Why Bar Speed Matters More Than You Think

By Coach Dan — Tri-State Training | Mindset. Movement. Memorable.

For a long time, strength training has lived in a fairly rigid framework: percentages, maxes, and numbers on the bar. While those tools still matter, they don’t always tell the full story of what an athlete is capable of on a given day. That’s where bar speed has quietly become one of the most useful tools in my coaching toolbox (www.gymaware.com)—not as a replacement for good programming, but as a way to make smarter decisions in real time.

Bar Speed as a Window Into Readiness

Bar speed became meaningful for me when I stopped thinking about it as “tech” and started using it as feedback. It gives us insight into how recovered an athlete actually is—not how they say they feel, or how they look walking into the gym, but how their body is responding to load in that moment.

A simple example: an athlete has back squats programmed for three reps, and the target bar speed is around 0.45 m/s. That speed becomes the goal of the set—not the weight itself. If the athlete is moving the bar faster than expected while maintaining solid mechanics, that tells us something important. It tells us they’re recovered enough to push. On days like that, we can allow the athlete to keep building load as long as speed and quality stay where they need to be.

On the flip side, if speed drops earlier than expected, it’s a signal—not a failure. It tells us fatigue is present, even if the athlete feels mentally ready to grind. Instead of forcing percentage-based work that day, we can adjust and still get a productive session in without digging a deeper hole.

Moving Away From Percentage Obsession—Temporarily

When I introduce bar speed to athletes who are deeply tied to percentages and max numbers, I intentionally remove those metrics from the conversation for the session. The goal becomes simple: move well and move fast within the parameters of the lift.

This shift can be freeing. Athletes stop worrying about what they’re “supposed” to hit and start focusing on execution. Speed becomes the guide. If mechanics are sound and bar speed is appropriate, the weight is appropriate. If not, we adjust. That’s it.

It’s not about abandoning percentages forever—it’s about choosing the right tool for the right moment.

What Bar Speed Reveals That the Eye Can’t Always Catch

A coach’s eye still matters. A lot. But bar speed can reveal fatigue and readiness in ways that aren’t always obvious. An athlete can walk in motivated, energized, and ready to train—but still be under-recovered neurologically or physically.

Bar speed gives us objective feedback to balance that enthusiasm. It doesn’t replace coaching intuition; it supports it. It helps us confirm or challenge what we think we’re seeing and gives us a more complete picture of what the athlete can handle that day.

Who Bar Speed Is (and Isn’t) For

Velocity-based training isn’t for everyone at every stage.

For youth athletes and newer lifters, mechanics come first. If an athlete isn’t moving well yet, speed doesn’t matter. Until positions are consistent and technique is reliable, bar speed data doesn’t add much value. At that stage, the focus should be on learning how to move correctly under control.

Where bar speed really shines is with experienced athletes—especially those balancing training with real life. Competitive lifters with full-time jobs, physical labor, or high stress benefit greatly from speed-based guidance. Instead of guessing whether today should be a push or a pull-back, we can use speed as the filter. It takes emotion out of the decision and replaces it with usable information.

The Most Common Mistake: Chasing Speed at the Cost of Quality

The biggest trap I see—one I fell into early on—is turning bar speed into a game. Athletes try to squat faster at all costs. Coaches start rewarding speed without context. That’s when problems show up.

Speed should never come at the expense of position, technique, or safety. If an athlete is cutting depth, losing posture, or rushing through poor movement just to hit a number, we’ve missed the point. Bar speed is a constraint, not a challenge. It’s there to support long-term progress, not create short-term wins.

The Bigger Picture

Bar speed isn’t about lifting lighter or avoiding hard work. It’s about lifting smarter. Used correctly, it helps athletes train hard on days they’re ready to push and back off when their body needs it—without guessing, without ego, and without unnecessary risk.

In the long run, that’s what keeps athletes healthy, consistent, and improving. And that’s why bar speed matters more than most people think.