I've just read a extraordinary book on strength training called "Modern Trends in Strength Training," by Charles Poliquin and I think you'll find this data interesting.
In order to have a successful resistance training agenda for strength, you must consider the concept of maximal voluntary contraction. This can be defined as the potential or attempt to recruit as many motor units as possible to design force. Intensity is the key here. In order to increase intensity, a person must work at a higher ration of their maximum potential by lifting heavier weights or tantalizing the weight faster. Proponents of the "super slow" weight-training programs claim their programs are more intense however, reducing the speed of movement merely increases the time under tension not the intensity.
Strength Training
The intensity of an exercise can be expressed in terms of a 1 Rm max. For example, the maximum weight that can be correctly lifted six times without necessary rest would be known as a 6Rm. Working with 1Rm loads enable an athlete to accomplish maximal motor-unit activation or Mua with each contraction. Achieving Mua will stimulate neural adaptations foremost to enhanced strength. It's foremost to not only consider the number of reps but the speed of the repetitions as well. Lower reps emphasize neural adaptations and higher reps emphasize muscular or metabolic adaptations. This is a practical tool that will help you design programs to accomplish your clients goals.
Repetition continuum versus training effect
(Poliquin 1991)
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
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Neural adaptations Metabolic adaptations
Muscular Strength
The development of muscular strength is best terminated by using 70-100 percent of maximum or 1-12 repetitions. The key is what is thought about minimum intensity. Each repetition equates to almost 2.5% of a 1Rm. If person lifts 10 reps, then they would be lifting 25% of their 1Rm.
Remember this is relative. If person could do 50 reps, would they be working at less than 100% of their maximum?
A person's Training age can sway a person's 1Rm as well. This age refers to the number of years an athlete or client has been participating in a serious strength training program. Most citizen you'll be training will probably be a training age of under 2 years. It usually takes almost 2 years for a person to be thought about strong or " lifting really heavy weights."
In order to decree a beginning weight or intensity, the accepted I hold as perfect when designing a strength phase for a new client's agenda is based on their body weight. Of course, ration of body fat could make a big difference.
In my concept a man is thought about in perfect physical strength or "strong," if his 1Rm is:
For a 180 lb man:
- bench press twice his weight..............................360 lbs
- squat three times weight.....................................540 lbs
- military press one and half times his weight.......270 lbs
- curl his weight.....................................................180 lbs
for a 140 lb woman:
- bench press one and half times her weight.........210 lbs
- squat twice her weight........................................280 lbs
- military press her weight.....................................140 lbs
- curl 3/4's of her weight.........................................105 lbs.
However, because the majority of your clients will be so de-conditioned, it would be best to consider 50% or half of all the poundages from the perfect type above as their 1Rm.
For example, if a man was 180 lbs, then, retention him to my perfect standard, I would surmise his 1Rm in the bench press to be 360 lbs or twice his weight. If this man was a beginner, then cut all the percentages by half. The 1Rm for a 180-lb man will now convert to:
- bench press his weight........................180 lbs
- squat 1 ½ times his weight................. 270 lbs
- soldiery press 3/4's his weight.............135 lbs.
- curl half his weight................................90
for a 140 lb woman:
- bench press 3/4's her weight...................105 lbs
- squat weight.............................................140 lbs
- military press ½ her weight......................70 lbs
- curl 1/4 of her weight .................................35 lbs
Training possible Curve
The median beginning client can often accomplish a 20Rm at 75% of maximum.(1) After one year of training he or she may be down to 10Rm for the same ration and after five years the same person might be only able to accomplish 4Rm. This is because at the beginning of their agenda they are beginning at a lower end of their training-potential-curve. (2) It is generally accepted that weights lower than 70% of maximum, or repetitions higher than 12, would be too light, to elicit a strength response. However, in the initial stages of a program, beginners can make necessary strength gains with as many as 20 reps or 50% of their 1Rm because of the surmise stated above. With that in mind, you might start a beginner who is a 180lb male at 50% of the weights above, so, for a bench press 180 x 50% = 90 lbs. In general, if you're writing a agenda to maximize strength, then repetitions of 1- 5Rm would be your pick. Reps in the 8-15 range produce greater hypertrophy gains with less follow on maximal strength, and reps between 6-7Rm produce equal changes in hypertrophy and strength. (3) These are general guidelines. Remember, novice lifters should emphasize sets of higher repetitions in order to learn strict technique.
Each muscle group or lift responds to a definite median rep range. At 12Rm in the bench press a person may be at 70% of maximum, but at 12Rm maximum for the leg curl, (see fiber type below) a person might only be working at 57% of maximum. Some athletes can unblemished as many as 65 repetitions at 70% in lower body exercises with a high-stretch-shortening cycle such as a leg press. (4) Long term aerobic work can also modify the 1Rm. citizen who compete in events where there is a high cyclical component may accomplish abnormally high repetitions at a very high ration of their 1Rm. Australian rowers have been able to unblemished 12 reps at 97 percent of their in maximum in comparison to the median athlete who may be able to unblemished only 1-2 repetitions at that percentage.
The number of repetitions is the one acute changeable which a person adapts to most quickly. agreeing to strength coach Charles Poliquin, most athletes adapt to a given number of repetitions in just six workouts. Try changing rep ranges every 2- 4 weeks or every 6 workouts. Once your client increases their strength by 10% or four repetitions, you'll need to increase the weight.
Function, or the fiber combination can sway the option of reps for your client. For example, with the knee flexors, sets of 12 repetitions have itsybitsy follow on hypertrophy, as opposed to the knee extensors which can hypertrophy with sets of up to 50 repetitions. It appears the knee flexors are used in general for explosive tasks while the extensors are used in maintaining posture against gravity and for repeated stretch-shortening tasks.(6) Poliquin has found when training the elbow flexors the best strength gains were obtained with at least 2.5 median reps per set with a minimum of 15 reps per workout. (7) Because fiber make-ups can convert from person to person, an median trainee might do seven repetitions maximum at 80% of their maximum, while a fast-twitch private may only unblemished three repetitions at the same given percentage. The soleus muscle usually contains 88% slow-twitch fibers so a range of 15-25 repetitions may be needed to receive a stimulus for growth. (8)
Keep in mind this whole article is based on the concept of maximal voluntary contraction. Every repetition range means you are working to failure. You or your client is not supposed to be able to unblemished one more rep. Here are some of the tantalizing ideas I learned from this book.
- Try lowering the reps not the sets every two workouts. For example, accomplish lifts of 3-4 sets of 20 lb dumbbells for 6-8 reps, for the next two workouts increase the weight to 22.5 lbs and accomplish sets of 5-7 repetitions and lastly, 25 lbs for 4-6 repetitions.
- Drop Sets. Start with a particular weight and accomplish a set to failure. Drop the weight by 5-10%, rest about 10 seconds and lift again to failure. Repeat to failure again. For strength training, don't exceed more than 4 or 5 sets. You may shorten the rest period if needed. Fast twitch athletes may need the longer rest.
- The four/five percent solution requires an increase in the number of resistance each workout. select a 3-rep wide bracket to start the cycle. 3-5,4-6,5-7 or 6-8. If muscle mass is the customary goal, the median set should last at least 40 seconds. If strength is the goal the set should not last more than 20 seconds. Because of the number of sets, only accomplish 2-3 exercises per body part and work each body part every 5 days.
Day 1: Chest and Back
Day 2: Legs and Abs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Shoulders and Arms
Day 5: Repeat
Here's an example of a four/five percent workout for person who can curl 7 reps @ 100lbs.
Workout 1
4-5 sets x 7 reps @ 100 lbs.
Workout 2
Increase the weight by 4-5 % and do one rep less per set:
4-5 sets x 6 reps @ 105 lbs
Workout 3
Increase the weight by 4-5% and do 1 rep less per set:
4-5 sets x 5 reps @ 110 lbs
Workout 4
Use the weight in workout 2 for the 1- rep target
4-5 sets x 7 reps @ 105 lbs (If these results are achieved your client is now 5% stronger)
Workout 5
Increase the weight by 4-5% and do 1 rep less per set
4-5 sets x 6 reps @ 110 lbs
Workout 6
Increase the weight by 4-5% and do 1 rep less per set
4-5 sets x 5 reps @ 115 lbs.
Your client should now be able to do a 7Rm with 110 lbs and is now 10% stronger in just six workouts!
- Pyramid System. agreeing to Tudor Bompa, do not exceed an intensity spread of 20%.
10 reps = 25%
8 reps = 20%
6 reps = 15%
4 reps = 10%
2 reps = 5%
- The upper body needs more distinction than the lower body. If you were planning a training cycle for the bench press you would need more range than if you were training for the dead lift or squat. Here's an tantalizing fact. Biomechanists have thought about in a squat, you're lifting 75% percent of your body weight plus the load of the barbell. After all, you're legs are lifting the upper body and not lifting the lower legs off the ground. consider this when adjusting squat poundages of up to 4-5%.
- Have a beginner unblemished more repetitions per set.
- Multiple sets lead to higher and faster rates of strength gains. usually one to two sets are adequate for beginners but after 6-12 sessions a teacher must increase the volume because the muscles will have adapted. Remember, probably the first 30% of strength gains come from an revising in intermuscular coordination. The person "learns" how to lift and becomes more effective at turning on and turning off the systems needed to accomplish the lifts.
- The fewer reps an athlete performs per set, the more sets needed to accomplish the accepted training response. If a client has not fully recovered from a old workout, cut back on the number of sets, not the intensity. For example, in a preparatory period, squat poundages are best driven upwards using a minimum of 7-8 sets of 4-5 repetitions. Once the athlete fails to acknowledge to the training volume as a stimulus, intensity becomes more foremost and 6-10 sets of 1-3 reps produce best results.
There is an inverse proportion to sets and exercises. The total number of exercises should be reduced when performing a large number of sets per exercise.
I hope this helps you and your clients when they are in their strength training period.
Good luck!
1. Modern Trends in Strength Training, volume 1, Poliquin, Charles, 2001, pg. 5
2. Pg. 11
3. Pg. 8
4. Pg. 6
5. Pg. 7
6. Pg 13
7. Pg 9
8. Pg 12
compel Training
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