STRENGTH TRAINING - PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

BY STEPHEN CLUNEY, MSMA L4, BWLA

BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING The more you become involved with athletes, the more you may find you are expected to contribute to an extensive rehabilitation process in order to return the athlete to full participation in their sport. In the April 2007 issue of sportEX medicine in Dr Philip Glasgow wrote “Due to the competitive nature of sport, the physiotherapist is under constant pressure to facilitate the safe return of the athlete in the shortest possible time”. This does not apply merely to elite performers, it includes those who partake in physical activity merely as a lifestyle choice. Indeed, the further you get from the elite level, the more likely it is to become a face to face discussion with the athlete themselves applying the pressure and not an external influence such as a coach or manager. This article is designed to offer an introduction to weight and strength training for the physical therapist with particular emphasis on the use of free weights so that therapists can hold an informed dialogue with their patients, coaches and team managers. My aim is to provide a background, starting from the basic level and in later articles, work towards the advanced concept of “complex training.” There are of course, alternative exercises using weight training machines but the choice of specifically designed equipment is so great that it would be difficult to offer all the viable alternatives. Most gyms will offer introductory sessions in the use and effects of their own individual

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The objective of this article is to allow therapists to hold an informed dialogue with patients, coaches and managers on the subject of strength training. Patients without a background in strength training, especially if free weights are to be used, are advised to seek appropriately qualified instructors. The use of the 1 rep max concept as a base starting position for a programme is explained, together with an explanation of weight training terminology and the principals of strength development. The use of the ‘power clean’ exercise is discussed and demonstrated.

equipment. If in doubt: ask!

Box 1 shows the benefits of weight training. An athlete or coach needs to decide which of these they seek most, in order to target the type of resistance training they need to undertake to achieve the desired results. This includes many of the components required during the rehabilitative process.

The first priority is to ensure that

if your client does not have a free weights background and wishes to start using weights for rehabilitation or

BOX 1: THE BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

n Improve strength n Improve endurance n Improve aerobic fitness n Improve flexibility and mobility n Help body weight control n Improve shape and posture n Reduce body fat n Rehabilitation n Improve co-ordination n Psychological benefits n Increase power n Increase speed n Prevention of sports injuries

strength acquisition, they should seek an appropriately qualified instructor to teach the basics. There are two good sources, firstly the British Weight Lifting Association (see Resources) and secondly the UK Strength and Conditioning Association. Both associations accredit coaches and strength training specialists with the UKSCA coaches often being employed by the various home nation Institutes of Sport and by national governing bodies in the development of performance and the later stages of rehabilitation following injury.

Before looking at specific weight lifting techniques we need to examine the effects of different sessions and in particular understand one of the most widely used concepts, the 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Understanding the term 1RM is essential in order to understand the way the majority of weight training schedules are constructed and written. For any exercise being learnt, a lifter will undertake a session by which he establishes the maximum weight he can lift in one given repetition before failure to lift a heavier lift, this becomes the 1RM for that particular exercise.

sportEX dynamics 2008;17(Jul):22-25