each rep. They work hardest as they approach the sticking point, but then ease off as they complete each rep. According to Hatfield, this is an inefficient way to train and there is a better way to perform your reps, especially when power and strength are the goal.

With compensatory acceleration training, the aim is to lift the load as quickly as possible even after passing the sticking point. So, even as the rep gets easier, the amount of force applied to the load should remain the same. Subsequently, the weight accelerates toward the end of each rep, which is what gives this training method its name.

As Hatfield explains in his groundbreaking book “Power: A Scientific Approach”:

“If you’re applying a thousand pounds of force at the bottom of the lift and then as leverage improves you continue to apply a thousand pounds or less, you’re not accomplishing as much as you can.

Instead, you’ll see that as leverage improves, you’re able to apply twelve hundred pounds of force, fourteen hundred pounds of force up near the top. The secret though is that you’re applying as much force as you possibly can exert all the way through the lift.

That means you’re spending more time under maximum tension. That means you’re going to make progress much faster than you could otherwise, probably twice as fast.”

Because you can use compensatory acceleration training with almost any exercise, it’s easy to incorporate it into your existing strength training program. However, it works best with functional compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups, Pendlay rows, etc.

How to Do Compensatory Acceleration Training

Compensatory acceleration training is an advanced training method designed to increase muscle power and explosive strength. Follow these steps to make it as safe and effective as possible.

Warm-Up

Prepare your muscles and joints for what you are about to do by warming up thoroughly. Begin with a general warm-up comprising 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for the muscle groups you’re going to be working.

Next, perform several easy sets of the exercise you are about to perform. Increase the weight in small jumps until you near your intended working weight.

For example:  

1. 10 reps 20kg/45 pounds (empty barbell)
2. 8 reps 40kg/85 pounds
3. 6 reps 60kg/135 pounds
4. 4 reps 75kg/165 pounds
5. 2 reps 90kg/195 pounds
6. Working weight 100kg/220 pounds

Load Allocation

According to Hatfield, CAT works best with loads between 50-70% of your one repetition maximum (1RM). This should allow you to generate maximum acceleration without compromising form. Lighter weights will not expose your muscles to sufficient overload while heavier weights won’t move fast enough to improve muscle power.

Performing the Lift

1. Assume the correct starting position for your chosen exercise.
2. Descend smoothly and with control into the bottom of the lift.
3. Lift the weight as fast as you can toward the sticking point.
4. As you move through the sticking point and leverage improves, accelerate the load by continuing to push or pull as hard as possible. The bar should speed up as you approach the top of the lift.
5. Maintain control at the top of the lift; do not let momentum take over. This ensures that the acceleration is due to muscle force rather than just momentum.
6. Lower the weight smoothly and repeat.

You can use compensatory acceleration training with most major exercises, but here’s a video of CAT squats:

Sets and Reps

Compensatory acceleration training is very tiring for your muscles and central nervous system (CNS). As such, you should avoid doing too many reps or sets. Hatfield recommended 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps per exercise and 2-3 minutes rest between sets.

However, if you find that you are starting to slow down at the end of each rep rather than accelerate, you should reduce the load or end your set/workout earlier. You must avoid grinding out the reps, as this will do nothing for your explosive power.

Progression

Increase the load as you get stronger, but never at the expense of speed. Reduce the weight if you are unable to maintain acceleration. Small weight increments work best, with microloading being especially useful.

Compensatory Acceleration Training Benefits and Drawbacks

Not sure if compensatory acceleration training is the right workout method for you? Consider these pros and cons and then decide (1).

Benefits

Targets the fast-twitch (type 2b) muscle fibers – while all types of strength training involve the type 2b muscle fibers, CAT-style training targets them from the get-go. These fibers are critical for maximizing strength and power.

Desensitizes inhibitory mechanisms – inhibitory organs called Golgi tendon organs determine how much force your muscles can generate. The GTOs act like safety valves to prevent overload and injury. CAT training makes GTOs less sensitive, allowing your muscles to produce more force.

Trains the CNS for increased force production – producing power is as much about your brain and nervous system as it is your muscles. CAT workouts train your CNS to recruit more muscle fiber and motor units simultaneously to maximize force production potential.

Increased aggression – lifting explosively requires a very aggressive mindset. As such, CAT-style training is ideal for athletes from combat and contact sports, as well as throwers and lifters whose performance depends on aggression and determination.

Rapid progress – neurological adaptations to training happen quite quickly. So, while your muscles may not noticeably grow, your strength and power should increase relatively quickly when you start using CAT. However, these gains will plateau once the nervous system adaptations have occurred.

Related: Unlocking Superhuman Strength: The Science Behind Hysterical Strength

Drawbacks

As with any training method, compensatory acceleration training has a few drawbacks that you should consider before incorporating it into your routine:

Not suitable for beginners – doing any exercise explosively requires excellent technique, and speed will expose any existing form issues. As such, this training method is not suitable for beginners.

Possible risk of injury – CAT involves maximal acceleration of a relatively heavy load. This puts tremendous stress on your muscles, joints, and connective tissues. In addition, decelerating the load at the end of each rep is also a source of stress and potential injury. Consequently, for some exercisers, the risk of CAT may outweigh any benefits.

Requires intelligent programming – you’ll need to incorporate CAT into a periodized program to make the most of this training method, e.g., during the buildup to an event or maximal strength test. The occasional CAT-style workout or using this method for too long or at the wrong time could hurt rather than enhance your progress.

Compensatory Acceleration Training Workout Plan

While you could write a CAT-style workout for yourself, here’s one I’ve written for you. It’s designed to improve your performance in the “big three” powerlifts – the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

Perform exercises marked with an asterisk (*) using compensatory acceleration training. All other exercises should be done conventionally.

Of course, before you begin, make sure you warm up as described elsewhere in this article and in this in-depth article How to Warm Up for Strength Training.

Workout 1 – Squat and Accessory Exercises

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Squat *	3-5	3-5	2-3 minutes
2	Paused squat	3-4	6-8	2 minutes
3	Leg press	3-4	10-12	90 seconds
4	Box jump	3-4	10-12	90 seconds
5	RKC plank	2-3	15-20 seconds	60 seconds
6	Back extension	2-3	12-15	60 seconds

Workout 2 – Bench press and Accessory Exercises

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Bench press *	3-5	3-5	2-3 minutes
2	Paused bench press	3-4	6-8	2 minutes
3	Plyo push-up	3-4	10-12	90 seconds
4	Pull-up *	3-5	3-5	2-3 minutes
5	1-arm DB row	2-3	10-12	90 seconds
6	Triceps pushdown	2-3	10-12	90 seconds

Workout 3 – Deadlift and Accessory Exercises

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Deadlift *	3-5	3-5	2-3 minutes
2	Rack pull	3-4	6-8	2 minutes
3	Cable pull-through	3-4	10-12	90 seconds
4	Leg curl	3-4	10-12	90 seconds
5	Pallof press	2-3	10-12	90 seconds
6	Cable crunch	2-3	15-20	60 seconds

Conclusion

While slow, controlled reps are ideal for bodybuilding and general fitness, they are not the best way to develop maximal muscle power and strength. Because of the law of specificity, if you want to get faster and recruit as many muscle fibers as possible, you need to lift explosively.

The Olympic lifts allow you to do this, but the snatch and clean and jerk are hard to learn and often require hands-on coaching to master.

Compensatory acceleration training, or CAT, is much easier to learn and you can apply it to many different exercises. However, it’s strenuous, tiring, and not suitable for beginners.

Fred “Dr. Squat” Hatfield popularized this lifting method back in the early 1980s and yet many people have not heard of it. That’s a shame because, in terms of power-building bang for your buck, CAT is hard to beat. So, try it – I think you’ll like it!

References:

1. González-Badillo JJ, Rodríguez-Rosell D, Sánchez-Medina L, Gorostiaga EM, Pareja-Blanco F. Maximal intended velocity training induces greater gains in bench press performance than deliberately slower half-velocity training. Eur J Sport Sci. 2014;14(8):772-81. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2014.905987. Epub 2014 Apr 15. PMID: 24734902.

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