Sensible Strength Training from the Start

 

Loading norms for resistance training workouts designed for adolescents

 

By Strength Sensei CP

Publication Date: 1988

 

A lot of time and effort has been spent by sports scientists to find the optimal loading norms for strength training. Among the beneficiaries of this information are the coaches of adolescent athletes who have just begun, or are about to begin, their first year of strength training with weights.

Let’s start with some definitions. During a “concentric contraction,” a muscle shortens while producing tension. When the tension is sufficient to move a joint with a shortening of muscle fiber, it is said to be concentric. Examples are raising a weight, climbing stairs and climbing up a rope. During an “eccentric contraction,” a muscle lengthens while producing tension. If a muscle is stretched while exerting force, it absorbs energy and is said to be performing negative work. Examples are bending down, landing, lowering a weight and climbing down a rope.

Rolf Feser, a high-performance coach and consultant to the West German Weightlifting Federation, suggests that the privileged intensity zone of concentric (as opposed to eccentric) strength lies somewhere between 70-100 percent of your one-repetition maximum (1RM) lift (Table 1).

 

REPETITIONS         % of MAXIMUM
MAXIMAL STRENGTH ZONE

1———————-100                   

2———————95.5

3———————91.7

4———————88.5

5———————85.7

6———————83.2
BODYBUILDING / HYPERTROPHY ZONE

7———————80.9                   

8———————78.8

9———————76.9

10——————–75.2

11——————–73.6

12——————–72.1
STRENGTH-ENDURANCE ZONE

13——————–70.6                  

14——————–69.2

15——————–67.8

16——————–66.5

17——————–65.3

18——————–64.1

19——————–63.0

20——————–61.9

Table 1:Relationship between repetitions and percentage of maximum load for one-repetition maximum (RM). The maximum strength zone is 1-6 reps and the bodybuilding zone 6-12 reps. Strength endurance is done with more than 12 reps.

 

According to East German sports scientist G. Carl, large strength increases occur with loads of no more than 8 reps, with sets of 4-6 reps at 80-85 percent being the most effective. Because sets of 1-3 reps puts a high level of stress on the neuromuscular and endocrine systems, they should only be used for short periods (1-3 weeks) and only by highly qualified athletes. (Note: The endocrine system needs time to recuperate too; otherwise, the athlete may experience adrenal depletion. Adrenalin helps athletes psyche up for lifting heavier weights.)

It is commonly agreed among sports scientists in Eastern Bloc countries that the first year of strength training should be devoted to sets of at least 8 reps. This approach, which has its roots in bodybuilding, develops an anaerobic base that translates into greater work capacity. In fact, Bulgarian coaches recommend working at 60-75 percent of maximum for sets of 10-20 reps during the first year of training. This intensity zone also offers other advantages, including muscle growth and markedly reduced risk of injury.

 

Naim Süleymanoğlu was a product of the Bulgarian system. He was, pound-for-pound, the greatest weightlifter in history, winning Olympic gold three times and breaking 51 world records, starting when he was only 16! How strong was he? In 1988, weighing 132 pounds, this aptly-named “Pocket Hercules” snatched 336 and clean and jerked 418! (This photo, and the lead photo of US lifter Donnie Warner, by Bruce Klemens.)

 

Empirical results from the University of Alabama in Auburn showed that alternating a macrocycle (2-3 weeks) of lower intensities (15-20 reps) with a macrocycle of higher intensities (8-15 reps) produces results as great as 20-30 percent better than other approaches.

Now let’s apply this background information to other loading parameters: sets, tempo, rest intervals, number of exercises, and frequency of training.

 

Maximal muscle mass is generally best produced with sets of about 7-11 reps. (Miloš Šarčev photo)

 

Sets

Evidence suggests the number of sets performed should be inversely proportional to the number of reps (see Table 2). The “Law of Least Effort” is also in order when determining the optimal number of sets to perform; even though research points out that 3-10 sets are usually needed for optimal loading, much lower overloading is necessary for beginners.

REPS              SETS              % OF MAXIMUM                REST INTERVAL

2-3                   6-10                 90-95                                       5-8 Minutes

4-7                   5-10                 80-89                                       3-6 Minutes

8-10                 4-6                   75-79                                       2-5 Minutes

11                    3-5                   Less than 75                            1-3 Minutes

Table 2:Loading norms for strength training. Note: It requires many years of training before the highest number of sets is needed by the athlete.

 

During the first weeks of training, very little volume (1-2 sets) produces ample amounts of performance improvement, and it normally takes 6-8 weeks of training before 3 sets are in order for beginners. Muscles that are not usually subjected to high levels of training, such as the adductors, react well to fewer (1-3) sets. Because smaller muscle groups, such as the triceps, recover more quickly than large muscle groups, such as the quadriceps, the former needs more extensive workload to achieve optimal results. As an athlete increases his or her level of classification, more sets are needed to bring about performance improvement (i.e., supercompensation).

Smaller muscle groups such as the triceps, shown being targeted in this exercise, recover more quickly than larger muscle groups and thus can handle more sets. (Miloš Šarčev photo)

 

Eccentric training has gained widespread recognition in weight training circles for producing appreciable gains in maximal strength and hypertrophy. It consists of lowering a weight for 4-6 sets of 1-6 reps, at 5-75 percent more than the 1RM; it should be performed at a count of 6-8 seconds. However, strength training emphasizing eccentric contractions should not be performed by beginners. Andrzej Kulesza, Canada’s national weightlifting coach and a Ph.D. graduate in physical education from Poland, recommends eccentric work to weight trainers with 1-2 years of solid training.

Don’t use an athlete’s 1RM to establish the proper intensity zone of training for eccentric or concentric training. Trial and error will allow you to determine the proper poundage for each individual. If your program calls for sets of 15-20 reps and you can’t perform 15 reps, the weight is too heavy. If you can do 21 reps or more, increase the weight.

 

Tempo

Muscular strength is increased more rapidly if training includes various speeds of execution (tempo) than if the exercises are always performed at the same speed. A tempo of 3-10 seconds for both concentric and eccentric phases of lifting places a high level of tension on the neuromuscular system. Also, the absence of momentum and substantially favors trophism of muscle size and strength.

When training at slow speeds, no more than 60 seconds of work per set should be performed. For example, do 6 reps with 5 seconds for every concentric and eccentric contraction. For the first year of training, Eastern Bloc sources generally recommend the use of moderate-to-slow tempo.

High speed lifting with loads of 85-100 percent of maximum is another way to achieve high levels of muscle tension as it will recruit a large number of fast-twitch motor units.

 

Rest Intervals

Rest intervals in strength training should last 2-8 minutes, with an average of 3-5 minutes. The higher the training intensity and the larger the muscle group, the longer the rest interval should be. For instance, squats at 90 percent should call for 5-minute rest periods. Training in groups of three should provide ample rest between sets, while a seated position on a chair that is not too low enhances circulation and recovery.

Longer rest intervals are required for exercises that involve a large amount of muscle mass, such as squats, especially when performed at high intensity. Shown is legendary powerlifter Marv Phillips. According to weightlifting historian Terry Todd, when Phillips was 7 years old he fell from a 60-foot-tall tree, hitting a branch at 20 feet that tore off his right arm off just below the shoulder; surgeons needed 454 stitches to sew it back on. Eventually that arm grew to 20 ½ inches! Phillips went on to break the world record squat 7 times, eventually hitting a best of 848 pounds in the 242-pound weight division. (Bruce Klemens photo)

 

Talking in the weight room should be limited to verbal encouragement to favor concentration and motivation. High school weight rooms often have rock music blasting out of speakers to help elevate the athletes’ moods. However, research suggests this type of music inhibits neuromuscular capacity! Therefore, don’t allow rock music to be played in the weight room!

 

Number of Exercises

A common mistake among North American strength training programs is to perform a high number of exercises in a workout. Teenagers should perform no more than 30-36 sets per workout. Therefore, 12 exercises for 3 sets each should be the absolute maximum number of exercises performed. Very good results have been obtained with the use of core exercises to cover the muscle actions of hip and knee extensions, knee flexion, shoulder flexion, shoulder extension, elbow flexion, elbow extension, and trunk extension.

With higher qualityathletes, fewer exercises are required in a single workout. Soviet weightlifting expert Arkady Voroboyev recommends 2-7 exercises with an average of 4-6. The current trend is to have more frequent workouts of shorter duration.

At age 15 Ian Wilson was the youngest American to snatch 300 pounds and at age 16 was the youngest American to clean and jerk 400 pounds. He went to snatch a senior American record of 381 at a bodyweight of 231 pounds and jerk 500 pounds from the rack. Wilson was coached by his father, 1980 US Olympian Butch Curry, and Bulgarian coach Ivan Abadjiev. (Bruce Klemens photo)

 

Frequency of Training

In the early stages of training, twice-weekly sessions (e.g., Monday and Thursday, and not on days back-to-back) is enough to stimulate gains. However, as the athlete succumbs to the laws of diminishing returns, more frequent workouts will be needed. For example, weightlifter Jacques Demers, 1984 Olympic Games silver medalist, squatted 9 times a week using various schemes of reps, sets, and modes of contraction to achieve a 584-pound full squat at a bodyweight of just 165 pounds! Here again, the law of least effort applies — only increase the frequency when gains are no longer appreciable.

The recommendations in this article are based on well-documented research and empirical findings from North American and European spheres of thought. Use them accordingly to help young athletes get strong, quickly and safely!

Key Points

  1. Obey the law of least effort.
  2. Go above 80 percent of 1RM only after one solid year of training. However, single repetition maximums may become more common in some sports (e.g., weightlifting) than others (e.g., lifting for a middle-distance runner) because of the nature of the sport’s strength requirements.
  3. High intensity methods, such as eccentric training, should only be used by advanced athletes with at least 1-2 years of weight training background.
  4. Increase the workload (number of sets, frequency of training) only when it’s absolutely needed, and do it very gradually. Don’t try for big progressions in training load.

 

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