Strength training
Which is?
Strength training consists of performing exercises with the aim of developing an individual's ability to exert strength or resist a particular strength. This type of training leads to an increase in muscle strength and power as a result of neuromuscular adaptations and changes in connective tissue stiffness.
The acquired strength and hypertrophy are the result of manipulating innumerable variables in the elaboration of a well-made program that respects the principles of adaptation, specificity, progression, continuity, cyclicality, individualization and regression.
Principle of adaptation
Long-term organic changes result from continued exposure to stimuli (EX: decreased heart rate at rest as a result of cardiovascular training). Training loads determine a degree of adaptation. In order to obtain an improvement, it is necessary to increase the intensity of the training.
Principle of specificity
Adaptations occur only in a system / organ subject to a stimulus and only in direct proportion to the nature of that stimulus. The stimuli must have a character directed towards concrete and specific objectives of the activity to be carried out.
Progression principle
During training, the loads vary from a minimum to a maximum and must always be adequate, that is, correspond to individual possibilities and not cause exhaustion. The effort should gradually increase, through its systematic repetition, with a progressive increase in its volume and intensity, according to the functional possibilities of the organism.
Principle of continuity
Training is structured as a process distributed throughout the year and over several years, which guarantees the accumulation of its effects. As its name implies, it is something without stops.
Principle of cyclicality
It refers to the repetition of certain means, training units, stages or periods, in increasingly advanced stages, expressing the development trends of the level of preparation.
Principle of individualization
The beneficial effects of training will be optimized when the programs are designed to meet the individual needs and capabilities of the participants.
Principle of regression
The beneficial effects of exercise are transient. A functional system that is not regularly subjected to stimuli returns to its initial state.
Benefits of strength training
Through strength training, we obtain several benefits, of which we can highlight:
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Optimization of the basal metabolic rate;
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Helps in the reduction of fat mass;
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Slows muscle atrophy of aging;
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Assists in maintaining strength;
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Maintenance of bone tissue;
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Prevents osteoporosis and improves cardiovascular components.
The force required for a sprinter to explode from blocks is different from the force required for a weightlifter to lift a 200 kg bar. This means that there are different types of strength:
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Maximum strength - It refers to the strength that a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single maximum contraction;
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Elastic strength - It refers to the ability to overcome resistance with a rapid contraction (explosive exercises);
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Resistance strength - The ability of a muscle or muscle group to repeatedly perform multiple contractions against submaximal resistance.
How do we develop strength?
Maximum strength can be developed with:
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Weight training
Elastic strength can be developed with:
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Medicine ball exercises
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Plyometric exercises
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Weight training
Resistance strength can be developed with:
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Circuit training
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Dumbbell Exercises
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Weight training
Effects of strength training
The effects of strength training are:
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Increase in the concentration of ATP, CP and glycogen;
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Decrease in oxidative enzyme activity;
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Decrease in mitochondrial density.
Strength training programs cause physiological changes that occur within our muscles and serve to increase their oxidative capacity. These changes can vary slightly according to the intensity of the training and can be classified as:
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Myogenic - Changes in muscle structure
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Neurogenic - Changes in the connection between muscle and nerve
Myogenic changes
Strength training results in muscle hypertrophy and an increase in the size of the cross section of existing fibers. This is achieved by increasing:
Number of myofibrils;
Sarcoplasmic volume;
Protein;
Supportive connective tissue (ligaments and tendons).
Strength training increases intramuscular stocks, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine phosphate (CP) and glycogen. In women, the potential for hypertrophy is not as great as in men due mainly to lower testosterone levels!
Neurogenic changes
By repeatedly stimulating the muscle, the response rate of the central nervous system increases. The adaptations of the neuromuscular system focused on increasing the acquisition of skills through the nervous system and on increasing maximum muscle activation through synchronization of the motor unit, muscle recruitment and increased neural activation.
How do we get stronger?
A muscle becomes stronger only when it is worked beyond its normal operation, being overloaded. Exercise only promotes changes in the body if it is performed with sufficient duration and intensity to generate adaptation processes. Therefore, for adaptation to occur, the stimulus must be strong enough to cause a change in homeostasis. The adaptation will be greater if the intensity is increasing progressively and from training to training. Overload can be progressed by increasing the:
Number of repetitions of an exercise;
Number of exercise series;
Intensity for a reduced recovery time.
In conclusion, a good diet and dedicated time combined with a personalized accompaniment will make all the difference in the desired results! With the accompaniment of a personal trainer, the results are much more efficient, due to the constant supervision of the incorrect postures and the explanation of the exercises in detail!
A tip for those who aim to hypertrophy, is to value eccentric work! That is probably the reason why you are failing to develop strength! It is a very common mistake to make this movement so fast, uncontrolled, that the muscle is no longer in contraction. Eccentric work results in the inversion of the recruitment of the type of fibers, being that it recruits type 2 fibers, in contrast to what usually happens in concentric work! Therefore, it is essential not to do without this type of muscle contraction, as it promotes greater gains in strength and hypertrophy.