Velocity Based Training (VBT) has gone from being an elite-level tool to something increasingly accessible to personal trainers and strength coaches. The reason is simple: measuring bar speed during strength exercises gives you information that the weight on the bar alone can't.

In this guide, I'll explain what it is, why it matters, and how to apply it with your clients.

Why does speed matter more than weight?

The same weight on the bar can represent very different intensities on different days. An athlete squatting 100 kg:

On a good day: moves the bar at 0.75 m/s → roughly 75% of their 1RM
On a fatigued day: moves the same bar at 0.55 m/s → roughly 85-90% of their 1RM

The weight is identical. The actual demand on the nervous and muscular systems is completely different.

Movement velocity is the most direct indicator of an athlete's neuromuscular state at any given moment.

Velocity zones and their relationship to intensity

Research from Dr. Juan José González-Badillo and his team at URJC has established fairly consistent velocity ranges for the main strength exercises:

Bench press (m/s)

Velocity (m/s)	Estimated % 1RM	Goal
> 1.00	< 50%	Power / activation
0.80-1.00	50-60%	Power-strength
0.60-0.80	60-70%	High-velocity hypertrophy
0.40-0.60	70-80%	Hypertrophy
0.25-0.40	80-90%	Maximal strength
< 0.25	> 90%	High-intensity maximal strength

Full squat (m/s)

Velocity (m/s)	Estimated % 1RM	Goal
> 1.20	< 50%	Power
1.00-1.20	50-60%	Power-strength
0.80-1.00	60-70%	Strength-power
0.60-0.80	70-80%	Hypertrophy
0.40-0.60	80-90%	Maximal strength
< 0.40	> 90%	High-intensity maximal strength

"Velocity loss" as a fatigue indicator

One of the most practical uses of VBT is tracking the percentage of velocity loss between the first and last rep of a set.

Speed drops as fatigue increases. Different loss percentages produce different adaptations:

< 10% loss: neuromuscular stimulation, power, very low fatigue
10-20% loss: balance between hypertrophy and strength
20-30% loss: hypertrophy with higher metabolic fatigue
> 30% loss: muscular failure, high accumulated fatigue

This means you can stop using muscular failure as the only marker of "enough" intensity.

What equipment do I need?

Linear encoders (the traditional option)

Devices like the GymAware, PUSH Band, or Vitruve (made in Spain) provide very precise measurements. The catch: prices range from €300 to €2,000.

Video analysis apps (an accessible alternative)

Apps like Movalytics use your phone's camera to estimate bar speed through AI-powered motion analysis. The accuracy doesn't match a reference linear encoder, but for everyday use by a personal trainer — where the goal is tracking trends rather than lab-grade measurement — it's more than enough.

Dr. González-Badillo himself points out that exact precision matters less than consistency in measurements: if you always use the same system, the data is comparable across sessions.

A protocol to estimate 1RM without testing to failure

One of the biggest benefits of VBT is being able to estimate 1RM safely:

Perform 1-3 reps with submaximal loads (60%, 70%, 80% of estimated 1RM)
Record the mean propulsive velocity for each load
Project the load-velocity curve down to the exercise's minimum velocity threshold (~0.17-0.30 m/s depending on the exercise)
The projected load at that point is the estimated 1RM

Advantages over a traditional 1RM test:

Safer (you never actually reach true maximum)
Less fatiguing (can be done at the start of a session)
Tracks 1RM progress session by session

How to integrate VBT into your daily practice

You don't need to use VBT on every exercise or with every client. A practical starting point:

Exercises where it makes the most sense:

Squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press
Snatch, clean, and Olympic variations

Clients who benefit the most:

Performance athletes with power and strength goals
People with high day-to-day variability in readiness

Minimum viable protocol:

Measure the velocity of the first rep of each set
If velocity is lower than expected → reduce the load that day
Record velocity loss at the end of the set
Use this data to adjust volume and load week by week

Conclusion

Velocity Based Training isn't a fad: it's a more precise and objective way to control strength training intensity. And thanks to today's accessible tools, it's no longer exclusive to elite teams.

If you're a personal trainer or strength coach and you're still not measuring bar speed, you're making programming decisions with incomplete information.

Bar Speed Training: How to Control Optimal Training Load Without Expensive Encoders