I agree with the majority of your post; I’ve always thought it best to hit as many possible points on the force/time curve as possible. But there is some truth to the specific load being used when improving power endurance. Those training for combine-like tests for bench press know that you need a lot of reps around the weight you’ll be tested at. If testing at 225, you should have a majority of you reps in the 205 to 245 range.
However, as you pointed out, even when training for an endurance test it would be best to spend the least amount of time required to build that endurance, and the remainder of that time building limit strength. A 405 bencher will outperform a 315 bencher in the 225MR test almost everytime, regardless of power endurance issues.
And as your quote at the end mentioned, none of this is new. Training becomes more specific and focused as the plan progresses.
Star:
I don’t know why Carl quoted me at the end. I am sure their others that have pointed this out. The problem as I see it, is we get stuck in a numbers game and I know Vern blogged about the numbers game topic a while back, Endurance is a by product of the cumulative effect of training we gain more endurance the longer we train. Maximum Strength and Power while certainly affected by cumulative training have a bit of variance to them while endurance either stays baseline or increases. I think Carl hit the nail on the head when he discussed someone starting their PE sessions 5 weeks out. Why? PE should be thought of an integral part of each training cycle or session. If you are training your athletes properly their test numbers should improve throughout the season as well as their performances. If you are an MMA or Boxing athlete, your max power is going to take a hit by that 5th week of the sole concentration on PE which in most cases won’t be specific enough to provide the endurance benefits they desired in the first place. If you don’t have the PE to keep punches and kicks at 75% of max power into the 2rd round of an MMA fight 5 weeks out from competition why waste 5 weeks of training on the possibility of the fight going into the 2nd or 3rd rounds?