Week 8 Maximum Strength Training And Concurrent Training Flashcards
What is maximum strength?
• “The peak force that the neuromuscular system is able to produce during a single maximal voluntary muscle contraction, irrespective of the time of force development”
Doesn’t look fast
Moving large mode so slow velocity of movement
↑ Absolute strength
(max strength irrespective of body mass)
↑ Relative strength
(max strength relative to body mass)
Neuromuscular adaptations to max strength training
Changes to the muscle- tendon unit (MTU) muscular
Neuro
Increase in intermuscular coordination
Increase in voluntary activation
Improvement in technique
Adaptations come from the neuroal system first system
Joint torques (rotational forces) are generated more efficiently.
The exercise is performed more efficiently.
Add to one rep max
Driven by nervou system
More of the force-producing capacity of the muscle is used.
Intermuscular coordination
The ability of agonist, synergist, antagonist and stabiliser muscles to work together in the execution of movements
➢ Appropriate magnitude and timings of muscle force generation
Free weights vs machines
Free weights - synergist muscles also used
Motor unit recruitment and synchronisation (intramuscular coordination)
Overall muscle force produced is related to both the number and type of motor units recruited in an action
➢ Novice lifters recruit smaller numbers of motor units and with periods of strength training recruit more, leading to increased muscle force production
➢ Preferential recruitment of higher order (fast twitch) motor units can be achieved exercises that require near maximal force output
➢ Increased force production also results from better synchronisation of motor unit recruitment
Ratecoding
The rate at which neural impulses are transmitted to muscle fibres
➢ An increase in motor unit firing frequency will augment the magnitude of the force generated by a muscle
➢ If the frequency of nerve impulses is high enough, a fused tetanic contraction occurs and force production is greater
Higher the frequency higher the resultant force
Muscle fibre type
Preferential recruitment of type II muscle fibres
➢ Periods of max strength training may ↓ no. of type IIX (very fast) and ↑ type IIA (moderately fast) muscle fibres (Adams, Hather, Baldwin, & Dudley, 1993; Anderson &
Aagard, 2000)
➢ Shift in fibre subtype is compensated for by preferential hypertrophy of type II fibres and overall ↑ contractile strength of muscle fibres (Aagard, 2004; Fry, 2004)
All changes are reversible
Tendonstiffness&size
Heavy loading leads to preferential tendon adaptations
➢ Tendon stiffness and proximal/distal CSA increases (Kongsgaard et al. 2007)
➢ Increased tendon CSA and tendon stiffness will decrease tendon stress and strain for any given magnitude of tensile loading, and may therefore reduce the risk of overload injuries (Ker et al. 1988)
(Kongsgaard et al. 2007
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Development of maximum strength
Guidelines
• Typical rep range
➢ =1,2,3,4,5 - more?
• Heavy loads / high intensity
➢ = 85-100% 1RM - lower?
• Set range
➢=3-10
• Full recovery between sets
➢ = 3-5 minutes
• Typical exercises
➢ = compound / multi-joint; e.g. squats, deadlifts, bench press
• Frequency – 1-4 times per week depending on sport, athlete and time of season
Optimal strength training dosage alters depending on training age
Greater muscles groups recruited at the start
Greater increase in muscular strength at the start of the session
Single joint/ fewer muscle groups
We want to be fresh for greater msucles groups so there’s greater adaptations.
Limitationsofmaxstrengthtraining?
Is it suitable for everyone?
• It takes longer than 0.3s for human skeletal muscle to reach maximum force (Aagard et al. 2002; Thornstensson et al. 1976)
Managing the training week
Fatigue Qualities = how the session is going to feel after
High fatigue and high freshness = Sessions that require an athlete to work at high intensity. The athlete needs to be fresh in order to access this intensity. Similarly, having worked at such an intensity they are likely to be tired.
e.g. max strength training, speed endurance
Low fatigue high fresh= Sessions that require the athlete to exhibit high levels of concentration, velocity or acceleration but that may be lower in volume.
e.g. agility training, distance runner performing ‘strides’
High fatigue qualities low fresh = Sessions which do not require much intensity, effort, concentration, velocity or acceleration, but that may be of higher volume.
e.g. basic hypertrophy session (lots of reps, but can be performed when fatigued)
Low fatigue low fresh = Sessions that the athlete can perform productively when tired, and that won’t create huge amounts of fatigue.
E.g. technical practice on a ‘green’ day, recovery sessions, stretching
GENERAL RULE NO. 1
Sport skill development / practice should be performed before physical prep sessions in the training day, unless:
• You wish to work on skill development under fatigue
• Where physical prep is being prioritised for a specific reason (i.e. greater
emphasis on physical earlier in season)
GENERAL RULE NO.2
Endurance sessions should be performed before strength sessions in the training day where maintaining / increasing muscle strength is concerned:
•Endurance training can block the stimulus to strength (AMPKcanblock mTOR activation)
• Ideally at least 6 hours should be left between these sessions
Training endurance and strength qualities in the same day and week is known as concurrent training
GENERAL RULE NO.3
Force production and muscle quality freshness should be high for sessions which utilise the short-term energy system (i.e. sprints, power training, technical work)
• Force production less important when long term energy system is being used (i.e. extensive endurance)
