TABLE 3: EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES Type of strength

Pure strength CV endurance

Hypertrophy

Sets 3-6

3-4

Strength endurance 2-3 Power

3-8 4-6

Reps 5-10

15-30 10-20 1-4

15-30+

and myosin cross-bridges and thus an increase in force, plus an increase in number and size of myofibrils. There are several key aspects to

strength development.

Overload Work to

– 1-6 RM (rep max) for

“failure” with: strength and power – 7-14 RM for muscular endurance

– 15+ for CV endurance Adaptation

The gradual increases of the demands on the body cause it to mobilise its recovery resources and become adapted to the increased workload.

Specificity The systems stressed by the exercise programme are the only ones that will benefit from the training, so programmes need to reflect accurately the individual athlete’s objectives.

Reversibility All training effects are reversible, so the “use it or lose it” principle applies, if training does not continue to be intense enough or frequent enough, the effects will gradually decline.

Variation If training is to be followed over an extended period of time there needs to be variety in the training stimulus undertaken. These can include changes in volume and/or intensity, and are very important for optimal gains in strength. This is referred to as “periodisation.” Variation also helps avoid monotony, and a change of schedule also creates a new training stimulus.

Individuality There will always be individual differences between athletes; these can be age, sex, lifestyle, diet, other training stimului, hereditary factors, illness, injuries, and time or inclination

24 Intensity

75-90% 1RM 30-60% 1RM 40-70% 1RM 90-100%1RM 50-75% 1RM

Rest in mins 1-3

1

1-2 3+ 1-1

to rest from a number of these factors.

Periodisation This involves the long-term planning of training schedules in order to attain optimal performance to peak at a specific time for competitive athletes. When starting a strength training

programme it is important to follow the scheduled prepared by an appropriately qualified professional. Quite often sportsmen/women are tempted to by pass the introductory phase where the techniques of the exercises are learnt and basic strength acquired. This can be very counter-productive and can often lead to injury when ignored.

KEY POINT n Multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises are generally accepted as the most appropriate for developing strength and power for sports performance.

STRENGTH TRAINING TECHNIQUES The ‘clean’ The ‘clean’ exercise is one of the most fundamental, useful and important exercises to be learnt. It is a compound multi-joint exercise and is both an important exercise for developing leg strength and power and also for lifting the weight in order to undertake further exercises. The Clean is very important both as the initial step to lifting the weight for other exercises and as an exercise in its own right.

It

is an exercise which requires not only force to be applied but is also velocity- dependent, thus making it an ideal ‘power’ development tool for sports. It is a ‘whole body’ lift. It requires multiple joint movements and multiple muscle groups are recruited during the lift. As a complex lift it demands good technique and timing to complete the lift efficiently and effectively. It is a dynamic lift that requires not only speed and strength but also flexibility, agility, co-ordination, eccentric control and balance. It is

these latter qualities which makes the movement especially useful as a training movement for athletes in many sports. The lift entails two basic pulls, linked

by a transition phase. The first pull is from the floor to the knees and the second begins when the bar is at mid thigh. It re-accelerates the bar involving a triple extension of hip, knee and ankle. The movements are performed quickly, thus blending into one fast dynamic action. The whole dynamic exercise when perfected becomes one smooth powerful movement. It will develop muscle coordination and help promote good balance. To facilitate learning, a good instructor will break the sequence down into small manageable parts, and once the technique is perfected the lifter can concentrate on increasing speed and the amount of weight lifted. Beginners should first master the technique using a light bar or even a broomstick before adding weight and then progressively increase the load without ever compromising technique. The advice on the next page shows a ‘squat clean’ which is the technique used by weightlifters involving catching the bar in the full squat position, thus demanding a greater amount of all the performance qualities listed above. With lighter loads, however, the lift can be done with only a quarter squat under the bar in the catch phase. This is popularly called a ‘power clean’.

CONCLUSION

The information presented in this article should lead to an understanding of the terminology used by coaches and athletes and provide an outline of the types of strength, the principles of strength acquisition, and the routes taken by athletes to reach these goals.

USEFUL RESOURCES n British Weight Lifting Association

-

website www.bwla.co.uk n UK Strength and Conditioning Association – website www.uksca.org.uk

THE AUTHOR

Stephen Cluney is a member of the British Weight Lifting Association (BWLA) and a associate member of the UKSRA. He holds coaching qualifications in a number of

sports including, athletics and lacrosse. He was the head fitness coach and masseur to the England Team World Indoor Lacrosse Championships 2007.

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