Training Articles - Strength

The Training articles and associated literature reviews are grouped under the following headings. To view the available material select the appropriate link.

Conditioning	Ergogenic Aids	Endurance	Evaluation
Injury Prevention	Nutrition	Physiology	Psychology
Planning	Skill Development	Strength	Speed

Articles - Strength

Strength comes in many forms - here is how to develop them

An overview of the classifications of strength and how we can develop strength
Tips to Promote Continued Strength Development

Strength tarining advice which may be helpful to those in the intermediate or advanced stages of training who may be: searching for ways to stimulate growth of muscles, reached a plateau in strength improvement, or demonstrating boredom with their current training routine
Women, weight and weight training

A review of some myths associated with weight training for the female athlete
Squatters rights to leg power
Downhill skiers do it, too. Most track and field athletes consider it an essential part of their supplemental training. Even soccer and hockey players rely on it.
Strength and muscle balance checks
A speed strength imbalance between two opposing muscle groups may be a limiting factor in the development of speed. Muscle balance testing to compare the strength of opposing muscle groups is important to prevent injury and guarantee maximum speed of muscle contraction and relaxation.
Free weights offer more specific training than machines
The main problem facing the newcomer to resistance training is where to begin, since choosing the appropriate training method can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the program. And the key question for most people is: should I use free weights or machines?
How strong do your athletes need to be?
How 'Strength' training can be your major path to success
Myths of Exercise Prescriptions
Four of the training myths circulating the fitness world
Why you need E-Lifts in your Training Plan
New training techniques can be positive, particularly if they evolve from an established and proven system of training. Plyometrics is a good example of the positive evolution of training methods.
Shoulder pain reduction using resistance training
An overview of the shoulder anatomy and suggests an appropriate training programme to possibly lower your risk of shoulder injury
Strength Training and the Young Athlete
Should pre-adolescent kids lift weights or should they not? Will it stunt their growth or increase their likelihood of future sporting success? Is growth plate damage a real concern or merely an exaggerated issue? This debate has raged on for years. Hopefully, this article will help clear up some of the concerns.
Power gym training for athletes
When visiting a gym one will find many an athlete doing all sorts of exercises with all sorts of reps and sets. The question is why are you going to the gym and why are you doing resistance training? When power is your goal, training should be as follows:
Medicine ball workouts that can do wonders for your running velocity and power
Most medicine ball drills involve lifting, throwing and catching the ball, but the real focal point for such activities is the muscular 'corset' which surrounds the junction between the trunk and the legs.
The full squat from the trainer's perspective
Advice that will enable you to monitor the athlete's execution of the exercise so as to ensure that it is performed correctly and safely
Stair climbing for lower body strength
How stair climbing can be used to develop lower body strength
Identifying and correcting technical exercise mistakes
A review of the types of mistakes that can occur in the execution of a lift when weight training
The benefits of explosive strength training for rugby football
A look at the areas of the game where developing explosive strength can benefit rugby players
Olympic lifting for athletes made easy
How to develop a sound technique to perform the Olympic lifts effectively and efficiently
Attacking the sticking points that are inherent in all lifts
How you can increase the speed of the bar movement in the bench press
Hip flexors - the most underdeveloped muscle group in strength training
Despite their importance to a wide range of athletic and sporting activities, the hip flexors are the most neglected major muscle group in strength training. It is very rare to find training programs that include hip flexor exercises. By contrast there is usually a great deal of emphasis on exercises for the leg extensors.
Punch like a jackhammer
How boxing and martial arts athletes can improve their punching power
Strength Training for Boxers
Recently athletes from all sports have begun to realize the importance of weight training. So, why have boxers been reluctant to realize the importance of resistance training?
Getting 'set up' to start out right - part 1
How to correctly position your body and hold the bar correctly when weight training
Getting 'set up' to start out right - part 2
One may think the approach would not be that big of a deal when lifting the bar off the floor or performing any specific lift but it actually is the beginning of the start. Just consider:
Getting 'set up' to start out right - part 3
A look at the grip width on the bar, the grip on the bar, the angle of the thigh in relationship to the torso and the elbow position
Getting 'set up' to start out right - part 4
A look at the torso position, head position, preparing to move the bar and interaction with the bar
Getting 'set up' to start out right - part 5
A look at the importance of the shoulder and hip joint interaction with the bar, the alignment of the shoulder joint to maximize the pull, the alignment of the hip joint to maximize the pull and the initial pull off the floor
Strength training for children
Biomechanical research has shown that activities such as throwing, running and hitting impose larger forces on the body than weight training. These activities have been shown to place heavier stress on the growth plates of growing bones than weight training. To minimize the potential for growth plate damage, closer attention should be given to the above mentioned activities.
Five secrets to a bigger chest and arms
The secret to building a bigger chest and developing your upper arm muscles
How to assess your One Repetition Maximum (1RM) for strength training
How to assess your one repetition maximum (1RM) for strength training
How to gain muscle mass but not fat
How to gain muscle mass while losing body fat as well
How can I measure/test my athletes core strength?
If core strength is poor then the torso will move unnecessarily during motion and waste energy.
Here's some more good advice from Popeye on pumping iron
Iron deficiency is a common problem for the trained athlete, in particular females and those on restricted diets.
Static Contraction Training - Maximum Overload in Minimal Time!
Static contraction training, instead of focusing on the amount of exercise and frequency, emphasizes intensity of the workout session. This is done by working with weights that are far in excess of what you would use during a traditional strength training workout routine.
The Magic Workout
How your muscle fibre type determines your ideal strength training workout
Ladder Training
How do you go from only being able to perform a couple of press ups or dips to completing 100 reps?
Release natural steroids to build muscle
While most adults are looking for ways to lose weight, there are many teenagers looking for ways to gain weight and increase muscle size to improve sports performance. New research discoveries show how to increase your body's natural steroids to accomplish this goal faster than ever.
Strength Training for Women
Why strength training is vital for women, but the programme depends on their event, not their gender.
High heart rate strength training (HHRST)
What high-heart-rate strength training is all about and an example of a six-week training programme
Why you need E-Lifts in your training program
The mechanics of E-Lifting and why E-Lifts are essential to your strength-training program.
Using the slow lifts to improve the fast lifts
This method has long been utilized by elite eastern block athletes as a "plateau buster" - a way of promoting progression in athletes who are experiencing stagnation in their training.
Productively timing your two a day workouts
How it is possible to successfully strength train multiple times per day
Six of the best to flatten your belly
Like most things worth having, developing a great set of abdominals is not easy, but it is possible to achieve success if we apply our selves and exercise not just our bodies but our minds also. It is not just about training hard - but training smart.
Drag yourself out of the gym and into shape
The weighted sled provides a number of training opportunities for developing many facets of fitness, from low level cardiovascular conditioning to anaerobic conditioning when performing sprints to muscular endurance, hypertrophy and strength work.
The Power Clean
Since speed and power go hand in hand, when in the weight room we must focus on the same elements of training that will help us to be faster on the field or the track.
Super Sets
How to develop pure strength, muscular endurance and lose fat
Fitter, faster, stronger, leaner!
How to go from your current physical performance levels to dizzying new heights by making logical progressions in your workouts

Literature Reviews - Strength

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Associated Pages

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