Definition Strength Training
Strength training is about the targeted muscle build-up and the improvement of maximum strength, speed and endurance. In order to achieve maximum training success, strength training must be adapted to the respective goals. This involves differences in the load form, load duration, load range and load intensity.
Strength training can also be used from a medical perspective to stabilize the spine or other joints. For more detailed information on the training of the individual muscle groups as well as exercises for the respective muscle group, simply click on the picture! Strength in sport is the ability, through the interaction of the nervous system and muscles, to overcome external resistance, e.g. (dumbbells when lifting weights) (concentric), to hold (static) or to give way to resistance (eccentric).
Using the example of bench press, the “pushing up” of the barbell bar would be overcoming and the lowering of the bar to the chest would be giving way. Strength occurs in four forms during weight training:
- Maximum force
- Spring power
- Power endurance
- Reactive Power
This is the force value that is deliberately generated against an insurmountable resistance. In bench press, this would be when the bar cannot be moved by its own force (the intensity is higher than 100%).
The maximum force in strength training represents a basic force for the three other manifestations of force. In strength training, rapid strength is the so-called increase in strength per time. As the word “fast” implies, the aim is to develop as much strength as possible in the shortest possible time in order to accelerate.
This is why strength training for explosive strength plays a particularly important role in all sports where a movement has to be performed quickly. Decisive for rapid force development is the starting force (force value 50 ms. after the start of contraction muscle tension) and the explosive force (maximum increase in force during the course of force development)
- The own body (sprint run)
- A piece of sports equipment (shot put) or
- Both (cycling, rowing etc. )
The strength endurance is the fatigue resistance of the muscles.
This means being able to withstand a force load for as long as possible. The amount of force applied is highly variable, from 30% to 75% of the maximum power. It is not primarily a question of developing a lot of power, but rather of maintaining the power over as long a period as possible.
The strength training of the strength endurance is very important for endurance sports like swimming, rowing, climbing etc. Between yielding and overcoming muscle work, a short (<200ms) stretching of the muscles occurs (e.g. when jumping down from a box). This stretching causes a preinnervation pretension (involuntary) of the muscle. However, this form of strength is not very important in strength training/muscle building.
