100000Strong.com

Author: Jason Ferruggia
Bodybuilding Expert and Author of Muscle Gaining Secrets

1) Deadlift- Not many weight training exercises work as many muscle groups and build muscle as fast as the deadlift. The neck, traps, upper, middle, and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, biceps, forearms, and abs are all utilized in the deadlift. No other exercise is a better test of overall body power. While uninformed people always ask, “how much can you bench,” the question they really should ask is, “how much can you deadlift?” A deadlift is the most basic exercise anyone can do. Bending down and picking a weight up off the floor is the one weight training exercise that mimics everyday real life situations. Most people will rarely find themselves on their back needing to push a heavyweight off their chest but everyone has to bend down and pick things up. If you could only do one exercise to build muscle this would be the one to do.

2) Squat- The squat has been known for years as the “king of all muscle building exercises” and for good reason. I’m not talking about sissy boy half squats either; I’m talking about real below parallel, full squats. If you don’t at least break parallel it’s not a squat. Like deadlifts, squats involve an enormous amount of muscle mass and stimulate the release of anabolic hormones such as testosterone. This is great for building muscle fast. The squat is probably the most revered exercise among serious lifters and the power rack is considered our sacred ground. If you ever want to develop any kind of real lower body strength and build muscle fast, you have no choice but to squat.

3) Chin up- Not many exercises will build muscle in the upper body like chin ups. Known as the upper body squat, chins stimulate nearly every muscle from the traps down to the abdominals. Any exercise that allows you to move your body through space as opposed to moving a weight or fixed implement around you has a much higher degree of neuromuscular activation, and therefore a much greater potential to elicit gains in size and strength. Look at the development of male gymnasts and you will see for yourself what years of chin ups and dips can do for the upper body. If you want tobuild muscle fast, be sure to include chin ups in your weight training program.

4) Parallel Bar Dip- A close second to chin ups as one of the best upper body exercises for building muscle fast, and for all the same reasons. If you want big arms you had better include dips in your training program. No otherweight training exercise will add slabs of muscle to the triceps as effectively as dips. A huge chest and enormous pair of front delts are also a pleasant side effect that comes with regularly performing this outstanding muscle building exercise.

5) Hang Clean & Push Press- A total body muscle building exercise which hits the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower and upper back, traps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and forearms. Although it is, by definition, an Olympic lift, it can be done in more of a strict manner to really target the traps, upper back, and shoulders. When done in this manner, it is not performed solely with the intention of developing explosive speed like most Olympic lifts are performed. Doing the clean and push press in this manner is a form of power bodybuilding and will really blow up the traps and shoulders. If you could only pick oneweight training exercise for building muscle, this might be the one. It’s a shame you don’t see this in more bodybuilding programs.

6) Bench Press- This is one of the three powerlifting exercises and along with Military Presses, is the greatest of all pressing movements for building muscle in the upper body. When looking at the effectiveness of an exercise, the questions to be asked are what will allow the lifter to use the most weight and what exercise involves the most muscle mass. The bench press meets both of these prerequisites and besides being incredibly effective as amuscle building exercise, it is one of the best measures of upper body power.

7) Military Press- Also known as the front press, this was once considered the number one measure of upper body power and was the premier muscle building exercise for the upper body. In the old days of strength training most people didn’t even do bench presses; every weight training exercise was done standing up. Bench pressing was looked down upon as a show lift and real men only did overhead presses to build muscle. Bench pressing took over with the development of powerlifting and bodybuilding and the military press took a back seat. It is still however, a great measure of upper body power and should be done by anyone interested in building an impressive set of shoulders and building overall muscle mass throughout the upper body. Even though some uninformed doctors will have you believe that overhead pressing can be dangerous, old time strong men argue that there would not be as many shoulder injuries as there are today if the military press had remained the upper bodyweight training exercise of choice. Equally effective variations of the military press include the push press, push jerk and split jerk.

Bent Over Rows- When it comes to building muscle in the upper back and lats, bent over rows are hard to beat. This weight training exercise can be performed many different ways; palms up, palms down, wide grip, close grip, to the abdomen, to the sternum, with an ez bar or with a straight bar. However you do them, nothing will develop thickness in the back like rows will, and anyone who has been involved with bodybuilding for a while will tell you there is nothing more impressive than a well developed back, muscular back.

9) Good Mornings- Although they are a rarely performed weight training exercise by a large majority of bodybuilders, good mornings remain one of the staples of a good size and strength gaining program. Powerlifters seem to be the only ones who know about the muscle building properties of this outstanding exercise. The reason thismuscle building exercise is often avoided is that good mornings are brutally hard work. But that hard work brings huge rewards. Good mornings will build muscle fast and pack tons of size on your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. They are also one of the best weight training exercises to help improve your squat and deadlift, which is the main reason they are a mainstay in powerlifting.

10) Pushup- Yes, you read that right, I said pushups are one of the best weight training exercises to build muscle fast. For a beginner pushups are the absolute best muscle building exercise to do for the pecs, delts, and triceps. However, as you make progress and get stronger pushups become too easy and are usually forgotten about. That is a huge mistake. There are several varieties of pushups that can be used by intermediate and advanced lifters such as elevated pushups on pushup handles, dumbbells, or chairs. Pushups can also be done on gymnastic rings hanging from chains and suspended a foot or so above the ground to make them even more challenging. When either of these versions of this awesomemuscle building exercise becomes too easy you can have a partner hold weight on your back, use a weighted vest or even drape heavy chains across your back. If you are looking for more variety, Hindu pushups are another great version of this exercise and can sometimes humble even the strongest of men.

So there you have it, the best weight training exercises for building muscle fast. All the food and supplements and drugs in the world are worthless if you train like a Nancy boy. Machines and isolation movements are as effective as running on a treadmill when it comes to getting big and strong. Stick with the weight training exercises above; make them a staple in your training, and start saving up for a new wardrobe. Its time tobuild muscle fast!

Tom

www.weight-training-routines.com

Strength training for football is an artistic and scientific process. There are a lot of variables that must be considered. Players that serve different roles in the game need different training regimens. You have to do a little planning and take a structured approach to your strength training routines. Doing so will be greatly rewarding and bring out your inner champion!

Here is a quick list of facts that you need to keep in mind concerning your strength training for football. It isn’t just about how big and bulky you can get – quite the contrary actually.

? Bigger muscles are not necessarily stronger muscles o You need to not only develop the size of a given muscle; you need to actually be considering the muscle’s strength. That’s what it’s all about.

o A strong muscle is more than big; -.

o Many a big muscle is torn loose from the joint that it is meant to move. A torn muscle can literally take months, even years to heal fully. Some never do.

You develop tendon and ligament strength by taking your training seriously. Don’t attack your weight training like a crazy fool. Take your time. Pay attention to strict form in every rep. Perform your reps slowly and with full control. Haphazardly jerking or throwing the weight up and calling that a successful rep is not only careless; it is a false achievement. Weight training is about far more than just moving the weight from point A to point B. Remember that!

? Bulky muscles too often yield decreased speed, agility and finesse. o Especially for wide receivers, defensive backs and tailbacks, muscles need to be specifically trained for bursting power and speed. -. Football is no game for wimps. It is also not an event for big, slow, overly bulky pigs just because they might be able to bench 400 lbs in a quirky, jerky, off-balance fashion. Be real!

Do yourself and your team a serious favor and ensure that you will be around season after strenuous season to help out. Take your strength training for football very seriously. Slow down while at the gym. Develop your tendon and ligament strength along with your bulk. The end result will be superior, lightening fast, impossible to rip, explosive muscles that have the true strength of a beast! Now that is what you are after.

There are several types of strength training for football to consider. Football is versatile and needs versatility in strength training programs. Here are the types that we will address:

? Functional strength training for football ? Hypertrophy strength training for football ? Maximal strength training for football ? Power strength training for football

First, we will define each one and then address how to combine them all into the total athletic package for football.

Functional strength training for football:

Football can really put a hurtin’ on your body in a lot of different ways. Your body is twisted, bent, bounced and forced into uncountable positions of unnatural strain. You need to ensure bilaterally symmetrical development while engaging your strength training. That means that you give equal, animalistic (but controlled) effort to both sides of your body. You want symmetrical development, not lopsided malformation.

You also need to ensure that you never get so wrapped up in the development of your prime movers (quads, biceps, pecs, etc.) that you neglect your supporting muscle (hamstrings, triceps, calves, posterior delts, lower trapezius, etc.). The message here is that you must maintain balance. If you fail to develop your body in a symmetrical, holistic fashion, you are begging for injury.

Hypertrophy Strength Training for Football

Don’t let the hard-to-pronounce name fool you; an increase in muscle fiber size makes up for the improvement and increase in the muscle mass. This is the type of strength training for football that everyone thinks of. You get to concentrate on muscular growth and sheer bulk. Remember that even linemen should only dedicate roughly half of their strength training to hypertrophy strength. More than that and you are entering into the slow zone – the zone of painful injury because you lack agility and speed.

Maximal Strength Training for Football

In a nutshell, this refers to the development of cross sectional areas of each muscle. It is responsible for explosive power. You have to lift maximal loads in order to promote the development of these “fast twitch” motor units. Strength and power are close cousins. When you are performing maximal strength training, you explode into the lift. You fire a burst of energy into the weight propelling them to the desired destination. You must remember the first lesson about strict and proper form. Do not ruin your workout by flopping like a fish under the weight. If you have to do that, then take some of the weight off of the bar. Remember: you didn’t really lift it at all if you flopped your way through it. More importantly, flopping and squirming invites bench-sitting injury. Believe it!

Power Strength Training for Football

You have to possess the ability to instantly convert all of your strength into booming power to prevail on the football field. When you collide at full speed with an equally strong opponent, he who has the most explosiveness will shine with victory – not to mention instilling a demoralizing fear in said opponent. You have to accentuate your functional, hypertrophy and maximal training sessions with power strength training. You want your CNS to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers as quickly as possible. Now that you understand that more than just going in and fish-flopping through your workouts is needed in order to develop the total package for football, you need to understand something else: Cycle training. If you wish to optimize your strength training for football, then you have to incorporate all of the above training methods.

Develop a timeline. Construct a program to cycle through each of the training types in succession. Functional training is followed by hypertrophy work. Follow that with 4 weeks each of maximal and power training and then repeat. Vary your training. You do not want your body to plateau so training cannot be the same consistantly. Think of your body as a multifaceted machine that needs different care at different times. Always take your time with each individual rep to ensure proper form. Develop symmetrically. Develop tendon and ligament strength. You must develop size and power!

Release your inner beast through diverse and intelligent training and rule the field!

Have you seen the strongman competition? Won by Žydr?nas Savickas in 2009, it is held annually and often involves giant men such as Bill Kazmaier, Mariusz Pudzianowski and Magnus Ver Magnusson performing feats of strength that are unimaginable and awe inspiring. Performing stunts like lifting atlas balls, the ‘Hercules hold’, keg toss, flipping over giant tyres, ‘duck walk’ and car carry, against both the clock and competitors; the strong man competition is the ultimate strength event in the world. The strength and conditioning of these athletes is phenomenal. There strength conditioning not only involves the ability to lift massive weights but to carry them over distances which takes into consideration the cardio vascular aspect of their training. When you see the strongman events you cannot help but notice that some of these athletes push themselves to the point of bleeding through their noses. The effort and dedication put into the event is out of sacrificial love to be the best no matter the cost. I would not want to tread lightly into the gym workout or training program of any of these Incredible Hulks let alone compete in Strongman.

One of the strongman events is the pulling of a truck or airplane with a rope. Vehicles such as transport trucks, trams, buses or airplanes are pulled across a 30 metre course by hand as fast as possible. In 2007 a fire engine truck was pulled and in 2008 a coal truck. The truck itself sometimes weighs over 12 tonnes. How is a human being able to pull a truck that heavy? What kind of weight training, strength training exercise, strength conditioning or gym workout would one follow to attain such monster proportions of strength? Some of these athletes are able to pull the truck past 30 metres in approximately 30-40 seconds. This demonstrates raw strength together with endurance and speed. How is a human being able to perform such a feat? Does science hold an answer to this? Is this all geometry and physics? Or is this something to do with the strength training anatomy of the individual concerned i.e. is he a superman?

Yes it takes phenomenal strength to do this. But is there more to it? Examining the truck or airplane pull in detail – when you look at the stance of the athlete in the event, you notice his stance is somewhat similar to a 100m sprinter in the blocks. Have a close look at Dwain Chambers, Usain Bolt or Assafa Powel in their blocks before their sprint off in the 100m. The strongman stance is similar. They all tend to lean forward at a 45 degree angle.

A ball thrown into the air at a 45 degree angle travels the furthest. A cricket batsman like Vivian Richards from the West Indies or Aravinda De Silva from Sri Lanka are able to hit the leather cricket ball out of the cricket ground, past the spectators, over the sea gulls and into the nearby housing complexes by targeting their hits at a 45 degree angle. This is pure physics. A projectile fired at 45 degrees travels the furthest as at this angle most distance is covered at maximum force. This theory is implemented in firing missiles and rockets. Therefore by maintaining a 45 degree angle to the ground, the strength training anatomy of a strongman is able to drive the most force against the truck / plane he is pulling. A higher angle exerts less force and possibly causes difficulties in balancing as his centre of mass / gravity is thrown off course. A lower angle reduces the frictional pull the strongman has on the ground. The strength exertion at a 45 degree angle is the greatest.

Having a look at the truck / plane pull reveals that a strongman does not perform one single pull (or thrust forward), but instead exerts a sustained set of continuous repetitive pulls. His strength conditioning involves momentum. He does not explode with one pull alone but uses the speed from each pull to drive the next pull. Bodybuilders often avoid this sort of training as momentum uses physics rather than muscle fibre to make the weights move in their training motion. Each pull from the strongman slackens the rope before being pulled again. Friction causes the truck to slow down after each pull. This strongman event is likened to a strength training exercise of performing a 220 Kg squat for more than 40 repetitions in less than 30-40 seconds.  Does that sound doable to you?

What does all this have to do with Rugby? The World Cup is not too far away and a lot needs to be done in preparation. Strength training and more so – functional strength training, is likely to be the decisive factor in the Rugby World Cup 2011. The Tri Nations 2009 revealed that strength, force and endurance crowned South Africa the victors. There is just about time for teams across the world to tap into functional strength training and drink the spoils of warrior grade training. Who better does one learn from than the kings of strength and endurance? The strongman.     

Rugby League or Rugby Union; it really does not matter which version of the game you play. Driving forward with consistent force, sustained waves of attack with the hope of penetrating the opposition defences and forming thundering walls of defence are part and parcel of the game. The strongman truck pull immediately reminds me of the Rugby Union scrum. The body positioning, the stances and the goals i.e. moving forward against a force, (the force of the opposition scrum and the frictional force on the truck are in the same directions!) are strikingly similar. Following the strongman example, if a rugby player positions himself at a 45 degree angle when driving forward, he is likely to exert the most force and power. Thereby he is able to achieve the most from his strength training through the leverage of his angle of attack. When the whole scrum comes together in this formation they are a force to be reckoned with. Some scrum teams weigh over a tonne and I wonder how many 747 s they would be able to pull. The scrum also needs to move forward in repetitive bursts of thrusting forward. They all need to be synchronized to exert the most force. I immediately begin to envision the movie 300 where the Spartan Warriors came together to form a defensive shielded group that thrust forward in synchronized harmony. The maximum force is exerted in this manner.

Most crowd pleasing moments in the game of rugby are when a carrier or defender are pummelled to the grass in a tackle. The more ‘road runner cartoon type’ the tackle, the more reaction one gets from the crowd. We are like the ancient Romans during the gladiator battles. Most ‘victims’ of such tackles are those who stood tall in the tackle. We learned that if you position yourself above 45 degrees you may have issues with balance and you certainly cannot exert much force whilst you are not balanced. Your centre of gravity / mass is easily shifted from a point of balance and you could easily be tipped over no matter how strong, powerful or heavy you are. If you are below 45 degrees you are likely to fall forward or slip in wet grassy conditions. At 45 degrees any defender has a fair chance of using his utmost strength to floor an attacker. Any attacker is most effective when maintaining a 45 degree angle when charging forward. Any defenders caught above or below 45 degrees are vulnerable and open up a weak link in the 300 Spartan Warrior formation. They will also find it hard pressed to get down to position quick enough. As a carrier, keep your eyes always open for such opportunities. As a defender, always keep to formation.

Have you ever wondered why Power Lifters perform their movements rapidly? Whilst bodybuilders perform slower repetitions but much more of them. Power lifter movements such as the bench press, dead lift or squat are performed rapidly. Power lifters are the pinnacle; the top of strength conditioning individuals.  In fact, for bench pressing or squats, lowering the weight quickly and using that momentum to burst upwards is one way to trick your muscles to pushing heavier weights; although that would have bodybuilder Olympia gurus like Dorian Yates swear out at you. Momentum is critical. Physics dictates that F = MA i.e. Force = Mass multiplied by Acceleration. The faster a player is moving, the more force he is likely to exert on impact. In the scrum, charging, rolling mauls or defending, the more momentum the more force. The opposition needs to exert an equal force to stop you. Even if they tackle you by your ankles, their forearms, arms and shoulders will have to absorb the force of your impact and they are guaranteed never to forget about you. Strength and speed attribute to power. Power will decide who wins the Rugby World Cup 2011. Will it be the All Blacks?  Or the Springboks? England? Fiji? Functional strength training will reveal the new champions.

Olympic lifters (watch out for them in the London Olympics followed by Samba in Rio!) also capitalize on speed. In strength conditioning it is important to include repetition. That is, train your muscles repetitively for the movement you want to perform. There is a very good reason why Olympic athletes may not be able to bench press as much (I often find people on the internet criticize strongman competitors when they find out they cannot bench as much either).That is because of our strength training anatomy. Diving into human biology, our brains build neural pathways. A neural pathway tells the brain that a certain set of muscles need to be used in a certain sequence under a certain amount of force. Our bodies adapt to the strains imposed upon them and build the necessary strength training anatomy to handle the load. This adds strength to the statement – practice makes perfect. Determining one person’s strength over another is futile as it all depends on the function they have been training for. Sometimes the lanky looking guy is more dangerous down the dark alley than the big bench monster. Using momentum together with conditioning your body (by repeating the strength exercises) is what delivers the most power. As a part of your strength training, weights training, gym workout or training program, include speed and repetition to push or pull heavier weights.

There is still a lot be learned from the science of strongman competitions. Strongman competitors, Power Lifters and Olympic lifters all provide unique learning points for Rugby players. It is wisdom to learn battle plans from Spartan Warriors; it is wisdom to learn about combat from Gladiators and it is wisdom to learn from the professional strongmen of this world on how a physical game like Rugby could be mastered and taken to a whole new level.

There will be much more to come.

In order to setup a proper strength training routine, you need to understand how a muscle gets stronger. If you fail to understand the physiology behind getting stronger, you will put together a sub-optimal strength training program. My goal in this short article is to explain the differences between bodybuilding and gaining strength.

How a Bodybuilding Program Works.

Bodybuilding involves breaking down a muscle. This is done by performing reps in the 6-12 range and working the muscle to exhaustion. Typically bodybuilders aim for a “burn” and a “pump” in the muscle. They employ things like forced reps and negatives. If your goal is to build muscle then you are purposely trying to damage that muscle group. The idea is that when the muscle repairs itself, it will overcompensate and add a little more mass to that muscle group. Over time, these muscle groups will become noticeably larger. A proper strength training program aims for something much different.

How a Strength Program Works.

A good strength training plan should focus on making a muscle more efficient, not in breaking down a muscle. If your strength training program is geared toward things like the “pump” or the “burn” then you need to change your approach. Think of bodybuilding as “muscle” based and strength training as “nervous system” based. In a good strength training program you are trying to train your nervous system to send stronger impulses to the muscle group being worked. Your strength training program should be based around performing heavy weights and low repetitions.

Heavy Weights Generate Stronger Nerve Impulses to the Muscle Than Light Weights.

If you take a 5 pound weight and curl it, you nervous system barely needs to work to contract your bicep muscle. If you take a 40 pound weight and curl it, your nervous system needs to work harder. The heavier the weights you chose, the less reps you can perform in a specific lift. That is why an effective strength training program is based around lifting heavy weights for low reps.

How Many Sets and Reps are Optimal in a Good Strength Program?

In order to train your nervous system to become more efficient, you need to train it to fire strong impulses to the muscle over and over again. You must perform a specific heavy lift enough times for the mind-to-muscle link to get stronger. Gaining strength is a skill that is developed with practice like any other skill, so your strength training program needs to reflect that. Each set you perform should be 2-5 reps, but you will need to perform many sets to get the proper practice. You can decide for yourself how many sets you want to perform, I recommend between 6-10 sets in the major lifts.

Never Train To Failure if You Want to Gain Strength at a Fast Rate!

Training to failure is definitely a bodybuilding thing. None of your sets in your strength training program should ever be taken to failure. Every time you train to failure you are teaching your nervous system to fail. You will be rewarded with weaker impulses sent to the muscle on the next sets you perform. When you train to failure you are taking a “few steps back” in your quest to gaining strength. Obviously forced reps are to be avoided as well.

Schedule Plenty of Rest In Between Sets in Your Strength Routine.

Bodybuilders strive hard for things like “the pump” and they are trying to really exhaust their muscles, so they need to keep rest to a minimum. In a strength training program, you want maximum nerve impulses sent to the muscle each and every rep. In order to insure that really strong impulses are generated, you need to rest up to 5 minutes in between each set. If you ever play video games it is like waiting for your character’s energy to recharge up to 100%. Schedule enough time in your strength workout to rest 3-5 minutes in between each set.

You Should Not Be Sore After Performing Your Strength Training Program.

Since your strength workout isn’t breaking down your muscles, you should experience very little soreness the days after your workout. Since the muscles don’t need to repair themselves, you can work each muscle group more often than if you following a bodybuilding routine. A bodybuilder might work each muscle group twice a week, you should be able to work each muscle group 3-4 times per week. If you “practice” each lift 4 times per week, you should get quicker results than someone who does it 2 times per week. Just make sure that you aren’t breaking the muscle down like a bodybuilder.

A Quick Summary of a Good Strength Training Program

1) 3-5 reps per set

2) 6-10 sets per exercise

3) 3-5 minutes rest in between sets

4) Never train to failure

5) Never perform forced reps

6) Practice major lifts 3-4 times per week

Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion out there in setting up an effective strength training program.

About the Author: Rusty Moore is a trainer who gives advice to men and women who want a body that has “The Hollywood Look”. Download his FREE 56 page report… Vacation Body Blueprint. Get the slim & toned physique like Cam Gigandet, Brad Pitt, Jessica Biel, or Penelope Cruz. Click here to see the video and download the Free Report —-> http://vacationbodyblueprint.com

Strength training is required to help develop a “base” from which an athlete can build upon and become faster. Strength is required before power training and it helps to lay the foundation for overall body conditioning. I have found that strength is the single most dominant factor in predicting and also improving speed. It is not the only factor but it is definitely the main one that can bring about the most significant results.

If you have not performed a regular strength training program before then you need to participate in a general total body program as this will lay the foundation for a more advanced speed program. This article assumes that you have already been involved in a strength training program and are ready to expand into the specifics of training for blazing speed.

There are various types of strength which will help you to understand how to specifically train for your sport of tennis.

Strength-endurance refers to the athlete being able to exert strength over and over many times. If an athlete lacks the ability to continually exert this strength then they will become slower in reacting to a certain situation. The best way to work on strength endurance is by performing circuit training.

Maximum strength refers to being able to exert the maximum force possible in a single contraction or movement. It is this type of strength that plays a significant role in developing that “explosive” component of speed. An athlete can work on this maximum strength by conducting a strength training program.

Elastic strength is a third type which refers to the athlete having the ability to overcome a significant force or resistance with a fast contraction. How does this relate to speed? Well, think about how soccer has become more physical or football with the known amount of sheer strength required to push away from a defender. This can help the athlete to become faster in their response to a situation and get a jump on their opponent. This contributes to an athlete being fast and responsive to a certain situation. An athlete can work on developing elastic strength by working with medicine ball, performing various weight training exercises and a series of plyometric exercises.

Precautions for strength training include conducting a complete “needs analysis” for each individual, avoiding excessive loads on the body, avoiding over training (leads to overuse injuries)and avoiding training errors and using poor technique. Be sure to follow all guidelines and train with a partner if possible (for motivation and for spotting)

Principles of Training include the following: Frequency is how often you workout, intensity is how hard you work out or the effort you put into your work. This is expressed as a percentage of 1RM (maximum repetition). Time is how long you work out for(e.g. 45 minutes).Progression refers to a gradual increase in repetitions, sets, or resistance that allows for adaptational changes. Specificity is about training the body part or system specific to those used in your sport.

If you have access to a gym facility then you can develop a strength training program utilizing the equipment available.For those coaches or athletes who do not have access to a gym, you can design a program using a combination of the exercises included using an athlete’s own body weight for resistance.

Make sure that you include a variety of exercises that cover the lower body, the core and the upper body. Neglecting one area can create imbalances that will likely lead to injury.

How Do We Get Stronger? We get stronger by continually overloading the muscle and forcing it to grow stronger in order to cope with this increased load. When you hear coaches talking about a “maintenance phase” during their competitive season then they are often referring to maintaining the load placed upon the muscles. Whereas as during the pre-season the athletes were constantly striving to increase the loads placed on the muscles.

There are several methods when it comes to basic strength training. These include free weights such as barbells and dumbbells which are common in gyms and homes, using fixed machines such as universal machines, using your own body weight for resistance such as performing push-ups and squats, partner assisted exercises where your partner is the resistance, various forms of circuit training which involves performing a series of pre-defined exercises in rapid succession.

These are methods used for general strength training especially when the athlete lacks the appropriate resources. Our strength training exercises are more specific and cover a variety of methods but all aim to train specifically for the demands of tennis.

Many tennis players have to travel and this is where having the option to perform exercises using your own body weight can come in handy if this is your only option for strength training.

Repetitions – When conducting your initial strength training program for overall body conditioning and preparation for more advanced exercises I want you to work in the 10-12 repetition range. This allows you to develop muscle size and endurance but most of all it doesn’t place too much stress on your body which would likely lead to injury. You should be pushing out that last repetition, if not then increase the weight.

Once you have completed at least six months of a general weight training program then you can move onto the specifics that will really help you to become faster.

To achieve maximal results and adaptations you will want to train in the repetition range of 6-8 repetitions. This will help to achieve maximum strength and muscle growth. Every two to three weeks I want you to include a heavy day in your training which will consist of performing the same exercises but now in the 4-6 repetition range. It is important to perform these fewer repetitions with exercises that you have been doing for a while. This is a gradual progression. These heavy days will really help to overload and stimulate the muscles.

Sets – During your initial general strength training program I want you to perform 3 sets. The goal should be to push out 10-12 repetitions in each of these three sets. Remember that the main goal of a general strength training program is to prepare the body for the more strenuous activities placed upon it in the power and advanced training programs. If you have already been involved in a strength training program then you need to move on to a more intensive strength training program of 3 to 5 sets per exercise (include super sets into your programs)

Rest periods – During your general conditioning phase you will want to only rest for 1-2 minutes between sets.

When you have moved on to the more intensive program you will need to increase your rest periods to at least two to three minutes (due to using heavier weights and performing fewer repetitions). Anything less when maxing out will not allow you to fully recover in order to perform the next set for maximal gains. This increased rest period will allow the muscles to sufficiently replenish their ATP and creatine phosphate stores which will allow you to get better results on your next set.

Many power athletes will require rest periods of greater than 3-5 minutes. This is more specific but I am sure that you will have time restraints with your sessions.

Strength Training Program for Novice Lifters includes using a lighter weight, more repetitions, goal of becoming accustomed to strength training, fewer sets, divide into two sessions (upper body and lower body), conduct each session twice per week = 4 total sessions

Strength Training Program for Advanced and Experienced Lifters includes heavier weight, fewer repetitions, goal is to increase strength, more sets, three distinct sessions allowing for more emphasis on a specific muscle group, minimum of 72 hours rest between same muscles group work out, push out last few repetitions, increase weight if they are too easy!Introduce super sets, complete one heavy training session every three weeks, increase rest period between sets.

With frequency you should try to aim for at least three sessions per week with a minimum of two sessions.

Choice of exercises: To maintain motivation and prevent boredom change the exercises every 4-6 weeks. Refer to the article “Need New Strength Training Exercises to Add Variety to Your Programs?

The choice of exercises may be determined by the equipment available to you. If you have access a gym then they should have all of the required equipment. If not, then choose some of the body-resistance exercises or stability ball exercises.

Include a super-setting program for a 6 week period. Super-setting is where you complete a set with one muscles group and then immediately perform a set with another muscle group. For example: complete one set of dumbbell curls for the biceps and then complete one set of triceps extensions for the opposing triceps.

I strongly believe in keeping the repetition range between 6-8 as anything higher is not “overloading” the muscles. Every 2-3 weeks I want you to include one session of maximum lifting where your repetition range is between 4-6 repetitions. This will help to stimulate the muscles.

Always use a spotter and seek the assistance of a trainer to help you with technique. Remember that this is a general strength training program and change exercises every 4 – 6 weeks for variety and to stimulate muscles. Perform the general program for at least 6 months and allow for 48 to 72 hours rest between workouts. Start with a light weight and then progress to heavier weights and aim for a designated number of repetitions.

Include the following strength and power training exercises in your program for advanced players: BB and DB squats, Snatch Squat, Power Cleans, Bench Press,

Hack Squats, Leg Sled.

Characteristics of Strength Training Programs

Hypertrophy involves concentric and eccentric exercises, multiple sets for each muscle group (greater than 3 sets, short rest periods (less than 2 minutes, repetition range of 6-12, include super setting (same or opposing muscle groups), use a variety of exercises per muscle group, focus on muscle being trained and start with the larger muscle groups first

Power involves multi-joint exercises (power cleans, multiple sets (greater than 4), longer rest periods greater than two minutes (need longer rest periods before next set), repetition range less than 6 per set, very high intensity (maximal effort), choose power exercises specific to the movements used in tennis, perform power exercises early on in a session (work assisting muscle groups second), power is similar to strength but you are adding the time factor, plyo-metrics are exercises where the muscle is contracted eccentrically and then immediately concentrically. Stretch shortening cycle.

Muscular Endurance involves tennis specific exercises, fewer sets (3 or less), moderate rest periods (2-3 minutes between sets), repetition range of 12-18, lower intensity (allows for more repetitions), lighter weights used for more repetitions,

Remember that these are directed towards become a faster athlete. Strength and Power is what is needed for speed. Be aware of your own current fitness status and design a program that suits your needs based on the above principles.

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