Understanding Strength Part 2 - What Is Strength?
What is strength?
Definitions of strength:
The quality or state of being strong
Physical capacity for exertion or endurance
The ability to resist force
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), muscular strength is the maximal force a muscle or muscle group can exert during a contraction. But there are other factors that affect how strong you are and how much strength you have to complete daily tasks or exercises. ACE provides definitions for these terms that are related to muscular strength:
Max Strength - Max strength is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert maximal force against resistance. Max strength can be measured based on the amount of weight lifted for a single rep; this is referred to as a one-rep max, or 1RM. Powerlifting is a good example of max strength.
Power - Power is the ability to move the most amount of weight with maximum speed. Being strong does not always translate to being powerful. Strength and power are often confused, but the main difference between the two is the speed at which movements are executed.
Strength is expressed by slower, controlled movements, for example, a heavy squat performed at a slow speed. Power is moving relatively heavy weight as fast as possible - power is explosiveness! Power sports include Olympic weightlifting, track and field, boxing and MMA, rugby and ice hockey.
Muscular Endurance - Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert sub-maximal force against resistance for an extended period of time. Often the resistance is the body itself. When we train for endurance we train our muscles to use oxygen more efficiently and fatigue less quickly, so you can go further for longer. Endurance sports include distance cycling and running, track and field, swimming, skiing and rowing.
Frequently, different sports will require a combination of the above athletic qualities, for example:
A distance runner who primarily requires endurance, will also require strong legs, glutes and core to assist in maintaining efficient posture and running technique throughout the race. A cross country or fell runner requires the strength to ascend and descend gradients on uneven ground.
A boxer or MMA fighter requires the ability to continually exert explosive power, but also the endurance to sustain themselves into the later rounds.
A rugby player requires the strength and power to generate force in a scrum or tackle, but also the speed and endurance to sprint to the goal line for the duration of the game.
TRAINING
There are countless methods and programs to train for max strength, power and muscular endurance, however, all of them are based on progressive resistance training, the variation in each being weight, number of reps, rep speed (tempo), number of sets and rest periods.
A rough guide for each is listed below.
MAX STRENGTH
Reps: 1-5
Weight: 85-100% of 1RM
Sets: 3-6
Rest Period: 2-5 minutes
POWER
Reps: 1-5
Weight: 40-85% of 1RM
Sets: 3-10 (more sets will require fewer reps)
Rest Period: 1-3 minutes
ENDURANCE
Reps: 15-25
Weight: 20-70% of 1RM
Sets: 2-3
Rest Period: 30-90 seconds
Remember, there is no single BEST rep range or training protocol. Training is sport or goal specific, not a one-size-fits-all. Your individual training program should reflect individual requirements or demands of your sport. Consult a coach or personal trainer to get help assessing your strength, power and muscular endurance. A trainer can also help you set reasonable goals and provide you with a training plan for reaching them.
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