THE FORCE-VELOCITY CURVE: WHERE DO YOU ACTUALLY SIT?
Every athlete sits somewhere on the Force-Velocity Curve. Most do not know where. That position determines exactly how you should train — and most programmes ignore it completely.
The Force-Velocity Curve is one of the most important concepts in athletic performance. It is also one of the most ignored.
The concept is straightforward: as the speed of a muscular contraction increases, the force it can produce decreases. This is a fundamental property of muscle physiology. You cannot produce maximum force at maximum velocity. The two exist in opposition.
But here is what matters: every athlete has a different profile on this curve. And that profile determines exactly how you should train.
THE TWO EXTREMES
On one end of the curve sits the Force-Dominant athlete. Strong. Powerful in slow, heavy movements. Can grind through a heavy squat. But relatively slow. Their stretch-shortening cycle is underdeveloped.
On the other end sits the Velocity-Dominant athlete. Fast. Reactive. Excellent RSI. But limited maximal strength. They move quickly but cannot generate force over a wide range.
Neither extreme is optimal. The goal is balance — a profile that allows both high force expression and high velocity.
WHERE BOXING ATHLETES TYPICALLY FALL
Most boxing athletes trend velocity-dominant. The sport demands fast, reactive movement — and years of practice reinforce this. But many carry a significant strength deficit.
This matters because the most powerful punch is not the fastest punch. It is the punch that combines force and velocity most efficiently — which requires both qualities to be developed.
At REAX, we use Peak Power testing, RSI assessment, and force-platform data to map each athlete's position on the curve. This determines the training split between strength-dominant and velocity-dominant work.
WHY GENERIC PROGRAMMES FAIL
A generic programme does not know where you are on the curve. It applies the same stimulus to every athlete. A force-dominant athlete doing high-volume plyometrics and a velocity-dominant athlete doing heavy strength work would both benefit more from working on their weakness.
Without knowing the curve, you are guessing.
With the data, you are prescribing.
HOW REAX USES THIS
At each checkpoint, we re-assess your position. Training loads are adjusted based on whether you are moving toward or away from balance. The target profile shifts depending on the competition schedule and training phase.
This is what sports science looks like in practice. Not theory. Not trends. Data, applied with precision.