Principles of Strength

🚨Strength training principles💪🏻🚨

What are the key components of a successful strength workout? What are the benefits to strength training, and how does one improve maximal strength? These are questions many people may consider, but do not focus on enough during the workout. Random choice of weight, reps, exercises, and several other factors yield only random effects if any.

Max strength: What is the absolute load one is able to lift for a given exercise.

General strength training: Various forms of resistance exercises performed to promote general health, fitness, strength, and/or performance

It’s important to distinguish maximal strength from strength training, as the training regimens are different and have much different goals in mind

One training for maximal strength such as a strongman, powerlifter, or general athlete would want to utilize exercise variations to maximize potential load. This would entail selecting weight in a low range of 1-5 reps, in which the final rep(s) is/are difficult to perform. One would then take large breaks (at least 3 mins) in order to allow regeneration of ATP, the body’s major energy source. In this scenario, volume is relatively low to keep the focus on an environment optimal for lifting as much weight as possible.

General strength training categorizes any exercise intended to challenge the body, and elicit some change. Changes/benefits include increasing neuromuscular efficiency, bone mineral density, balance, muscle cross section, aerobic capacity, & several other adaptations. In order to make any of these changes, the body must be challenged outside of normal capacity. This means, for example, if one wishes to increase bone mineral density, loads must exceed normal in order to force the body to build more bone. If the exercises performed are not sufficiently challenging, the body detects no stressor and will not perceive any need for favorable change.

People of all ages and lifestyles would benefit from some form of strength training, but it is important to consider what one’s specific goal is, and what one should do to achieve that goal 💪🏻