Strength gains are different between the two types of machine, and there is again definite evidence of stability -
specific gains in strength going in both directions (Cacchio et al. 2008).
This may account for the some of the larger - than - expected gains in strength after training on unstable surfaces in untrained individuals, although again it does not explain stability -
specific gains in strength.
On the other hand, regional hypertrophy (but not always muscle fascicle length) seems more important than changes in joint angle - specific neural drive for the joint angle -
specific gains in strength after isometric training at long muscle lengths (Alegre et al. 2014; Noorkõiv et al. 2014).
Traditionally, it has been assumed that neural factors were responsible for joint angle -
specific gains in strength after isometric training at all joint angles (Kitai & Sale, 1989; Noorkõiv et al. 2014).
Partial range of motion exercises also display fairly clear joint angle -
specific gains in strength.
Andersen et al. (2015) reported joint angle -
specific gains in strength, whereby squats with free weights produced gains in isometric strength at both 60 and 90 degrees of knee flexion, while squats against elastic bands produced gains in isometric strength only at 60 degrees of knee flexion.
This probably causes differences in velocity -
specific gains in strength between the two external load types.
This probably causes differences in joint angle -
specific gains in strength between the two external load types.
There are many factors that could cause velocity -
specific gains in strength.
Not exact matches
This lovely tradition is
gaining strength among those who use a variety of carriers with their child or children and note that each child has a
specific carrier that they particularly love to be carried
in.
In addition to acting as a benchmark for your
strength gains, knowing your one - rep max with multiple lifts is a key to workouts that require a
specific set of exercises and reps at a certain percentage of your personal max.
For those who have
specific goals with their training (e.g., building a lot of muscle,
gaining strength in a couple of compound lifts, becoming a really good sprinter), putting some emphasis on progressive overload and creating a
specific adaptation is usually a good idea.
Making that connection between movement training and real life is at the core of the ACE Integrated Fitness Training ® (ACE IFT ®) Model, which provides a framework for developing stability or mobility as appropriate
in a
specific area of the body (phase 1), reintegrating it into full - body movement (phase 2), adding external load and creating a stimulus for
strength gains (phase 3) and increasing movement speed to develop bodily control (phase 4).
Making that connection between movement training and real life is at the core of the ACE Integrated Fitness Training ® (ACE IFT ®) Model, the Functional Movement and Resistance Training component of which provides a framework for developing stability or mobility as appropriate
in a
specific area of the body (phase 1), reintegrating it into a full - body movement (phase 2), adding external load and creating a stimulus for
strength gains (phase 3) and increasing movement speed to develop bodily control and power (phase 4).
However, it might also explain the greater
gains in eccentric -
specific strength, because the larger number of lateral attachments formed would increase the resistance of the muscle to lengthening.
Yet, despite this strong theoretical basis, it is still unclear whether modifications
in titin occur
in humans, and contribute to eccentric -
specific strength gains.
On the other hand, many studies have reported velocity -
specific strength gains after isokinetic
strength training at different speeds, where the intent was maximal
in all groups (Moffroid & Whipple, 1970; Caiozzo et al. 1981; Coyle et al. 1981; Jenkins et al. 1984; Garnica, 1986; Thomeé et al. 1987; Petersen et al. 1989; Bell et al. 1989; Ewing Jr et al. 1990), and also after constant load
strength training at different speeds, where intent was maximal
in all groups (Kaneko et al. 1983; Aaagaard et al. 1994; 1996; Moss et al. 1997; Ingebrigtsen et al. 2009).
Gains in eccentric -
specific strength after eccentric training are probably caused by both peripheral and central factors.
Indeed, some studies have reported velocity -
specific strength gains in conjunction with shifts
in muscle fiber type or
in fiber type distribution (Liu et al. 2003; Zaras et al. 2013), but others have found no changes
in fiber type distribution, while still reporting velocity -
specific strength gains (Coyle et al. 1981; Thomeé et al. 1987; Ewing Jr et al. 1990; Malisoux et al. 2006; Vissing et al. 2008).
In addition, this greater gain in strength occurs despite similar hypertrophy, which suggests that specific tension has also increase
In addition, this greater
gain in strength occurs despite similar hypertrophy, which suggests that specific tension has also increase
in strength occurs despite similar hypertrophy, which suggests that
specific tension has also increased.
The truth of the matter is that the methods used by many professional bodybuilders often do not produce the desired
gains in strength and power
specific to most sports.
It is this last point that addresses the question posed
in the section heading - pure interval running is suboptimal for
specific strength gains (as it compromises recovery and teaches different movement patterns, compared to say a squat), and it is suboptimal for teaching an athlete HOW to run a long race.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training under neutrally stable conditions (such as during free weight training, especially using single - leg exercises) should lead to superior
gains in COD ability than
strength training using very stable (machines) or very unstable (stability ball) conditions.
Which mechanism is most important for subsequent joint angle -
specific strength gains depends on the muscle length used
in training.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training developing horizontal or lateral force production should lead to superior
gains in COD ability than
strength training developing vertical force production only.
Eccentric -
specific gains produced by neural mechanisms might not transfer well to COD ability, because of differences between the
strength training exercise and the COD maneuver
in terms of both movement pattern, and contraction velocity.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training performed with heavy loads should lead to greater
gains in COD performance than
strength training performed with lighter loads (with the same bar speed).
Joint angle -
specific strength gains at shorter muscle lengths tend to be caused by changes
in neural drive (Noorkõiv et al. 2014).
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training that focuses on the knee (and hip) extensors should lead to superior
gains in COD ability than
strength training that is more generally applied to the whole lower body.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training for the hip extensors and knee extensors with eccentric - only muscle actions or accentuated eccentric loading should lead to superior
gains in COD ability compared to conventional
strength training.
Strength is velocity - specific, which means that training with a light load and a faster bar speed leads to preferentially greater gains in high - velocity s
Strength is velocity -
specific, which means that training with a light load and a faster bar speed leads to preferentially greater
gains in high - velocity
strengthstrength.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training at high speeds will lead to superior
gains in COD ability than
strength training at slow speeds.
To - date, only a minority of chronic studies have shown that
specific timing of nutrients relative to the resistance training bout can affect
gains in muscular size and / or
strength.
Yet, both training programs displayed velocity -
specific strength gains, with the greatest
gains in strength being at the highest velocities.
Factors that shift the angle of peak torque to longer muscle lengths after normal
strength training include increases
in neural drive at long muscle lengths, increases
in normalized fiber length,
specific gains in regional muscle size, and increases
in muscle stiffness.
Factors that shift the angle of peak torque to shorter muscle lengths after normal
strength training include increases
in neural drive at short muscle lengths, decreases
in normalized fiber length,
specific gains in regional muscle size, and increases
in tendon stiffness.
Eccentric training produces
specific gains in eccentric
strength, which can be observed as an increase
in the eccentric - to - concentric
strength ratio.
If this is the case, we should find that the main causes of specificity
in strength gains after training with different types of external load are regional hypertrophy and joint angle -
specific changes
in neural drive (especially at end range of motion).
Since the muscle length at the point of peak contraction seems to be the main factor that drives joint angle -
specific strength gains, I am going to focus on the common type of partial range of motion exercises that involves a peak contraction at shorter muscle lengths
in this article.
When looking at studies exploring the effects of adding bands or chains on
specific strength gains in the powerlifting exercises, most studies have reported that it does not matter whether subjects use free weights alone, or free weights with added bands or chains.
Accommodating resistance training transfers well to constant load
strength, and also seems to produce greater joint angle -
specific strength gains towards the middle of the exercise range of motion, greater improvements
in repetition
strength, and greater high - velocity
strength gains.
So eccentric training is helpful for preventing muscle strains, but this may be partly because of various
specific changes that happen after eccentric training, including
specific gains in eccentric
strength (relative to isometric or concentric
strength) and not just because of overall
strength gains.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training performed with heavy loads should lead to greater
gains in sprinting performance than
strength training performed with lighter loads (with the same bar speed).
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training of the hamstrings at long muscle lengths, and the quadriceps and gluteus maximus at short muscle lengths, should lead to superior
gains in sprinting performance than
strength training at other joint angles.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training that develops horizontal force production with exercises that have an anteroposterior force vector (hip thrusts) will lead to superior
gains in sprinting performance than
strength training that develops vertical force production with exercises that have an axial force vector (squats).
The greater
gains in strength - to - size that result from an increase
in specific tension are not reflected
in improvements
in muscle power, because the reduction
in contractile velocity counteracts the effects of the increased muscle fiber force (Erskine et al. 2011).
One interesting feature of stability - specificity is that the
strength gains are highly
specific to the exact movement pattern used
in training.
Since
strength is
specific, then:
strength training at high speeds will lead to superior
gains in sprinting performance than
strength training at slow speeds.
If
strength gains are stability -
specific, then
gains in strength in a very stable exercise set - up (such as sitting on a machine) might not transfer to
strength displayed
in less stable environments (such as standing on the ground), while
gains in very unstable environments (such as balancing on a wobble board) might not transfer to those
in more stable environments (Willardson, 2004).
Ultimately, the degree of transfer between a
strength training exercise and a sporting movement will depend partly on the extent to which the
strength gains after training are stability -
specific, and partly on the extent to which the stability requirements used
in training match the stability requirements of the sporting movement.