Flywheel Romanian Deadlift: Intra- and Inter-Day Kinetic and Kinematic Reliability of Four Inertial Loads Using...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science and Biomechanics
• Strength and Conditioning
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Flywheel training offers variable resistance, beneficial for power development.
• Cluster set protocols aim to optimize training volume and recovery.
• Attentional focus (internal vs. external) can influence motor skill acquisition and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the intra- and inter-day reliability of flywheel cluster set training for concentric power (CON), eccentric power (ECC), and ECC overload during the Romanian deadlift (RDL).
• To assess the acute effects of internal versus external attentional focus instructions on mean power output during flywheel RDL.
• To compare familiarization rates and performance stability between internal and external focus groups.

Main Methods:

• Fourteen male field sport athletes performed flywheel RDLs across four sessions separated by 7 days.
• Training involved four cluster sets of fifteen repetitions (4 × (5 + 5 + 5)) with 45s intra-set rest at varying inertial loads.
• Athletes were randomized into internal or external attentional focus groups.

Main Results:

• Flywheel RDL cluster set training demonstrated reliability in maintaining mean power output.
• The external attentional focus group achieved familiarization faster (post-session 2) with lower performance variability (CV% = 4.61-9.59).
• The internal focus group exhibited greater inconsistencies and significant differences in mean power across sessions and inertial loads.

Conclusions:

• Flywheel Romanian deadlift cluster set training is a reliable method for sustaining mean power output.
• External attentional focus enhances familiarization and performance stability in flywheel RDL compared to internal focus.
• The findings suggest that attentional focus significantly impacts training adaptation and reliability in flywheel exercises.