STRENGTH Q&A

What is strength?

Strength is the ability to produce force against an external resistance. One gets stronger by applying more force against an object that is increasingly more resistant to being moved. The object we use to do this is the barbell. We make the barbell more resistant to being moved by making it heavier. We use natural human movement patterns such as the squat, press, bench press and deadlift, and perform them through the full effective range of motion to do this. That’s really all there is to it.

What are the benefits of strength training?

When we effectively train for strength as our primary adaptation, we design our programming in a way that takes advantage of something called the “stress, recovery and adaptation cycle.” We apply an effective “stress” to the body in the form of lifting a heavy weight. Then we rest, we eat, we sleep and recover from this event. When we recover, we adapt. Our muscle fibers increase in both size and number. Our connective tissues become more resistant. Our bone density increases. Our neurological system responds and adapts as well. Our balance, stability, aerobic endurance, cardiovascular capacity and psychological confidence all improve as we increase our physical capacity to produce force.

How does programming work?

The key component of an effective strength program, is having a standard by which our performance can be quantified and by adding weight to the bar each time we train. Our standard for training requires that we perform the prescribed exercises in a controlled manner, through a full range of effective motion. We do this for a clear number of reps and sets. Then we rest. We eat well and sleep well and allow our body to adapt to what we have done. The next time we train we do the same thing only we add a little more weight to the bar. This is usually an increase of only 2.5 to 5 lbs. We perform our lifts with this slightly heavier weight and observe the strength adaptation that has occured. You have lifted more weight than last time. You are now stronger than you we before. This process of adding a little more weight each time one trains is a program model commonly referred to a “progressive overload.” It has demonstrated itself to be the most effective and consistent method for developing general physical strength in the broadest demographic of people.

Why emphasize strength, as opposed to some other goal?

Building strength is the goal, but training with a clear goal does not necessarily mean achieving only a single effect - with increasing strength comes greater muscle mass, reductions in body fat and improvement to one’s cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory capacity. Training for strength promotes increases in muscular endurance, bone density, joint stability, balance, coordination, and effective range of motion.

With greater strength your body can more effectively build muscle mass. With greater muscle mass your body can more efficiently burn fat. Increases in strength, muscle mass, cardiovascular efficiency, fat loss—these are all interrelated.

Increased physical strength promotes enhancement in sport performance and recreational activity. It also tends to have an especially profound effect on one’s general confidence, sense of personal fulfillment and overall happiness in life. When one becomes stronger, the physical and mental demands of one’s daily experiences strangely become significantly less demanding. Not to mention building strength is important to maintaining physical independence into old age.

What about form, technique and conditioning?

“Form” can be described as the voluntary sustainment of effective muscle tension relationships, across the relevant joints involved in a determined movement pattern. “Good“ form is that which demonstrates efficiency, allowing for the least amount of energy lost in the effort.

“Technique” is what is expressed when “form” is correct, and is what allows it to be maintained as the intensity of the weight moved approaches maximal efforts. Technique is achieved through the application of skill.

“Conditioning” is a process that develops one’s ability to maintain effective form while in a fatigued state. Effective conditioning occurs when one is able to implement their “technique” in order to maintain correct “form” while performing in a fatigued state. If one does not perform physical movement well, one is not training to perform well.

What about nutrition? What the hell do I eat?

Deficit and surplus. Get used to these terms. Whether the goal be to improve health, lose weight or support sport performance, the biggest challenge people usually face when trying to improve their diet is the overwhelming amount of information available on the subject, especially when sources often conflict with one another. Sometimes a person who is overweight is actually not eating enough. Sometimes a person who has just started working out at a gym will initially gain weight in the first week rather than lose it. Many people are in serious need of increasing the amount of protein in their diet, others might severally be lacking carbohydrates which is reflected in a lack of energy to even exercise in the first place. The question of optimizing nutrition is multifaceted, with many correct answers. The thing you can count on is that regardless of your training goals, the path to optimizing one’s nutrition is not a hard thing to plan if given the proper guidance.