Are there Concrete Methods Available for Use During Strength Training?

In relation to the aforementioned, the training method constitutes the individual adaptation of a particular training program to the sport practiced by a specific athlete. The training method includes the appropriate arrangement and selection of exercises preceded by structural analyses of the athlete, the determination of a training program that is developed with a focus on improving individual elements, and specialized periodization with different phases and periods of training. Motor or strength training will significantly vary depending on the discipline for which they are developed.

Muscular strength and power are key factors determining success in many diverse sports, such as long-distance running or cross-country skiing. Muscular strength and power are widely recognized as extremely important not only in team sports but also in those where speed is paramount. Moreover, recent research has shown that muscular strength and power are of critical importance in endurance sports, such as long-distance running or cross-country skiing. Therefore, it is vital to understand how their development can impact athletic performance. Strength training involves the application of loads to enhance strength and power. Depending on the objectives, various methods of applying resistance can be employed. The use of exercises that involve multiple joints and large muscle groups, such as deadlifts, snatches, clean and jerks, squats, etc., is more effective in improving strength and power than exercises that involve single joints or smaller muscle groups. Apart from specialized strength training, various general training methods can be mentioned, whose combination allows for the development of a comprehensive training program focused on enhancing strength and power. These methods include: – the method for improving explosive strength, – the method that contains elements of eccentric training, – the isometric method, – the method based on plyometric training.

The selection of the suitable training method appears to be a very complex task that is influenced by numerous factors. It is dependent, among other things, on the training period during which the athlete is in order to improve his/her performance or movements. As mentioned earlier, the choice of method should be initiated by specialized structural studies that indicate the progress of the competitor. This includes, for example, a test that covers the structural balance of individual muscle groups, such as the ratio of the strength of two-headed muscles to square muscles or the result of the press that is able to connect with the development of the pulls.

When it comes to methods of strength development in power sports, such as powerlifting or weightlifting, their initial training program does not differ significantly. Both disciplines derive a lot from bodybuilding methods in their initial stages of training. Athletes in strength sports are unable to carry heavy weights all year round, so part of the training period, and especially the beginning of it, is devoted to building muscle mass or strength training of weak sides in individual fights. During this period of training, isometric methods are frequently used, along with basic elements of strength training, and the most advanced elements of exercise are at the same time designed to improve strength training methods. Subsequent stages of preparation for athletes are already based on more specialized training methods, based on movements characteristic of both disciplines. Work with heavy weights and low repetition ranges aims to achieve adequate repetition of movements at high intensity. The final training period (i.e., 1-2 weeks before the competition) is aimed at developing an appropriate dynamic, without giving up strength training with heavy weights. Therefore, methods based on explosive strength are often used, sometimes with elements of plyometric training.

When it comes to strength-developing methods in martial arts, they should primarily develop aspects such as: static force, explosive force, isometric force. With an emphasis on the latter, which is used much more often. However, such athletes need different types of strength. They need to be much more versatile than athletes in other sports, so dedicating themselves to one aspect of the sport is very valuable. Although static force is rarely combined with dynamic force, there are many factors that do not lead to significant advances in one direction, if not improvements in the other direction. Increasing static force allows the athlete to work at a higher level in strength endurance exercises. Greater overall strength will subsequently enable the repetition of the same movement with less energy expenditure. Since most movements of fighters in martial arts involve muscles that contract quickly, the athlete must generate as much power as possible in the shortest time, hence elements of weightlifting have become very popular in training methods in martial arts in recent times. Often, methods containing elements of strongman training, such as the farmer's walk, appear in the preparation programs for MMA fighters in the USA. This is an excellent combination of endurance and overall strength, so it fits perfectly into the training concept of this sport. Isometrics (clinch in MMA) or eccentric training are also present in martial arts and should also be considered.

Regarding strategies for power development in team sports, their primary aim is to reduce the risk of injury to the player on the field and to enhance his parameters such as speed and jumping ability. Each of these aspects will be achieved through the appropriate, individually tailored method of power development for the athlete undergoing training. However, it must be noted that team sports players are not triathletes, weightlifters, or bodybuilders, so they do not have to devote as much time to strength training. Therefore, the task is relatively complex.