Let's define strength so that we are starting from the same point.
Let's just say that strength is a muscle or muscle group's ability to exert force against an external load. (Siff, 2003) Now we could add to this definition that we would like to move the load, but let's keep it simple for now. Dr. Mel Siff broke strength down into its essence in the first chapter of his book "Super Training." If you don't already have this book, I highly recommend it. There are plenty of flavors of strength. We will cover terms like speed-strength, strength-speed, explosive strength, starting-strength, etc., etc., ... We aren't writing a college paper right now so I will introduce concepts as needed.
In my first post on this topic, I explained that it wasn't the size of the muscle that was of primary importance, but the nervous system of the athlete. In Super Training, Dr. Siff states,
"The production and increase of strength both depend on neuromuscular processes. Strength is not primarily a function of muscle size , but one of the appropriate muscles powerfully contracted by effective nervous stimulation. This is the foundation of all strength training."( Siff, 2003)
This is key and here is how it changes the entire game.
This basic concept escapes a lot of us. When I finally understood that strength should fall into the same category as SKILL, I was forever changed. Big muscles were not a prerequisite to elite level strength. I had to change my perspective and it was not easy.
A larger muscle meant more potential, but you still had to build the ability (skill) of correctly contracting it to display functional strength efficiently / effectively.
This means that to get strong we train the nerves and training for mass is secondary in priority. By dividing training into two specific types based on the previous concept, Dr. Siff and his colleagues helped to change our world.
What are the two basic types of training called?
Fundamental and Structural Resistance Training
To be continued ...
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