Training for strength

I was asked to give a presentation today for my co-workers.  The subject was training for strength. There are many ways to train for strength but I have found that some ways are far more effective than others.  The following is a paraphrased version of what I presented.
 

TRAINING FOR STRENGTH

“Strength is the foundation for development of the rest of the physical qualities” (Matveyev, 1964)

Strength Training Guidelines:

1.       Limit the repetitions to five or less  

2.       Do not train to failure

3.       Develop your “strength skill”

4.       Manage your fatigue

Limit the repetitions to five or less:  There are some exceptions to this rule, but in general,  strength is most efficiently built in the 1-5 rep range with moderately heavy to heavy weights.  As the reps get higher (with a heavy weight) it is harder for the stabilizers to keep up with the prime movers.  In exercises like the squat and the deadlift you do not want to risk the stabilizers, the abdominals and erector muscles, giving out first. Keeping the reps lower also helps you to maximize your tension and force development  because you do not have to worry about conserving energy for high reps.

Do not train to failure:  Training to failure may have a place in bodybuilding but Power lifters, Olympic lifters, and many other strength athletes avoid it unless they are testing their max.  Strength development is highly dependent on motor learning and if you take your sets to failure you are effectively strengthening the muscles reflex to shut down during high tension.  Train to succeed, not to fail.  It is also unsafe to train to failure with big compound exercise. 

Develop your “strength skill”:  Being strong is about more than just muscle.  It is about learning to recruit as much muscle as possible, coordinating the actions of both the agonists and antagonist muscles so the create a synergistic movement.  It is also about strengthening neural pathways so you can access more of your existing muscle.  In order to get the most out of your strength training you need to “practice” it, not just workout.  This requires focus and attention to detail.

Manage your fatigue:  “It’s not practice that makes perfect, its perfect practice that makes perfect”            –Vince Lombardi.  If you are training too heavy or not getting enough rest in between sets you can hinder the quality of your training.  If you are treating your strength as a skill it would not make sense to practice until your form falls apart.  That would be like a pianist practicing so much that they can’t even hit the right keys any more.  You must manage the fatigue so that quality is preserved.  One way to do this is to rest 2-5 minutes on your big lifts. Some power lifters actually rest up to 10 minutes.  You do not need to do this on every exercise, just the ones you want to prioritize.  Not training to failure is another way to manage your fatigue. This allows you to lift relatively heavy weights without as much burn out.

SAMPLE STRENGTH PROGRAMS

5/3/2: This is one of the best strength programs for people who would like to increase their strength but still have enough energy for other goals.  Endurance athletes, fighters who need to stay in a certain weight class, and weight loss clients may benefit from this style.

- Chose 1-4 lifts, do not add more if you are working other qualities besides strength

-Start with a weight that is approximately your 10 rep max

-Perform 5 reps, rest 1-3 minutes, perform 3 reps, rest 1-3 minutes, perform 2 reps, done

-Add 10lbs every session for lower body lifts and 5 lbs for upper body lifts

-Do this program 2-3 times per week

-When you can no longer add 5-10 lbs per session reduce the weight by 60% and start the cycle over

5/4/3/2/1: This program is a little more taxing on the body, you can still work other qualities besides strength while on this program but you may need to cut back on the volume and intensity.  This program is good for those who want to gain strength quickly.

-Choose 1-5 lifts that you want to emphasize

-Start with a weight that is your 10 rep max

-Perform 5 reps, rest 1-5 minutes, add weight, perform 4 reps, rest 1-5 minutes, add weight, perform 3 reps, rest 1-5 minutes, add weight, perform 2 reps, rest 1-5 minutes, add weight, perform 1 rep, done

-Add 2.5-5lbs every set for upper body lifts and 10-20lbs every set for lower body lifts. These weight jumps are not set in stone, for stronger clients you may need bigger weight jumps in between sets.

-Do this program 1-3 times per week

-Add 5-10 lbs to the starting weight every session

-When you can no longer add weight than reduce to weight to 60% for your next session and start over

Example: deadlift, 225lbs x 5 reps, 245lbs x 4 reps, 265lbs x 3 reps, 285lbs x 2 reps, 305lbs x 1 rep

Next session, 235 x 5, 255 x 4, 275 x 3, 295 x 2, 315 x 1

5 X 5: This program was first made famous by body builder Reg Park (he was Arnold’s Idol growing up). It is a good way to add size and strength. It does not combine well with other goals so you will have to cut back drastically on other things if you want consistent results.

-Choose 3-6 lifts

-Start with a weight that is your 10 rep max

-Perform 5 sets of 5 reps with 1-2 minutes of rest in between sets

-Do this program 2-3 times per week (traditionally it was done with 3 full body sessions per week)

-Add 5lbs per session for upper body lifts and 10lbs for lower body

-Limit or cut out extra activity

-Eat a lot

Today's workout:

1. Weighted chin ups

-47.5lbs x 5

-72.5lbs x 4

-92.5lbs x 3

-117.5lbs x 2

-140lbs x 1

-body weight x 12

2.  Barbell military press

-105lbs x 5

-115lbs x 4

-125lbs x 3

-135lbs x 2

-145lbs x1

-105lbs x 10

3. Pistol Squat (1 leg squat)

-3 sets of 3

-3 sets of 2

4. Deadlift

-245 x 5

-265 x 4

-285 x 3

-305 x 2

-325 x 1

5.Bare foot jogging for 15 minutes

The weights are still feeling very manageable. I think in a few weeks after I slowly build up I am going to hit some new personal records!