This site dedicated to weight training progression for the advancement of strength. As such, every effort will be made to ensure that the information covered herein will be relevant to strength progression. Why such emphasis on strength progression? A few reasons:
1. There’s still a need for information on progressing strength long-term. In spite of progression being the “God-Particle” of strength training, most fitness media neglect to mention weight training progression.
2. When progression is mentioned, it’s limited to manipulating weight/sets/reps. Progression extends beyond just weight/sets/reps. In addition to weight/sets/reps, there are numerous ways to escalate demands. Furthermore, the importance of factors like, recovery and muscular balance, to progression are rarely addressed.
3. Because, unlike activities specific to increasing other components of fitness, increased strength can enhance all other fitness components. As such strength and/or weight training might be the most important form of exercise.
The Need
If you look at most of the information provided on weight training and/or strength-training, you see “worthless-exercises-of-the-month” performed by spandex-clad “models” with the typical 3 sets of 10 prescription.
What you rarely get is information on how to progress those exercises long-term to yield meaningful fitness improvement. When progression is discussed, only the short-lived progressions of weight/reps/sets are mentioned.
Provided here will be a continual emphasis on progression. In addition to weight/reps/sets, will be an emphasis on rarely utilized forms of progression and compliments to progression.
Seldom-used, yet extremely effective progressions like acceleration and range of motion will be frequently emphasized. The importance of recovery to strength gain will also be frequently addressed. Additionally, the need to continually maintain balanced musculature for long-term progression will be covered.
The Importance of Strength
Every component of fitness can be enhance by strength training while the vice versa is usually untrue.
Aerobic/muscular endurance
Strength training improves aerobic and muscular endurance by increasing the force surplus further beyond that which is necessary for endurance activities. The greater the surplus of force, the greater the ease of reproducing sub-maximal force. In the other direction, however, endurance exercise can induce strength limiting neuromuscular changes.
Flexibility
Training to increase strength at any joint angle will incline the nervous-system to allow movement through those joint angles because of increased sense of strength and integrity. Stretching alone allows joints to venture to angles where they’re weak and vulnerable.
Power
Power, or rate of muscular force development, is enhanced by strength training in that it raises the magnitude of force you develop. Power training on the other hand, often involves loads that don’t allow muscles enough time to reach strength-developing tension.
Body composition
The fitness component of body composition is enhanced by strength training by increasing the percentage of your body that is composed of muscle. Dieting and excess energy expenditure, alone, can result in loss of strength and muscle mass leading to pencil-neck-syndrome.