Everything you need to know about Strength Training [Ultimate Fitness Series Part 1]

Part 1 of 5 – The Ultimate Fitness Series

I decided to create the ultimate overview of the five essential building blocks of fitness: strength, endurance, speed, agility, and coordination. This is because there is a lot of bad and sometimes contradictory information on this topic found on the internet and in books.

Personally, I study this subject at university, and I am knowledgeable about each of these factors, including the current state of studies, the best possible training methods, and what really helps you progress in fitness. Additionally, I have ten years of experience in fitness training, providing me with ample expertise in this subject.

Therefore, in this series, I will cover everything that I believe is relevant and can assist you on your fitness journey.

This first article in the series focuses on strength training.

Strength training is particularly important, especially for young men, for several reasons.

Firstly, achieving a muscular and fit body enhances your appearance, making you look more substantial.

Secondly, for many men, strength training significantly boosts self-confidence. Progressing week after week and being able to lift increasingly heavier weights feels incredible.

Hence, for many men, building self-confidence through strength training holds great significance.

Furthermore, strength training not only benefits the body but also aids in personal development. Therefore, it should be an integral part of the daily routine for everyone visiting this site.

Defining Strength

Strength is the capacity of a person to overcome obstacles through conscious muscle contraction and to counteract external forces.

In this context, maximum strength refers to the highest possible strength exerted against resistance during conscious contraction.

However, maximum strength does not represent the absolute highest force a human can generate. In fact, the absolute strength is somewhat higher.

Instances of individuals mustering forces beyond their usual range in emergency situations exemplify the difference between maximum strength and absolute strength.

The maximum strength achieved also depends on whether dealing with an eccentric, isometric, or concentric movement. In the eccentric movement, the maximum strength is much closer to the absolute strength compared to the concentric movement.

Factors responsible for maximum strength include the cross-section of muscle fibers, the number of muscle fibers, muscle elasticity, intermuscular coordination, intramuscular coordination, muscle length due to pre-stretching, and joint angle. However, motivation also plays a crucial role in determining the maximum strength achievable.

Quick strength, on the other hand, involves the ability to develop the greatest force impulse in a short period. It encompasses various aspects, such as the ability to quickly generate maximum strength, achieve the greatest possible increase in strength, or generate fast strength.

The fiber composition of muscles is especially relevant in quick strength, as both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers are present. The number of fast twitch muscle fibers significantly influences the quick strength of the muscle. Additionally, intramuscular coordination and joint angle also play critical roles.

Reactive strength refers to the rapid and efficient transition from eccentric to concentric strength. Examples of reactive strength movements include jumping, sprinting, or whip-like movements during punches and throws.

Muscle stretch reflex utilizes the elastic properties of muscles to generate considerable force with minimal energy expenditure. However, this approach carries a high risk of injury.

Strength endurance, on the other hand, involves the ability to sustain a significant sum of force over a given period. Unlike regular endurance, the resistance in strength endurance must exceed 30% of the maximum strength.

The composition of muscle fibers, effectiveness of energy supply, and the specific movement technique all contribute to force endurance.

Strength Training

This is likely the area that will interest most of you the most.

What is the best approach to train for strength in the first place?

After an extended period of strength training, the muscle cross-section remains the same, but more muscle fibers contract during the same exercise, allowing the muscle to handle heavier loads. Muscle hypertrophy, or muscle growth, occurs only later in the training process.

This is also the reason why you might feel stronger during certain exercises after some time of training, but you may not visually appear stronger yet.

The neuronal adaptation of strength training, which occurs first, reaches its peak when you have fully exhausted your genetic potential. Subsequently, hypertrophy and strength improvement occur simultaneously.

Depending on the primary goal of strength training, different methods can be employed to achieve it.

For those who wish to appear particularly strong

To achieve the greatest possible hypertrophy, the cross-sectional method should be used. This involves training in the submaximal range, and depending on whether you train symmetrically or dynamically, different numbers of repetitions per set should be performed.

In the case of symmetrical loading, aim for 10 to 12 repetitions at 30 to 40% of the maximum strongth per set with a muscle activation time of 40 to 80 seconds.

For dynamic loading, perform 5 to 12 repetitions at 70 to 85% of the maximum strength per set, resulting in an activation time of approximately 15 to 30 seconds per set.

No matter how you train, aim for 1 to 3 sets with 1 to 3 minutes of rest between each set, primarily utilizing the concentric contraction cycle.

For those aiming to achieve exceptional strength:

The neuronal activation method is a specialized loading technique that focuses on increasing the frequency with which muscle fibers are activated.

Dynamically train with a load of 90 to 100% of the maximum strength, performing 1 to 3 repetitions per set, with a tension duration of approximately 2 to 6 seconds per repetition.

Use 5 to 6 sets with a rest period of 5 minutes between each set and aim for 0 to 5 repetitions, always training with maximum force utilization.

For those aiming for exceptional quick strength:

Here, the quick strength method is ideal. The concept involves performing each repetition explosively with a resistance level of about 45% of the maximum strength.

Perform 5 sets with about 8 repetitions per set, with a rest period of 5 minutes between each set.

Muscle Hypertrophy

Both exogenous and endogenous factors play a crucial role in hypertrophy. Exogenous factors include mechanical tension, repetitions, tension duration, ATP consumption, and regeneration time. Endogenous factors determining trophism include the size of the adaptive reserve and the initiation of protein biosynthesis.

Chemically, hypertrophy following strength training occurs through the mTOR signaling pathway. mTOR is a protein that triggers a signaling cascade for muscle hypertrophy. This protein is activated by hormones as well as muscle tension induced by strength training.

Protein biosynthesis in trained muscles increases up to 72 hours after strength training and is significantly higher than after food intake.

It is important to note that strength training in a fasting state increases protein biosynthesis, but it may also potentially lead to greater protein breakdown.

Furthermore, protein ingestion enhances protein biosynthesis in the loaded muscle.

In contrast to strength training, endurance training causes a reduction in glycogen concentration, which releases the hormone AMPK. AMPK indirectly inhibits mTOR and, consequently, protein biosynthesis.

The number of muscle fibers, in addition to the growth in size of individual fibers, contributes to the overall muscle appearance and can be increased by growth stimuli through strength training.

Strength training, particularly targeting fast-twitch muscle fibers (Type II), is primarily responsible for muscle hypertrophy after strength training.

Notably, studies have indicated that intensive stretching can also trigger muscle hypertrophy.

Strength training is beneficial at any age, but the intensity of the load must always be adjusted to individual needs. Before heading to the gym and attempting to lift the heaviest weight possible, it is advisable to consult with a fitness trainer.

Hope I could help. If you enjoyed the article or if you have any questions or comments please let me know down below.

Nick