Research

Mixed

Using velocity loss (VL) thresholds to prescribe or monitor resistance training volume for free-weight back squats is flawed and should not be used because the relationship between velocity loss and repetitions completed to failure lacks stability and predictive validity across sessions.

Do not use velocity loss thresholds to determine how many reps to perform in free-weight back squats. The relationship between how fast you move and how many reps you can do is too unstable from session to session to be useful for programming. Stick to traditional methods like RPE or fixed rep ranges.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
The findings question the utility of using general and individual VL-%repetitions relationships to prescribe training volume with free-weight back squats as (1) the agreement in the %repetitions completed until reaching a given velocity loss threshold across two consecutive testing sessions was unacceptable, regardless of the load used; and (2) the ability of general and individual VL-%repetitions relationships to predict %repetitions in a subsequent testing session were poor (absolute errors > 10%).
Ivan Jukić et al. · European Journal of Applied Physiology · 2023

Why this rating

Test-retest design with resistance-trained participants, but limited to one exercise (back squat) and specific loads.

Source

Velocity loss is a flawed method for monitoring and prescribing resistance training volume with a free-weight back squat exercise

Ivan Jukić et al. · European Journal of Applied Physiology · 2023

DOI 10.1007/s00421-023-05155-x

crossover · n=46Cited 18×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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