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SOME BASIC TRAINING TERMS DEFINED & the different types of Strengths that ALL lifters & athletes should try to improve upon.
<p><strong>SOME TERMS DEFINED & the different types of Strength:</strong></p><p>Lets defrine some of these terms real quick to make every talk about training as simple as possible.</p><p>In physics for Sport Science the Force-Velocity Curve is measured by these equations:</p><p><strong>Velocity = Distance / Time</strong></p><p><strong>Acceleration = dVelocity / dTime (change in velocity divided by change in time)</strong></p><p><strong>Force = Mass x Acceleration</strong></p><p><strong>Work = Force x Distance</strong></p><p><strong>Power = Work / Time</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>The Force-Velocity Curve:</strong></p><p>Is the relationship between force and velocity in a contracting muscle or isolated muscle fibre. In concentric contraction force is zero at maximum velocity and maximal at very low or at zero velocity (the latter being an isometric contraction). Between these extremes the <strong><em>force-velocity curve</em></strong> is approximately hyperbolic, as described by A.V. Hill in 1938. By contrast, in <strong>eccentric action,</strong> the form of the curve varies substantially between different muscles and in no case can it be adequately approximated mathematically. Thus in isolated, artificially stimulated muscles the force resisting extension rises well above the level in isotonic contraction as extension velocity increases, before falling off again at even higher velocities, but in intact muscles the resisting force is less than this, to the extreme that the knee extensors (presumably because they act at a joint which is vulnerable in the face of high gravitational stress) show an almost flat curve in untrained people, and only a modestly convex one in those who are strength trained. Commonly plotted with force on the ordinate and velocity on the abscissa, even though this might more properly be called the 'velocity-force' relation.</p><p>Turner (2011), in his review of the science and practice of periodization, describes periodization simply as “an optimal strategy for organizing S&C programs.” I believe that if people understand the force-velocity curve and base their training upon it, it is the simplest way to organize their programs optimally.</p><p><strong><strong>Force-velocity basics:</strong></strong></p><p>The force-velocity curve has an x and y axis. The y axis is the horizontal axis that denotes velocity, and the x axis is the vertical axis that denotes force. The curve itself is hyperbolic and shows an inverse relationship between force and velocity (e.g. the heavier the weight you lift (force), the slower you lift it (velocity); conversely, the lighter a weight, the faster you lift it). So different types of training occur on different parts of the force-velocity curve. As you go from high force, low velocity to low force, high velocity, you go from max strength work to strength-speed to power to speed-strength to speed.</p><p>So how does this help athletes? Well, it is agreed that a desired effect of training is to shift the force-velocity curve to the right (Zatsiorsky 2006) because in sport, speed kills. As you should know, the problem is that adaptations to training are specific in nature. In advanced athletes, if you train at one end of the force velocity curve, you will improve that part of the curve, but the other will decrease.</p><p>So what can we do? Train all the way along the force-velocity curve. You need to train all strength qualities at the same time, so you will adapt optimally. This brings us back to periodization. One principle of conjugate periodization is to move from general training to more specific training concurrently in waves. Strength is just general preparation whereas power and speed are more specific. So your periodization plan should travel from left to right down the force-velocity curve concurretly each week.</p><p>***</p><p><strong><strong><em>What are strength curves?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Most popular multi-joint exercises have a hard part of the exercise range of motion (ROM) and an easy part of the exercise ROM. For example, in the squat, a lifter will find that their strength at lift-off is low and their strength near to lock-out is high. When we draw a graph of the strength of the lifter against exercise ROM, this produces a “strength curve” (McMaster, 2009).</p><p><strong><strong><em>What is an ascending strength curve?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Most standing lower body lifts, including the deadlift, good morning, and lunge variations have a similar strength curve to the squat: they are hard to perform at the bottom of the lift and easy to perform at the top of the lift. We say that these exercises have “an ascending strength curve”.</p><p><strong><strong><em>Why do strength curves exist?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Lower body, multi-joint exercises involve the combined interaction of several angular joint movements (hip extension, knee extension, and plantar flexion) in order to produce a ground reaction force. This ground reaction force leads to a (roughly) linear, vertical motion of the barbell. The individual leg joint angles change over the course of the exercise ROM, which means that the distance between each joint and the barbell path changes throughout the exercise ROM. These changes have a big effect on the joint moments that need to be generated by the muscles. When the joints are a long way away from the vertical barbell path, the joint moment generated has to be very large. When the joints are close, the joint moment can be a lot smaller.</p><p>For example, during the squat and deadlift exercises, the hip joint starts around 20cm away from the vertical barbell path at the bottom of the lift but is around 6cm from the vertical barbell path at the top. So during the squat and deadlift exercises, the joint moments at the hip are very large at the bottom of the lift and much smaller at the top.</p><p><strong><strong><em>How do bands and chains change strength curves?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Bands and chains are typically added to a barbell during a compound movement in such a way that the easy part of the lift becomes harder. For bands, this generally means looping the band over the barbell from the floor (or under the bench or to DB's in the case of the bench press) so that the bands begin to stretch as the bar goes upwards and are most stretched at lockout.</p><p>Bands or chains can be added to any exercise, not just exercises with ascending strength curves. For example, chin ups, and hip thrusts don’t have dramatic strength curves, but bands and chains can still be utilized to stress the end range-of-motion of those lifts.</p><p><strong><strong><em>What is accommodating resistance?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Are tools used with training such as "Bands" along with "Chains" referred to in powerlifting as accomadating resistance. Many strength coaches use this technique as well as powerlifters. Teaches athlete to be explosive every rep and build speed-strength & strength-speed. Works by deloading at bottom and gets much heavier at top. Bands and chains are often added to a lower-body exercise like the squat, which has an ascending strength curve, in order to make the top part of the movement harder while keeping the bottom part the same difficulty. If this is achieved perfectly such that joint moments are identical at all points, the exercise set-up is created could then be termed “accommodating resistance”.</p><p><em><strong>What is variable resistance?</strong></em></p><p>In fitness, variable resistance refers to a type of weightlifting in which the amount of resistance that the weight applies will vary throughout the exercise's motion. As a result, the muscles must achieve a more consistent level of exertion to complete the lift and thus receive a more intense overall workout. In order to provide different amounts of resistance at different times, variable resistance exercises require complex machines designed specifically for this type of athletic training.</p><p>Despite what the name implies, variable resistance exercises actually provide a more constant resistance to the muscles that a particular exercise engages. For instance, when an athlete performs arm curls using traditional free weights, the amount of weight in his hands does not vary. However, as the angle of the arms changes, the amount of strain on the biceps does change. The biceps must work hardest at the beginning of the lift, but once the athlete has curled the arms to the final position, the biceps are doing almost no work at all.</p><p>Performing arm curls using a variable resistance machine will provide a constant resistance on the biceps even as the angle of the arms changes. The total amount of weight changes in order to compensate for the change in the position of the arms. As a result, the biceps get a more complete workout because they are under a constant resistance level.</p><p>The increased demand that variable resistance training puts on the targeted muscles makes this form of athletic training more effective than traditional free weight exercises for building muscle strength. The muscles have to work harder to perform a single repetition, so athletes do not have to perform as many repetitions of a lift in order to get the same benefit that they would get from more repetitions using free weights. Also, because the muscle must work throughout the entire range of motion, variable resistance training provides a more complete workout for various stabilizer muscles, which can improve overall athletic performance.</p><p>One drawback to variable resistance training is that it requires highly specialized equipment. The amount of weight must change throughout the exercise, so variable resistance machines must use an elaborate network of pulleys to make the proper adjustments. Also, because these machines compensate for the different angles of the body during an exercise, they must be specialized to a certain lift. An athlete can use a single set of dumbbells to perform a variety of exercises, but a variable resistance machine will enable the athlete to perform only one type of lift. To get a complete workout of the entire body would require the athlete to use several machines.</p><p> </p><p><strong>DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRENGTH:</strong></p><p><strong>Maximal Strength: </strong></p><p>Maximum or Absolute strength can be defined as the maximum load an athlete can complete through a full range of motion regardless of time. This is accomplished by using either the Maximal Effort or Sub Maximal Effort method of strength development. The maximal effort method consists of training the athlete for multiple sets at or above 90% for 1 to 3 repetitions per set. The sub maximal effort method is utilized for sets up to 6 reps at or above 80%. Most coaches will either utilize a 1,3, or 5 repetitions maximum to determine their athlete’s absolute strength levels. This method of development is crucial for optimal strength gains as well as improved neural coordination.</p><p><strong>Explosive Strength:</strong></p><p>Explosive strength can be defined, as the ability to move an external load to completion in the shortest period of time. This trait is trained through the Dynamic Effort Method. This method requires the athlete to utilize sub maximal loads and concentrate on maximum concentric acceleration. Utilizing the dynamic effort method increases the rate of force development and explosive strength but will do little to improve maximum strength. Dynamic Effort work is typically done for 6-12 sets of 1-3 repetitions between 35-75%. It should be noted that regardless of the bar speed the intent and effort of the athlete should be to move the load as fast as possible.</p><p><em>Different types of Explosive Strength:</em></p><p>1) Speed-Strength: The ability to move a submaximal weight at maximum speed or velocity.</p><p>2) Strength-Speed: The body’s ability to move a maximum or near-maximum load quickly or as fast as possible.</p><p>There have been a large number of people lately who have been using the terms “strength-speed” and “speed-strength” interchangeably. Unfortunately, this is incorrect. At its base, strength-speed means strength in conditions of <em>speed. </em>Speed-strength, on the other hand, means speed in conditions of <em>strength</em> (Ajan, 1988; Roman, 1986). What this essentially means is that strength-speed means that you move a heavy(er) weight as fast as you can. Typically, this is around 60% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at a specific velocity of .8-1.0m/s. In turn, speed-strength essentially means that you are trying to move as fast as you can, but your are moving a light(er) weight. Typically, this is around 25-40% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at 1.1-1.5m/s. Understanding these velocities and the difference between the two leads to specificity.</p><p>Strength-speed and speed-strength are two independent traits that can be developed separately. Might doing strength-speed work improve speed-strength? The answer is yes. Tudor Bompa stated that all strengths relate back to absolute strength, so getting stronger will improve all other traits (Bompa, 1963).</p><p><strong>Strength Endurance:</strong></p><p>Strength Endurance or Local Muscular Endurance (anaerobic) is the ability of a given muscle group to continuously generate peak (or optimum) force over a brief period of time. Strength Endurance can also be defined as the ability to move a sub maximal load continuously over a prescribe repetition value or time period. This is developed through the Modified Repeated Effort Method. This method is used to increase the athlete’s lean body mass [LBM] as well as work capacity. Generally, the athlete will perform sets for a prescribed number of repetitions (8-12) until there is a breakdown in technique. We prefer the athlete not to go to momentary muscular failure (the definition of the Repeated Effort Method). This would be a detriment in our goal of increasing work capacity. A simple goal is to choose a repetition scheme that allows the athlete to complete the set while still having 1 to 2 repetitions left in him.</p>
<p><strong>SOME TERMS DEFINED & the different types of Strength:</strong></p><p>Lets defrine some of these terms real quick to make every talk about training as simple as possible.</p><p>In physics for Sport Science the Force-Velocity Curve is measured by these equations:</p><p><strong>Velocity = Distance / Time</strong></p><p><strong>Acceleration = dVelocity / dTime (change in velocity divided by change in time)</strong></p><p><strong>Force = Mass x Acceleration</strong></p><p><strong>Work = Force x Distance</strong></p><p><strong>Power = Work / Time</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>The Force-Velocity Curve:</strong></p><p>Is the relationship between force and velocity in a contracting muscle or isolated muscle fibre. In concentric contraction force is zero at maximum velocity and maximal at very low or at zero velocity (the latter being an isometric contraction). Between these extremes the <strong><em>force-velocity curve</em></strong> is approximately hyperbolic, as described by A.V. Hill in 1938. By contrast, in <strong>eccentric action,</strong> the form of the curve varies substantially between different muscles and in no case can it be adequately approximated mathematically. Thus in isolated, artificially stimulated muscles the force resisting extension rises well above the level in isotonic contraction as extension velocity increases, before falling off again at even higher velocities, but in intact muscles the resisting force is less than this, to the extreme that the knee extensors (presumably because they act at a joint which is vulnerable in the face of high gravitational stress) show an almost flat curve in untrained people, and only a modestly convex one in those who are strength trained. Commonly plotted with force on the ordinate and velocity on the abscissa, even though this might more properly be called the 'velocity-force' relation.</p><p>Turner (2011), in his review of the science and practice of periodization, describes periodization simply as “an optimal strategy for organizing S&C programs.” I believe that if people understand the force-velocity curve and base their training upon it, it is the simplest way to organize their programs optimally.</p><p><strong><strong>Force-velocity basics:</strong></strong></p><p>The force-velocity curve has an x and y axis. The y axis is the horizontal axis that denotes velocity, and the x axis is the vertical axis that denotes force. The curve itself is hyperbolic and shows an inverse relationship between force and velocity (e.g. the heavier the weight you lift (force), the slower you lift it (velocity); conversely, the lighter a weight, the faster you lift it). So different types of training occur on different parts of the force-velocity curve. As you go from high force, low velocity to low force, high velocity, you go from max strength work to strength-speed to power to speed-strength to speed.</p><p>So how does this help athletes? Well, it is agreed that a desired effect of training is to shift the force-velocity curve to the right (Zatsiorsky 2006) because in sport, speed kills. As you should know, the problem is that adaptations to training are specific in nature. In advanced athletes, if you train at one end of the force velocity curve, you will improve that part of the curve, but the other will decrease.</p><p>So what can we do? Train all the way along the force-velocity curve. You need to train all strength qualities at the same time, so you will adapt optimally. This brings us back to periodization. One principle of conjugate periodization is to move from general training to more specific training concurrently in waves. Strength is just general preparation whereas power and speed are more specific. So your periodization plan should travel from left to right down the force-velocity curve concurretly each week.</p><p>***</p><p><strong><strong><em>What are strength curves?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Most popular multi-joint exercises have a hard part of the exercise range of motion (ROM) and an easy part of the exercise ROM. For example, in the squat, a lifter will find that their strength at lift-off is low and their strength near to lock-out is high. When we draw a graph of the strength of the lifter against exercise ROM, this produces a “strength curve” (McMaster, 2009).</p><p><strong><strong><em>What is an ascending strength curve?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Most standing lower body lifts, including the deadlift, good morning, and lunge variations have a similar strength curve to the squat: they are hard to perform at the bottom of the lift and easy to perform at the top of the lift. We say that these exercises have “an ascending strength curve”.</p><p><strong><strong><em>Why do strength curves exist?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Lower body, multi-joint exercises involve the combined interaction of several angular joint movements (hip extension, knee extension, and plantar flexion) in order to produce a ground reaction force. This ground reaction force leads to a (roughly) linear, vertical motion of the barbell. The individual leg joint angles change over the course of the exercise ROM, which means that the distance between each joint and the barbell path changes throughout the exercise ROM. These changes have a big effect on the joint moments that need to be generated by the muscles. When the joints are a long way away from the vertical barbell path, the joint moment generated has to be very large. When the joints are close, the joint moment can be a lot smaller.</p><p>For example, during the squat and deadlift exercises, the hip joint starts around 20cm away from the vertical barbell path at the bottom of the lift but is around 6cm from the vertical barbell path at the top. So during the squat and deadlift exercises, the joint moments at the hip are very large at the bottom of the lift and much smaller at the top.</p><p><strong><strong><em>How do bands and chains change strength curves?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Bands and chains are typically added to a barbell during a compound movement in such a way that the easy part of the lift becomes harder. For bands, this generally means looping the band over the barbell from the floor (or under the bench or to DB's in the case of the bench press) so that the bands begin to stretch as the bar goes upwards and are most stretched at lockout.</p><p>Bands or chains can be added to any exercise, not just exercises with ascending strength curves. For example, chin ups, and hip thrusts don’t have dramatic strength curves, but bands and chains can still be utilized to stress the end range-of-motion of those lifts.</p><p><strong><strong><em>What is accommodating resistance?</em></strong></strong></p><p>Are tools used with training such as "Bands" along with "Chains" referred to in powerlifting as accomadating resistance. Many strength coaches use this technique as well as powerlifters. Teaches athlete to be explosive every rep and build speed-strength & strength-speed. Works by deloading at bottom and gets much heavier at top. Bands and chains are often added to a lower-body exercise like the squat, which has an ascending strength curve, in order to make the top part of the movement harder while keeping the bottom part the same difficulty. If this is achieved perfectly such that joint moments are identical at all points, the exercise set-up is created could then be termed “accommodating resistance”.</p><p><em><strong>What is variable resistance?</strong></em></p><p>In fitness, variable resistance refers to a type of weightlifting in which the amount of resistance that the weight applies will vary throughout the exercise's motion. As a result, the muscles must achieve a more consistent level of exertion to complete the lift and thus receive a more intense overall workout. In order to provide different amounts of resistance at different times, variable resistance exercises require complex machines designed specifically for this type of athletic training.</p><p>Despite what the name implies, variable resistance exercises actually provide a more constant resistance to the muscles that a particular exercise engages. For instance, when an athlete performs arm curls using traditional free weights, the amount of weight in his hands does not vary. However, as the angle of the arms changes, the amount of strain on the biceps does change. The biceps must work hardest at the beginning of the lift, but once the athlete has curled the arms to the final position, the biceps are doing almost no work at all.</p><p>Performing arm curls using a variable resistance machine will provide a constant resistance on the biceps even as the angle of the arms changes. The total amount of weight changes in order to compensate for the change in the position of the arms. As a result, the biceps get a more complete workout because they are under a constant resistance level.</p><p>The increased demand that variable resistance training puts on the targeted muscles makes this form of athletic training more effective than traditional free weight exercises for building muscle strength. The muscles have to work harder to perform a single repetition, so athletes do not have to perform as many repetitions of a lift in order to get the same benefit that they would get from more repetitions using free weights. Also, because the muscle must work throughout the entire range of motion, variable resistance training provides a more complete workout for various stabilizer muscles, which can improve overall athletic performance.</p><p>One drawback to variable resistance training is that it requires highly specialized equipment. The amount of weight must change throughout the exercise, so variable resistance machines must use an elaborate network of pulleys to make the proper adjustments. Also, because these machines compensate for the different angles of the body during an exercise, they must be specialized to a certain lift. An athlete can use a single set of dumbbells to perform a variety of exercises, but a variable resistance machine will enable the athlete to perform only one type of lift. To get a complete workout of the entire body would require the athlete to use several machines.</p><p> </p><p><strong>DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRENGTH:</strong></p><p><strong>Maximal Strength: </strong></p><p>Maximum or Absolute strength can be defined as the maximum load an athlete can complete through a full range of motion regardless of time. This is accomplished by using either the Maximal Effort or Sub Maximal Effort method of strength development. The maximal effort method consists of training the athlete for multiple sets at or above 90% for 1 to 3 repetitions per set. The sub maximal effort method is utilized for sets up to 6 reps at or above 80%. Most coaches will either utilize a 1,3, or 5 repetitions maximum to determine their athlete’s absolute strength levels. This method of development is crucial for optimal strength gains as well as improved neural coordination.</p><p><strong>Explosive Strength:</strong></p><p>Explosive strength can be defined, as the ability to move an external load to completion in the shortest period of time. This trait is trained through the Dynamic Effort Method. This method requires the athlete to utilize sub maximal loads and concentrate on maximum concentric acceleration. Utilizing the dynamic effort method increases the rate of force development and explosive strength but will do little to improve maximum strength. Dynamic Effort work is typically done for 6-12 sets of 1-3 repetitions between 35-75%. It should be noted that regardless of the bar speed the intent and effort of the athlete should be to move the load as fast as possible.</p><p><em>Different types of Explosive Strength:</em></p><p>1) Speed-Strength: The ability to move a submaximal weight at maximum speed or velocity.</p><p>2) Strength-Speed: The body’s ability to move a maximum or near-maximum load quickly or as fast as possible.</p><p>There have been a large number of people lately who have been using the terms “strength-speed” and “speed-strength” interchangeably. Unfortunately, this is incorrect. At its base, strength-speed means strength in conditions of <em>speed. </em>Speed-strength, on the other hand, means speed in conditions of <em>strength</em> (Ajan, 1988; Roman, 1986). What this essentially means is that strength-speed means that you move a heavy(er) weight as fast as you can. Typically, this is around 60% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at a specific velocity of .8-1.0m/s. In turn, speed-strength essentially means that you are trying to move as fast as you can, but your are moving a light(er) weight. Typically, this is around 25-40% of a 1RM, and the bar moves at 1.1-1.5m/s. Understanding these velocities and the difference between the two leads to specificity.</p><p>Strength-speed and speed-strength are two independent traits that can be developed separately. Might doing strength-speed work improve speed-strength? The answer is yes. Tudor Bompa stated that all strengths relate back to absolute strength, so getting stronger will improve all other traits (Bompa, 1963).</p><p><strong>Strength Endurance:</strong></p><p>Strength Endurance or Local Muscular Endurance (anaerobic) is the ability of a given muscle group to continuously generate peak (or optimum) force over a brief period of time. Strength Endurance can also be defined as the ability to move a sub maximal load continuously over a prescribe repetition value or time period. This is developed through the Modified Repeated Effort Method. This method is used to increase the athlete’s lean body mass [LBM] as well as work capacity. Generally, the athlete will perform sets for a prescribed number of repetitions (8-12) until there is a breakdown in technique. We prefer the athlete not to go to momentary muscular failure (the definition of the Repeated Effort Method). This would be a detriment in our goal of increasing work capacity. A simple goal is to choose a repetition scheme that allows the athlete to complete the set while still having 1 to 2 repetitions left in him.</p>
