Starting strength, power and muscular endurance training
Well as ever I have been distracted from the enjoyments of ‘blogging’ but again the funnel effect of University has taken full flow.
As stated in one of my previous blogs I was going to start a small blog chain in regards to strength training for BJJ/Judo and various other martial arts and here is the start.
Firstly this blog will I imagine be useful for those who have little S&C training in place and in fact have done very little ‘lifting’ before. Secondly I am a great believe in ROM and form (Range of Motion/Movement) and this is something that cannot be overlooked or pushed aside for the sake of feeding yours or other peoples egos.
So how does strength training work. It is pretty simple and most people (some with varied opinions as always) tend to work to a pretty simple formula:
Strength – 3 to 5 sets (although research has suggested gains can be seen with just 1 set – think Dorian Yates) with rep range in the region of 4 to 6. Now what is important is the 1RM percentage used. I think it is widely accepted that to see gains in strength we need to utilise a percentage of 85% and upwards, however to high and you won’t achieve the rep range (this is arguable) and to low and you will comfortably exceed it.
Power – set range is similar to strength with rep range being anything from 1 to 2 or 3 to 5 (depending on sport). I would edge towards 3 to 5 for BJJ/Judo but that is purely subjective. Now 1RM percentage is again subjective – if you was to do 1 to 2 reps then I would lean towards a percentage of 80-90% 1RM, with the rep range of 3 to 5 asking for a percentage of 75 – 85% 1RM
And finally muscular endurance requires sets of probably 2 to 3 with reps always (well more often than not) being greater than 12. Percentage of 1RM should not exceed 65-67% with emphasis being on high volume.
Yes I have left out hypertrophy - I'm going to be so blase about this and I apologise, but at this moment in time and for the beginner I feel it's not important enough to discuss right now. An improvement in strength, power and muscular endurance is (sorry if I offend anyone).
This is not a specific science and there are so many contrasting methods and percentages to lift, but these are what I have learnt (read) and tested, which for me work! Remember people respond differently so things may need changing (please feel free to tweet, email me with questions).
So some of you may be asking, what is 1RM? – 1RM is the highest load you can lift (correctly and fully) once. Now understanding this figure is important and testing it has many methods.
You can actually test it for each exercise (I URGE you to do this with a qualified or very competent lifter) following a set method or you can do an exercise (let’s say bench press) with a comfortable weight to failure and use one of the many table/formulas available to estimate your 1RM (a safe way if you’re training alone or have no access to anyone who can help you). I’m not going to link to these formulas but there are many out there – how ever I have found this to be relatively accurate for myself when compared to actual 1RM testing (BAECHLE, T.R. and EARLE, R.W. and WATHEN, D. (2000) Resistance training. In: BAECHLE, T.R. and EARLE, R.W., eds. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, p. 395-425).
ROM - Slightly different from form but closely related IMO. One of the best examples are Squats (I’m bad for this myself) …. So many people will complete a half squat (box squat) and say they are squatting, well yes you are but unless you intend on doing a half squat/box squat you are not squatting correctly. You see it in the gym when people do a bench press and the bar drops about 6 inches (about 8 inches above their chest), again unless they intentionally mean this, you’re not executing the full ROM. ROM not only helps ensure you utilise the whole muscle/movement, but has been to seen to aid flexibility and we could get really science (y) and talk about neuromuscular system engagement (but I will leave that for now!!). So again as with 1RM testing, get hold of someone who knows what they are talking about and ask for a demonstration, in fact there are some very good sources online too, but be careful what you choose. I’d actually encourage you to look at the literature available by UKSCA or NSCA (Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning being a good start - it's where the above images came from).
Now lastly for this blog – form. Oh yes, the dreaded word for oh so many ‘lifters’. So many people will forsake form so they could lift an extra 10kg, without truly understanding the long term damage you can create. I myself have been a culprit of poor form, and have gone out of my way to get advice on correct form/posture to aid longevity. Poor form can lead to poor posture (away from lifting) and injuries (minor and major). I was going to put up a few youtube videos but I don’t want to ridicule people who may not know better and don’t have the guidance. There is really no substitute for this other than speaking to a experienced lifter or qualified person (remember being experienced or qualified doesn’t mean they are right btw). One tip, I have always found those who teach the best have a long straight stick – that will become apparent if you ever get advice for form.
So, one long arse blog, with what could be perceived as boring information! But before I jump into it in depth I wanted to air the basics and we can walk hand in hand through the process.
Again as ever any questions or constructive criticism feel free to email/tweet me.
Keep rolling and Happy Easter (YES I will be eating ‘some’ chocolate eggs).
Oss